A few weeks ago I had a problem with my SD flaring. Ended up adding 2 quarts of trans fluid to get it up to the proper level, and that solved the problem.

I went on vacation for 2 weeks and came back to find it had leaked out a good amount of fluid onto the ground. I'm not sure how much, but it is not showing up on the stick anymore.

I understand that in these cars if you let them sit for awhile, the torque converter drains into the pan and overflows, but this much???

I haven't had a chance to look under the car yet, but what could the problem be? Since the vehicle leaks when not running, can I rule out the front seal? Hopefully it is just the pan gasket...

Thanks

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1985 300SD "The Saudi Prince"

http://www.conservativegentleman.com

First thing to do is go and have a look there's little point in guessing what it could be at this stage.

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1992 W201 190E 1.8 171,000 km - Daily driver
1981 W123 300D ~ 100,000 miles / 160,000 km - project car stripped to the bone
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I'm here to chat about cars and to help others - I'm not here "to always be right" like an internet warrior



Don't leave that there - I'll take it to bits!

On my 722.3, the dipstick actually reaches down into the pan for checking the level. You can see it peeking out with the pan off. So, in theory, if you have lost oil by it leaking out of the gasket at the top of the pan, it should still register on the dipstick. Are you sure your drain plug is not leaking or that you have not somehow damaged the pan itself? I am just thinking that for it to leak so much that the dipstick does not register, the hole would have to be below the dipstick when the car is not running. Now, if you drove it after adding oil, and the leak is on the upper part of the transmission, such as where the linkage enters, it should be throwing oil all over the underside of the car, then, when you park, it drips down appearing as if it "leaked" as it sat there. Buddy of mine had this happen in his 560SEL...it was leaking so bad from an o-ring where the shifter mechanism is, he was losing a quart every 50 miles. If he parked somewhere after driving, it looked like it had been sitting there for a week with a massive leak just because it was dripping down. To make the problem more puzzling, it did not leak just sitting there, only when driving. However it just coated the tunnel and the top of the tranny.

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1986 420SEL W/1990 560 SEL Full Power Interior Swap
1995 E300D
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I agree with Army, that you need to get under there and have a look.

Two transmission fluid leak problems that I understand are common (I have experienced both):

1) Transmission fluid cooler line wears through at the place where the line is supported by a bracket and rubber bushing attached to an oil pan bolt. Rubber bushing gets dried out, cracks, falls out and vibration causes the metal bracket to wear through the metal line.

2) O-ring at vacuum modulator fails and tranny fluid foams out. This will likely happen when tranny is running though.

I recommend that you get under that car, wipe everything down, then come back a few minutes or hours later to see where the leak is originating.

Check around the tranny cooler. It could be a leak around there and your tranny cooler is emptying by gravity while sitting.

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