So here is the story of the transmission. Sorry for the length but I want the details for my records and decided to write this and print it out just in case. Maybe someone here can add to this? Or is just interested in car stuff? Anyway, here it is. I also expose my ignorance.
Two years ago, I took the car into a local shop for the 100,000 mile maintenance which included changing the transmission fluid and filter. In order to do that, they remove the transmission pan and its gasket, drain the fluid, remove the cap/plug from the fill tube, refill the fluid, replace the cap on the fill tube. I have the invoice that states "pan removed" and shows charges for "transmission kit" and six quarts of "+4" transmission fluid. The odometer now reads 112,700 miles so only 12,000 miles driven in two years.
Six months ago, I took the car to a different shop for an oil change. While there, they supposedly check the levels of all fluids, including the transmission.
All seemed good until last week when I noticed a few small areas of a slippery substance on the garage floor. It was a yellowish color, no scent. Assumed it was motor oil. (Transmission fluid is red.) Placed a sheet of cardboard under the car to better monitor the drip (which stopped the last few days). Also looked under the hood, checked the oil level (it was within the "safe" range). While doing that, I noticed a tube that looks similar to the tube where the oil dip stick lives but there was no cap on that other tube. Had no idea what that was but wasn't worried about it.
Yesterday, took the car into the shop that did the original transmission service to check for what I thought was the oil leak. When the car was placed on the lift, he took me back there to show me that the leak was definitely from the transmission pan. No doubt about that and there was no sign of an oil leak anywhere. He also showed me that the bolts holding the pan on were a little loose.
He then came back to the office/waiting area and I listened while he called his parts supplier to order a "transmission kit" (which was delivered within about 30 minutes). After he hung up, he told me the kit did not come with a gasket but that some cars did not use a gasket and the parts supplier did not have one. Instead, he would seal it with silicone. Sounded a bit strange to me but Ok.
He then proceeded to remove the pan, drain the fluid, replace the filter, and put it back together. I called a friend and was telling her about the situation; she looked it up on the internet and told me that yes, a gasket is used on that model car. I went back into the shop area and told him. He had already removed the pan and said that yes, there was a gasket on it. He would scrape off the old silicone, clean it up and reuse that gasket. Now I was beginning to think this sounded a little strange but the transmission had already been drained and a new gasket was not available so there was no other choice.
The kit arrived, he put it all back together, then asked me, "Where is your transmission dip stick?" Huh? I don't know, I have never checked it. He showed me the refill tube where the "dip stick" should have been; it was the one I had seen before. I told him I didn't know, had never seen or touched it but that I had noticed that tube without a cover on it last week. I also told him that it was his shop that did the transmission service two years ago. He asked if I had had the oil changed and I told him yes and where. He said they probably left that dip stick off when they had checked all fluid levels during the oil change.
I paid him the $230 charge and on the way home, stopped at the oil change place and spoke with them. The guy looked at it and called the nearest dealer. They had the "dip stick" in stock and he would order one or I could go get it. He also told me that the cover for that tube is not a dip stick, per se, rather a cap with a plug on it that requires a special tool (that only dealers have?) to replace it when it is removed.
I then called the other shop and told him what I had learned. He said the transmission fluid level is checked with a separate, special dip stick (not with the cap itself) that is inserted through the fill tube until it hits the bottom of the pan. So apparently he knew about this process.
I came home, called the dealer and yes, the cap is a specialized part (not a dip stick), they have one in stock and we made the appointment for this morning to replace the cap.
Now, thinking about this, when the first shop did the transmission service two years ago, did they use the same kit then without the gasket, and just reuse the old one? Could they not get that cap back on without the special tool and just left it off without telling me? I asked him yesterday why it had started leaking and his response was, "Sometimes they just decide to leak." He just blew me off. Was it because of the gasket?
Or...did the oil change shop remove the cap which is not a dipstick to check the level which is not shown by that cap at all and wasn't able to replace it? Did they look for it to check the level and it was gone and they didn't tell me? I don't know.
Today, I will discuss this with the dealer's mechanic and ask them to replace that gasket (if they have one in stock), which means removing the pan again and replacing the new fluid. Another $250+.
Did the first shop reuse the old gasket with 100,000+ miles on it because the kit didn't include one? Is that why it was leaking now? Were they unable to replace that cap? Did the second oil change place remove that cap (thinking it was a dip stick?), and were unable to replace it? Or when "checking the level" did they not see the cap was missing and didn't tell me? BTW, the oil had been changed several times at this same place since the transmission service two years ago. How did they check the transmission fluid level without noticing the cap to the refill tube was missing?
It is a key point that the cap does not show the level! It is just a cap to seal the refill tube. Seems more than one place wasn't quite forthcoming about this.
I can't prove who did what. My goal today is to get this done right, to replace that gasket which is probably why it was leaking (and may still be, IDK). And in the near future, to find another garage closer to home than the dealer that is more reliable than this place. Also, any future work, I will do my research and ask more questions before any work is done. I had no idea that some transmissions are sealed and others are not. Lesson learned at a cost to the pocketbook. The car is running fine so hopefully no damage has been done.
Thanks for reading. Have a Nice Day...
Two years ago, I took the car into a local shop for the 100,000 mile maintenance which included changing the transmission fluid and filter. In order to do that, they remove the transmission pan and its gasket, drain the fluid, remove the cap/plug from the fill tube, refill the fluid, replace the cap on the fill tube. I have the invoice that states "pan removed" and shows charges for "transmission kit" and six quarts of "+4" transmission fluid. The odometer now reads 112,700 miles so only 12,000 miles driven in two years.
Six months ago, I took the car to a different shop for an oil change. While there, they supposedly check the levels of all fluids, including the transmission.
All seemed good until last week when I noticed a few small areas of a slippery substance on the garage floor. It was a yellowish color, no scent. Assumed it was motor oil. (Transmission fluid is red.) Placed a sheet of cardboard under the car to better monitor the drip (which stopped the last few days). Also looked under the hood, checked the oil level (it was within the "safe" range). While doing that, I noticed a tube that looks similar to the tube where the oil dip stick lives but there was no cap on that other tube. Had no idea what that was but wasn't worried about it.
Yesterday, took the car into the shop that did the original transmission service to check for what I thought was the oil leak. When the car was placed on the lift, he took me back there to show me that the leak was definitely from the transmission pan. No doubt about that and there was no sign of an oil leak anywhere. He also showed me that the bolts holding the pan on were a little loose.
He then came back to the office/waiting area and I listened while he called his parts supplier to order a "transmission kit" (which was delivered within about 30 minutes). After he hung up, he told me the kit did not come with a gasket but that some cars did not use a gasket and the parts supplier did not have one. Instead, he would seal it with silicone. Sounded a bit strange to me but Ok.
He then proceeded to remove the pan, drain the fluid, replace the filter, and put it back together. I called a friend and was telling her about the situation; she looked it up on the internet and told me that yes, a gasket is used on that model car. I went back into the shop area and told him. He had already removed the pan and said that yes, there was a gasket on it. He would scrape off the old silicone, clean it up and reuse that gasket. Now I was beginning to think this sounded a little strange but the transmission had already been drained and a new gasket was not available so there was no other choice.
The kit arrived, he put it all back together, then asked me, "Where is your transmission dip stick?" Huh? I don't know, I have never checked it. He showed me the refill tube where the "dip stick" should have been; it was the one I had seen before. I told him I didn't know, had never seen or touched it but that I had noticed that tube without a cover on it last week. I also told him that it was his shop that did the transmission service two years ago. He asked if I had had the oil changed and I told him yes and where. He said they probably left that dip stick off when they had checked all fluid levels during the oil change.
I paid him the $230 charge and on the way home, stopped at the oil change place and spoke with them. The guy looked at it and called the nearest dealer. They had the "dip stick" in stock and he would order one or I could go get it. He also told me that the cover for that tube is not a dip stick, per se, rather a cap with a plug on it that requires a special tool (that only dealers have?) to replace it when it is removed.
I then called the other shop and told him what I had learned. He said the transmission fluid level is checked with a separate, special dip stick (not with the cap itself) that is inserted through the fill tube until it hits the bottom of the pan. So apparently he knew about this process.
I came home, called the dealer and yes, the cap is a specialized part (not a dip stick), they have one in stock and we made the appointment for this morning to replace the cap.
Now, thinking about this, when the first shop did the transmission service two years ago, did they use the same kit then without the gasket, and just reuse the old one? Could they not get that cap back on without the special tool and just left it off without telling me? I asked him yesterday why it had started leaking and his response was, "Sometimes they just decide to leak." He just blew me off. Was it because of the gasket?
Or...did the oil change shop remove the cap which is not a dipstick to check the level which is not shown by that cap at all and wasn't able to replace it? Did they look for it to check the level and it was gone and they didn't tell me? I don't know.
Today, I will discuss this with the dealer's mechanic and ask them to replace that gasket (if they have one in stock), which means removing the pan again and replacing the new fluid. Another $250+.
Did the first shop reuse the old gasket with 100,000+ miles on it because the kit didn't include one? Is that why it was leaking now? Were they unable to replace that cap? Did the second oil change place remove that cap (thinking it was a dip stick?), and were unable to replace it? Or when "checking the level" did they not see the cap was missing and didn't tell me? BTW, the oil had been changed several times at this same place since the transmission service two years ago. How did they check the transmission fluid level without noticing the cap to the refill tube was missing?
It is a key point that the cap does not show the level! It is just a cap to seal the refill tube. Seems more than one place wasn't quite forthcoming about this.
I can't prove who did what. My goal today is to get this done right, to replace that gasket which is probably why it was leaking (and may still be, IDK). And in the near future, to find another garage closer to home than the dealer that is more reliable than this place. Also, any future work, I will do my research and ask more questions before any work is done. I had no idea that some transmissions are sealed and others are not. Lesson learned at a cost to the pocketbook. The car is running fine so hopefully no damage has been done.
Thanks for reading. Have a Nice Day...
