Checking my fluid the other day and I was down 1 quart, that can't be good.
I think I read quite a while ago that someone had put a mark on the dip stick as to where the fluid mark is when the engine is cold, so it could be checked b4 you start in the morning. as opposed to waiting until all is warmed up, which is not as convenient. Of course the fluid would need to be checked hot so you know the correct amount is in there b4 you mark the stick after it is cold. Is this a method that should work? or is there a reason that it should always be checked when hot? opinions please

 

I believe it moves quite a bit as it warms up, so perhaps the mark would be down too far?

Just for grins, you did check it on level ground, in Neutral, right?

Sorry, that sounds bad, but as an ex-GM owner it seems silly to have the stupid thing in Neutral to check your fluids.......

 

The reason you want to check the fluid when its hot is because ATF expands.
And the reason for checking it while its running and in neutral is because on Chrysler transmissions, the fluid does not circulate through the cooler and lines when in park.
Our trans builder recommends running them over full by one quart, so you might want to try that also.