03 TL on its 2nd transmission (107K on car, 42K on 2nd transmission) looks to be leaking from the drivers side axle seal

The axles were replaced back in December, the shop did NOT replace the seal(s) at that time.

Worried it could indicate the beginnings of transmission failure....Im keeping the fluid level good until I can get it to a shop to have them check it.

While I wait, a question: can bad engine mount(s) cause this issue? I know for a fact the rear is dead, I think the front died in the last few weeks (wet spot of unknown fluid on the floor under the car). I havent checked but based on the front and rear Im guessing the side and transmission mount are probably gone now too.

Car still shifts fine, fluid isnt burnt and it doesnt seem to be losing THAT much, but anything even possibly transmission related on this car freaks me out.

Thanks in advance.

-Chris

 

The axle seals are not an indicator of internal problems that these transmissions are famous for. It's possible that the shop damaged the one seal while they were removing or installing the axle.

Worn engine mounts will not cause this since the axle shaft is splined and has a clip on the transmission side. This prevents any movement of the shaft. Depending on how bad the engine mounts are, they could be causing some premature wear of the CV joints though.

 

Thanks.

I know its not an automatic (pun intended) indication that something might be up with the tranny, but Ive read of more than a few users getting the seal replaced only to have it leak 1, 2, 3 more times within a short period. And it seems most of those times were because if something going bad inside the transmission (carrier bearing worn)

Ill plan for the worst and hope for the best!

 

Replace your mounts and then also have new axle seals installed afterwards.
After that, just keep up with the tranny fluid changes and keep your fingers crossed.

 

Question - would it be OK to drive on the new seal for a week or so before replacing the mounts? Just wondering, since the car is at the shop already but I dont have new motor mounts yet.

If its imperative to replace the mounts first Ill do it, but figured if I could have the shop do the work while the car is already there it might make things easier.

Thanks.

-Chris

 

If ya were going to order the mounts online for a better deal, just wait awhile and then have all the work done at the same time to save labor costs.

But, if ya wanna replace the axle seals now and wait a week for the mount parts....it shouldn't be a big deal either way. The mounts may be available at your local auto parts store now or overnight.

 

The car is 11 years old with 107K miles. The cheaper the better! I know the labor costs for the rear mount are outrageous, didnt feel like putting that much $$$ into the car (especially if the transmission could become questionable in the near future).

For the hell of it Ill ask the shop how much to do the mounts, but Im expecting a fairly high number even if they used aftermarket parts.

Im still kicking myself for not selling it right after the original transmission was replaced.

 

Ya can get the complete motor & tranny mount package deal for less than $150 total from E-bay. Check around for labor prices at local shops for only the rear mount replacement. The front and top passenger side mounts are easy to DIY. Have any friends handy with tools ?

There is a "DIY" procedure for the rear mount somewhere on here if ya look. Depending on the hourly labor rate, the job should cost less than $200.

 

Yeah, I saw the MotorKing motor mount sets pretty cheap on Ebay.

I myself am actually handy with tools so I dont mind DIY-ing it Even the rear mount to a certain extent (although I did get a "are you nuts?" look from the wife when I mentioned you have to jack up the engine to get the rear mount out).

I have a number I want to keep the repair cost under before I seriously think about getting rid of the car, so if that number allows for axle seal AND motor mount replacement all the better.

Im just trying NOT to fall into the nickel and dime trap with the car. "Well we should fix it because we just spent X on Y to get replaced so it would be a waste to get rid of the car now...."

 

Update: axle seals were leaking. The shop that I dropped it off at is the shop that replaced the axles in December. They are charging me for parts only, because they said they should have replaced them when they replaced the axles themselves.

The TL will live on! Ordering motor mounts today and carving out some time to replace them next week.

 

An '03 TL with only 107k on the dial is worth putting some effort and money into, IMO.

 

Refreshing to hear that there are still some good guys out there. I think a lot of places would have weaseled out of it.

 

Yeah, its just disappointing always feeling like the "transmission" shoe is going to drop at any time. Right now it needs motor mounts, valve adjustment and EGR/intake cleaning. None of those jobs is particularly costly (Ill do it myself, so its mostly my time), so Ill go ahead and do them anyway.

Yeah, this shop is really good. They are always busy too (probably because of things like this), so hopefully they keep it up.