# Standard transmission

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Created:** [August 7, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778 "2007-08-07T22:47:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![tracyb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6bbea6/32.png) [@tracyb](https://community.cartalk.com/u/tracyb)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 10:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778/1 "2007-08-07T22:47:32Z")

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Bought a 94 ford aspire standard. Gears sticking. How do I check transmission fluid? (My first standard car)

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**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\
**Post date:** [August 7, 2007, 11:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778/2 "2007-08-07T23:19:36Z")

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[b]Somewhere on the transmission there will be a drain plug and a fill plug. The fill plug is above the drain plug.

Remove the fill plug, and if no fluid runs out, stick your finger in the hole, bend it down and see if fluid is on the end of your finger when you remove it. If there is, the level is fine. If there is no fluid on your finger, add the proper fluid until it runs out the fill plug. Reinstall the plug.

Tester[/b]

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**Author:** ![armtdm](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/armtdm/32/26_2.png) [@armtdm](https://community.cartalk.com/u/armtdm)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 12:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778/3 "2007-08-08T00:14:04Z")

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Never remove the drain plug without first seeing if you can turn the fill plug. Also, many manual transmission use gear oil and not ATF some use ATF etc so need the owners manual to see what type of oil or fluid is needed to top off or change.

Could be several things besides a fluid/oil problem though

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**Author:** ![Craig58](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3da27b/32.png) [@Craig58](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Craig58)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778/4 "2007-08-08T00:22:55Z")

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What do mean by the gears sticking? Do you mean they are hard to shift or grinding?

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**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 12:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778/5 "2007-08-08T00:27:07Z")

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Dragging clutch maybe?

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**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2007, 12:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/standard-transmission/2778/6 "2007-08-08T00:55:05Z")

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I have no idea if this car has a hydraulic clutch, but it might. I you know how to check the brake fluid, the clutch fluid is the same stuff in a container right next to the brake fluid. Check it out, could be low.