Transmission Oil loss.

[Cranfield]

My Surf had a service 3 weeks ago, soon after I noticed when pulling away from stop, there was a slight delay before I got traction, sometimes accompanied by a lurch.
I ignored it for a few days, then dipped the transmission oil and the stick was dry.
I went straight back to the garage (last Friday) and they put about 3 litres of transmission oil in before it showed the correct level.
(I understand the capacity is about 6litres, but half remains in the gears)

The assumption was made that I had suffered a "catastrophic" loss of transmission oil and must have quite a leak.
The vehicle was booked in for Monday (tomorrow) for investigations.

I have run the vehicle over short distances in the last two days and there is no movement in the oil level on the dipstick and no evidence of oil leaking on the ground where I park.

During the service the garage say they check the transmission oil and that is all.

Any ideas how I "lost" so much oil, if its not a "catastrophic" leak.
Does transmission oil usually need topping up regularly ?

[Bogus]

Transmission oil will rarely need topping up. If there is no leak, then you never lost any, it just wasn't there in the first place. Unlikely that garage checked it during the service, and if they did, they certainly never checked it using the proper method.

[Cranfield]

The garage could not find an obvious leak and the oil level is holding up, since it was topped up last Friday.
They did mumble something about waiting to hear back about a possible "vacuum system" and a "valve near the solenoid" and where " a leak can be ingested into the engine oil".
I think they are waiting to speak to Jap Motors and see if they know what it could be.
Fabian was out.

I may have some of the quotes above a bit wrong, but these were thought to be ways that I could lose the oil.

[shokenore]

Bogus called it.

One would suggest that they have dropped the ATF out and not put any back in.


I wonder what the engine oil level is?

[BUSHWHACKER]

There's only really two places the ATF can escape from, the input seal between engine and gearbox which would mean a puddle of ATF on the ground, and the ATF cooler at bottom of the radiator, evidence of pink 'milkshake' in the gearbox due to engine coolant contamination.

I wouldn't go back to that garage again if I were you, they don't seem to know much about auto 'boxes. Sounds to me like youself and the garage have been checking the ATF level with the engine off.