Huge Auto Transmission leak

**mtroxel** · 08-23-2008 06:14 PM

96 A4 Q with the V6. 5 Speed automatic transmission (01v). Transmission fluid came pouring out last night...no warning. Barely made it home. Get under it. I see no leaking in the cooling lines that run from the radiator. Fluid all over the pan...way up front on the tranny. I might guess front seal or touque converter area? But a seal would start leaking gradually, not all of the sudden....right?

Any ideas of where fluid would just suddenly drop out of the car?

**blacka4** · 08-28-2008 11:55 AM

are you sure none of the transmission lines that go to the rad are broke? I find it VERY strange that it would just dump all the fluid like that. I'm not saying it can't happen because anything can happen. next question. are you sure its ATF from the transmission and not the front differental? check that also

**mtroxel** · 08-28-2008 12:15 PM

Yea Blacka I'm sure on both accounts. I also find it very strange that it would just dump all it's fluid like that. But I asked a tranny shop and they said sometimes when a seal leaks just a bit, the pressure of the hydraulic fluid rushing past just blows the seal right out. I'm taking out the tranny right now. Looks like the leak is from the front (think front seal and/or torque converter) but I see nothing around the cooling lines to the radiator.

**blacka4** · 09-03-2008 06:28 AM

hum. it could be like you said the front seal or maybe the Tq converter seal which I know has been known to fail due to bad design

**mtroxel** · 09-03-2008 06:32 AM

Originally Posted by blacka4

hum. it could be like you said the front seal or maybe the Tq converter seal which I know has been known to fail due to bad design

Yea I've read they redesigned that seal...and the new seal was only marginally better.

Now I've got the tranny out and can't get the torque converter out. Bentley says to be careful it doesn't fall out...I can't pry the damn thing out!

**blacka4** · 09-03-2008 06:46 AM

umm its its anything like a domestic auto (which its probably not)you should have to twist the converter counter clockwise about 5 to 10 degrees then pull. I have not had mine apart and the only auto exp I have is with domestic autos.

**mtroxel** · 09-03-2008 06:53 AM

Going to try again blacka. Here's all our friends at Bentley say about putting one in:

Slide in converter hub through the sealing ring up to the first stop.
Rotate torque converter inward with light pressure, until the groove of the torque converter hub engages in the coupling plate of the pump wheel and the torque converter slides inward noticeably.

So removal must be the opposite...but nothing about which direction to turn.

**blacka4** · 09-03-2008 07:15 AM

yeah the rotation inward is what I was talking about only in reverse. good luck

**mtroxel** · 09-03-2008 07:19 AM

But if the torque converter is just a big fluid clutch, when you rotate the outside the shaft on the inside is just sitting still isn't it?

**2.slowT** · 06-25-2009 08:59 PM

Did you figure out what it was?

**mtroxel** · 06-26-2009 06:00 AM

Originally Posted by 2.slowT

Did you figure out what it was?

Yep. The pump went bad....it's right behind the front seal. When it went bad it slid around on its shaft and banged against the main seal and ruined that. So all 10 qt of fluid pumped out in about 2 minutes.

Had to have the whole thing rebuilt.