1996 Pontiac Sunfire Owner's Manual - Page 240

How to Check Because this operation can be alittle difficult, you may choose to have thisdone at your Pontiac dealership Service Department. To get theright reading, the fluid should be at normal operating temperature, which is 180°F to 200°F (82°C to 93°C). Get the vehicle warned up by driving about 15 miles (24 km) when outside temperatures are above 50°F (10°C). If it's colder than 50°F (lO°C), you may ' have to drive longer. I you do it yourself, be sure tofollow all the instructions f here, or you could get a false readingon the dipstick. NOTICE: Too much or too little fluid can damage your transaxle. Too much can mean thatsome of the fluid could come out and fall onhot engine parts or exhaust system parts, startinga fire. Be sure to get an accurate reading if you check your transaxle fluid. Checking the Fluid Level Park your vehicle on a level place. Keep the engine running. With the parking brake applied, place the shift lever in PARK (P). With your foot on the brake pedal, move the shift lever through each gear range, pausing for about three seconds in each range. Then, position the shift lever in PARK (P). 9 Wait at least 30 minutes before checking the transaxle fluid levelif you have been driving: Let the engine run at idle for three to five minutes. * I h m t g i d e L ~ x ~ & ib d e 90°F (32 "Q. Vm a ~ ~ At high speed for quite a while. In heavy traffic -- especially in hot weather. While pulling a trailer. 6-17