I agree, you are correct. It probably will be sloppy if you just added fluid, but not if you just drained fluid.
The point is I now have the correct level set and the stick can be marked 15 or more minutes later after letting any residual fluid drain out of the tube. Restart it to refill the torque converter, insert the clean stick check to level either running or stopped and mark it then. Just pulling the stick many times slops the tube inside. So I leave it out just to keep the inside of the tube as clean and dry as possible.
I am not always good putting things to words that I just normally just do. Thanks for the correction / suggestion. I still wish there was one kind of die I could add to the fluid to making the level more readable.
The one I really hate is the long engine oil stick. I made me a long stainless cable one. I have never come up with a way to make it more readable on the end. I have tried several paints and coatings and all of them eventually get erased in the hot oil. I use the white paper towell trick to read my oil stick and usually do it cold, first thing in the morning.
Ken B.
