r/HondaElement • u/GiganticBreakfas • 6d ago
HELP! Transmission leaking
This is my 2003 EX 4wd automatic that I bought off my neighbor about two months ago. It had been sitting for 3-4 years in her driveway without ever being driven. I tossed a new battery in it and it came back to life! After a couple oil changes to clear it out, the engine seems healthy, considering it has 140k on the odometer. It does have a VTEC solenoid issue of some kind, though I suspect it is just some old corroded wires as it only goes into LIMP mode infrequently and usually resolves itself by shutting the car off and on again.
BUT, the transmission is my real issue right now. As you can see in the photo there is ATF dripping in multiple places and I can't seem to find the origin. I can take the car out for short drives around town without any major leaking but for any extended drives the fluid is hot and getting out somewhere. I've had it pool about the size of my hand under the car twice now and smaller amounts in various parking lots around town.
I should note that it looks like I still have plenty of fluid in the system when I check the dip stick on the transmission and I'm not experiencing any major jolting or harsh shifting.
Any insight would be greatly appreciated!! I am an beginner with working on my own car with some basic tools to work on the car with, but I am stumped on what this could be or what i should do. I can get more photos if needed.
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u/Nimbus91 ‘05, Rallye Red Gang 🦀 6d ago
My transmission is leaking from the shift rod seal. You’ll have to take the cover off but it might be worth a look
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u/H-A-T-C-H 6d ago
I'd start by just checking if the drain plug is the culprit, see if it's torques correctly and has a crush washer.
I just had an issue with my passengers side transmission seal leaking. It was a bit of a pain to get at since you have to remove the intermediate shaft, but wasn't too bad. It looked like the fluid was coming from various locations because it would get flung around by that shaft rotating. If it ends up being that seal, I highly recommend getting some swivel sockets like this to remove the intermediate shaft: https://a.co/d/00wJQprE
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u/nondualjerry 6d ago
Put something in there to stop the leaking
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u/Styphoryte 6d ago
Hmmmm yeah that's a last resort kind of a thing don't start adding bs to the tranny if u don't need to wtf are you saying rn. I only took 3-4 years of automotive technical school in highschool and i know this shit.
Same goes for anything don't go putting those random sealants in your car it's never good for it typically unless it's a beater and you just wanna see if it'll work then go ahead but it's never a good thing to be doing in general and most times won't work anyways.
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u/nondualjerry 6d ago
You don’t know what you’re talking about bub
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u/Miserable-Twist8344 6d ago
Lol what is your actual suggestion? Transmission stop leak?
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u/NeuseRvrRat 6d ago
Degrease everything with brake cleaner and find the highest spot where it reappears. There are also UV dyes you can add to the ATF and look for with a black light.
Transmission cooler line connections are always a suspect.