Taking my car in for its first service, they will check tranny fluid but not top off if low

I’ve been under a running car many times since I’ve been wrenching(~15 Years). I always have some redundancies in place though. Jack stands under the frame when it’s on ramps. Second set of jack stands along with leaving the hydraulic jack in place when it’s on stands. Things like that.

I’ve just never had to get under a running vehicle that is also level before. I’m not a fan of jack stands under 4 corners. That’s why I’m planning on the second set of 2x10s to drive on to. Should give me just enough room. I could probably squeeze under there without them, but that would be too much of a hassle.
I've been under lots of times, but not with the engine running. And not with all 4 wheels off the ground.

I'm a big fan of cinder blocks. Jack stands seem like a balancing act. Hydraulic floor jacks also have their risks.
 
I wouldn't want to be under a running car trying to pull the dipstick. I wouldn't bother checking it. Leave sleeping dogs lie.
 
I wouldn't want to be under a running car trying to pull the dipstick. I wouldn't bother checking it. Leave sleeping dogs lie.
If I decide to have it checked (and I think I will at least once for my peace of mind), I'll print the instructions that yrwei52 posted and take them to a local shop so they can put it on a lift. I'll also take the proper fluid with me just in case it needs it.
 
I've been under lots of times, but not with the engine running. And not with all 4 wheels off the ground.

I'm a big fan of cinder blocks. Jack stands seem like a balancing act. Hydraulic floor jacks also have their risks.
Cinder blocks are not meant for concentrated loads. Jack stands are. I would never get under a car that only has cinder blocks supporting it.

A hydraulic jack should never be the primary thing supporting a vehicle when working on it. It amazes me when I see garages lifting the entire side of a car to change tires with a single floor jack. Sure it’s faster, but what about when that o-ring fails?
 
Perhaps I was misunderstood:

I was not referring to doing work in general, I was referring to starting a car while it is up on blocks in the driveway, and then getting under it.

I've done lots of my own work, but would never think that would be a safe thing to do.

Yes, I did misunderstand your comment. It's all good.

Safety first!
 
...
A hydraulic jack should never be the primary thing supporting a vehicle when working on it.
...

I knew a guy that was killed changing his oil just using a hydraulic jack. I may have also trusted them in the past, but never again. Jack stands are the way to go.
 
I also used some scrap lumber I had around to make a set of 'stepped' ramps. The ramps are a bit unwieldy but they work perfectly. If I only need a lil room I drive up onto the first 'step', need more? Drive up onto the second or third step.
This's what I use while I'm changing the oil on my CX-5:

DSC04942.JPG
 
This's what I use while I'm changing the oil on my CX-5:

View attachment 223494
Nice!

You could do another pair like that for the rear wheels, and have one of them set up with a backstop or chock so the car's level enough to check the tranny fluid.

They certainly gets the car high enough, and those ramps are still low enough to fit under the car so you can drive the rear wheels up on them.
 
This's what I use while I'm changing the oil on my CX-5:

View attachment 223494

That's almost exactly what I built. I added a third step in case I need to make even more room underneath. I need that third step when I work on my Miata since it's so low to begin with. If I need the car to be level then I'll just use some scraps to drive the rear wheels up onto.

In fact, I just used my ramps yesterday to change the oil in my motorhome.
 
So I just got a call from my dealer's HQ. My dealership is in Virginia, the main office (and 2 other Mazda dealerships they own) are in North Carolina.

This was a "How was our service" follow-up call. We talked about a couple of things, and I told him my story of trying to get the tranny fluid checked and feeling like I was blown off, and then not been honest with when they later said it was part of their standard service.

He's gonna call the management of the local dealership and get back to me.
 
So I just got a call from my dealer's HQ. My dealership is in Virginia, the main office (and 2 other Mazda dealerships they own) are in North Carolina.

This was a "How was our service" follow-up call. We talked about a couple of things, and I told him my story of trying to get the tranny fluid checked and feeling like I was blown off, and then not been honest with when they later said it was part of their standard service.

He's gonna call the management of the local dealership and get back to me.

On a completely different topic is that a Bugeye Sprite in your Avatar. Very nice!!!. My dream car has always been a 3000MkIII. I had a 1966 Daimler V8 I restored many years ago and sadly sold it, but always wanted to get a small British sports car to restore for a Sunday driver. (y)(y)
 
On a completely different topic is that a Bugeye Sprite in your Avatar. Very nice!!!. My dream car has always been a 3000MkIII. I had a 1966 Daimler V8 I restored many years ago and sadly sold it, but always wanted to get a small British sports car to restore for a Sunday driver. (y)(y)
That Sprite was my second car, purchased around '74. My first was a '63 Continental I bought 2 years earlier.

The Sprite had a factory hardtop. Came with the 948cc engine. I swapped out the entire drive train with a later model MG to upgrade to the 1098cc. Also swapped front ends so I could have front disc brakes.

I got rid of the Sprite in the early 80s. It was sitting up on blocks in the backyard as my "someday" project, and a young couple knocked on my door pleading for it. I looked at them and I looked at the car and knew it needed their loving care before it rotted to a pile of rust waiting on me. The only thing I forgot to give them was my UniSyn carb synchronizer...still got it kicking around.

Regarding the 3000s, my older brother had 2 of them at different points in time. I forget which MKxx transitioned from a manual overdrive in the differential to an electric solenoid. I believe it was from MK1 to MK2.

They make more noise than they do speed.
 
That Sprite was my second car, purchased around '74. My first was a '63 Continental I bought 2 years earlier.

Not to be more nostalgic, but I remember in the late 70's, just out of grad school, with no money, test driving a '65 mint condition 3000MkIII in Vancouver, the seller asking $3600. Oh what an opportunity I had to forgo. Then in the late 80's while in the midst of a ground up restoration of my Daimler a friend told me that his boss was thinking of selling an Aston Martin DB6 for $28,000 in excellent condition and that I could have first dibs on it. Again, with no spare money, an opportunity lost. Now worth over $400,000 I still try not to think......what if !!
 
Yeh, I know that my Sprite would be worth some bucks today, as would that Lincoln...as would all those toys that got thrown out when the attics got cleaned.

I had a Gilbert Chemlab that these days would not only have Child Protective Services knocking on the door, but would also have my parents cited for 12 EPA violations!

But to get back on topic: I'm now getting "How Was Your Mazda Service" surveys in my email. I'll be gentle. I didn't get abused. But I didn't get everything I requested, either.
 
I'm going in Monday for them to check my tranny fluid!

Their Service Manager just called and told me that it was a sealed unit. I pulled up the "How To Check It" document that has been posted here (I could find any Mazda Doc# references on it), and told the guy that it's right in front of me, it's got a dipstick, there's a marker on it for the proper level.

He said:
-Mazda does not like them messing with the transmissions
-They have always been sealed units with just a plug
--Older CX-9s used to have dipsticks and had catastrophic failures when people did flushes

He then pulled up docs by my VIN, and said "The dipstick must be a new thing with the turbo." I did not argue.

I reiterated that I at least wanted some eyeballs on this so I can start out my ownership with some peace of mind regarding fluid levels...factories are not perfect places.

So I go in Monday to have it checked.

As an aside, he's been in service with the Flow group (lots of different dealerships) for 15 years, and Mazda Svc Mgr for 5 of those. He has 2 techs at this location. They have no customer work these days, he's got them doing busy work. I got to pick my day & time to stop by. I gotta wait outside, the lounge has been quarantined (the coffee sucks, anyway.)

I have to add that with all the faults & omissions we've found in the user manual, I'm not certian how much of this is the dealer's fault and how much of it is due to Mazda. I wonder how imperfect dealer communication is. If they are told "Never touch the transmission," then there's room for plausible deniability.

edit to add: I just got the email confirmation for my appointment. The last time I had service it listed the things that were on the ticket (oil change, rotate tires), but cheching the tranny fluid was omitted. This one has the heading CUSTOMER REQUESTS and there's nothing listed underneath it. Apparently, there is no "Check Transmission Fluid" as a requested service in their system.
 
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I'm going in Monday for them to check my tranny fluid!

Their Service Manager just called and told me that it was a sealed unit. I pulled up the "How To Check It" document that has been posted here (I could find any Mazda Doc# references on it), and told the guy that it's right in front of me, it's got a dipstick, there's a marker on it for the proper level.

He said:
-Mazda does not like them messing with the transmissions
-They have always been sealed units with just a plug
--Older CX-9s used to have dipsticks and had catastrophic failures when people did flushes

He then pulled up docs by my VIN, and said "The dipstick must be a new thing with the turbo." I did not argue.

I reiterated that I at least wanted some eyeballs on this so I can start out my ownership with some peace of mind regarding fluid levels...factories are not perfect places.

So I go in Monday to have it checked.

As an aside, he's been in service with the Flow group (lots of different dealerships) for 15 years, and Mazda Svc Mgr for 5 of those. He has 2 techs at this location. They have no customer work these days, he's got them doing busy work. I got to pick my day & time to stop by. I gotta wait outside, the lounge has been quarantined (the coffee sucks, anyway.)

I have to add that with all the faults & omissions we've found in the user manual, I'm not certian how much of this is the dealer's fault and how much of it is due to Mazda. I wonder how imperfect dealer communication is. If they are told "Never touch the transmission," then there's room for plausible deniability.

edit to add: I just got the email confirmation for my appointment. The last time I had service it listed the things that were on the ticket (oil change, rotate tires), but cheching the tranny fluid was omitted. This one has the heading CUSTOMER REQUESTS and there's nothing listed underneath it. Apparently, there is no "Check Transmission Fluid" as a requested service in their system.
It’d be a challenge to check the ATF level on your 2.5T as the ATF dipstick is blocked by additional turbo plumbing. I’d ask to see the ATF level on the actual dipstick in person. If they don’t let you to go into the service area, ask the service advisor to bring the ATF dipstick out to show you the ATF measurement.
 
It’d be a challenge to check the ATF level on your 2.5T as the ATF dipstick is blocked by additional turbo plumbing. I’d ask to see the ATF level on the actual dipstick in person. If they don’t let you to go into the service area, ask the service advisor to bring the ATF dipstick out to show you the ATF measurement.
Are you saying that it's blocked from underneath when they go from underneath (put it on the lift?)
edit to add: I already have a handy excuse for doing that. No one else will be there, and everyone's banned from the Customer Lounge. I can ask the guy to walk it out and show me what "normal level" looks like.

Also, does this mean that checking it myself on my back in my driveway is not gonna be feasible?
 
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Are you saying that it's blocked from underneath when they go from underneath (put it on the lift?)
edit to add: I already have a handy excuse for doing that. No one else will be there, and everyone's banned from the Customer Lounge. I can ask the guy to walk it out and show me what "normal level" looks like.

Also, does this mean that checking it myself on my back in my driveway is not gonna be feasible?
Looks totally doable from below. From up top is a different story.
 
Looks totally doable from below. From up top is a different story.
I thought that's what folks have been saying.

That's why I was taking it in for someone to put up on a lift to do while standing up.

If there were more of these on the road, some enterprising soul could design an aftermarket tube and dipstick so we could check this standing up. Already has a hole tapped for a mounting bolt for the assembly.
 
Are you saying that it's blocked from underneath when they go from underneath (put it on the lift?)
edit to add: I already have a handy excuse for doing that. No one else will be there, and everyone's banned from the Customer Lounge. I can ask the guy to walk it out and show me what "normal level" looks like.

Also, does this mean that checking it myself on my back in my driveway is not gonna be feasible?

If the trans fluid is checked 'by the book' it's done from the topside and involves removing a bunch of stuff. Done from underneath doesn't require the removal of said junk.

My suggestion is to not have the dealer do this, do it yourself.

Your service manager sure sounds clueless, he should know what's what by now after being there so long. Not very confidence inspiring.
 
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