CowboyJim

I noticed a new oily mess in my 2002 Odyssey engine compartment the last time changed the oil so I knew something had started to leak. I pulled the lower shroud off and traced the location of the leak to the transmission towards the left side of engine compartment (relative to sitting in the driver seat). I suspected that one of the ATF lines had started leaking where they connect to the ATF cooler lines so I removed the battery and tray so I could access the transmission better. Unfortunately, when I pulled the transmission cooling hoses off, I did not see evidence of a bad tubing--they both looked solid. The leak definitely seems to come from the area where the hoses connect to the ATF lines, near of at the top of the transmission.

The ironic part is that while the ATF level was at the lower level, it did not seem to leak constantly. It almost looks like the leak was/is episodic. I have done many searches on the net where people claim that fluid will come out of the breather tube if the transmission overheats and/or that you might see this problem if the breather tube it clogged. Is there any truth to this or does anyone have any other ideas? Thanks in advance!!

CowboyJim

Well I pulled the breather hose and found that it was NOT clogged. So, since Mama's van is out of service, I guess I will replace the transmission cooling hoses for good measure, clean up the mess, button it all up, and watch to see if I can find the leak. I hate to tear it all down again if I see a problem but don't have many choices at this point. I would still appreciate it if someone has some insights to the problem. Leaks usually don't fix themselves...

CowboyJim

Here is a picture of the area that was the messiest.