Hey guys and gals,
I have a 2011 Clubman S, Auto trans. I recently changed the trans cooler gasket because it was leaking so i decided to also change the trans fluid. I think I followed the directions from here and Pelican closely. Problem i'm having is when refilling the trans with the stand pipe installed the fluid starts coming back out of the drain immediatly. I drained and refilled 3 times and the first time I got 2.5 quarts out and could only get that back in by putting the drain plug in or it would just come back back out with just the stand pipe in. Same results for the second time. Also, the trans started hesitating because I really couldnt tell how much I needed to put in. The final drain(standpipe out) I only got 1.5 quarts out. I called Mini Mania just to see if they had ever heard of this issue and they had not. They told me the pan holds around 4.5q so thats what I put in with pipe and drain plug in place. The trans is operating better but I have no ideal how much fluid is actually in the trans.

Has anyone heard of this or am I missing something?

 

1. Install stand pipe, remove drain plug.
2. Begin filling the trans with the car off and level, once fluid begins to run out the stand pipe start the car and move through the drive gears, once the trans temp is approximately 110*F is when you need to check the level, if fluid doesn't run out the stand pipe you need to top off, if it does run out the stand pipe let it slow to a dribble and cap it off.

You should get about 4 quarts in the trans especially if you've dropped the pan and filter

 

So with an empty trans when I start to fill it up with the stand pipe in it just streams out of the drain.

 

Where are you filling from?

There is a fill port on the back of the transmission on top of the differential carrier and that is the recommended fill location.

 

i'm using for fill hole on top of the trans that sits under the thermostat. Are you talking about the torx nut thats below the trans cooler?

 

Yes, on the differential housing there is another T55 and that is the recommended fill point per the manual and where we fill them from when we are doing fluid changes.

 

How would the entry point change how it drains?

 

I'm just not understanding why the stand pipe and or pan is not doing what its suppose to do which if I'm correct is start flowing out once you have filled to the top of the tube.

 

Start fresh, pull the stand pipe let the trans drain into a clean catch pan, then transfer the fluid back into a bottle. Using an electric fluid transfer pump, or hand pump fill the trans from the port on the back of the trans atop the differential housing.

There are two explanations for why you're getting fluid out the stand pipe:

1. The system is full

2. The port you're filling from is directly above the pan, and may be allowing some of the fluid being filled to find its way accurately out the stand pipe.