Unknown transmission leak

Jul 28, 2009 4 Replies
A

When my hood damn near blew off last month I parked it to fix it and noticed a good sized transmission leak underneath the car. I couldn't find where it originated from and still haven't. I finally got the car put back together today and drove it for a little to see if it would leak again and I could find the source but it hasn't leaked since.


My quesiton is. When the hood popped up it seemed to have jerked the radiator a little like the crossmember that holds int in place was pulled up whith the hood ever so slightly enough to let it free for a second. Could the oil and trans lines have let some fluid out somehow? I sat under the car for an hour today and just cant find anywhere the leak could have come from besides the transmission fluid plate.


Any help is appreciated. I checked the fluid levels and they are still spot on. I replaced the trans fluid about a year ago.


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A

***Update***

I drove it a little farther today about 5 miles total to get the trans up to operating temp as well as the engine to make sure it wasnt a radiator leak and its still leak free.

Could I be in the clear?

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A

Another update.

I drove it for 30 minutes today and still leak free. Someone had suggested that since the trans line ruptured a year ago that the hood thing might have rustled some from the bottom crossmember of the radiator support dealie.

Technical terms I know.

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S

If I remember right, the leak happened when the car was parked for an extended period, right? What often happens when you park a car, especially one with some miles on it, longer than usual is that air will enter th the torque convertor allowing the fluid normally held in the convertor to drain back into the transmission pan. This raises the level of fluid in the transmission significantly higher than normal, and if the shifter seal isn't absolutely perfect it will weep out there (or elsewhere). Ask the guy who has a fleet of older cars... ;-) When you start the car, the fluid pumps back into the convertor and all is well (assuming you add fluid if it gets low).

If the leak doesn't come back in normal use, no problem.

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