<VV> Powerglide Dipstick Question

[Ken Wildman]

At 11:52 AM 3/14/04 -0500, Jon Gilbert wrote:
>I discovered some ominous looking red spots on my driveway yesterday, and
>decided to check the dipstick for my Powerglide.  With the car nice and warm
>from a 50 mile, 70mph drive, I put the selector in neutral, went back to the
>rear of the car, yanked out the dipstick, and saw:
>
>_________________________________________
>
>                           FULL HOT 0  ADD 1 PT  0
>                           ________/ \_________/
>_________________________________________
>
>The fluid level came up to the "H" in HOT.  I wiped it down, reinserted it,
>and read it again.  The fluid came up to the same level on the second
>reading too.  So the question is, is it overfilled?  Low by 1/2 pint?
>
>How is one supposed to read the dipstick?  There are two interpretations:
>
>1.  FULL HOT is at the "0" marking
>
>                  -or-
>
>2.  FULL HOT is at the "F" in Full.
>
>Which is correct??  And, am I the dipstick, or does this confuse others too?
>Thanks much!

I can't answer authoritatively, but I have always assumed that the () mark 
is the point that the words refer to.

BTW, many of us would say that you are over-filled and should actually run 
it at the "add one pint" mark to prevent aeration of the fluid and 
subsequent "burping".

Ken