1. How can I stop these leaks?







2. is this dent in the pipe bad? It's before the catalytic converter





3. what is this to? It's just hanging there.

 

bumping

 

transmission pan is the leak,drop it,replace gasket and reinstall. it'd be a good time to do filter,fluid and gasket while its off. Im not sure what the orange thing is,and for the pipe its exhaust pipe. Either spend some money and have exhaust cut & re welded or not worry about it. It doesnt look too bad,but id replace it if it was mine personally.

 

I wouldn't worry about the y-pipe being dented.

It does seem to look like the pan is the cause of the transmission fluid leak, but take a light and mechanics mirror and inspect further up on the sides of the transmission just to be sure it isn't puking fluid out of the vent.

As far as the orange plug, that is for a block heater. The other end of that cord should be up near the airbox. The block heater takes the place of one of the freeze plugs on the driver side of the engine block, typically the rear most freeze plug.

 

Looking at the transmission pan it looks like orange silicone was used either when the gasket was replaced or it was leaking before and someone used silicone to try and stop a leaking gasket. The gasket will most always leak if silicone is used. The black gasket is rubberized and compresses to make a seal. When silicone is added it doesn't seal and allows fluid to leak by.