This will qualify as dumb, but I'll get it out of the way and admit it..... today on freeway I was quite alarmed to see my car putting out a smokescreen. I initially thought this was a repeat of my failed transmission blowing out all the fluid a couple years ago, and I made it a few more blocks to my destination and shut her down. Looked underneath and everything under there covered in fluid and the smoke coming off exhaust. Here's the dumb part......I did not reach under there or otherwise try to determine if it was oil or trans fluid. I just assumed it was trans fluid. But I called the tow truck and when he got there he asked if I thought the vehicle could be driven onto the flatbed.....I said let's give it a whirl and it did with no problem. And backed off too so it is moving in both directions. At home, a little braver, and after looking underneath the parked car to find it surprisingly dry, and nothing on the ground, I did a few test reverses and forwards and it is moving fine. AND THERE ARE NO CODES. and no obvious fluid drips going on.
So then i decide to check the oil,and even though I topped it off just a few days ago, the dipstick now comes up almost, but not quite dry. So now I am thinking I don't have a trans problem, I have a main oil seal problem......I diy as much as I can and I have enough tools, but is this a diy job? Is it a simple job at a shop? Of course I'm hoping that I do have an oil seal problem vs the transmission problem. I think.

 

First you need to get unjder the car and identify the EXACT point.

 

Look at the valve cover area, the PCV hose, the oil pressure sending unit above the starter. The front engine cover seal.
As Don says, determine the oil leak first , then tackle the repair!
It runs, it drives, so that’s a plus, now where is that oil coming from?

 

Got under the car today and ha a good look around. I've got two issues. There is an oil leak evidence, but with regard to yesterday's event, I'm back to transmission leak. Backing my car into garage is slightly uphill and she bogged going uphill backwards. I jacked it up and looked thoroughly while it was wet. Up high it looks dry. Driver side of trans and engine are dry. I then wiped everything down and started the car to idle while I looked for leaks. There is nothing pouring out like a gusher. But I did see a wet spot of trans fluid building around the passenger side lower most bolt trans to engine. Upon further look, there is a small bolt that almost looks plug like in the arch of the casting on that passenger side and just above the trans to engine lower bolt and that little hex head has wet fluid around it. Since I don't know how this all works, I am wondering if the fluid is escaping out that smaller hex head "plug" and trickling down the casting to the lower bolt and collecting there. The mystery to me is that if this caused the event yesterday, it would have been a slow leak that would have been evident with fluid on the driveway prior to the smoke event yesterday and there has been none. Plus the entire underside of trans pan and frame back there was drenched yesterday when I looked while waiting for the tow. I will attempt to add a pic.

 

That’s not a plug , it’s an oil pan bolt for the engine. The fluid leak in that area could be transmission torque converter seal , or crankshaft main oil seal, which would leak engine oil. Or the oil pan wasn’t sealed up properly because the bolts are loose! You might need to drop the oil pan clean the gasket surface and on the engine , then apply thin bead of silicone sealant and reinstall and properly torque the oil pan bolts!

 

Thank you sir. But are you referring to the hex head just above the serial/casting number in the pic? I don't see how that bolts on oil pan. I do appreciate your expertise and input. Just double checking. There is definitely reddish trans fluid apparent around the larger bolt that I believe bolts the trans to engine and that is the only bolt with fluid around it. Other than that smaller hex head above the serial number and it also appears more like trans fluid than oil.

 

Long oil pan bolt

 

Yellow circle transmission mount bolt. Red arrow, transmission pan fluid leaking.

 

Very observant. After reinspecting, I now understand how that smaller hex is an oil pan bolt. I put a socket on it and got a tiny bit more tight. I'll keep an eye on that. I did wipe everything down that was wet. I pulled the trans check plug and nothing came out so I'm pretty sure I lost a bit. But what is strange is that after adding just a little DexronVI, not even a quart, I did a short neighborhood drive and it is still shifting smoothly with no clunking or otherwise hard shifts. OBD no codes. And after test drive the underneath does not show and wet drips. I expected to see a puddle. Yesterday that pan and everything else down there was awash. So I'm happy that the car seems salvageable, but confused as to why I had such a drastic leak and smoke yesterday with no driveway evidence of preexisting leak. If the trans main seal or torque converter seals were blown out, wouldn't I see a gusher with the car idling?

 

You really should check the level and put the correct amount of fluid in. Putting just enough in so the car will move can be damaging the transmission, just like the risk you took driving it a few more blocks, and then driving it onto the tow truck, then driving it off the tow truck. It doesn't cost any more to have the tow operator winch it on and off his truck.

You should have immediately stopped and checked the oil level, you're lucky you didn't destroy your engine.

A big smoke show, and then down 2 quarts of oil? You may have multiple issues.