red fluid leaking from my car
 

Hey guys, theres a redish liquid leaking from underneath my car, i'm not sure what it is, i'm not that familiar with car fluids. I whiped it on a white towel and its pinkish red. Is something dead under my car or is it leaking? :)

where/what
 

where exactly did you wipe it from? How much has leaked out? Could be transmission fluid. Let us know what part looks to be the guilty culprit for a better shot of actually figuring out what it is.

cdt

That is the color of transmission fluid.

The question is where? There is a transmission cooler that is integrated in the lower part of the radiator. Check the metal hose fitting that exits out of the bottom of the radiator near the passenger side for leaks.

I would take a pic for you guys but my dad has the memory stick so i can only give you a rough estimate right now. It's by the passenger side near the front middle of the car. So front rightish middle of the car.

I'll tell you in an hour is the joke
 

can ya get under there at all and take a peek? A leak should be pretty obvious (depending upon the cleanliness of the engine, size and number of leaks) just look up from where it's been dripping right? Sounds like what I just replaced, transmission fluid cooling lines (not saying it is). You might just get lucky on this one, if that's what it is its an easy 20 minute fix. But still, you have not really told us where the leak is coming from or how much has leaked out. how do you keep a turkey in suspense?

CDT

Sounds like tranny fluid to me.

I'm unforunately at work until 9:00PM ET. So I can't get you guys a look at it until then. My dad should be home with the memory stick then and i can take a picture also. I washed the car 2 days ago, and then put it in the garage and hadn't touched it until today. When i moved it to wax it, there was fresh tranny fluid probably about spreading 2 feet long and a foot wide leading to my drain. It was still fresh and leaking. When i moved it, in about an hour and a half i'd say there was a spot about the size of a quarter that leaked in that hour and a half.

If i were to gestimate right now where it was leaking. It would be somewhere right under the shifter in the car. I wouldn't be surprised if the idiots at the dealership broke or cracked another line like they did with my brake line, but we won't get in to that. Because they had replaced the tranny rotors on the car last time it was there.

But i'm not THAT familiar with transmissions. I learn day by day and problem by problem ;) I'll get some pics around 9pm EST tonight for you guys. Thanks for the responses and the help so far.

could also be powersteering fluid..

okay i have NO clue what i'm looking at or looking for, i've never dealt with transmissions before. But i jacked the car up and took some pics for you guys to examine:

looking at it from the front bumper:
http://users.adelphia.net/~nychis/500E/leak/front.JPG

and looking up at it:
http://users.adelphia.net/~nychis/500E/leak/under01.JPG

http://users.adelphia.net/~nychis/500E/leak/under02.JPG

http://users.adelphia.net/~nychis/500E/leak/under03.JPG

looking at it from the right side:
http://users.adelphia.net/~nychis/50.../rightside.JPG

I don't see any drips off of the pan but is that seal "moist". It looks like it. I don't think it is your power steering. Look where the tranny bolts to the back of the engine. Is there any dripping from this area? Also, from where the shaft comes out the back of the tranny.

I've had a real slow drip at my "AT Protection Switch", which is about where you described on my car. I just tightened it up with a pair of pliers. There are no flat sides to put a wrench on.

The switch has a plug on it that looks like a spark plug wire on a lawnmower. Ther wire comes off the sensor and makes a right turn with a "boot" on it.

Check it out.

I'm with engatwork the right hand side (passenger side) of the tran fluid pan looks wet. I would take a closer look at that area and see if you can't figure out where it's coming from, sometimes fluid starts leaking from one place and sort of spreads like when you solder; which makes this difficult. You could have a leak coming through the gasket, that's my bet. not a huge deal. Might be a real good idea to check level of tranny fluid before making the next trip, in my 190 there's a dip stick towards the back right top hand side of the engine. If the fluid's not too low perhaps you could run it while it's up on the stands and isolate the leak.

CDT

I'm going to check the tranny level today. Sorry for my lack of knowledge but what and where is the AT Protection Switch located? I'm gonna see if i can find any leaks again. Thanks guys!

btw, what do you guys use when you check dipsticks to whipe the dipsticks off on so you don't leave dirt on it to go back in?

OK, the car will not start today. I have no clue why, it isn't even trying. I turn the key and i get a click and that's it. No effort on its part. I turn my headlights on and the headlights seem fine. My stereo seems fine. How can i check to see if its the battery? I don't want someone to jump start the car, me move it, and then it be dead again.

I had my stereo running yesterday with the car off for maybe an hour or so. The voltage reading on my capacitor is usually 11.8 or 12.0 with the car off. But now its reading about 10.1, that a sign of anything?

Thanks guys.

if the battery is getting low your engine should try to turn over but sound kind of pathetic doing it. A slower version of a start. If your headlights and electrical components like stereo still work then battery might not be the cause. Do you have a multimeter? Check the batts potential, maybe you do just need a jump start, happens to everyone. Jump on a good battery shouldn't leave you stranded. If it does turn out that you just need a jump you might consider checking for a battery drain with the car off. Lastly, just wipe the tranny dipstick off with a clean rag.

CDT

Alright I jumped the car, it's up and running again.

I checked the tranny fluid level. It's practically dry. It's below both marks on the dip stick, by quite a bit.

I checked where the tranny is mounted to the back of the engine and i didn't see any leaks there from the naked eye...help help help

before driving the car to your tech for a prof diagnosis suggest filling the trans to the appropriate level with correct trans fluid

if you yourself are unable to source the (supposed) leak by mere observation ...it naturally follows that the repair itself will most likely require a tech's attention

good luck and hope this helps
-fad

Cold, the fluid level should be approximately 10mm below the low mark. That should get you pretty close.

First I was gonna be funny and comment on the steep sideways incline your garage has ;), then thought better of it. Have you botommed out recently? Has anyone, including you, added any ATF?

I can't tell if that is a dent at the corner of the pan or just the way the road grime appears. A gently botoming out could leave minimal damage to the pan while cutting the soft rubber seal. Also, if the tranny was overfilled, you would have fluid flowing out of the vent, which I think comes off the right side.

I let the engine idle for 5 minutes before checking the fluid level. The instructions in the car manual said let it idle for a few minutes and then check. It was below both marks after checking on a 5 minute idle.

What should i do next? I don't want to drive it for 20 minutes when theres a problem. I have an appointment with the tech monday, but what else can i do until then to try and find this problem?

when cold, the tranny fluid level will be below the marks because those are meant to be checked when the car is good and hot. some dipsticks have more than two marks, with additional marks for room temperature. the normal operating temp level is supposed to be checked when the engine is well warmed up, say after a 20 minute drive. the amount of fluid between the high and low marks is very small - so be careful not to overfill.

no other suggestions on how to locate the source of the leaking?

when your mechanic gets it up on the lift he is going to clean out the underside to see where it's leaking, probably by using some brake cleaner and compressed air. once it's clean the source will become apparent. you can do the same thing if you can't wait...

click below
 

i am positive this is your problem, like mine before:

http://www.peachparts.com/shopforum/tech-help/19477-atf-ozzing-out.html?highlight=ATF

Hmmm...where is the tranny sump and where i can find the o-ring exactly. I'm completely tranny illiterate. If you have pics post them if you can. Thanks man.

Is this something I can do or is this something that the tranny is going to have to be removed and work done?

Trying to re-surface this...where is the tranny sump and the o-ring located that joel is talking about?

Joel:

I am tranny challenged, too. Since you can't seem to locate the source of the leak, it appears to be more "internal" or within the inner bowels of the vehicle. I say when it comes to the tranny, a vital organ, take it to a car doctor. I checked for a AT protection switch for your car. I don't think it has one.

I'll put a band-aid on a cut, even self medicate from time to time, but I'm not trained for neuro-surgery, especially on myself. Take her in before you really screw yourself.

There, I said it.

okay dudes, the o-ring is located just above the tranny
sump on the passenger side. it is like a big rivet. you can't
miss it!! crawl under the car. you can also see it from
the engine compartment just throw in the trouble light
underneath the sump.

well, the tranny sump is right up the middle of the
car (underneath), you will see a small drain plug towards the rear
of the sump.

btw, like i said in the previous thread, this was done
by my mechanic. good luck & cheers.

The only thing is, is the car safe to drive about 40 miles on monday. That's a week after the leak started, and where we're taking it is 40 miles away. Will it make it without damaging the tranny?

i'd call a tow truck if i were you.

cheap insurance
 

I'm with Joel, Don't drive it 40 miles if it is leaking badly. If it's just a drip that accumulates about an once a day or something, enough to get a noticable spot... well maybe you could, but is it worth it when you have free towing? that's why you have that AAA gold membership remember?

cdt

I am sick of tow trucks...my car has been towed back and forth for the last month. They never treat it the car properly, i get it back with damage every time. I wish i had a hitch or something i could take it out on.

Damaged? What kind of damage? Do you request a flat bed? If not, you certainly should and don't be afraid to watch the driver like a hawk.

I requested a flat bed last time, and taking my car off they curbed the front bumper, and won't take responsibility for it.