What is leaking under my 2003 Corolla?

[mattblast]

My 17 year old daughter drove into a stationary barrier and tore off the front bumper. Got the car back home to figure out what to do next and today I noticed a wet spot on the driveway under the front driver side of the car.

What is this? Looks like the edge got bent a little and needs to be replaced along with a new gasket. It’s slippery but engine oil level looks fine.

It’s a 2003 with about 220k on it and I’m hoping I can get this back on the road without putting more into it than it’s worth.

 

[Citation]

The looks like the pan of the automatic transmission.

 

[930dreamer]

If that's the transmission looks like the pan is damaged?

 

[mattblast]

Thanks for the quick ID.

 

[CraigStu]

Yes it is the auto transaxle. The pan is easy to replace. But you get into the old theory. Should you change the oil in a high mileage trans or just keep it full? Many say don't change it cause it will die shortly after. But you don't have much choice. One thing I would do is buy the fluid from the dealer when you buy the pan and gasket. All atf is not the same. There is also a filter in there which you may as well replace while at it.

 

[mattblast]

Got the pan off this morning.

There is a tear in it that was leaking plus the front edge was twisted. Two bolts snapped off in the collision.

I have the pan and gasket on order and should have them by the end of the week. It was actually a few dollars less to order the filter with the gasket.

It’s going to be a challenge to drill out the two snapped bolts. Not much room to work under car (I don’t have any jack stands or ramp) plus it will be awkward to drill upside down. And my right angle drill is a heavy hole-hawg. My plan is to just put the replacement cover on (along with filter - thanks for the suggestion) and have my mechanic drill out the two bolts after I drive over there. So the fluid will have to be drained again. I’ll just put in whatever ATF fluid is stocked locally and have the mechanic put in the OEM fluid.

It is going to be a slow process. Once pan and fluid are temporarily replaced then I’m going to drive it to the local votech high school to replace the bumper, hood, headlight, and radiator support.

 

[dagofast]

Ugh. Teenagers. Ain't they fun?

Because the bolts were sheared off, they might not be hard to remove. Try lightly center punching one of them off center and then using the punch or a scriber to spin the bolt out. I've gotten lucky a few times using that method.

 

[Bighead38]

Garage journal member without ramps or jack stands? That seems odd.

Kind of impressed you got the pan off without jacking the car up. That had to be a pain in the ***.

 

[mattblast]

Great tip. One banged right out. Other one still needs some work.

 

[c39er]

I agree to using a sharp ***** punch and working the broken off bolts out. They should be slightly loose in the trans case threaded holes and back out easy.

 

[mattblast]

The second was harder. Had to drill it out. Used my 5/32” left hand drill bit to do my best to center hole. Had less than 1/2” to spare under car. Then a screw extractor.

Thanks for the encouragement. I work a lot on equipment but this is my first time on my car.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

If I knew you had to work on the car with it sitting on the ground, I would have brought my ramps down for you to borrow. I have to go to New Providence tomorrow, so I can still do that if you want.

Tommy

 

[MattT]

Can't tell for sure but it looks like the ****** case is damaged in the area where the bolts sheared. So check it carefully & if it is damaged post a close up picture of that area if you need advise on how to deal with it.

 

[SGKent]

Harbor freight has inexpensive jack stands and a jack. get 3 pieces of plywood so the stands and jack can sit on that instead of dirt. Use old cardboard to lay on. In many states better have a plan to replace the headlights and marker lights - not having them can be a fix-it ticket on their time schedule, not theirs. That looks like more than stationary barrier damage.

 

[mattblast]

If I knew you had to work on the car with it sitting on the ground, I would have brought my ramps down for you to borrow.

That is very kind, but now that the ATF is drained I don't want to move it until filled up again.

Can't tell for sure but it looks like the ****** case is damaged in the area where the bolts sheared.

Took a closer look and I don't see any damage to the case. I'll know for sure next week when the new pan comes in.

That looks like more than stationary barrier damage.

When I met my daughter by the crash site I was sure it was more than just a barrier too, but oddly it wasn't. She jumped the curb (scratch marks on front left wheel) and smashed into the barrier then backed up and pulled off the front bumper (I had to yank the bumper out from under the barrier as it was lodged in there). Airbags didn't go off, and she has no idea how fast she was moving (speed limit on this road is 55, but she was getting off on the ramp - I'm guessing about 10mph)

 

[MattT]

Took a closer look and I don't see any damage to the case. I'll know for sure next week when the new pan comes in.

I wasn't talking about the case being bent but that would be bad. What I think I can see are gouges/scratches just to the left of the LH sheared bolt & running into the RH one. Might just be old eyes my end though??

 

[LS6 Tommy]

That is very kind, but now that the ATF is drained I don't want to move it until filled up again.

Duh. Yeah, that sure enough makes sense. :tard:

Tommy

 

[Bighead38]

Duh. Yeah, that sure enough makes sense. :tard:

Tommy

Just bring your jack with you. Jack it up and out down on the ramps. When he’s done he just backs off and returns the ramps.

 

[CraigStu]

Be careful tightening the bolts. I don't remember a spec but it isn't much. Also, check every bolt hole to see if it goes to inside the trans. Most don't, but I 'think' a couple may so you want to put sealer on the threads of the bolts going into those holes.

 

[mattblast]

I picked up the atf and some replacement bolts at the local Toyota dealer in Flemington, NJ then started the re-assembly after work today.

The filter was easy to replace and once removed a little more atf came out. I torqued the 3 bolts to 84in-lb per spec.

The pan was a lot harder. The gasket kept moving around (off the holes) and I had no room under car to work.

So I lifted the car up with my lift!

I wasn’t comfortable working under the car without ramps so I used a pair I borrowed from work. A co-worked was just about to leave and dropped them off on his way home.

So got it on the ramps without having to drive.

The extra 10in ot so made a huge difference. Got the gasket aligned and the first 16 bolts torqued to 48in-lb. Then the next to last bolt just spun around in the hole. This was the hole I had to drill out and there was some damage at the start of the threads. So apart it all came and I helicoiled with an m6 insert. Then all back together again and torqued to spec.

Then I removed ramps (using lift again) so it’s on flat ground while I fill it up.

Started getting dark and cold so I’ll do the filling in the morning then test for leaks and operation.

 

[48RON54]

nice work

 

[mrvm]

Good job on the trans. My daughter (new driver) had a minor collision a few weeks ago that took out the headlights, grill and radiator. Fortunately the condensor was spared. Picked up the radiator from Advance and head lights+grill from ebay. Looks like you will need a hood, bumper and lights.

 

[James-W]

Just a quick question, what is the Blue Book value of the vehicle?

 

[mattblast]

Kbb value is $800-$1200 prior to damage. But car was always maintained and is reliable. Plus new tires, newer battery, and a full tank of gas.

Total amount of oil drained was under a quart so to be safe I got 2 quarts. It just starts to show on dip stick so I guess a bunch of atf leaked out onto my driveway before I noticed.

This morning I headed to a closer Toyota dealer in Greenbrook NJ to get 2 more quarts. To be safe I brought the empty container. The parts guy said he never saw this one before and had to look it up. Then he gave me two bottles of Type T-IV which he said are the same with different packaging. But I noticed PNs are different. Are these safe to add or should I go back or original dealer and buy more of what I already used

The middle one is what I already used. The two end ones are the same just different packaging.

PNs are 00718-ATF00 for what I already used and the new ones are PN 00279-000T4

I’m holding off on adding these until I’m sure it’s ok to mix.

 

[Wrench97]

00718-ATF00 is Dextron III non-Synthetic, 00279-000T4 is T-IV Synthetic
Return the high dollar Toyota fluid and pick up a name brand Dextron III fluid at your local discount store.

 

[mattblast]

00718-ATF00 is Dextron III non-Synthetic, 00279-000T4 is T-IV Synthetic
Return the high dollar Toyota fluid and pick up a name brand Dextron III fluid at your local discount store.

I called up the original dealer and told them the situation. They sold be the Dexron III and the other dealer gave me T-IV thinking it was the same (it's not) Turns out both dealers screwed up.

The first dealer gave me the Dexron III based on my VIN number and a chart they had. I just called them they had me look at the dip stick and it is etched with "T-IV", which they say is a more modern fluid that would be better to use. They suggested that I drain the 2qt of the fluid I just put in, then fill it all up (3.2qt) with T-IV. They offered to provide 3qt at no cost due to the mixup. That was nice of them, but still a pain and an additional delay.

The original dealer is 30mins away buy my wife drives by in a few days and will pick it up for me. That's why I went to the closer dealer today.

I know that some of the fluid stays in the pan after draining. Do I need to worry about the small amount of Dexron III that is left behind? I can either remove the pan again, or after driving a bit drain it all out again and fill it back up. Or I can complain to the dealer and have them swap it. It may be a non issue because I'm not even sure what it will take to fix up the front of the car.

Ugh!

(I opted to pay a little more and buy the OEM fluid based on suggestions on this board. It is made to last the lift of the car so I don't mind paying a few extra dollars to be sure)

 

[CraigStu]

I wouldn't worry about the little bit that will stay in the pan. Maybe 2-3 ounces at most blended into the 2 qts or so will be OK.

 

[SGKent]

if the front is on stands and the drain is at the back, most will come out. If you are really worried about it add a little T-IV to flush the rest out.