HI All,

I love my 2004 XJ8.. she has been so reliable.. still drives like a dream.. but lately I notice a puddle under the front of the car and its getting worse.. after an oil change the guys told me i had a bad tranny seal.. no lights come on my dash and the car still shifts and drives smooth as new.. my question is how do i find out what is leaking and needs to be replaced? I dont want to get ripped off, but I just dont have the mechanical experience to diagnose this problem myself.. any help would be so appreciated!!
thank you

 

What color is the puddle?

 

its blackish

 

Take it to a trans shop for inspection. How many miles?

 

112,000 but I really pamper the car.. I just had coolant tank replaced and flushed out... always change the oil faithfully...

she drives like new.. I really upset about this cause I dont know where the leak is coming from and i dont want to get ripped off...ugh

 

At 112,000 and original fluid in the transmission "blackish" sounds as if it is old transmission fluid way past its prime.

Do what Abonano suggests.

 

I totally want to change the fluid.. Ive just read it could be a major seal leak or a minor hose.. the problem is I dont have enough experience to know the difference..

 

The only "hoses" to the transmission are two lines that go to the transmission cooler.

The only way to check really is to get the car up and look.

The other area of leakage is from the Mechatronic sleeve that should be replaced when you have the pan with integral filter replaced during a fluid change.

If you are going to do this and because the fluid is in bad shape I would suggest a complete fluid flush and change not just a simple "drop pan" drain and fill.

Most people, however, do several drop pan and drain fills in succession over a few hundred miles in the hope of gradually reducing the "old" fluid content. In this process you only change pan/filter once tho as well as the sleeve.

 

+2 on having a solid diagnosis of the leak source. In addition to the potential leak sources identified in previous posts, there are other possibilities including--- the pump seal on the torque converter and the rear main seal on the engine.(Ask me how I know!)

None of these repairs will be inexpensive if you do not perform the repairs yourself.

 

Jaglover

I suggest you get someone reliable to look under your Jag.

Ask them to to degrease the area around a possible source

and have a look again to be sure of the source of the leak.





My tranny pan was replaced only about 5000 miles ago along with new fluid and I was

disappointed to see a small weep on one corner of the pan below the mechatronic seal.

I put the Jag on a friend's lift and had a good look.

The mechatronic seal did not appear to be leaking so I degreased the area with brake cleaner

and tightened the set screws (T45?) in the area as much as I dared.

The leak appears to be solved.

There is a wide flange on the pan but the gasket does not fit across this area but

is in it's own groove and is sort of 'end on'.

Bad design if you ask me.

The other thing I noticed while under the vehicle was that

there was slight bowing in the centre of the pan probably due to the hot fluid IMO

Plastic is not good enough for this job! Just like the bl**dy coolant tank!

 

thank you very much for taking the time to help

 

thanks !!! I have a feeling its a bad seal

 

thank you for the advice.. i love the car.. so I will fix this at any cost..

 

As has been stated several times in the thread, this leak is either a seal or an external line to the cooler.

Whatever the cause, you are on borrowed time with this transmission. It needs to be investigated and repaired a.s.a.p.

Graham

 

you are right.. and its going into the shop asap..

thanks for your help/// much appreciated

 

What makes you think it is transmission even? What the tech said and where you said there is a puddle do not align. Might be engine oil. More likely if it is at the front. Maybe oil filter is leaking.

There is a undercar cover under the engine, but the transmission itself is after that. SUre it could be a cooler line leak, but really need to see the oil itself.

 

thats what i was thinking.. i had an oil leak.. had it fixed and flushed and changed.. when back to the mechanic and he told me it was a bad tranny seal.. but the car drives fine! so i really am confused

 

I agree with Dsetter. Maybe take off the undershield and see precisely where the leak is when parked over night or whatever.

The undershield can easily divert leaking fluid away from the source.

Also even if your car is driving just fine it may not continue to do so if this leak continue unchecked.

 

the leak is getting worse. I know about the under carriage cover.. the leak is mainly in the center of the engine compartment but more on the pssenger side..
I did get the yellow trasmission wring light the ther day but then it went off.. I am just not convinced its tranny fluid... it feels and looks like oil

 

Well the oil pan itself is in that position. So try to look at it and maybe run a paper towel over and around it to see if it picks up oil.
Check that the oil pan plug is seated properly and not dripping oil.

Getting the transmission warning is not good.

Try to do the paper towel thing around the transmission pan especially the drain plug.