Transmission Fluid Leak

Erikg84 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 13, 2015 11:33 am

So I was crawling around under the jeep yesterday installing the OEM hitch wiring harness (PITA!) when I noticed the crossmember under the Transmission / Transfer case was oily. When I took a closer look, I noticed a small drip of Transmission Fluid hanging from the transmission.... So now I'm worrying a bit.

I believe I have narrowed it down to a pressure related leak since i'm not leaving any drip marks on the ground on my driveway, so I think I can rule out oil pan / pan gasket issues. I spent a good 30-40 minutes under there trying to find where it is coming from, and I haven't ruled out that it could be my transfer case leaking too.

In the past on other vehicles, I have found transmission leaks using that UV Dye, but I don't know where I would put it on the KK. Would it hurt anything if I poured it right into the service port in the engine bay?

Any other ideas where I should start looking for leaks?

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Do you have the transmission cooling lines running up to the front? I'd check those. Check all connections going in and out of the transmission and transfer case.

Marlon_JBT · **Posted:** Mon Apr 13, 2015 12:13 pm

Call me crazy, but I recently had a trans fluid leak, and it just so happened to be the transmission cooler itself. Trans fluid went everywhere.

Erikg84 · **Posted:** Mon Apr 13, 2015 1:04 pm

I'm off work tomorrow, so I will try to spend some more time cleaning the old oil to try and figure out where it is coming from. It's not a whole lot of fluid leaking, but I want to pinpoint the leak before it becomes a major problem.

Where do the cooler lines run in to the transmission? are they more towards the top, front? Anyone have a good diagram of the transmission that shows all the connections? maybe I can use that as a checklist to make sure I looked at everything?

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Starting at the front-you'll see a small heat sink under the front crossmember with two lines (send/return) these lines run along the driver's (ish) side. They plug more in the front and top of the transmission. I'll look for some photos these lines may have made as I was replacing my rack and pinion...

EDIT: can't find anything useful...sorry

wildemt · **Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2015 1:49 am

Just had my tranny coolant lines replaced under warranty... they were leaking right at the fitting.

Erikg84 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 16, 2015 9:04 am

I haven't had any time to find the leak yet. I think the coolant lines are the first place I'm going to look when I get back under there. I have read a lot, and seems quite a few people have a leak from there.

meanwhile, the Jeep is parked in my driveway, and I'm driving my wife's Dodge Journey back and forth to work and school.

Erikg84 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 21, 2015 11:56 am

so I'm about 90% certain the leak is coming from the seal between the transmission and the transfer case adapter. It's hard to tell for sure with the crossmember in the way, but there's really no other place it could be coming from. Anyone have any experience replacing this seal? I know I'd have to pull the driveshafts, the t-case, t-case adapter, and the crossmember to get to it, but not sure if it's worth it, or if I should just shell out the money and let the dealership do it ($300 labor for a $20 part... :roll:

).

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 21, 2015 3:25 pm

Erikg84 wrote:

so I'm about 90% certain the leak is coming from the seal between the transmission and the transfer case adapter. It's hard to tell for sure with the crossmember in the way, but there's really no other place it could be coming from. Anyone have any experience replacing this seal? I know I'd have to pull the driveshafts, the t-case, t-case adapter, and the crossmember to get to it, but not sure if it's worth it, or if I should just shell out the money and let the dealership do it ($300 labor for a $20 part... :roll:

).

Which seal is leaking? You got the trans output seal and the t-case input seal and you should replace both when your in there.Both use ATF+4 so could be either one.

Erikg84 · **Posted:** Tue Apr 21, 2015 4:17 pm

It's leaking from here, but towards the bottom, middle of the transmission. Correct me if I'm wrong, but both of the seals you mentioned are located within this adapter, right? the trans output towards the front, and the t-case input towards the rear. I haven't had the chance to take it to the dealer to check the transmission fluid levels, but I did check the t-case levels, and they were fine, which is telling me that the t-case seal is not leaking.

From what I understand, there should not be any fluid in the adapter itself, the fluid I'm seeing is from the trans output seal, and leaking through a weep hole in the adapter.

Sorry for the crappy pic... I found it on google.

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70AnvKK · **Joined:** Fri Aug 16, 2013 4:09 am **Posts:** 26

Just had my 11 KK on the rack for tire rotation and my pan gasket is leaking. It only has 34k on it and I find it incredible that it is leaking since I had the tranny rebuilt by the stealership about 4K ago. Guess it goes back to them but you may look at the gasket.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Apr 23, 2015 2:37 pm

70AnvKK wrote:

Just had my 11 KK on the rack for tire rotation and my pan gasket is leaking. It only has 34k on it and I find it incredible that it is leaking since I had the tranny rebuilt by the stealership about 4K ago. Guess it goes back to them but you may look at the gasket.

There shouldn't be a gasket between the trans pan and trans case,if there is that is the reason for the leak.ATF safe RTV only.

Transmission Fluid Leak

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