Drained transmission fluid instead of engine oil during an oil change
Mistakenly draining the transmission fluid instead of the oil and overfilling the engine pan leaves drivers stuck trying to locate the correct fill hole to refill the transmission. This prevents finishing the oil change safely and risks running the transmission dry.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Locating the fill hole using online images or direct messaging for guidance
- 2Considering pumping the fluid back in through the drain hole
- 3Draining the extra oil, refilling fluids to the correct levels, clearing the codes, and driving to see if errors persist
- 4Taking the car to a professional mechanic for service instead of doing it yourself
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The fill hole is the bit I'm stuck on. Does anyone know exactly where it is in an R60? Or can I just pump it back in through the same drain hole I took it out of? I only drained about 2L so I'd be putting the same amount back.”source ↗
“I accidentally drained the transmission fluid instead of the engine oil. Then I added 5.1 quarts of engine oil to the already full oil pan.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to drain old gas without dropping the tank
- 8Is it safe to change transmission fluid on a high mileage car?
- 2How to bleed a car brake system after it runs completely dry
- 14Should I change my transmission fluid at 60k miles?
- 2How to clean heavy oil sludge under the valve cover
- 2How do you drain oil out of an intercooler?