I went searching for my tranny fluid dipstick and after locating a red cap marked "Trans Fluid", I unscrewed it to find no dipstick to check the level? I know I am supposed to see a white flip out handle with the dipstick on it according to my Chilton's manual. I bought the car used and am wondering if some mechanic has lost the original dipstick and replaced it with this cap? Does anyone else have a cap like this on a 5spd tranny??

I believe it's only the Isuzu transmissions used 95-99 that had the transaxle dipstick. Even automatics don't have them.

You have to check it at the back of the trans case, there's a funky bolt that you undo to check the level. It's like a reverse Torx bit, I don't know what it is exactly, all I know is I don't have one. I used a hex key and it kinda worked...

Haynes and Chiltons generally suck... well, for the price they're ok. On specifics like this, they are often incorrect.

Ok good, I'm not going crazy lookin for this thing then. I'll just drain and fill the darn thing to factory specs 2 qts I recall reading?

if its 4 speed.. a drain and refill is 7.4 quarts..

if it is an automatic transmission the red cap that you see is the fill cap. to check the level you must be under the car while it is running and right under the passenger side axle there is an 11mm or 7/16 bolt. you should have a little bit of fluid comming out. the manuals it is the 8mm allan key that you check the level at. hopefully that helps