ATF fluid leaking from??? need input

[ruoknow]

96 camry LE I4 123000 miles on it.
Today, when i was doing my regular oil change, i found there is a liittle ATF fluild (red) at bottom (driver side) of the car. And also, there is some oil burnt at the upper face of catalytic converter, since it's sort of dark and some oil residue on top.
Since it's ATF, there are two sources for it: PS and tranmission case (plus differential case)
I know it's not from PS, so it is definitely leaking from transmission

questions are:
1. is that possible from the rear main seal (which will take alot of time to fix)?
2. possilbe from the axle seal (where drvierside axle plunging into the transmission case)?
3. Or somewhere else?

Anybody can enlighten me?

[88 LE]

1. Rear main seal is a seal for the block, so it would be leaking oil not atf.

2. Yes.

3. Check the tranny pan and the 2 hoses from the front of the tranny to the radiator.

[ruoknow]

haha!

Thanks for 88LE!

Do think you are the master!

[asm]

Originally Posted by ruoknow

96 camry LE I4 123000 miles on it.
Today, when i was doing my regular oil change, i found there is a liittle ATF fluild (red) at bottom (driver side) of the car. And also, there is some oil burnt at the upper face of catalytic converter, since it's sort of dark and some oil residue on top.
Since it's ATF, there are two sources for it: PS and tranmission case (plus differential case)
I know it's not from PS, so it is definitely leaking from transmission

questions are:
1. is that possible from the rear main seal (which will take alot of time to fix)?
2. possilbe from the axle seal (where drvierside axle plunging into the transmission case)?
3. Or somewhere else?

Anybody can enlighten me?

Believe or not, it is common for the Camry i4 to leak ATF fluid. They usualy leak from the driver side axle seal. The seal can be replace if you take out the driver side axle. Just read your finger in the hole and pull it out... and pop in new one with a seal install kit.

aSM

[ruoknow]

Thanks for your replies.

If ATF leaks from there, what fluid level is gonna be lower?

The differential case under the car, which you need to unscrew the 10mm allen bolt?

or the the AFT, which you need to let the car idle and then pull out the dipstick?

[CrawlingEye]

the differential's a good candidate for ATF leaks.
My car was leaking ATF for a while, and after finding out it wasn't my tranny, I took it back to the place I got the flush done at and they discovered it was the main differential seal. Now that that was replaced, all is well.

[asm]

Originally Posted by ruoknow

Thanks for your replies.

If ATF leaks from there, what fluid level is gonna be lower?

The differential case under the car, which you need to unscrew the 10mm allen bolt?

or the the AFT, which you need to let the car idle and then pull out the dipstick?

Form what I saw when my 97 camry was leaking from the driver side seal, it seems to leak out and the fluid gets spun out by the cv shaft. Perhap your fluid is leaking out so much that it's been spun out everywhere?!

I would clean out the area where the dirver side axle enter the differential case, and check again after a week or two to rule out the possilibty of leaking seal.

aSM