2000 Accord Trans Fluid Leak

I have a 2000 Accord V-6, and have loved the car since buying it used a
few years ago with 36k miles on it. It now has 134k, and still runs
great. But now it's leaking transmission fluid, and my trusted mechanic
can't find the source of the leak. He's torn the trans out of the car,
checked the seals and they all appear to be in good shape.
A side note, I just had him replace the timing belt, water pump and do
a general tune-up a few weeks ago, I'm wondering if that would have
anything to do with a possible transmission leak now. I'm pretty
knowledgeable about most things on cars, but I don't know exactly where
everything is in relation to the other.
My mechanic is now starting to ask around to other guys in transmission
shops and even a buddy who works at the local Honda dealer, and has
priced out used transmissions also. But he and I both agree the car
drives absolutely fine, no shifting problems or the "clunking" that
I've read about from other owners online.
HELP! This is really frustrating, and a bit scary as I don't want to
replace the transmission right now. I have owned Hondas and Toyotas
pretty much since I could drive and love them both, and have driven
both a 91 Accord and a 94 Camry well past 200k miles without any major
problems. Anyone have any clues on the source of my mystery leak?
Thanks-

 

The way to check this is with UV dye. Hose off the engine and transmission
as much as practicable, put the dye in the transmission fluid, drive around
for a few days, and shine the special light on it. You will have no problem
spotting the leak.

Earle

 

Earle-
Thanks for the suggestion. I'll ask my mechanic about it. I'm not sure
if he thought about that, I'll keep the list posted on what happens. I
REALLY don't want to spend $1,800 for a used tranny and labor right
now..

 

i'm an ase certified transmission tech.
i certainly wouldn't replace the transmission over this unless the
transmission case itself is cracked somewhere, which is rare, but does
happen.
also, the transmission case is comprised of two "halves" that are
bolted together. sometimes hondas will leak there. there is no need to
replace the transmission in this case, but it would need to be removed
and resealed where the two halves meet. i think there also is a cover
on the of the "back" of the trans which could also leak.
that particular year of honda had problems with axle seals leaking
becuase the axle bearings would go bad. make sure those are okay on
your car.
also, cooler lines tend to leak, not just on your model, but pretty
much on any car that's ever been made. they may not be leaking close
the transmission, but they also connect to the radiator.
make certain all the soleniod gaskets are okay, the plugs for the
pressure testing ports should also be tight, the "bellhousing" area
where the torque converter is should be dry, if not the front seal
could be bad.

these are just a few of the things off the top of my head i could think
of, there are many more things it could be.

if the tranmission is thoroughly is cleaned off, there should be no
problem finding the leak. i've personally never had to use dye to find
a trans leak. the fluid is distinctive enough to see..

 

that particular year of honda had problems with axle seals leaking

Pardon my intrusion, but I could use some advice.

Other than leaking, are there other symptoms for bad axle bearings. The
reason I ask; I have a 2000 Accord V6. One of my current problems is the
left front tire wearing on the inside edge. I first noticed this when
rotating tires front to back (directional tires). I had the car aligned
(Dealer) and was told that the rear toe was out significantly and was
adjusted. However, I continue to have inside wear on the front and
consequently now have two ruined tires with less than 20,000 miles on them.
There are no noticable handling problems. Would a bad axle bearing cause
the inside wear? Any other suggestions? TIA
TomC

P.S. A long term problem has been a constant stuttering at highway speed
under light load. ???
The transmission was replaced at 37,000 miles. Did not fix the stuttering.
The EGR was replaced at 65,000 miles. Did not fix the stuttering.
The car has 77,000 miles on it.

 

you probably should get a second opinion on your alignment. your camber
could be out of adjustment on the left front which could also cause
that type of tire wear...and your car will drive straight even with it
out of adjustment.

it usually only gets out of adjustment if the car's been wrecked. the
only way to adjust it on most cars is to have the frame straightned,
which few shops (even alignment shops) have the ability to do.

i had the exact same problem with my del sol after it had been wrecked.
i went through several tires before i finally had to have the frame
straightned. before, i replaced tires every year, now i'm on my fourth
year without tire replacement.

as for your bearings, there is usually a noise associated with that
kind of problem. also, there will be excessive play where the axle goes
into the transmission. you might have your wheel bearings checked just
in case, if those are bad, you'll definately hear growling noised when
you take a curve.

the problem definately sounds alignment-related, though.

unfortunately, your stuttering problem sounds a bit more complex. if i
come across something, i'll post it in this thread.

 

I bought the vehicle new and it's never been in an accident.

The only odd noises are from the tires (as near as I can tell). They sound
like snow tires. The dealer affirmed the noise is tire related.

I thought so too.

Thanks!

TomC