# Seeking knowledge about 1994 Pontiac Trans Am

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-knowledge-about-1994-pontiac-trans-am/355700>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 6, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-knowledge-about-1994-pontiac-trans-am/355700 "2006-05-06T21:16:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fuel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Fuel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuel)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-knowledge-about-1994-pontiac-trans-am/355700/1 "2006-05-06T21:16:39Z")

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I bought this car 5 months ago. I checked the Tranny fluid and it reads way in excess. I am also starting to find some small spots on my driveway.

What should I do?

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**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-knowledge-about-1994-pontiac-trans-am/355700/2 "2006-05-06T22:35:13Z")

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Assuming that you’re checking the fluid correctly, which is in neutral or park on a level surface when the vehicle is idling, a high reading indicates either overfill or an internal problem. That, together with driveway spots suggests a visit with your favorite transmission shop before matters worsen.

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**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\
**Post date:** [May 6, 2006, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/seeking-knowledge-about-1994-pontiac-trans-am/355700/3 "2006-05-06T22:41:37Z")

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I assume it’s an automatic transmission. If the fluid level was not checked properly, it could give a false high reading. It needs to be on level ground with the engine running and tranny in park, having first been shifted into each gear position (engine running) for 3 seconds. The most accurate reading will be with it fully warmed up; it will read somewhat lower cold.

If the tranny is indeed significantly overfull, I would suggest having a shop extract the extra fluid to reach the proper level, provided they have a device that accesses through the dipstick/filler tube. This method is easy and quick. The alternative involves removing the transmission pan, which is a lot more work, a lot messier, and loses a lot more fluid than desired for this situation.

The spots may or may not have anything to do with the transmission. Usually a visual inspection from underneath will find their source. Not all leaks require immediate attention, but it’s wise to know what is leaking, to best decide how to deal with it.