Gutted - Oil gallery core plug and now transmission

[newtonuk]

I had a fairly substantial oil leak coming from a little hole between the gearbox and the engine block, which was diagnosed as a core plug coming loose. A local-ish garage replaced the plug for me and whilst they had the box and block apart, they replaced the crankshaft oil seal, I believe this is known as the rear main seal. It wasn't a cheap job for a really inexpensive part.

Fast forward a month and the auto-gearbox looks as though it has dumped nearly its entire content of transmission fluid out of the same hole.

It's gone back to the same garage for investigation, but I'd appreciate folks thoughts on this.

[cheshired5]

Are you sure it's transmission fluid?
Is it bright red?

[newtonuk]

Browny, with a distinctive smell. The transmission was slipping, lurching and jumping on the way to the garage this morning.

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by newtonuk

Browny, with a distinctive smell.

Oh right..... Didn't they put fresh fluid in when they reinstalled the transmission?

If it definitely is transmission fluid leaking, I don't know what's happened I'm afraid.

[newtonuk]

Would you have expected them to have replaced the fluid?

I thought they might have done, I thought they would have drained the coolant, engine oil and gearbox oil, but it appears not.

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by newtonuk

Would you have expected them to have replaced the fluid?

I don't see how you can remove a gearbox without losing a substantial amount of fluid.
If they drained it first, then it sounds like they just put the same old stuff back in.
New fluid would have to be added onto the bill so check that.

Reusing other fluids is OK if they were in good nick.

[newtonuk]

So, I'm just running through scenarios through my head... The coolant wasn't refilled, I got a warning the next day on the dash to say coolant level low (or something to that effect).

The engine oil wasn't topped up, it was still half way down the dipstick as it was when I delivered it to them.

If the same had happened with the gearbox oil, i.e. an amount lost and not topped up, might that have had some affect on the seals etc.? Or what if it was topped up too much with old oil?

I'm hoping it's a simple think like a bolt not being torqued correctly, but knowing my luck!

[newtonuk]

Turns out it was the gearbox oil cooler pipe seal that had gone.

[cheshired5]

Originally Posted by newtonuk

Turns out it was the gearbox oil cooler pipe seal that had gone.

They probably reused the originals previously which is a no no as they are easily damaged.
The clip and 2 x O-rings are about £20 a set from Volvo.
I still don't see how it would leak out of the half moon hole though?

Hopefully they replaced them all and that's the end of it.

[newtonuk]

Leaking out of that hole may have been my assumption, based on a lack of close visual inspection, putting 2 and an unknown number together and getting 5.