I've been trying to fix up my 2001 Zr2 so that I can sell it since I hardly use it anymore. I parked the truck in my driveway so that I could change the lower remote oil lines. When I woke up this morning I was surprised to see a small pool of liquid under the tranny pan. Upon further inspection I found a leak from the front left corner of the pan. The fluid, however is not red but a transparent, yellowish color almost like oil. It is very thin and does not bead up like oil. When I smell it it is odorless. The leak is pretty bad and drips with regularity. Before I parked the truck on the driveway I did not notice the leak so assume that it is new. Before I order a new pan gasket and filter I want to know that I'm heading in the right direction.

Also, when I checked the tranny fluid level (without the car being warm) it read full. Since I drained the oil to change the lines, I have not put any oil back in because I ended up not being able to change the lines.

Any input is much appreciated.
Thank you.

 

only other fluid i can think of is coolant or windshield washer fluid.
I also just id my oil lines some advice.
remove intake to get to the lines on the radiator
to get bolt at the motor(this is what I did for a 4x4 4dr blazer) take off front left wheel
attache universal to socket and have some1 hold it on the bolt
look up behind the front bumper down the lines and put a extension down it and have other person line them up
now to get it out remove motor mount bolt, jack up motor and then replace

 

thanks for the reply. I went out there today to look at it and the leak is not coming from the tranny pan but from somewhere above it. When I looked up into the space between the body and tranny I saw several hard lines that I assume are cooling lines of some kind, I'm not sure. It certainly is water of some kind though it has a slightly yellow/tan color and no odor.

Taking the tire off seems to be the best solution, one that I will try!

 

Here are some pics of the leak

 

Only thing I can think of is if some water got trapped some were, you said it was sitting then you moved it, so maybe it was that, but dirty coolant some times look tan or a bit yellow. I would get oil lines done then drive it a bit and see it it continues to leak, and then check fluid levels.

 

So, I've replaced the oil lines and the leak still persists. I drained the windshield wiper fluid res thinking that perhaps a leaky line to the back windshield wiper was causing the leak but it did nothing to stop it. What other coolant or water filled lines would run from the engine compartment to the rear of the truck? I believe that the leak is coming from the cluster of hoses that run next to the bellhousing of the the tranny (see pics).

Any help is much appreciated!

 

Certainly appears to be coolant. Very common for lower intake manifold gaskets to leak coolant. Use a small mirror and a flashlight and check at the rear of the engine where the cylinder head, engine block and intake manifold come together, check both driver and passenger sides. Also check all along the the intake, (under the ignition coil). Felpro has a new design gasket MS98002T and if it's installed correctly, it will not leak.

 

I think that I located the leak, thanks for the heads up, Chuck! It seems to be leaking from the lower intake as you said. Upon inspection I saw a bead of water around the perimeter of where the head and intake meet. Strangely, prior to checking the intake and thinking somehow that it could be the wiper fluid, I drained the fluid res and it stopped leaking. Then it rained and started to leak again. I'm chalking it up to barometric pressure!

 

Intake gaskets are a good Saturday project. Not a difficult job, but it takes a little time, a good torque wrench, and the MS98002T gasket set.