How to read TSX dipstick
 

Is it me, or the TSX oil dipstick doesn't have any markings? Mine definitely doesn't have any. The only markings are the two holes about an inch apart at the end.

So my question is, how do I read this thing? What is too much, what is too little, and what is just right?

The holes are the markers. If your oil is in between these two holes, you should be fine.

:rtfm:

Meh, it's raining too hard to go outside to the car.....

The difference between the bottom hole and top hole is about 1 qt of oil. Anything in between the two holes is OK, but you should always try to keep oil levels at the top hole.

Another point to remember is to never add more oil than is necessary (read: above the top hole). Any excess oil beyond the specified amount will drip back into the crankcase causing foaming and you'll ultimately lose oil pressure which could cause long-term damage to your engine.

Right,

The manual says the oil should be between the two holes.

Make sure you take the dipstick out, wipe it off, put it back in, and take it out again for reading. Don't just pull it out and check.

Someone please check my correctness on this next statement, but I believe you have to check it after the car was not turned on for a while. So don't check it after driving.

^ Yup, it's better to check your oil level when it's cold.

^-I agree-that is how I do it and I am a female that knows how to check the oil level

I went to Jiffy Lube the other day and I can see that the oil is at the second hole or little tad higher on my dipstick. Should I be concerned and remove some oil out?

^No that's okay. As long as it's not like 1 inch above the top hole of the dipstick :toocool:

on a side note, stay away from Jiffy Lube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCAJ8ULnaI

Thanks, bro. It's definitely less than an inch from the top hole. I saw that video before. I actually saw them put fresh oil in my car from the carton while I wait for my vehicle. But it's hard to see whether they changed out my oil filter. Where do people get their oil changes besides the stealerships (dealerships)? I don't want to wait for so long for a simple oil change. Is Oil Can Henry good?

The 2nd most important thing to establish after which car tree to hang in your rearview mirror is to establish a, "good" working relationship with your ordinary John Q mechanic/technician at your local repair shop.

@ the dealership, it's expensive because included in that $40. oil change is the price one pays for, "peace of mind." Just learn to do your own oil changes. Purchase bulk Acura/Honda oil filters on ebay and D.I.Y. :thumbsup:


edit: i mean, when else can you do this and get away with it? - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQyQP07-_dg

i like the captain obvious answers of "check the manual," which is little help. The owner manual sucks for sure. Doesn't even tell you how to change the cabin filter, which takes all of 2 minutes and the dealer charges $150 to do. Probably could have checked the tech manual, but didn't really think about it having it in there until now. Thanks Dayta for the more descriptive answer. My oil was just about 1/4" above the bottom tip and I didn't know how much to add...So I added about 1.4 qts or so, and verified the calibration rule of thumb he gave...~1 qt between the dots. For those that may be searching TSX dipstick calibration read TSX dipstick TSX oil level

Geez, for sure his question is a bit obvious, but your 1st damn message here is to tell someone go read the manual!
Nice start and nice mentality!

Do you guys know where is the transmission oil dipstick? I can't locate it.

^ auto or manny? Not sure if manuals have it somewhere else though. Auto is a yellow stick near the drivers side iirc...been a while but I think it's over there. Post a pic of your engine bay and we should be able to see it and tell you.

09 TSX is yellow by the battery:

http://z.about.com/d/cars/1/0/-/X/1/ag_09tsx_engine.jpg

Ah perfect, from here: https://acurazine.com/forums/1g-tsx-2004-2008-124/transmission-fluid-color-678672/

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/9207/engineai3.jpg

Thanks for the picture. I still don't see it. I have a 6MT 07 TSX. I wonder if they even have a dip stick for my type of car.

The picture is of an auto trans. Pretty sure there's no dipstick for the manual trans. (certainly none of the manual transmission cars I've had ever had a didpstick). Maybe the 6MT guys can help out (or instructions for checking the level should be in the owner's manual).

^ +1. Since you have a manny it's set up differently. Something with underneath the car near the drain bolt or something I'm thinking since I remem reading it. Check the DIY for a tranny flush, info is in there.

PM me. I'll help you out.

I just checked the manual for my '09 and can confirm that you have to get underneath the car. Remove the transmission filler bolt and feel inside with your finger. The fluid should be up to the edge of the bolt hole. If not, add Honda MTF until it runs out the hole, then reinstall bolt.

I imagine it must be the same for 1st gens as there are so many similarities "under the hood" between our cars.

Thanks. I never knew mannys don't have transmission dipsticks visible. Hopefully, my dealer technician put the right amount of oil in my engine or I'll have to look underneath my car as instructed by fellow TSXers. Interesting.

Just wanted to clarify here. The amount of oil in the transmission has nothing to do with the quantity of oil in the engine. They are physically separate systems.

If this was just a typographical error, please disregard my comment.

2004 TSX 6 speed MT
 

their is no tranny dip stick for my make and model. theres a bolt under the air filter box . you have to remove the whole intake to get to it. to measure how tranny fluid you need you have to read the manuel. the check tranny fluid bolts are on the side of the tranny, accessible only throught the driver side wheel well. you need a socker with a long extention to get to it. pretty much you need two ppl to do this, one has to pour the tranny fluid on the top and another to wait for the fluid to leak out the side. at first it wont leak out but when it FIRST starts leaking out the tranny is full of fluid.

Manuals don't have tranny dipsticks period. As others have said, the level is checked through the oil check bolt. This is how almost any manual transmission is configured.

Your engine oil is checked with the engine oil dipstick as also pointed out within this thread. You cannot check the engine oil by looking underneath your car.

Perhaps it would be helpful to list all of the fluids in your car, which all have their own separate reservoir and method for checking:

1. Engine Oil
2. Transmission Oil
3. Radiator fluid
4. Washer fluid
5. Brake fluid
6. Clutch fluid
7. Battery fluid

What else am I missing?

You can make it a 1 man job if you fill through the check bolt on the side. Some trannys don't even have a separate fill bolt.

Now for my question; is it normal to use the full 5 quarts in an oil+filter change? The listed capacity of our car is something like 4.5, but mine took the entire 5 quarts of Mobil1 and still didn't quite reach the fill dot on the dipstick.

Same here. I bought 5 quarts of Mobile 1 synthetic from Walmart and was able to use the entire bottle up.

Using 5 qts seems to be normal. I use about that same amount, maybe a little bit less like 4.8 or so. It seems everyone who DIY's it uses about 4.7 to 5 qts so you're fine.