Faulty Transmission Pan or Gasket
The fuel pan gasket is the number one culprit if your vehicle’s transmission fluid leaks when your car is parked. Cars with automatic transmissions have a pan gasket designed to catch most fluids leaking from the engine. Over time, loose bolts or holes may occur, causing the transmission fluid in your parked car to leak. Sometimes impact can also damage the pan if a sharp object hits it.
When the seal between the transmission and pan deteriorates over time, it can corrode, crack, wear out or even dissolve after a while. When this happens, your vehicle transmission fluid may leak when parked.
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The best way to prevent this problem is to inspect the pan and gasket position. The best time to do this is when performing the fluid change. Check for rust that can damage the pan and create holes. Tightening loose bolts can fix the issue if there’s no other damage. If you suspect the pan is damaged, you may need to replace it.
Bent Transmission Pan
If someone tries to replace the transmission fluid and uses too much force to remove the sealant, the extra force used can cause the pan to bend. Transmission pans made of steel aren’t strong and durable enough, and they can bend easily. When it bends, the pan can’t create a seal around it, and transmission fluid can escape through the gaps and cause a leak.
Leaking Transmission Drain Plug
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Another fault that can result from using too much force when changing the transmission fluid is damage to the drain plug. The repair professional must tighten the drain plug according to factory specifications. Too loose or too tight can cause transmission fluid to leak.
There’s an O-ring used to seal the plug. It’d be best if you replaced this seal every time you replaced the transmission fluid. This is because it tends to have a similar lifespan as the transmission fluid. If re-used, it’ll wear off and create an opening that leads to a transmission fluid leak.
Damaged Fluid Lines
If you notice the transmission fluid leak happens toward the front of the vehicle when it’s parked, it could be an issue with the transmission line. Most vehicles have fluid lines that run to the transmission cooler in front of the car. Most of these lines are designed to last many years as they’re made of steel or aluminum. However, they may crack or break at any time and eventually cause a leak. The leaking transmission fluid lines may also be caused by the absence of protective coating on the line.
Damaged Seals
An automatic transmission contains seals designed to keep the fluid in place and prevent the fluid from leaking. However, these seals deteriorate over time and develop cracks that lead to leaks. The most commonly affected seals often lead to leaks at the input and output shaft seals.
These critical seals sit where the torque converter connects to the transmission and where the transmission connects to the wheels. Different temperatures, such as heat and cold, can affect seal conditions, causing them to degrade or warp and ultimately cause a leak. Other places to check include the tail housing, shifter housing, and speedometer input seal.
Dirty Transmission Fluid
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Like engine oil, transmission fluid can be subject to dirt and debris buildup over time. If ignored, the transmission lines can become clogged, and the excess pressure can cause the pipes to burst or crack, causing a leak.
When you delay changing the fluid, the transmission fluid tends to break down and cause seals to wear more quickly. The delay eventually causes the fluid to leak when the vehicle is parked. The general best practice for maintaining a healthy car is routine maintenance, such as an oil change every three months, depending on your driving habits.
Torque Converter Leak
The torque converter has the critical function of propelling the transmission fluid into the vehicle’s power system. It’s a donut-shaped coupling that sits between the transmission and the engine. The transmission fluid acts as a lubricant for moving parts in the torque converter and works like the hydraulic fluid to propel the turbine.
The transmission fluid will likely leak if the coupling gets a small crack or suffers any damage. If a damaged converter causes your transmission fluid to leak, you may want to call a professional to replace it.
Overheated Transmission
If the transmission fluid only leaks when the vehicle is parked, it’s a sign of overheating. The transmission includes several seals to keep the fluid from leaking, and many of them are likely to fail if you have been driving the whole day with heavy acceleration or high speed, especially in hot weather. When the fluid overheats, it may require extra sealing to keep the fluid from leaking. If not, the seals may loosen and cause the transmission fluid to leak.
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Category: WHY
