Lum

...should I be using in my '99 Legacy B4. It's a 4 speed tiptronic and I'd imagine it would be the same gearbox as used in the auto imprezas, if any exist.

I need to top it up as a matter of urgency and can't find any info

megabusa

ATF Dexron II, dont forget to check the level with the engine running

Lum

Finally! someone that knows. Thank you!

I'm supposed to check it with the engine running and in park, right?

Do you really pour it down the dipstick hole?

Does it matter about mixing brands (I have no idea what brand is in there currently) or should I drain the lot? if so how much do I need and where is the drain plug?

(I hate having a Japanese manual)

megabusa

Yup, engine running in park. If the cars at full operating temp it should be at the top of the dipstick, if its cold at the bottom (not wanting to state the obvious hehe).

You can pour it down the dipstick hole with a funnel. What level is it reading at the moment? If it is registering on the stick then Dexron II will do for sure as a top up.

Cant remember off hand where the drain plug is if you decide to change it, so make sure you dont remove the diff plug instead!

Then for a drain and refill I reckon 4 litres will more than suffice. You could always drain it into a large measuring jug so you know how much to put back in.

Start by adding a litre and a half, then start the engine and continue filling until its to the right level. Dont just stick the whole lot in without the engine running, it could come up out of the breather.

If you need any more advice just ask.

Lum

It's off the bottom of the stick, but it wasn't a few days ago (very close then) so I decided to top it up.

I put about half a litre in it and it feels better, though still clunks a bit after you finish flooring it and it changes back up from 2 to 4.

I think I may have over filled it, though it may be just picking up residual fluid from the tube, so probably need to wait a few hours and have another look.

Lum

Had another look, it's hard to tell which is genuine and which is random goop scraped off the sides.

I assume if the holes in the dipstick get filled in then it's genuine? Is this correct? if so I'm a few mm below minimum now.

megabusa

Give the dipstick a good dry, leave it out for a minute to let the fluid run down the sides of the tube then dip....you should see a definate line, or look for the lowest dry part of the stick, i.e. there may be fluid picked up from the sides of the tube but if there is a dry bit then it hasnt been submerged in fluid at that point. Hope this makes sense?????
a few mm below mark aint a lot of fluid tbh, maybe 1/2 a pint at most.