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Oil drips from transmission

Smike83

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Hey all. Yesterday I noticed some oil dripping from the transmission. I have no puddle or wet spots where I park though. I wiped it all down and checked it this morning after my ride to work. All that was there was one drop. Nothing else was wet. This past week I was wheeling and was stuck in some mud/water. After I got pulled out my clutch was almost like it was not there. Still worked, but I had basically no pedal. After a little bit of driving it came back to normal and everything feels fine. Could this oil have been from something when I was stuck??

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Jeepjunkie

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There is a condenser drain just over the transmission that drips water. Could it be that? I have clear fluid dripping from the bottom of my transmission, and I traced back to that condenser drain.
HTH
 
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Smike83

Smike83

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No it’s oil from something. It’s not enough to make a mess or anything. Just don’t know where it’s from. I checked my oil and that shows it’s good...
 

Bearded_Dragon

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Have you checked your clutch fluid? That could explain the dead pedal at one point. As for the dark fluid it looks like engine oil, could be from the rear main seal or something on the top/rear of engine. Clean up the mess and drive it on pavement for a few days and see if any oil appears again.
 

EugeneTheJeep

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I had a rear main seal failure that looked like this after the dealer put in 6 quarts of oil instead of 5 at my first oil change.
 

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Tritonman

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I have the exact same problem. Been meaning to take it to the dealer.
 
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Smike83

Smike83

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I called dealer but they can’t get me in until the end of November! I checked the engine oil and it looks fine on dipstick. Checked fluid for brake/clutch and that is full too. After I found it I did clean it up and have been watching it. It is very minimal now, I’m guessing just what was left over.... a few drips here and there..I asked my buddy who works at a dealer and he said the transmission is sealed and you need a special tool that they don’t even have yet... really?? I’ve read that the automatic is but I thought the manual has a spot to check your levels? Can anyone confirm this? I haven’t had any troubles with it since. Everything seems to be working great, clutch feels great goes into gear fine shifting is good no noises..
 

DanW

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I'd go ahead and change the transmission oil. It is easy and you can check for water intrusion. You can also smell it and compare with the drip. I'd also compare the drip smell with engine oil, too.

I think @Bearded_Dragon is probably onto it, though, since it appears you briefly lost the clutch. Then, you guessed it...smell it to compare.

It is a process of elimination to narrow it down. The color, feel, and smell are important clues as to what it is.
 
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Smike83

Smike83

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Do you know how to change the transmission oil? Dealer told me it’s sealed unit and they only have the tool( which they said they don’t even have yet)
 

DanW

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Do you know how to change the transmission oil? Dealer told me it’s sealed unit and they only have the tool( which they said they don’t even have yet)
Lol, that must be the same tech that puts 6 quarts of motor oil in the JL. The JK requires a special tool, but the JL is straightforward and easy with no special tools and no mess from it pouring down over the exhaust crossover. They are sealed only in that the drain and fill plugs are closed tight. Below is a pic of mine "unsealed" in my garage. Plenty of room to get to it. You can see the fill hole near the top on the side of the transmission. (Wow, this pic makes the dust from last year's trip to Moab really show! Lol) As for the JK, I took a hex socket, pounded the hex piece out, and cut it in half to fit into a hex hole on the drain plug. I then use a box wrench to get it off.

Here is the drain hole...
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Don't let metal shavings on the magnet bother you. It is 100% normal. This is mine after 20,148 miles.
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Here is the drain plug after cleaning it with a plastic pick and brake fluid.
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I would also issue this warning to all who have seen the JK oil fill on their JL at the dealership. The Aisin manual transmission uses ATF+4, NOT Synchromesh gear lube, as the JK"s NSG370 requires. I could easily see a tech making the same mistake and filling one of these with Synchromesh.

I used this. It is made for Napa by Valvoline and is less expensive than Valvoline ATF+4 at Wal Mart. I want to say about $5 or $6 a quart. Your transfer case uses ATF+4, too, so pick up extra and do both. Be ready, though. The transfer case will really shoot the old fluid out the hole. I made a nice mess because I wasn't ready for that.
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DanW

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Side note...My dealership, which has been VERY Good in the service department, wrote on the order ticket for my JK's new transmission "Filled with ATF+4 Automatic Transmission Fluid." This was before the JL existed. I asked them if they filled it with the wrong fluid and they said no, that the tech just wrote that out of habit. I went home and checked it and it was indeed the correct Synchromesh fluid, so a mild stroke was prevented. It is easy for people to make mistakes, including verbal or documentation errors. It always pays to double check things.

I really think your dealership doesn't know because they haven't serviced a JL manual tranny yet. The tech would probably look right at the service manual and would do fine with the instructions provided.

In 12 years with my dealership, they've never made an error. Still, I use the old Russian proverb as stated by Ronald Reagan, "Trust, but verify." :CWL:
 
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Smike83

Smike83

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The check hole is the one towards the top? Above your drain... sounds like a dumb question but I just want to be 100% before I try it. Also maybe another dumb question.... how to you refill it?? Lol sorry
 

DanW

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The check hole is the one towards the top? Above your drain... sounds like a dumb question but I just want to be 100% before I try it. Also maybe another dumb question.... how to you refill it?? Lol sorry
No worries! If you think you are asking a dumb question, wait around and I'll ask one that makes it look smart!

Yep, the round hole with plug near the top. I am trying to orient my brain to remember how I was laying underneath, Lol! The front of the Jeep is to the left and the fill hole is on the driver side of the transmission.

I buy a simple pump and attach it to the ATF+4 bottle and just pump it in there until it starts to drip out. Then just put in and tighten the fill plug. I always clean it up with a shop rag and then a couple shots of brake cleaner after torquing it.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Attwood-Gear-Lube-Pump/16351021
 
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Smike83

Smike83

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Sounds good. I’ll give it a try today or tomorrow and see how it goes. How many quarts to buy?
 

DanW

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Sounds good. I’ll give it a try today or tomorrow and see how it goes. How many quarts to buy?
I can't remember....let me check. I want to say 2, but the quarts are cheap and NAPA makes for easy returns, so I'd get 3 to be safe. You can also hang on to the extra, as I do. It really is nice that both the T-case and tranny take the same fluid, so one stash serves both.

Edit....I can't find the exact amount. I am pretty sure it was under 2 quarts.
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