I spotted some fresh transmission fluid around my pan gasket. Looking further, it looks like the vent holes at the bottom of the bellhousing are pretty wet and thick with dirt. I am assuming that I have a leaky seal around my torque converter and possibly front shaft seal. I will doublecheck the pan bolts, but I can't believe that the fluid is getting forward of the pan and onto the bellhousing.

1985 W126 380SE. BIG job (i.e. lots of cash involved)?

By the way, the transmission is behaving completely normally. I will keep it topped up until I get it serviced.

Over filling of the trans can cause leaks that are small to become much larger. Most folks keep the level at the top of the marks, but w/cold fluid the spec is 10mm below the bottom mark! Only after driving 20-30 miles should the level be near the top mark. To reseal the front pump the labor would be 8-10 hrs & $50-75 in parts. You can buy a lot of fluid for $600.

__________________
MERCEDES Benz Master Guild Technician (6 TIMES)
ASE Master Technician
Mercedes Benz Star Technician (2 times)
44 years foreign automotive repair
27 Years M.B. Shop foreman (dealer)
MB technical information Specialist (15 years)
190E 2.3 16V ITS SCCA race car (sold)
1986 190E 2.3 16V 2.5 (sold)
Retired Moderator