BagMan

I apologize for starting another thread, but the title of the old one was misleading since I originally thought the supercharger was making noise.

As it turns out the transmission was whining and started leaking badly and it was noticed by the smoke behind the car. I immediately turned the car around and drove it approx 2 miles back to my house. It was shifting fine.

Some members in my other thread thought it is likely the trans oil pump or seal.

I called my indy today, but he can't look at the car until Monday. He was fairly certain that it was the oil pump as the members here diagnosed. He said (and I may have misunderstood) that the oil pump has a bushing of poor design and was later replaced with a bearing by MB. The bushing fails and creates so much heat that it melts the seal and causes a gusher.

So my questions to the forum are: What do you think it will cost for a pump/seal/bearing replacement? Parts & labor

Also, What's the best way to handle this?
1) Let the indy shop do the work. Problem is he is 40 miles away and I would have to tow it there, adding to the cost. He also can't look at it for a week.
2) Use MB roadside assistance and have it towed to the dealer. I have a decent relationship with the service advisor. But I'm still leery of the dealership as costs can escalate quickly there.

What would you guys do?

Thanks

Here are some pics I took of the underside:

shardul

iTrader: (1)

seriously to save 80 bucks in towing you will spend $$$$ more at the dealer

Guilty

Get AAA Plus, $95 but you get 4 free tow of 200 miles...

novae500

pay the tow fee to the indy. If you dont need the car and can leave it with him. Dealer will bend you over for more than $80.

E55Greasemonkey

Check the trans cooler line on the passenger side of the bellhousing. Make sure the bolt is tight and both crush seals are present. It is very odd that the fluid seems to be concentrated on the passenger side, and onto the RH cat as per your previous post. The whining is likely due to low fluid level and aeration. 11+ yrs as an MB tech FWIW.....

BagMan

Cooler lines are intact and dry. At least on the tranny side

I appreciate everyone's input.

E55Greasemonkey

The next step is to get the car on a lift, clean up all the spilled fluid and run the engine and see where it's coming from. If inside the bellhousing, the trans will have to be removed and the front pump inspected. At the typical dealership labor rate, expect about $1100 just to remove and replace the transmission, plus maybe $500 to remove the front pump, plus parts...just guessing but I'd expect a bill around $2k for everything. The fact that your independent can't look at it for 1 week is concerning. The least they could do is diagnose the problem sooner for your piece of mind even if they can't repair it for a while.

BagMan

I just noticed the bold Greasemonkey and wanted to clarify. The fluid on the cat in that pic is from the rag I swabbed the pan with. I brushed the soaked rag against the cat on the way out.

You're right though, most of the fluid seemed to pool up on the passenger side.

Everything above the lower seal (in the first photo) appears to be dry. The bell housing is dry on the top and sides. There is a lot of fluid on the trans pan and crossmember all the way back to the resonators.

E55Greasemonkey

OK, got it.... Another thing to do, is remove the other square rubber plug. With a good light, look up in there behind the torque converter towards the rear of the car. If the Torx bolts inside the bellhousing have fluid around them, then your front pump or seal is definitely leaking.

black06c230

With the car cranked does it just start pouring out fluid sitting at idle? Likely if all lines are good it's the bearing/seal inside.

BagMan

I haven't started the car back up yet. I probably will tomorrow when I get time.

It's pretty clear though that it's beyond my ability as a DIY job.

ahmad0658

plz update with you findings and solution, estimate cost will be good too

Good luck n I hope that it is something minor