audipride87

For anyone in need to check their ATF level for emergency purposes I can help, but you need to precisely mark these measurements on a semi flexible 1mm thick rod measuring at least 700mm long.
I have the 1993 100 v6 12 valve, auto, front wheel drive. I do not have a filling plug at the transmission pan, only a drain plug! The dipstick is number 2. part number:
01F 321 431 A. so you need to have the filler tube that has number 2 on it.

At the tip of the dipstick, first, you have a cold fluid reading (20C) mark, second, a warmed up minimum mark (80C), and third, a warmed up maximum mark (80C)

Checking level temperature is 80C plus or minus 10C, so between 70C and 90C degrees

The overall length of the dipstick, the point that stops at the brim of the filler tube, and the very tip, is exactly 615mm.
The exact length from the tip, to the cold fluid (20C) mark is 11mm
The exact length from the tip, to the warmed up (80C) minimum mark is 31mm
The exact length from the tip, to the warmed up (80C) maximum mark is 66mm
The exact distance from the max (80C) mark to min (80C) mark is 25mm
The exact distance from the min (80C) mark to the cold fluid (20C) mark is 21mm

For the 615mm mark, just bend the rod 90 degrees. For the tip markings just score the marks with a file. And roughen the tip section in a way so the metal can absorb the ATF like it does on your oil dipstick. But you need to know the exact process of checking the level using this tool! Remember, all four wheels of the vehicle must be at the exact same altitude, or in other words, nice and level

Another idea is to make the tip section marks with wire shrink wrap. Cut a RED piece of shrink wrap to about 76mm(doesnt need to be exact on this one, its just a background) and heat shrink it to the tip of the rod(make sure it shrinks good and tight!) now cut a black piece of shrink wrap 1mm long like an o ring, and heat shrink that to the marks.

Or you can be crazy and cut the76mm background (yellow), shrink it,
Then a 66mm (80C) max section (red), shrink it. Then the 31mm (80C) min section (black)shrink it, then the 11mm cold fluid(20C) section (blue) shrink it. So the color code would go, starting from the tip: BLUE, BLACK, RED, YELLOW. Blue meaning when checking the ATF level at cold, the ATF should fill that section. Black meaning when checking the level at warm up the ATF reading is too low. The Red meaning when checking the level at warm up, the ATF reading is ok. And the Yellow meaning when checking the level at warm up, the ATF reading is too much. And so on and so forth. Sound complicated? Dont worry just draw the dipstick on paper or something, and then make it.

Now you have a color coded, easy to read ATF level checking tool!!! yay! I spent $40 including shipping on the dipstick tool in the U.S. All it will cost you is a couple of bucks,a metric ruler, and some time, to check out how your transmission is doing or if you are doing the ATF service. That is, of course, if you trust me! Ha-ha! Dont worry, I spent a long time getting these measurements and making sure they were precise. Or, if you doubt me, just buy one(practically no one supplies it;or jst ask me for the link.). Good luck.

Evol

Very good writeup! Lucky me, I have a 5speed A6. ;-)

beep-beep

Very nice write up. Whould you mind to add it to FAQ (link inside).

audipride87

oh and another thing, i dont know if audi does this now adays with their dipsticks, but that would be PERFECT to make the tip out of that type of heat sensitive color changing plastic. i mean that would be so frikin useful. it should be something like;
emersing the material into the fluid,ranging from cold to hot temperatures. and what ever kind of color you get you compare to a graph of colors that belong to a certain temperature range. and the only part that gets touched by the fluid turns a color.
so the advantage to this is knowing exactly what the temperature of the ATF is and seeing where the fluid level reading is on the dipstick. with out using special temperature reading tools.

i have seen this on those baby feeding spoons so if the spoon turns red,you know the food is too hot for the baby.

so please if any one out there knows about a plastic that has these properties and can be melted some how. please let me know, i would like to experiment with it and share the results with you guys! thanx!

audipride87

its reliable and rock solid,cheaper to maintain,fun to drive, and isnt expensive to do the clutch( the only real drawback),well, if you do it yourself.

but an auto,geez they are rock solid but only if the previous owner did the service on time! they arent fun to drive,expensive to maintain and to tell you the truth, if you dont know the service histrory of the automatic,its not reliable. but i am lucky because my previous owners had service records so it will last. i just wish i had a 5 speed. lucky dog!

Evol

I do love having one of the only year A6 Quattro manual.....

scrogers

I hear you... A6q 5spd, if you can find one... get it!...

DrJC

Thanks a million for this post!! I made one using your measurements, but I think you made one small error: the length to the warmed up mark from the tip, I think, should be 56mm, not 66. You say the distance between the max and min mark is 25mm, but the min mark is 31mm, and 31+25=56 (not 66). Besides, 66mm just seems too high up on the stick to be right?

FYI, Autozone has a universal dipstick in their "Help" section, with an adjustable upper "stop" to keep it from going further into the dipstick tube. Using your measurements, it works great to check the ATF level. I colored my cold range with a blue permanent marker, and the hot range in red. Cost: around $3.00!

The_Hamster

so what is the verdict?

is it 56mm, or 66mm? any confirmations?

i have a dipstick from a astrovan here i'm planning to modify to perform this task, but the difference in the measurements (25mm between hot min and max, or 35mm between hot min and max) is kinda of a binding point.