so i talked to my mechanic friend and got the answer: the problem was that i was checking the fluid when it was too warm. atf fluid actually expands when it gets hot hence the gush that came out rather than the trickle. go figure, i never would have guessed that fluid could expand that much ! so lesson learned: let your vx cool down all the way before checking the atf and yeah you gotta love the exact science of checking the fluid levels: is there stuff dripping out? uh yeah. well then it must be good !