Last time I cleaned the car I removed all the carpets and to my surprise found oil on the floor pan to the front of the passanger seats. Right in the middle and on both sides with no clear trace as to where it originated. It's just a couple of little puddles, perhaps a dessert spoon full or so.

At first I thought it was just some spilled transmission fluid from the last service so I cleaned it all up thoroughly but now just 4 weeks later I clean the car and again the oil (or whatever it is) is back again!

Please, any advice on what it is and where it is coming from is most welcome! Photo attached.

Thanks!

 

I'm sure that you must have looked, but what's under the seat?
Pete

 

Thanks Pete, nothing under the seats but I am pretty sure I have found the source (see pic).

Any idea why transmission fluid is pooling in here? Is this a serious problem, or about to become so?

Thanks.

Simon.

PS You will also notice in the pic a what's left of a rubber grommet or bushing. I have no idea where that came from!

 

maybe the ring in nose of the trans. let go and that is it -- it would let a lot of trans. oil into the tunnel

how full is the trans.?

inspect the nose of the trans after wiping if off carefully - what do you see?

 

The tranny fluid will migate up the main shaft to any low spots. I have an 88 Carrera with G50 and had to replace the front shaft seal. I found there to be little fluid in that area when I removed the old seal. The G50 has a nose cap and apparently the bulk of the fluid stays in the main case and just a little gets by the front shaft seal. I thought when I pulled the seal that I would have 75w90 fluid all over me, but not more than an ounce came out. I replaced the seal and my minor leak was fixed. If you have a 915 tranny, I don't know how it is configured. You may have to drain the entire tranny prior to installing that new front seal. Pete or Steve Weiner can advise you on that procedure better than me.

 

Simon: The shift fork seal in the nose of the trans is leaking. Replace the seal ASAP because trans oil in the tunnel will really start to stink after a while. To do the job you have to take the pin screw out of the coupler, pull the coupler off of the shift fork, remove the rubber boots and then work from under the car. The hardest part of the job is seal removal. I took a long, skinny screwdriver and formed a hook on its end using my bench grinder. You must be very careful to not scratch the aluminum where the outside of the new seal fits, or it will leak at that point. Also, I always put a thin film of Curil T (sealant) on the outside of the seal, and a thin film of Lithium white on the sealing lip before installation. Always run your fingers across the end of the shaft and the coupler bolt hole to make sure that no roughness exists that could cut the new seal. To tap the seal into place you must find something that works for you, I have an old pickle fork (used to remove tie rod ends) ground as necessary to leverage/tap the seal into position. The seal must be square to the shaft or it will turn into a screw and leak! Good luck with it...
Pete

 

who has pics to post for this operation?

 

Thanks guys for all the great feedback. I wiped out all of the tranny fluid from the seal and floor etc. After about 50 miles of driving I have checked again and found no hint of any more leaking, though of course this could just mean a small leak that over time will again make it's way to the floor.

I guess I will monitor the situation for a another hundred miles or so by which time the car will nearly be due for it's 36k mile service anyway so I can have the seal changed out then if need be.

Cheers,

Simon.

PS Pete do think it's possible that the fluid leaked during a previous seal change and was simply left there by a lazy mechanic?

 

Simon: That's possible, but because trans fluid smells so bad, probably not. If you've done a hot summer since someone may have done the seal, but not cleaned the tunnel, your car would have a strange, clinging odor inside. Keep an eye on it!
Pete

 

There is no worse smell than Swepco tranny fluid! Ugh. When I got my 356 and swapped that oil in, ohhhhhh - my nose shut down to anything but that smell in my nostrils for 24 hours.

 

Jay: Ugh is right! I've had to clean the tunnels in 356s where the fluid had actually soaked into the horsehair pad under the rubber floor mats. Spend most of a day removing pad and cleaning out a tunnel on one of those and you will will definitely want to change your work clothes ASAP! We ran across cars where someone had damaged the shift fork rod, with a vise-grip, etc., replacing a coupler or whatever, and a new seal wouldn't seal completely. In those cases there was little choice but to disassemble the trans and replace the rod, or cut a small, diamond-shaped hole in the bottom of the nose boot to allow the oil to drip onto the ground, rather than leak into the tunnel. You know what the unanimous customer choice was! The little hole won out every time.
Pete