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Red fluid leak (includes pics)

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Old Aug 6, 2013 | 07:30 AM
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Default Red fluid leak (includes pics)

Now I really need your mechanical skills to figure out where that fluid comes from.

I don't want to believe it's coming from the tranny. I have about 107k miles on my car and it just shouldn't leak with that mileage. Right?

I'm hoping it's just some rubber hose or something like that that's failed somewhere above the "leak area".
Second guess would be the power steering. Could it be leaking from that area if the leak was somewhere above it?

What do you guys think?

Shot from the "back". I'm facing towards front.


Either the leak spot or the area where the fluid gathers to leak.









Edit: Car is 2000 GS430.
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Old Aug 6, 2013 | 08:01 AM
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Could be a Torque Converter seal or the transmission front pump seal. Wither way the transmission needs to come out. Remove the inspection cover to get a better look at where it is coming from.
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Old Aug 6, 2013 | 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by Rob Daddy
Remove the inspection cover to get a better look at where it is coming from.
What part is it, that black plate in the second pic? I'll just have to take those two bolts off?
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Old Aug 6, 2013 | 12:36 PM
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Originally Posted by Lutkis
What part is it, that black plate in the second pic? I'll just have to take those two bolts off?
Im not 100% familiar with these transmission disassembly but there should be a few bolts to take the lower bell housing of the tranny off to access the torque converter and disassemble it from the flex plate on the engine. See if you can get/download a service manual for your car to find out

Best case scenario: Check your coolant color and see if its red. Could just be an upper hose leak thats leaking down on the tranny.
Worst case scenario: Could torque converter seal bad but either way both are doable
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Old Aug 6, 2013 | 01:54 PM
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The inspection cover is the 2 bolts on the black piece.
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Old Aug 6, 2013 | 10:42 PM
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I noticed that my coolant is about half inch lower than the minimun line and it's red fluid.
Could it be running down so far away from the radiator? It's about two feet from the radiator to the area where it's leaking.

The fluid leaves a clear trail to the ground for example when I park and after it's parked it drips about 1 or 2 drops per minute. The longer it's parked the fewer the drops are.

I think the next thing I'll do is add coolant (obviously) and monitor the coolant tank fluid levels.
If it drops, I know it's coolant fluid (fingers crossed it is).
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Old Aug 7, 2013 | 04:28 AM
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get back under there and verify if it's coolant or ATF, or I keeel U!
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Old Aug 7, 2013 | 04:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Achmed
get back under there and verify if it's coolant or ATF, or I keeel U!

I don't have a lift at my use. I got to borrow a local Shell Station car lift to take those photos.
Depending on the weather I'll try to get it up on jacks today.

Do I have to do a taste test of each fluid and thereby recognize which one it is?
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Old Aug 7, 2013 | 12:41 PM
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check your tranny cooler lines going into the bottom of radiator
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Old Aug 7, 2013 | 02:28 PM
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That spot looks almost identical to where your rear main seal is. I had a similar leak last year and it was my rear main seal that needed to be replaced.
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Old Aug 7, 2013 | 10:54 PM
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Lost my patience and didn't even bother to lift the front end up. How do I even get it up when there's basically just one spot under the car in front where to lift it up?

I have two of these


and a jack like this




Originally Posted by LuxuryGS3
That spot looks almost identical to where your rear main seal is. I had a similar leak last year and it was my rear main seal that needed to be replaced.
What part number and was it expensive to replace it? I assume I'd have to take it to a shop to do it.
It would be better to just sell this peace of junk until it costs me a fortune. This is my typical f'ing luck with cars.


Edit: It isn't coolant that's leaking. So now there's only the power steering and atf left. I can't see anything from above the engine.

Last edited by Lutkis; Aug 7, 2013 at 11:00 PM.
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Old Sep 3, 2013 | 01:31 AM
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Tranny is getting worse. Sometimes it doesn't shift properly and when I leave from work and put it in reverse it usually doesn't move anywhere for about 5-10 seconds, not even if I push the gas pedal a bit harder.

Recently it came up with a new error code P0770, which is "shift solenoid e".
I got one estimate price 2500-5500€ depending if it's a rebuild or just changing a used tranny.
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Old Sep 3, 2013 | 02:19 AM
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Uhhh.. did you ever check you tranny fluid to see if it was low?
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Old Sep 3, 2013 | 03:19 AM
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Originally Posted by Lutkis
Tranny is getting worse. Sometimes it doesn't shift properly and when I leave from work and put it in reverse it usually doesn't move anywhere for about 5-10 seconds, not even if I push the gas pedal a bit harder.

Recently it came up with a new error code P0770, which is "shift solenoid e".
I got one estimate price 2500-5500€ depending if it's a rebuild or just changing a used tranny.
have you checked your tranny fluid level? Looks like tranny fluid to me with that cherry color...
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Old Sep 3, 2013 | 06:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Lutkis
Tranny is getting worse. Sometimes it doesn't shift properly and when I leave from work and put it in reverse it usually doesn't move anywhere for about 5-10 seconds, not even if I push the gas pedal a bit harder.

Recently it came up with a new error code P0770, which is "shift solenoid e".
I got one estimate price 2500-5500€ depending if it's a rebuild or just changing a used tranny.

Dude, I doubt your tranmission is done because of that code. Drop the transmission pan remove and clean the solenoid. I just took out my solenoid C, which was giving me P0763. My car shifting weird, jerking, engine light on, no 1st gear, etc.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...oid-fixed.html
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