My father knows nothing about cars and well he proceeded to add about a quart of oil to the transmission. (2004 Chevrolet Cavalier). It seems that know it does have the same acceleration and smooth shifting as before.how can doing this affect the trans. It can possibly render the tranny useless??? Your responses are appreciated, thanks.
Hopefully we are dealing with an automatic transmission and he added transmission fluid instead of oil. If he added lubricating oil to an automatic you could be in big trouble, as the heavier viscosity will blow all the seals in the transmission. If he added transmission fluid (ATF) then you will have a minor problem with the fluid. It still should be removed either by draining or sucking it out of the filler tube back to the right level. Most instant lube shops can take care of this for a nominal fee. It is better to have a professional check it and have your dad pay the bill.
Regular oil, that is the oil intended for your engine, will deteriorate the delicate seals throughout the inside of your automatic transmission. Don't sweat it though. Believe it or not, this was an old trick used to improve an automatics performance and even to stop seal leaks. It does this by making the old, hard seals and other ''rubber'' components inside soft again. Do not however leave the oil in for a long period. Drain the trany (and it would be a good time to change the filter). And fill it up with fresh transmission fluid. The small percentage of the remaining oil shouldn't be a problem. Don't forget to thank your dad as he was only trying to help out! Sounds like no harm done. Good luck.
If the transmission is over full the fluid it will foam up causing the transmission to slip. Why did he add fluid? Is there a leak? transmission don't use fluid they will only leak fluid before you have to add fluid. Did he use the correct fluid (not motor oil) that can cause the transmission to slip. If its over full some fluid will have to be drained out before the transmission is damaged.
