Transmission leak, New member please help.

[2001sierra1500]

Hi guys Im a new member to this forum and i was looking to see if anyone could help me, I have a 2001 GMC Sierra 1500 and its leaking transmission fluid/oil or so i think thats what it is. When i park somewhere you can see the drops on the gorund below the transmission and climbed under my truck and the bottom front of my trans is all covered in oil. Any ideas whats going on? I dont want to ruin my motor or trans, any help will be greatly appreciated.

THANKS!

 

[Z15]

ATF is red in color, engine oil is amber to black if very used oil.

Have you added an ATF to it recently and maybe spilled some you are not aware of?

Leaks can he hard to determine the source of because as you drive wind etc under the vehicle can move the fluid around and make it appear to be coming from somewhere it is not.

My advice would be to first, determine if its ATF (red) or engine oil. Wipe everything clean as you can and drive it for a day and look to see if its still there.

 

[2001sierra1500]

well i just bought the truck a couple weeks ago so i dont know much about its history as i havent changed any oils on it or anything. And i pulled the little stick that checks the transmission fluid and its the same color that its leaking, it marks the level above the crosshatch (max) could the old owner have possibly over filled it and maybe it its broke a gasket or something? any ideas?

 

[Z15]

Its possible someone topped off the trans and spilled some fluid in doing so, it then ran down the fill tube and made a mess. When you drive the vehicle down the road the wind can take a small leak and make it look very bad by blowing the fluid all over. In other words, they sometimes can look worse than the are. Are you seeing oil spots where you park the truck over night? If there are not any oil spots on the ground, it might not be as bad as it looks? It might be a slight leak that's been there for many miles and years.

If you bought the vehicle from a dealer or used car dealer you might want to go back and see what they can do for you. If you got it from a private party then you are on your own and might be a good idea to have it checked out.

I would have someone look at it asap.