good morning. i have an “newbie” question. my wife has a 1990 nissan sentra with 234,168 miles on it. it is a 4 speed manual shift 4 cyd. and it’s in great shape and condition. however, even though the car shifts smoothly, it kind of lags when gas is applied. i went under the hood to check the transmission fluid and could not find the dip stick or any where to add the fluid. is this something we will have to take in to a service shop to have looked at and serviced?
It’s not likely at all that transmission fluid level has anything to do with current car symptom.
There are a number of things that can cause a lag when the throttle is applied but the first thing that came to my mind was a slipping clutch.
Set the park brake, hold the foot brake, shift the transmission into 3rd gear, and then try to rev the engine a bit as you slowly release the clutch pedal.
The engine should stall out and die. If not, the clutch is going out.
Other causes of a lag could be retarded ignition timing, insufficient fuel flow (clogged fuel filter and/or weak fuel pump), clogged catalytic converter, etc.
Try the clutch test first and go from there.
There is no dipstick for manual transmissions. When the car is next serviced, the technician/mechanic can check the level of the transmission oil, along with the other fluids.
Just be sure that you DO NOT use Jiffy Lube or any of its clones if you value your car(s). The percentage of engines/transmissions/differentials/cooling systems/brake hydraulic systems damaged by quick lube places is distressingly high.