tranny leak!

#1

OK - I just realized I hadn’t yet posted any dumb questions here so I thought I’d go ahead & post 3…

I’m trying to track down a leak which is spraying what I assume is trans fluid (very dark, thick, sticky) down the drivers side of the underbody of the car. I got the car up on jacks last night & noticed that the slave cyl is covered in what seems to be the same stuff, as is the left side of the transmission. This can’t be brake fluid - wrong color / consistency & my brake fluid level isn’t dropping.

I don’t know if it’s possible for the pressure release valve at the top of the transmission to leak (question #1), but I thought I’d start there to see if this is functioning properly, as I’ve heard a stuck valve can forse fluid past the tranny seals. To get to this, I need to unbolt & push aside the slave cyl - can this be done w/o draining brake fluid & disconnecting the line to the brake fluid resevoir (question #2)?

Anyone have any other ideas / suggestions (question #3)? I know I’m not giving much info here, but am just starting to feel my way around this.

BTW - I just had output & selector shaft seals replaced.

#2

sdais wrote:

[quote]OK - I just realized I hadn’t yet posted any dumb questions here so I thought I’d go ahead & post 3…

I’m trying to track down a leak which is spraying what I assume is trans fluid (very dark, thick, sticky) down the drivers side of the underbody of the car. I got the car up on jacks last night & noticed that the slave cyl is covered in what seems to be the same stuff, as is the left side of the transmission. This can’t be brake fluid - wrong color / consistency & my brake fluid level isn’t dropping.

I don’t know if it’s possible for the pressure release valve at the top of the transmission to leak (question #1), but I thought I’d start there to see if this is functioning properly, as I’ve heard a stuck valve can forse fluid past the tranny seals. To get to this, I need to unbolt & push aside the slave cyl - can this be done w/o draining brake fluid & disconnecting the line to the brake fluid resevoir (question #2)?

Anyone have any other ideas / suggestions (question #3)? I know I’m not giving much info here, but am just starting to feel my way around this.

BTW - I just had output & selector shaft seals replaced.[/quote]

Steve, you can remove the clutch slave no problem. Just support it or it will try to hit you in the head. I also just had replaced the output shaft seal and it is leaking already < 2000 miles

#3

Of course, any significant leak can be a significant problem. But regarding a small &quot;ooze,&quot; this was my experience.

I raced a Honda Civic for a few years and it didn’t leak at all. After buying my first E30, I told a BMW tech that I wanted to get it leak-free.

His response…&quot;Good luck&quot; with a chuckle.

Carter