Hey fellow members,

So while adjusting my coilovers yesterday I noticed that under the car on the driver's side starting from what looks like the trans all the way back to the front of the rear wheel there is a very noticeable stain.

The chassis is drenched in what appears to be ATF, and a small leak of a drop maybe two drops fall when parked. Trans was just replaced about 2k ago, and shifts fine.

Checked all fluid levels after an hour drive and they seem ok.
ATF - Measured at the 2nd dot (not the one towards the tip) and still looks reddish and smells sweet.
All other fluids are fine PS, Oil, Brake, Coolant.

Im really starting to believe im leaking ATF. Will it leak out if it is over filled? Could it be a bad seal or trans gasket or something like that?

Leak appears to be very small and only under the driver side of the chassis. Any ideas on what it could be guys? Suggestions?

Car will be going in for inspection soon, just want to make sure that my mechanics diagnosis and Acurazine's are on the same page so im not ripped off.

Thanks for the help.

 

I would lift it up and see where it's leaking. Clean the area you are inspecting with brake cleaner and while it's securely lifted above the ground run the vehicle, check where it's leaking.

Yes they can leak out through the breather tube, but not likely. Don't overfill the tranny.

I'm guessing you may have a differential/c/v shaft seal (where the c/v shafts connect to the tranny). Mine was leaking from there causing streaking pretty far back down my car.

It could also be leaking from the trans front seal, (hopefully this is not the case) this seal is replaced by removing the trans.

Report back. I'm curious what's going on.

 

Thanks for the reply. It appears to be leaking down onto the chassis and spreading across the bottom.
Perhaps it was over filled when the trans was replaced but I doubt that's the cause at the moment.

Trans seals were also replaced when the trans was, but I do know that new parts do fail. Cv seal sounds like the possible culprit. Was it expensive to replace?

 

STOP!
the fluid level needs to be ckd in the following manner

from dead cold- get on freeway 15 minutes at casual cruise speed
get off and park in safe level spot
engine off- trans in park
remove dipstick- wipe clean-insert fully-remove
should read BETWEEN the 2 dots, not at either
fluid indicated level changes with fluid/system temp and acura wants it ckd this way

overfilled will blow it all over the bottem of the car

whats your receipt say for type and amount of atf installed
should be on honda DW-1 atf 7.3 qts

 

Unfortunately, no receipt as my Honda tech bro-in-law installed it for me. 15 years of experience so I trust him. Trans is warrantied for 2 years but only the part / not labor.

I'm sure its possible that it got over filled but at this point the levels are looking fine. Not too little and not too much.

I am significantly dropped/lowered on coilovers. Read on here that it puts more stress on cv joints, axles or something like that. Would these cause trans fluid to leak all over the underbody of the car? I'm not sure. Just looking to get it fixed ASAP.

194k on the chassis and engine now. All original suspension parts minus the coilovers. Somethings gotta start going wrong in the suspension category soon after lowering the car. Been on coilovers for about 7-10k now.

 

I can get it done at my shop for free. The part was like 10ish, just remove the c/v shaft, pop it out then on installing it, make sure it's straight. Note that the aftermarket c/v seals do not have grooves on them, like OEM does. I think OEM would be better but I didn't care at the time.

Clean the area first then check for leaks. Gotta make sure where it's leaking from before throwing parts. It would also eliminate the overfilled problem, assuming trans level is good, by doing what 01tl says.

Yes you can have issues because of a slammed or lowered car. Most of our cars on a loaded suspension with stock suspension should have c/v shafts parallel to the ground. This lowers probability of suspension related problems.
When you lower it goes into a "Y" shaped (the c/v shafts on the onboard side should be lower than where they go into the hubs, causing bad angles going into the trans, potentially causing bearing premature differential bearing failures ((though it's uncommon)) or hub bearing issues also uncommon). But not unlikely because you changed the height of the vehicle. If there was bearing issues on the differential it could cause the c/v shaft seal to not seal properly leaking fluid.
It probably would not wear out the seal though.

I say jack the car up, clean it, run it, and see where you're leaking fluid.

 

Thanks for the help guys. Going to drop it off tonight so my bro in law can take it into work / honda shop tomorrow. I'm almost certain he'll find the leak. Cars too low to jack up at the house, ill just have him use the lift and inspect it from there. I'm hoping its something simple and easy to fix.

I will keep you all updated on the work in progress.

 

until you inspect the aft level `as specified by the book`-
you cant get an accurate read
the level is critical to trans operation

anyone can make a mistake, or have a new shop kid/neighbor/helper install the atf for them- and put in 8 qts because thats what they were handed

It wont hurt the techs feelings to ask what fluid he used- thats an important question

 

beyond that, car wash the underbody clean,,
get some ramps and if really low- a wood block in front of each ramp as a half step up,,clears the nose that way
Had to do that on many cars in the shop over the years to get on the lift

the old metal ramps wouldnt clear after I dropped the 01 on teins,
plastic ramps just fit
Way more miles than you and no cv issues,,a rear hub bearing noise to attend to but the front is fine
watch your negative camber does not exceed -1.5 (max-2) degrees or it will have tire wear issues

 

He used Honda dw fluid not sure how much, but ill ask. Front neg camber is 1.2-1.5 on both sides.

 

Hope all is ok!
My girl is weeping from a couple of areas some not worth fixing and one that will get resolved asap.

 

the trans should not leak anywhere!
the smallest loss of the all important fluid is an expensive ending

 

^ What he said. We already have enough issues with these tranny's, so let's keep them running right.

 

Recommend any brand of ramps? Im looking into picking up a set for these kinds of situations. Love being lowered but sometimes its just a PITA to do any work under the car.

 

If you are not positive that the fluid is trans fluid, there is a possibility that you have a leaking rear main seal. I had mine replaced 2 years ago after having similar symptoms. There is a inspection cover where the trans meets the engine block. It is held in place with one bolt. Unbolt it and check for oil residue.

 

Small leak due to bad axle seal.
Going to keep an eye on it for a while to see if it continues to leak to make sure the problem has been resolved. Replaced free of charge with trans warranty.

Thanks for the help guys

 

Good to hear!