I recently found some oil dripping from the bottom end of my motor. I have checked almost the whole motor and there are a few very slight leaks all around(barely noticable) and it will always drip maybe a drop or two when i stop the motor, and it always looks like clean oil, even right before an oil change. I don't know it it could be coming from the tranny but i am having trouble finding a dipstick for it.(assuming a stick will have one) if it does have one, where is it? and if it doesn't, how do i check the tranny fluid?

 

Manual transaxles don't have dipsticks, just drain and fill bolts on the passenger side. You can see them from the wheel well, they're to the right of the where the axle goes into the housing. ATF is red, so that owuld be obvious, but I want to MTF is more clear/brown in color. I can't believe I don't know off the top of my head since I only filled it a few weeks ago.

 

Trans fluid should be noticeably thicker than engine oil.

The rear balance shaft/oil pump cover gasket is prone to leak after many years (brittle and hard). If this has never been replaced, it could be the source of your oil. It could also be the camshaft, forward balance shaft, and crankshaft seals which are also under the timing belt covers. Oil will be leaking from bottom end of driver's side lower timing belt cover.

I would wait until timing belt replacement is due, if any of these seals is your problem.

good luck

 

cool guys thanks that narrows it down. but i think i will wait until the timing belt change. it isn't bad enough for me to worry. i'll just check it all of the time. thanks for the input.

 

if it looks clean oil most likely it is not engine oil,, possibly tranny fluid or p/s fluid

to chk tranny fluid on a 5sp , remove the 17 mm bolt on the rt side of the tranny above the rt axle,easier to do from under the car .. if oil drips out tranny is full , if it does not drip out, stick you finger barely in there is it comes out with oil in it , is still full ..
By the way ,if you have to add tranny fluid,, it takes the same as engine oil,, 10w-30 will work just great ,,
I forgot to ask,, where do you see the oil drips ?? driver's,, passenger side or in the middle ??

 

Honestly it looks like it dripped down to just abouve the oil pan, but like i said it's not dark enough to be the oil in the motor. that's what originally made me think of it being the tranny. it could be anthingright now though. but to specify it looks like it right in the middle-to-drivers side.

 

#15 is that fill bolt. It's 9 oclock to the axle, not above it.

 

MTF doesn't really have a smell, but if it was P/S fluid... that has a pretty distinct smell and color. Since you said driver's side, could it be the brake master cylinder leaking? Brake fluid also doesn't really have too much of a smell to it.