Automatic transmission fluid leak....uh oh?

[raykinsella]

I say uh-oh because the leak seems to be coming from up between the engine and transmission. Does this mean it is the main seal between the two and both the engine and the transmission will have to come out? And is this seal available anywhere? Thanks form Kirk.

[Piledriver]

I say uh-oh because the leak seems to be coming from up between the engine and transmission. Does this mean it is the main seal between the two and both the engine and the transmission will have to come out? And is this seal available anywhere? Thanks form Kirk.

Probably the tq converter seal.
The old VW transmissions are a Borg-Warner design and any reputable trans shop should be able to take care of the issue.
(You could probably fix it yourself if equipped)

If they act like it's special/rare or say it needs a full rebuild to fix take it somewhere else.

Usually cheaper by far to drop it yourself and take it in...

There is also an INTERNAL seal between the diff and trans "can" sections that keeps the ATF and gear oil from mixing, if it's out you SHOULD have that seal replaced as well.
(Thank Ray Greenwood for that tidbit of transmission saving info)

[MGVWfan]

I rebuilt my 003 AT about 6 years ago...used the parts vendors listed in this link:

http://www.shoptalkforums.com/viewtopic ... 2&start=15

Check the mechanical solutions sticky, too, I think I went over some of the ins and outs of messing with the 003 AT I'd run across in the rebuild. The TC seal is easy to get to behind the TC, the two pinion seals in the differential section are less so...

Most likely it's the external TC seal leaking, but I would strongly suggest pulling the trans and re-sealing it completely if it's not been done in the last 5 years or so. Those two pinion seals and the governor seal can cause ATF to leak into the diff and eventually kill it, as Ray has pointed out before.

Good luck

[raykinsella]

I found an excellent shop here in Seattle ( it's called Wolfsburg Motorwerks ) that found the problem to be a leaking torque converter ( a crack in the weld - it was a rebuilt one about 8 years old ) and the main engine-transmission seal. They had both the seal and the new torque converter on hand and did the job in one day. They did a great job of cleaning off all the ATF that had sprayed all over the bottom of the car, put everything back right and Sparkie doesn't leak a drop now. The guys at the shop were really enthusiastic about working on their first 412 in many years; I can highly recommend them for anybody in the area - or even beyond. And I got the car to the shop with AAA. They brought a flatbed truck to my house and it was entirely free. Even the cost of the ferry was covered by my AAA membership! Good to have all these great resources to help keep our rare cars on the road!