jtlexiluv

I have spent the last hour or so going thru threads about transmission leaks and still havent found my answer. I am hoping that some one can help narrow down my situation. So my car has been sitting in the garage for the last week and today I had to take it in to Firestone to get my front tires balanced. As I am waiting at the shop my roomate calls and says that there is a puddle on the garage floor- reddish in color. I immediatly asked the tech to look and see where exactly it is leaking from. He comes back and tells me that he cant see where it is coming from because there is housing around everything but my tranny is about a quart low. He says that the housing is covered in fluid. I drove home from Firestone and when I got out I looked under the car and it is dripping pretty bad right behind the skid plate. So it is parked for now. What can be the causes of such a bad leak. I didnt even notice any issues shifting or anything. Car seems a little hotter than normal too. I stopped at a part store to get a quart of fluid but was told I had to go to a dealership to get it. Any the Lexus dealership across from my house was already closed for the night. I am thinking that it might be a pan gasket or maybe even a line that needs to be replaced, but would the leak be this bad if it was something not so major as that? Making me think that something major might be wrong.

jtlexiluv

any help is appreciated

kyledye25

I have the exact problem right now with my 93 ES300. My wife was driving it home and was close to home and the car was smoking really bad. Tranny fluid and oil gets checked my me weekly. All was fine earlier this week. Then I try drving it up on my ramps and the tranny wont even go. And when I hit the gas it smokes and the tranny slips. So I pulled out my jack stands and jacked it up. Its leaking just like you say. Coming from behind the tranny somewhere. but dripping down right in the middle. Not sure what Lexus you have. But I cant figure out why its leaking or where from because I cant really be under there while its on and leaking all over my face. Any one have an idea????

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

my car once had a terrible tranny l;eak and it turned out to be a leaking line....you will have to get under your car ---clean the area well---and than watch closely to wherte the leak is coming from-------one mnore thing---are we supposed to be using a certian type of tranny fluid?Like a lexus tranny fluid or something?

Because i think i have just your average run of the mill fluid in mine from when my tranny leaked---my mechanic topped it up with his shop fluid---is this ok?

Ali SC3

iTrader: (10)

ATF fluid. you can get it at any parts store. you dont have to use the toyota one but the toyota one is synthetic i believe. so get a good one. I wouldnt bother going to lexus for it.

kyledye25

I believe mine is a tranny cooling line. Now that I think about it it makes sense.

1WILLY1

iTrader: (9)

thanks --i think it would be a w2ise choice to drain my old fluiod and top up with this proper one---just in case it isnt already in there-------as for the line leak----i just cuyt off the rubber casing-----and clamped some new rubber to it ----i know it is a patch up job and a quick fix but it cost me next to nothing to do and it has held up fine for almost a year

Gate

Any of you that were told to go to a dealership to get your ATF, I'm assuming you need Toyota T-IV, you can get it not only at Lexus dealerships but Toyota dealerships as well. Some people sell it on Craigslist and e-bay but I wouldn't trust that stuff. It's cheaper by a microscopic fraction anyway. If your Lexus apparently requires this T-IV or other dealership-only fluid and you take it your average lube shop, they'll most likely use Valvoline Max Life instead of the recommended T-IV, but hell, even the actual Lexus dealerships use Valvoline instead of the real T-IV (according to a phone conversation I had with a Lexus dealership technician today). T-IV is what you want (if an official Lexus bulletin has been posted stating such as they have for many older Lexus) but many people don't read these bulletins, and a lot of mechanics don't care. A regular Toyota parts salesman at a Toyota dealership will say "what? you want type T-IV for an older Lexus? Toyota T-IV is only for newer cars!". Don't get mad at them, they're not trained to know Lexus cars, but they're wrong. Anyways, get the right fluid. As far as the leak goes, there's some heavy duty "liquid steel" solutions that need to be mixed from two separate tubes and create a strikingly resilient bond when dry, these two-part mixtures have done well for me, but only when applied to certain surfaces. Applying it to the wrong surface can cause it to be impossible or very expensive to remove appendages of the part you sealed later, or damage the part. But applying it to an appropriate place can fix your leak plain and simple.

hun1800

if it is red it may not be the trans leak. the power steering is red also. check your ps hose and pump and resevoir my leak was at the resevoir and it look like trans fluid I took my resevoir off and replaced it or you can get a gasket. I get most of my parts from rockauto or ebay some times you have to go to the dealership.it helps if you have part number. once you have the part no. you can scout around for the best price the oem part no. I joined alldata which can give you every part number on the car. for a year subscription cost $59 and they give you on computer the whole repair manuel for your vehicle and how to fix it including all the part no. in your car God bless