Big trans fluid puddle ??

[Liquid_force]

Background...I've been driving this car for about 35k miles. It has always had a rough 1-2 shift when the trans is cold. Other than that it shifts fine.

The problem -- on Sunday I did quite a bit stop-and-go driving for a couple hours in temps well over 90. Car ran/shifted fine.
Drove another 1/2 hr home, the car sat about an hour then I took it for a quick errand - about a mile, and home again.

Next thing I see is a puddle of what appears to be trans oil under the car. Not drops - this is a fresh stain about a foot across.

The car has never leaked a significant amount of anything.

Monday morning I had to drive it about 5 mi in the morning to work, and about 5 back home in the afternoon and it drove normally.
Then 4 more miles or so to pick up jr.
Nothing weird.

THEN, unexpectedly I had to take it on a 60 mi round trip, some city, some hwy. Again, drove normal.

I haven't yet had a chance to check the fluid level. I plan to do that Tuesday after work.

Is there any explanation for why it would leak a few oz of trans fluid with no other noticeable issues?

 

[SHOZ123]

You need to get under the car and see where it came from. If it's at the back of the crankcase then it's the TC seal. If it's at an axle, it's one of those seals. Or it may have come out the top at the vent which you can see from the engine compartment, under the MAF.

Sounds like the TC seal though as they will leak then stop but will start again at some time. The TC seal is ether just worn out or the fluid got too hot.

 

[BamSHO]

Id go with the tranny got hot and spit out some fluid since it hasnt done it before, but stil watch it for a little bit.


Brian Michael
98 black Gen3

 

[Liquid_force]

The puddle was centered right along the center of the car at the middle to the front of the engine compartment.

From underneath it looks the wettest at the crank case/trans connection.

Guess I'll just have to keep my eye on it and hope for the best. Of course check the fluid level once in a while. Who knows how much it might spew going down the road.

It's due for a fluid change anyway. maybe it's just reminding me