Leaking Fluid

1Builder · Sep 29, 2014

Hello again, I used to frequent this place back in 2011 when i was the unlucky owner of a lemon '91 Passat. I found this community a very helpful resource and a lifeline in the world of VW DIY repair.

My daughter was "given" a '96 Golf GL and it's a nice looking car. Very little rust, interior is very well preserved and the engine purrs. However, the transmission slips until the car get up to NOT and then runs fine.
I know that a slipping trans is never, ever, a good sign so I've decided to take it upon myself to see if I can do something to remedy this at home.

I'm a fairly well versed mechanic but not in the VW world. Had a bad experience with the only other VW I've owned which is the Passat I mentioned before.

My first guess was, of course, low fluid. I popped the hood and looked around and noticed fluid pooled on top of the trans housing. Hmmm...no trans dipstick. From what I've read around the web so far is this car has a "sealed" trans and uses some high tech fluid that cost an arm and a leg to switch out. I did find a guide how to change the fluid but I don't want to changed it if it's going to leak right back out.

As always, any advice would be appreciated on where to start and what to do.

Here's a few pics of the fluid

BozMk3 · Sep 29, 2014

Pentosin ATF is an amber color, but in an older tranny starts to burn and change darker colors, at least in my unhappy 01M. Before digging too deep, what color coolant & are you losing any? The top of the tranny catches all sorts of goop, I was losing coolant drip by drip where the upper hose goes into the plastic flange, an old hose + rusted tension clamp = seepage.

LG6R · Sep 29, 2014

Here you go: http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/Campingart/jettatech/atf01m.htm

Other helpful DIY's by the same author: http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/campingart/jettatech/

1Builder · Sep 30, 2014

Thanks for the replies

BozMk3 said:
Before digging too deep, what color coolant & are you losing any?

This is definitely an oily substance. Coolant is green. Engine is fairly clean/dry everywhere else.

Thanks for those links LG6R..

Mileperhr · Sep 30, 2014

Tranny fluid has a god awful stench.

1Builder · Oct 1, 2014

Decided to get the floor jack and jack stands out yesterday (with my helper) to investigate underneath. Discovered a large leak that appears to be coming from the backside of the valve cover.
Followed the trail of oil to the pool in question. Nothing but dirty old engine oil..

No leakage visible on the trans so I'm going to follow this and see if it helps.
No telling if/when the transmission has ever been serviced.

As always...thanks for the response

natedsilva · Oct 3, 2014

Let us know how it goes:laugh:

a3clusters · Oct 3, 2014

My last 2.0 leaked out the valve cover.... and it too pooled on the tranny.

What tranny is in this car? If you are not sure, look in the back, under the carpet. There should be a details sticker there.

Maybe a fluid and filter change might help??? There are lots of posts about that.
When I changed my tranny fluid/filter I used this link, from coolairvw.
http://kansascitytdi.com/01m-filter-change/

1Builder · Oct 3, 2014

The car isn't here at the moment but I'm pretty sure it's 01M. All the the pictures in the links I've been directed to look exactly like what I'm seeing.

I'm in the process of trying to find the cheapest price locally for what is needed to change it. Man...that fluid isn't cheap.

Leaking Fluid

1Builder

BozMk3

LG6R

1Builder

Mileperhr

1Builder

natedsilva

a3clusters

1Builder

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