Why is tranny fluid red?

Why not green, blue, purple, clear?

 

Silly question If it was green, and it leaked, you might mistake it for
antifreeze. I am sure you might be able to figure out the other colors.

 

As I recall, at one point, automatic transmission fluid was the same color
as engine oil. Then sometime, I think in the '50s, someone came out with
an additive called "seeing red" that was to be put in automatic
transmissions, to differentiate THOSE leaks from engine oil. It just
kinda caught on and it wasn't long before all automatic trans fluid was
red. So it was just an arbitrary thing. Someone picked RED and EVERYBODY
did it.

John

 

Clever name.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
adddress with the letter 'x')

 

You mean if it was green and it leaked you might mistake it for some brands of
anti-freeze like Prestone. If you're driving a late model Chrysler, your
antifreeze fluid is probably red.

 

But not dark red, nor oily.

 

Actually, transmission fluid has always been red. It started with
aircraft hydraulic fluid. It was red so that mechanics could see
leaking fluid easily. Started in the 1930's. It has only been changed
in recent years to other colors to distinguish the various TYPES of
trasmission fluid.

Ron C.
===========================

 

Sorry, beg to differ. Trans fluid has NOT always been red. Otherwise, why
would they need "seeing red"? I remember using it in my '51 Studebaker
that used 30w engine oil instead of type A Trans fluid. That was one of
the selling features of that trans--used engine oil that was easy to find
and cheap instead of type A trans fluid that harder to find (at that time)
and more expensive.
John

 

nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, , , , , , ,

You just made my point. The Stud'y used engine oil and made that a
selling point, meaning that tranny fluid was RED and expensive!!!
OF COURSE there were exceptions.

Ron C.