Is my transmission fluid low?

[jprastrullo]

Just changed my water pump/timing belt (as well as spark plugs) and after buttoning everything up, I realized that I didn't fully fasten the ATF coolant lines (that go to the side of the radiator -- my car has auto trans)

I started the car and a bunch of ATF (red fluid/oil) spewed everywhere and I immediately shut off the motor. I tightened the two bolts and started it again and found that my engine was idling rough, sometimes stalling out after starting up.

tl:dr - did I lose too much fluid, can this be why my car is idling rough?

I will be checking the fluid/adding more today (as I didn't have time to afterwards)


Please help!

[vpilarrt]

No, the trans fluid won't effect engine running. However if the timing belt is off by a tooth the engine will run badly.

[jprastrullo]

I know that the crank/cam are aligned properly... could it be my new spark plugs? the PO had used the incorrect ones, and i switched out to bosch w8lcr's.

also, through my external research, in auto tranny cars -- low trans fluid might cause stalling/low idle? most answers were from help sites like Yahoo! answers, etc... so not sure.

Will be going home to see if the trans fluid is the issue, just wanted to see if anyone has heard of this, or had this happened to them.

[jprastrullo]

added fluid, seemed to be working fine after I ran it for a while... Added a whole bottle.

I also think part of it has to do with the spark plugs! consider this solved