My son's given my wife a 1997 Mazda for us to use, but there is nothing but really bad noise from the right front end. He believes it's the transmission.j How do I check the fluid level, to begin with, and does anyone know any other diagnostics? There's no tire wear, nor pull, so I don't believe it's brakes nor wheel bearing. But the noise is more noticable than a year ago, and I fear what would happen if it froze up on the freeway. Plz email me directly if you wish at rickhyatt2002@yahoo.com. We're on a fixed income, so I need to know what I can do myself.