Driving on the Merrit (Parkway in CT USA), I noticed a smoke trail behind me. Checking to see if it was a car to the side or in front of me, I figured it was me. Oil pressure was good and no oil lights on, I surmised it was the tranny. Next exit was just up the road, got off and saw a Park & Ride parking lot which i was just able to pull in with needing a little more revs to get the car in to the parking lot where I shut it off. Got out and looked underneath to find tranny fluid still leaking out on the ground under the car.. No noises came from the tranny while driving before this so I don't think the fluid loss was due to a mechanical problem with the tranny. It had been working and shifting fine for the past week. Bought the car in December last year and just now spending some drive time with it.
Question, are there transmission cooling lines that are attached to the tranny and run to the radiator? Could this be what let go? Any other possibilities of what could have let go underneath to cause leaking out? How is the dipstick attached to the tranny? is trhe muffler ot any pipe close enough to heat any hoses from the tranny. I do have a slight exhaust pipe leak somewhere and hope the leak did not burn or overheat any hoses attached to the tranny. Car is sitting where it broke down and will be getting it towed to the house tomorrow
Thanks for any insight.

 

mistaken post

 

Yes, you probably saw my signature with all the details. 95 XJS Convert 2+2 4.0L AJ16.
Thanks

 

I’ve spent about 7 years and 80,000 miles with these cars over two identical 96 models.

I’ve not had any issue with the transmission. Not a leak, not a problem at all. Unfortunately I can’t offer any help other than telling you there isn’t really anything common to look out for.

 

Look at the two lines from the transmission to the Radiator and back to the transmission. Lines will run close together along side of engine block. There will be short hoses to allow for engine movement. Hoses are between engine and radiator. The lines are rigid from the trans all the way to the front of the engine.

I would start by running my fingers along the rubber hoses looking for wet areas indicating that transmission oil has leaked and gotten onto the exhaust piping. That would explain the smoke.

 

Thanks for the advice.
My leak is actually at the transmission area, maybe forward of the pan but still at the tranny and not the area of the rubber hoses forward of the engine as you have alluded to. In fact there are no leaks at or under the engine at all. What other external entry or exit points of the tranny could produce a pretty good sized leak. What about the tranny dipstick tube. Doesn't that go to some place that could leak the fluid out? Anybody got a pic of the tubes running to and from the tranny? If it were the rigid pipes for the cooler/radiator, are there fittings to the tranny that could fail? Thanks


Seems there are rubber lines at the tranny and then goes to rigid lines near the engine and then back to rubber at the radiator. Hoping it's one of the rubber lines at the tranny.

 

So, here's what happened. I had the tow company tow the car to their repair facility as i didn't know when I could get to being able to raise the car and look for myself. After being out on the lift at the facility, I asked them to just give me an assessment of what they find, no repair the moment.
They were able to find that the trans cooler lines that I had suspected of being damaged, were in fact chafing on the chassis due to the rear tranny mount being excessively worn. I am still not sure how a sagging mount at the rear of the tranny would cause the lines that run on top of the tranny to chafe. If anything, it should cause more clearance not less, unless the worn mount caused an upward motion where it would chafe. I am only going by what they said.
Has anybody replaced both the cooler lines and the tranny mount?
Thanks