Part of extending the life of your vehicle involves regularly checking the car's fluids to make sure it is properly lubricated. This includes the transmission fluid, which should be checked every two to three months. If you own a 1997 Isuzu, though, this task can seem a little confusing. Unlike other cars, the 1997 Isuzu line features sealed transmission cases that do not have dipsticks accessible from the hood. Checking the transmission fluid is a bit more difficult, but not impossible.
Drive the vehicle for about 30 minutes so that it reaches operating temperature. Park the vehicle and set the emergency brake. Run the shifter through all of the gears, pausing about five seconds between each gear change.
Turn off the ignition. Locate the transmission toward the front of the vehicle. You will see two plugs on the transmission. The top one is the fill plug. The lower one is the drain plug. Use an adjustable wrench to remove the fill plug.
Touch your finger to the open fill plug. The transmission fluid should just reach the bottom of the fill hole. If transmission fluid pours out, the transmission has been overfilled. If you cannot feel any fluid, you should add transmission fluid.
Replace the fill plug in the transmission casing.
