1994 Intrepid 3.5L tranny leak

Tranny fluid appears to be leaking from the front of the transmission. No
fluid is leaking from the pan. Any ideas about what the repair will
involve. 163,000 miles on this tranny. No repairs needed so far. I just
don't like the mess it makes.

 

Going back in memory, I think there is a common leak on the AT pipe that
goes into the coolant. Same thing on the second generation LH vehicles.
Mine was fixed by the dealer when I have AT fluid changed. Didn't cost much
if that is your problem. Make sure they use the right AT fluid with no
additives.

 

Has this car ever had any transmission work done? If not, then its
probably still got the original front pump to transmission housing
O-ring in it, and those were known for leaking over time. Check the
coolant lines as Art suggested, but those will generally leak right up
at the very front of the car, near the radiator, on the driver's side.
If the tranny fluid appears to be coming out of the bellhousing vent
hole (on the bottom of the rounded portion of the transmission where it
bolts to the engine block) then my bet is on the pump seal, or (less
likely) the torque convertor neck seal. Either one requires removing and
re-installing the transmission, so you might as well think about a total
rebuild while its out anyway.

 

You could probably pay a lot less just continuting to put fluid into it
and wait for the trans to break down. It might be the engine breaks before
the transmission.

Ted

 

That's true enough, and I did that with my own 1993 3.5/42LE
engine/trans combo car a number of years ago. But if it is the front
pump-to-housing seal, it will get to be a pretty fast leak as the seal
continues to shrink and crack. I got tired of keeping a pan under the
car and adding a quart every other day. Literally!

Possible, but not likely in a 94 3.5/42LE combo. The 3.5 in my 93 is now
at 230,000 miles and running great, but the transmissions in the early
ones (93, 94) typically don't go far past 150k. Especially not if they
get leaky and you miss a day of checking it and let it run low on fluid.
The transmission was on the weak side, but the 3.5 will run forever.

 

Also change the rear AT mount if that hasn't been done if you pull the AT.

 

I did that a while back. Thanks.

 

Thanks for the advice.

No transmission work done other than fluid/filter changes (about 3 as I
recall). I'm evaluating whether to repair this car or replace. It's due
for timing belt/water pump replacements too. Also, drivers side seat
adjustment (back/forward slide) is broken. Paint keeps flaking off. Vinyl
on passenger side air bag is shrunk/warped. Fuel gauge reads way too
optimistically (I have to keep track of my miles between fills). I'm
beginning to get that inner tie rod bushing clunk again.

The engine runs like new though. What do you think guys? Is it time to
dump this rig and move on?

 

Unfortunately that advice is probably going to translate into
"sell it now while the leak isn't that big and a buyer won't notice it"

Ted

 

If the power seat problem is the tracks, Chrysler was fixing the tracks on
the power seat for free. Call your dealer and see if they are still doing
it.

 

Hi...


They just happily did mine a few months ago (94 LHS) with absolutely no
charge

Take care

Ken

 

From a purely economic standpoint, I'll ALWAYS argue that you're better
off throwing a few thousand dollars at a car to fix the annoyances,
rather than wholesale trading for a new or used car. You could rebuild
the transmission, put in a new fuel pump/sending unit, rebuild the
suspension, get a seat from a junkyard, and paint the car for under
$10k. Now ask yourself- could you go out and buy an equivalent car (that
you're confident in) for that amount of money? Highly doubtful.

On the other hand, if you're tired of the car then by all means move on.
But don't pretend that its an economic decision ;D

 

Interesting point of view. However, even if the repairs you suggest were
done, along the way there would be things like worn-out wiper motor,
worn-out ignition switch, worn-out fan motor, worn-out AC compressor, leaky
radiator, worn-out wheel bearings, pitted windshield, ...... to deal with
eventually. For all these types of things there are monetary expenses, time
expenses (mine), plus plus annoyance considerations. I consider the
annoyance factor to be an economic factor (how much would I pay to avoid the
inconvenience and annoyance of a breakdown of some sort, or the annoyance of
being without a vehicle, or the annoyance of doing the repair myself when I
would rather be playing golf).