GSRaCeRbOI

I was installing a rear lower tie bar (along w/ the front upper) on my friends 97 LS or GS automatic..i forget the trim.. not my car...

anyway I backed out my car and let her drive her car into my garage... then I jacked the car up pretty high (I have a 3 ton SUV jack.. lifts about 20")... anyway I had the cars rear up pretty high and up on jack stands to install the rear lower tie bar....

after I was done w/ the back tie bar.. let the car off jack/jack stands.. put it on the ground.... I told her to back it out .....I noticed a red oily puddle on my floor.... it is on the passenger side around where the stock air box would be... that would be tranny fluid right? it was a pretty big puddle.. I'd say maybe 6" (inch) x 1' (foot).... so I checked the dip stick and it read FULL... her car was only in my garage for about an hour or so.. and it had a 6" x 1' puddle.. if its leaking this bad ALL the time.. I would think the tranny fluid/dip stick would be LOW right?

I know for a fact that the garage floor was dry before she got here.. I had backed out my car while I waited for her to come.. and I was standing in the garage.. so I would have noticed if there was a puddle there in the empty garage space...

so my question is... could the tranny fluid have somehow leaked out from somewhere maybe where the dipstick is? or maybe the fill plug isn't tight? or drain plug? from when I raised the rear up really high?

its 5PM right now... its dark out plus she had to head home for Thanksgiving dinner w/ her family.. so I couldn't jack up the front and take a look at it... give me some suggestions so I can try and fix it the next time she's over...

things I'm going to look at when she's here next weekend are:

check to see if drainplug is tight.. and check to see if there is a visual leak at the drain plug...

check to see if fill plug is tight and check for visual leak there

look on tranny housing.. to see if I can spot a leak anywhere...

other than those areas I really don't know.. any advice would be appreciated.. thanks in advance...

mugenracer

Isnt tranny oil just like regular engine oil, therefore it shouldnt be red. Did it have any smell to it? It may just have been water that was lying somewhere and spilled out when you jacked up the rear, the red colour could have been caused if it were lying somewhere that there was exposed metal, and got discoloured by rust. BTW what colour was her car?

I would jack the car up again when she comes back and try to see where its dripping from if all the other points you mentioned dont show anything

uNF$@#!

tranny fluid should be a very light brown color.

no red involved unless some moron put dye in it

GSRaCeRbOI

first off thanks for the reply.... her teg is auto and so it uses auto tranny fluid... not regular oil... and from the location in correlation to the puddle.. it should be from either the tranny OR the passenger side axle/steering rack.. since axle grease is black and thick like a paste.. I doubt its anything w/ the axle..... power steering fluid if I recall is a light yellowish/clears color (I think).. not sure.. the honda bottle was silver/not transparent.. so can't remember what color PS fluid was...

I didn't smell it.. I just saw an oily puddle on my garage floor which wasn't there when I pulled out.. then as I waited for her to get here... I was standing in my garage in the empty spot where my car usually parks.. if there was a puddle I for sure would have noticed it.. so its not from my car....

it was too thick and had a oily feel to it when I touched my finger on it... it looked reddish on my finger/skin.. I'm Asian but I'm pretty pale/light... so I'm pretty sure the fluid was red and my skin tone had nothing to do w/ any color change or optical illusion of the fluid color.....

her car is silver.. so it wouldn't be anything from the paint.. plus the substance on the ground was oily...

aight well I don't have a chance to see the car until like next weekend when we're both free so yeah I won't get to jack up the car and take a look at the drain plug, fill hole/plug, tranny housing until then...

oh yeah asking her the maintenance history is like talking to a wall.. you just ask your question and stare.. and get no response/nothing to confirm or deny maintenance.. just like "umm I dont know" haha... so I have no idea whether the tranny fluid was recently serviced/changed or whatever...

GSRaCeRbOI

I thought auto tranny fluid was red..or at least dyed red..

are there any other fluids that are red? it was reddish/pinkish on my finger..

from doing my own maintenances.. I know that coolant is green, motor oil is honey/oil/clear/yellow color when new... and dark brown-black when older, brake fluid is clear when new.. a bit more colored/yellower when older, if I recall power steering fluid is pretty clear also... so other than her auto tranny.. I can't think of anything else that can leak an oily substance/fluid other than the auto tranny fluid..

MR. ARIZONA

Just leave her alone. She's on her PERIOD....

BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

GSRaCeRbOI

Y even bother replying?

uNF$@#!

lol. i found it somewhat amusing to see...

anyhow auto tranny fluid is indeed red. check for leaks.


[Modified by Soup ****, 7:16 AM 11/29/2002]

4doorRS5spd

Auto tranny fluid is a reddish color, and it has a very distinct smell.

Ricky Rojales

Definitely check for leaks.