I have a 1998 Protege LX with ATX and the smaller (1.5L?) engine.

I changed my ATX oil and filter this past Sunday and encountered a few perplexing problems.

The first was removing the drain plug. I was following a Haynes manual for 1993-1997 model years and this might have been one area (the ATX) where there is some divergence. After removing a plastic stone guard and gaining access to the bottom of the tranny - I located only a single large hex bolt (was around 22mm if memory serves) located on the left side and about 1/2 way down one side of the square pan. I removed this with oil pan waiting - expecting the typical gush of fluid (like with regular oil changes) - but only got a very small of flow (maybe a pint?). This wasn't nearly as alarming as the two parts that dropped out though. One was a stainless steel cylinder perhaps 2" long x 0.5' dia, the other was a coil spring about the same overall size. It happened too fast for me do tell the order (i.e. which dropped out first!). Being a mechanical engineer, it seemed like the cylinder was some sort of fluid control/damper maybe? Anyways, after some hemming and ha-ing I put it back in with the cylinder first, followed by the spring, then reinstalled the drain plug. Car's been running fine every since so I must have gotten the order right - right?!

Getting the pan off was relatively easy - except that several of the inboard bolts were shielded by a large structural member (the engine cross bar on lefthand side) requiring some socket wrench gymnastics. Got this off by prying it slowly, letting fluid drain out before removing completely. Removed the old filter (again, one bolt was screened by the cross-bar prompting much cursing) and got the new one on after getting a special Z-shaped box-wrench that my neighbour fortunately had. Ditto with the new gasket and pan - the last 3-4 bolts were killers due to the obstruction of the crossbar (what a stupid design - one shouldn't have to take apart the engine supports to change a filter!).

When I refilled the transmission I used the dipstick pipe - which was a bit messy even with a funnel. However, I only added 5 qts before the dipstick said if anything that I had overfilled the ATX. According to the user manual the fluid capacity should have been 5.7 qts. Was there trapped fluid somewhere else?

During cleanup, when I was pouring out the used fluid for disposal I only managed to fill 3-1/2 of my 1 qt containers. This implies there was 2 qts somehow "missing" (can't believe the fluid was THAT low) or trapped somewhere in the transmission. I had the pan off for an extended period - maybe 45 minutes - and nothing was dripping out after the first few minutes. Should I be concerned here?

 

I do not think you should be concerned. ATF does get trapped in the tranny, simply because there are places where it just can't flow out the drian. I am sure if you were to take the tranny off, and start tilting it every way you know how, perhaps you could get all the ATF out. That is why, I think, it is worth about $60 to get the tranny flushed. When the shop hooks up the machine to it, it sucks all the old ATF out of the tranny, and then adds new. It is also very important after draining and adding ATF, that put the shifter in all gears before you move. That way all gears get the proper lubrications, and you should not have jerky shifts. So from what I understand, you just added some new ATF, to what ever must have been trapped in the tranny. As long as your car runs OK, do not do anything else to it. I am an engineer too, and I like following this motto: " If its not broke, do not fix it!"

As for Haynes manual. The description they give is based on the 1st generation Protege, which is similar to 2nd generation Protege's setup. Personally, I would not use it, until the manual comes out with a 2nd generation Protege pictured on the cover.

Goodluck.