Hi guys, haven't posted for awhile, i guess my car has been behaving for the last 6 months or so! My right front axle shaft seal at the engine is leaking... I think. This is motor oil not tranny fluid ... right?

Also, is this a doable job to change out the seals?

1998, 30V V6, quattro, auto, ~213k miles wooooo!

 

the axle connects to the transmission so it must be transmission fluid. you can change the seal, but it will obviously require removing the axle. how bad is the leak? if its not that bad, with 213k miles i'd consider leaving it alone lol

 

lol, if you plug one hole, another will form! its like the dam in vegas vacation.

 

well if it is tranny fluid than I need to top off the fluid in the tranny every now and then. otherwise that will be the end of an otherwise good car.

 

If its where the axle goes into the trans then yes its tranny fluid. Its not that hard of a seal to change out though.

 

fuuuuu - ok thanks. Funny how far wishful thinking will get you sometimes. I need to check the fluid level asap since my transmission shifted funny yesterday.

 

yeah the trans will do that when low on fluid....

 

Well the first attempt was a failure. I started by doing the bone headed thing of loosening the fill plug with the engine off. Dumb. And also now I won't know if I was actually low on fluid or not. ANNOYING!

I then let the engine get warm too fast before I had a hose set up to actually put fluid in and it had warmed up past 40C while I was still putting fluid in and then it started running out at 42C. So I'll try again tomorrow evening and things will go more smoothly since now I have a clue!

Also I moved two weeks ago and I have a garage now!!! I can leave my car up and even leave the tools out. Awesome.

pics of the mess i made...
http://picasaweb.google.com/kendalll...P-2kJHt_onmRw#

 

The second attempt went MUCH more smoothly. Can now drive with piece of mind that my tranny isn't low on fluid, and I'll know how to check it in the future. Good stuff.

 

so did you change the seal or just fill the tranny?