lhpdiver

Last week I had the shocks replaced in the Jeep and the mechanic said we were 2 qts low on transmission fluid - but they found no leaks.

This morning the sun must have been shining just right because I noticed a 4" round 'puddle' under the Jeep. I looked around the Jeep and noticed similar dried spots so maybe this has been going on for some time - not sure. If I lift the hood and look from the driver's side, in just about the center of the car, just about in line with where the left front tire ends. Can anyone help me identify what the area is called that appears to show a leak in the 2nd photo below ? Thanks.

PatHenry

Can you tell if it's motor oil or transmission fluid? Take a clean piece of cardboard and lay it flat under the Jeep after the last time you drive it before it's parked for at least a few hours. This will show you exactly the spot where it's dripping from - then you can look up with a flashlight right above that spot and see what's there. If everything is gunky (though your engine looks pretty clean), clean everything up really well and check it again later. It doesn't take a lot of oil or transmission fluid to form a large spot, either in the driveway or at the point of leaking.

Oil leaking right where the engine and transmission connect can come from several places, but given the criteria mentioned, I suspect it's going to be a transmission cooling line.

lhpdiver

Thanks. I had a second look at it just now. The photo I posted above turns out to be a joint in the exhaust system. So whatever is leaking is directly above that joint (I'm too big and old to crawl under the Jeep). I did place a piece of cardboard over the latest 'puddle' and at the moment anyway nothing is leaking.

I checked the fluids. It was low on coolant. It could use some oil. The transmission fluid (which was just topped off last week) looked ok.

lhpdiver

They should make different types of fluids, different colors !

PatHenry

The transmission fluid should have a reddish tint/coloring to it. (I'm red-green color blind, so I'm of no help in that regard), Oil is pretty obvious - amberish when brand new, black after it's run through the engine for a bit. Coolant will be green. Gear oil has a strong and distinct reek to it. Brake/clutch fluid will be more clear - it doesn't change color under normal operating conditions and you'd know it quick if you had a leak.
That far back you can eliminate power steering as a suspect.

If there's an exhaust pipe above it, the fluid could be running down the pipe before dripping.

gat

Wipe the transmission cooler lines from the transmission to the radiator. If the cloth or towel becomes pink, then that almost assuredly is the source of the leak and the leak is transmission fluid. Now you need to figure whether the leak is from the attachment to the radiator or the radiator and it trails backward because of gravity of air flow when driving or a pin hole leak in the metal cooler lines themselves.