How to check transmission fluid level starts with one question: does your transmission have a dipstick? In the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual, the two six speed automatics do, and the level is read on the stick with the engine running and the fluid hot. The eight speed in that manual does not, and the manual says, "An authorized dealer can check your transmission fluid level using special service tools." If your truck has no stick, book a transmission service with our service team and ask them to check the level.
That manual speaks for the 2022 heavy duty trucks. Stellantis's January 7, 2025 release on the 2025 Ram 2500 and 3500 Heavy Duty lists a TorqueFlite HD eight speed automatic as standard equipment with both engines on the 2025 trucks, so the 2022 six speed steps below do not describe a 2025 heavy duty. For a 2025 heavy duty, a Ram 1500, a Jeep or any other model year, the owner's manual for that model year says whether there is a dipstick and how the level is checked.
What a full service involves, and what moves its cost, is in our guide to transmission service and what to know before you book.
Key Takeaways
- Find out first whether there is a dipstick. The owner's manual for your model year says, and on some transmissions the answer is no.
- On the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500, the eight speed has no dipstick. That manual says an authorized dealer can check the level using special service tools.
- The 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 six speeds are checked hot. That manual reads the level with the engine running at 70 to 80°C, after at least 25 km of driving, between the HOT holes on both sides of the dipstick.
- A cold reading is not a reading. The 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 manual warns that fluid below 10°C may not register on the dipstick, and says not to add fluid until it is warm enough to read.
- A leak goes to the shop. The 2022 manual's eight speed page says to visit an authorized dealer immediately if you notice fluid leakage or a transmission malfunction.
Does Your Transmission Have a Dipstick?
Two trucks with the same badge can answer this differently, and so can two trucks with the same engine. The fluids table in the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual lists an eight speed automatic behind the 6.4 litre HEMI, and two six speeds behind the 6.7 litre Cummins, the 68RFE and the Aisin AS69RC.
On the eight speed, the same 2022 manual says plainly: "Routine fluid level checks are not required, therefore the transmission has no dipstick." The two six speeds in that manual have a dipstick and a procedure for reading it.
To find which transmission you have, read the transmission line on the window sticker or the owner's manual for your model year; Mopar's owner information site carries Ram owner's manuals by model year. If the sticker is long gone, ask our service team when you book.
How to Check Transmission Fluid With a Dipstick
These are the steps for the six speeds in the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual. On any other truck, follow the steps in that model year's own manual.
- Drive at least 25 km so the transmission reaches its normal operating temperature, which the 2022 manual gives as 70 to 80°C. The manual says you can read the transmission temperature in the instrument cluster screen.
- Park on level ground.
- Let the engine run at normal idle for at least 60 seconds, and leave it running for the rest of the check.
- Fully apply the parking brake and press the brake pedal.
- Move the gear selector briefly into each position, letting the transmission fully engage in each one, and finish in Park.
- Unlock the dipstick cap, pull the dipstick, wipe it clean, push it back in until it is fully seated, then pull it again.
- Read both sides. The manual says the reading is only valid when there is a solid coating of oil on both sides, and the level should sit between the HOT (upper) reference holes.
- If it is low, add the specified fluid through the dipstick tube, wait at least two minutes for it to drain into the transmission, and check again. The manual says, "Do not overfill."
- Push the dipstick in until it is fully seated, lock it down, check for leaks and release the parking brake.
The 2022 manual also notes that only the 44 inch dipstick has the level indicator holes. If the truck has the 15 inch dipstick, the manual says a service dipstick will be required, which makes it a job for our service team.
Why a Cold Manitoba Morning Gives a False Reading
The 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual says, "If the fluid temperature is below 50°F (10°C) it may not register on the dipstick." It goes on to say not to add fluid until the transmission has warmed up enough to read accurately.
After a cold start at minus 30 around Portage la Prairie, a short run into town may leave the cluster's transmission temperature well short of 70°C. A stick pulled then can look low when it is not, and topping it up to the mark is how a transmission ends up overfilled. Watch the cluster, drive the 25 km the manual asks for, and read the stick once the temperature sits in the band.
Nor are the COLD holes a winter shortcut. The 2022 manual says to use the COLD region only as a rough reference when setting the level after a transmission service or fluid change, with the fluid at 16 to 21°C.
Towing, Gravel and When to Look Again
Pulling a camper to Lake Manitoba, a grain trailer on Highway 1 at harvest, or months of gravel grid roads all make it worth knowing the level is right. On a truck with a dipstick, read it in the manual's 70 to 80°C band, not straight off a long pull if the cluster shows more. If the trailer stays hitched as the snow comes, our guide to towing in a Manitoba winter covers the rest of the season.
Gravel is hard on what hangs under a truck. After a season of grid roads, look underneath for fluid on the transmission case or drips on the driveway; fluid where it should not be is a leak, whatever the stick says.
Colour and smell on the rag are worth a glance, but the manual's check is about level. Our advice: fluid that looks dark or smells burnt is a reason to book a diagnosis, not to top up.
When the Check Is a Shop Job
On a truck whose manual gives it no dipstick, there is no home check to do. The eight speed page of the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual says, "If you notice fluid leakage or transmission malfunction, visit an authorized dealer immediately to have the transmission fluid level checked." It adds, "Operating the vehicle with an improper fluid level can cause severe transmission damage."
A full stick does not rule out a problem either. A hard shift, a slip or a flare of revs between gears is a diagnosis question first and a fluid question second, so read what hard shifts and a slipping feel point to, then book a diagnosis with our service team.
The Right Fluid, and Nothing Added
The 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 manual names a different fluid for each of its three transmissions: Mopar ZF 8 & 9 Speed ATF or equivalent for the eight speed, ATF+4 for the 68RFE, and Mopar ASRC Automatic Transmission Fluid or equivalent for the Aisin AS69RC.
The same 2022 manual says not to add any fluid additive to the transmission, other than special dyes used to find leaks, and not to use chemical flushes, which it says can damage transmission components. It adds that damage from a chemical flush is not covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty. If you need a bottle, ask our parts department whether they have the fluid your manual names.
Booking Transmission Service in Manitoba
At Dunn Ram Trucks in Portage la Prairie, our service department does transmission service and repair in house. When you book transmission service online, tell our service team the model year, the engine, the transmission if you know it, the kilometres and whether the truck tows, and ask them to check the fluid level.
If the transmission is one more big repair on an older truck, you can see what your current truck is worth and apply for financing online. Any approval, rate or term is on approved credit.
FAQs
How do I check transmission fluid level?
Check it hot, with the engine running, on level ground, if your transmission has a dipstick. In the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual, the six speeds are read after at least 25 km of driving at 70 to 80°C, and the level should sit between the HOT holes on both sides of the dipstick. The owner's manual for your own model year says whether your truck has a dipstick.
Why does my truck have no transmission dipstick?
On some transmissions, routine level checks are not part of owner maintenance. The 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual says of its eight speed, "Routine fluid level checks are not required, therefore the transmission has no dipstick," and that an authorized dealer can check the level using special service tools. On a truck like that, book the check with a service department.
Can I check transmission fluid when the engine is cold?
Not accurately on the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 six speeds. That manual reads the level at 70 to 80°C with the engine running, warns that fluid below 10°C may not register on the dipstick, and says not to add fluid until it is warm enough to read.
What happens if transmission fluid is low or overfilled?
Either can hurt the transmission. The eight speed page of the 2022 Ram 2500 and 3500 owner's manual says operating the vehicle with an improper fluid level can cause severe transmission damage, and the six speed check in the same manual says not to overfill. If the level is off either way, book a check.
Does Dunn Ram Trucks do transmission service?
Our service department at Dunn Ram Trucks in Portage la Prairie does transmission service and repair in house. Book online and tell our service team the model year, engine, transmission if you know it, kilometres and whether the truck tows.
The Bottom Line
How to check transmission fluid level is a two step answer. First, find out from your model year's owner's manual whether there is a dipstick. If there is, read it hot, engine running, on level ground; if there is not, or the fluid is leaking, the check belongs in a service bay.
Not sure what the stick is telling you? Book a transmission fluid check with our service team and bring the model year and the kilometres.
Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie
