7th Gen ('06-'07): Transmission Fluid Leak
#11
05-31-2016, 12:15 PM
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Paragould, Arkansas
Posts: 722
I had this one soon after I bought it. Think I might have hit a curb stop and bumped this pipe. Fluid would only form a drip like this when it was parked a day.
I took a print of that picture to the stealership. Dealership put a dye in the transmission fluid, had me drive it for a week and then brought it back. They diagnosed it as a seal on the coolant pipe. Smart mechanics there, eh?
Never affected the driving, just left a spot on the driveway (which drives me crazy).
I took a print of that picture to the stealership. Dealership put a dye in the transmission fluid, had me drive it for a week and then brought it back. They diagnosed it as a seal on the coolant pipe. Smart mechanics there, eh?
Never affected the driving, just left a spot on the driveway (which drives me crazy).
Well, the incredible vanishing leak reappeared over the weekend, as the car sat idle for three days. I got out to drive it to work this morning, I noticed the small puddle. I laid down on the concrete and reached back as far as I could with my iPhone and took a few pics to see what I could see.... lol Look familiar?......
#12
05-31-2016, 08:43 PM
LOL indeed.
Found the bill - from 2/16/10. Parts were:
15264597 Hose - 39.49
15264590 Hose - 35.84
24236554 Fitting - 4.44
24236555 Fitting - 13.54
$93.31 for parts and 225.00 labor.
Found the bill - from 2/16/10. Parts were:
15264597 Hose - 39.49
15264590 Hose - 35.84
24236554 Fitting - 4.44
24236555 Fitting - 13.54
$93.31 for parts and 225.00 labor.
#13
06-02-2016, 12:12 PM
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Paragould, Arkansas
Posts: 722
Remarkable..... dropped off the car, showed them the photo, and voila.... Yep, cooling lines and seals are bad....lol
Total cost was $258.58..... I'll take that.
Also replacing right side tie rod end and aligning front end. Finally, all issues resolved! Picking my baby up tomorrow!
The first dealership I tried to use had my car TWICE without even looking for the source of the leak, with the first visit producing a trans flush I didn't ask for because the technician said "all I was told was that it was here because of a transmission issue".... The second visit, the car sat there all day without being touched, despite being scheduled a week in advance, not to mention the screwing over they gave me on the first visit, because they were "a bit shorthanded"...Not my problem. You'd think if ONE car had priority in that situation, it'd be the one you screwed over the week before.... The cliché is true... All dealerships are the same, the service department is what separates them. Both of these dealerships are owned by the same group, just better people in the second one.
Total cost was $258.58..... I'll take that.
Also replacing right side tie rod end and aligning front end. Finally, all issues resolved! Picking my baby up tomorrow!
The first dealership I tried to use had my car TWICE without even looking for the source of the leak, with the first visit producing a trans flush I didn't ask for because the technician said "all I was told was that it was here because of a transmission issue".... The second visit, the car sat there all day without being touched, despite being scheduled a week in advance, not to mention the screwing over they gave me on the first visit, because they were "a bit shorthanded"...Not my problem. You'd think if ONE car had priority in that situation, it'd be the one you screwed over the week before.... The cliché is true... All dealerships are the same, the service department is what separates them. Both of these dealerships are owned by the same group, just better people in the second one.
#14
06-02-2016, 07:36 PM
Right on.
Dealerships sheesh. Only one GM-ish dealer in town here - one would think that they have lots of business and lots of PARTS. Nope nope nope. Think that everything I have been there for has taken so long because of parts such as the above transmission pipes, the power steering recall fix, a starter etc. I am not going to go there if I ever am forced to have the key recall done - they would have to keep it overnight waiting for parts.
Dealerships sheesh. Only one GM-ish dealer in town here - one would think that they have lots of business and lots of PARTS. Nope nope nope. Think that everything I have been there for has taken so long because of parts such as the above transmission pipes, the power steering recall fix, a starter etc. I am not going to go there if I ever am forced to have the key recall done - they would have to keep it overnight waiting for parts.
#15
06-02-2016, 09:11 PM
Hi Chifan.
Good advice from all the above .
Just a couple more details. IMO the most likely source of the leak on a car with miles as low as yours would be the cooler lines. Not a great design. The ends of the aluminum lines have a reverse flare on them that seats against the bevel in the quick connect fittings. The soft aluminum can easily be distorted and leak if bumped. In one of your photos it does look like fluid around one of the lines into the transmission. Problem can sometimes be easily fixed just by rotating the quick connect fitting about a quarter turn with the line still connected. The fitting will rotate around the flare and reshape it enough to conform it to the the bevel of the fitting, allowing it to re-seat. There are two lines into the transmission near the starter and another two that go into the trans. fluid cooler at the bottom of the passenger side of the radiator. See if any drops appear directly below there.
As for the pan gasket, If gen. 7's are the same as gen.6's and the gasket is original, it's actually made of rubber with a metal inner core and is re-usable. Way better than rubber or cork aftermarket ones, so don't through it away or let anybody replace it with an aftermarket one. If you do drop the pan you might as well do a fluid and filter change to preserve the transmission on your beauty that I'm sure you intend to keep.
Good advice from all the above .
Just a couple more details. IMO the most likely source of the leak on a car with miles as low as yours would be the cooler lines. Not a great design. The ends of the aluminum lines have a reverse flare on them that seats against the bevel in the quick connect fittings. The soft aluminum can easily be distorted and leak if bumped. In one of your photos it does look like fluid around one of the lines into the transmission. Problem can sometimes be easily fixed just by rotating the quick connect fitting about a quarter turn with the line still connected. The fitting will rotate around the flare and reshape it enough to conform it to the the bevel of the fitting, allowing it to re-seat. There are two lines into the transmission near the starter and another two that go into the trans. fluid cooler at the bottom of the passenger side of the radiator. See if any drops appear directly below there.
As for the pan gasket, If gen. 7's are the same as gen.6's and the gasket is original, it's actually made of rubber with a metal inner core and is re-usable. Way better than rubber or cork aftermarket ones, so don't through it away or let anybody replace it with an aftermarket one. If you do drop the pan you might as well do a fluid and filter change to preserve the transmission on your beauty that I'm sure you intend to keep.
Last edited by plumbob; 06-02-2016 at 09:17 PM.
#16
06-03-2016, 09:26 PM
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Paragould, Arkansas
Posts: 722
My bill - from 6/3/16. Parts were:
15264597 Hose - 41.52
15264590 Hose - 37.68
24236554 Fitting - 4.76
24236555 Fitting - 14.24
$98.20 for parts and 117.60 labor.
