Hello everyone,
I own a 96 Blazer 4x4, and recently my husband notices what he calls a SMALL transmission fluid leak. Neither him nor I am very mechaniclly inclined (actually me more than him lol), and we can't seem to find the leak--the whole bell housing is covered though.
Anyway, last night I noticed it shifting weird and acting like it was going to die when I was sitting at a stop-light and applying the brakes??????
once we got home we got underneath and saw a small hole (about 1/2 inch wide) dead center of the truck (toward the front)---anybody know what this is??
nobody seems to know. Also, we checked the tranny fluid and it was BONE dry. We had the oil changed in january and I'massuming then they checked the tranny fluid----any ideas would be greatly appreciated!!

 

Dont put your trust in a quicklube shop. Check your trans fluid. If its dry then dont drive it or kiss your transmission goodbye. Let someone else get some fluid. then go get that checked out.

 

I agree. If you're not comfortable with your mechanical experience, a transmission is not the place to start learning. Have a pro check it for you.

 

Add fluid before you drive it anywhere.

Proper tranny fluid cehcking procedure.
Park on a flat level surface, leave the engine running and pull the dipstick. Fluid level should be somewhere on the crosshatch area.

It takes 1 pint (1/4 quark) to go from teh bottom of the cross hatch area to the top.

If you dont have any fluid showing on teh dipstick, add 1 quart.
Start teh engnie, with foot on the brake, shift through all gears, and place it back in park. With the engine still running, check the fluid level again. Repeat until you have fluid on both sides of the dipstick.

Once you get it up to full, drive it for 20 mintues and check it agian. Top of as needed.


As for the leak,
Is it the inside or outside of the bellhousing that is covered in fluid?
If it is the inside and the fluid is red in color, tranny front seal. If the fluid is black in color, oil, engine rear main seal.

If the fluid is on the outside of the bellhousing, big round thing that attaches the tranny to the engine, then its not tranny fluid, engine fluid, oil.

If it on the outside of the tranny case behind the bellhousing, then your pukeing tranny fluid out of the vent hose, that only happens when the fluid overheats, or the tranny is too full.

If your leaking from teh dipstick tube seal, it will look like a tranny pan gasket leak on the passengers side.

If your leaking fromt eh tranny pan, make sure its not from the tranny cooler lines or dips tick tube.

If your leaking out the back of the tranny (2wheel drive), then its your rear tranny seal.

If your tranny fluid is disappearing, and you cannot find the leak, then the fluid is either going into your coolant via the raditor, or its going into the t-case (4x4). Pull the top plug ont eh backside of the t-case, if you have a guisher then your t-case input seal is shot. Dont let this go, the fluid will find its way into your vacum hoses and then will end up in your HVAC system controls. Not fun, nor cheap repair.

Can you better define where the leak is coming from?
Depending on which seal,gasket is leaking I can walk you through the repiars, even if your not mechanically inclined. Then again, if you screw it up, a rebuilt tranny is about 2K. Most of the tranny seals/gaskets cost less then $15, however its the labor to install them that can get expensive.

Keep posting.