I was changing the oil the other day and noticed this leak which I believed to be oil. I took a rag and wiped the area and then cranked the car and watched for any leaks. I noticed oil seeping out from this area and then it would run over to the left and start to drip. There is a bolt head that screws into this area and I'm not sure what part this is leaking and how to fix it. I didnt see anything leaking from above this area. Btw, this is on a 2002 accord se 4cyl auto.

 

Here is a picture farther out

 

That piece is the inspection cover for you transmission. The color of the fluid is tough to make out in the pictures but you either have a Torque converter seal leak or the rear main seal on the engines crank is seeping.

 

I believe it is oil because the tranny fluid still has a nice red tint to it when checked and the fluid level is not low. My oil level though is about a quart low when I do a 3k mile oil change. Is there a way to take this area apart and further check to see whats causing the leak?

 

Yeah... you can remove that piece and shine a light in there and see or at least get a better idea of where the leak is coming from.

 

Ok, I wasn't sure if oil or some fluid would come spilling out when I took it off.

 

looks more like transmission fluid to me. the color will get much darker than its normal red when it leaks due to the dirt and stuff on the engine.

 

If I remove the cover, should it be easy to distinguish where the leak is coming from?

 

Yes, it should be pretty clear it's coming from the rear main seal. This will require dropping the tranny and removing the flex plate to remove the seal or what I usually do is drop the oil pan also and remove the entire rear plate and rtv it up really good, stick the rear main seal on there while lubing up the inner lip with grease and sliding the entire plate back on, then reinstall the oil pan.

If the oil pan gasket is bad this is a good time to get a new one. Just make sure to remove each and every tiny bit of old gasket and then oil residue with brake cleaner.

This is what I do. It's a little bit longer but I like making sure the plate is re-rtv'ed and no chance of scratching anything removing the seal.