will Transmission fluid damage paint?

[jswillmon]

I was going down the interstate this morining behind a camaro and all of teh sudden it started spraying tranny fluid from under the car. I was already late for work. Plus there is not a car wash around here that actually sprays hot water, so i'm basically stuck until i can go by the detail shop i used to work at to use their pressure washer. Since I have no choice but to let it sit all day I must know if it will damage my paint.

thanks guys.

[Markgase2000]

How old is your car , have you ever put paint sealant on it? You should be ok for a day or two and to be safe use a detergent on the paint after you rinse it then soap it down over top the detergent and rinse for a good long time. Let it air dry when it does see if the paint has veiny looking drip lines that look a lil oily or greasy. Use a body solvent or goo gone to wipe the residue off then reseal or rewax it whatever you normally use should help. I had power steering fluid spray my windshield and paint this weekend due to no hood on and someone stole my power steering cap so it sprayed out every wheres and those things I explained are what Im gonna be doing.

[jswillmon]

it's a 2002 and yes i have sealed the paint in the last few months. I keep wax on it.
Thanks for the reply, i've never had a run in with getting tranny fluid on paint. Now i can sit still without worrying if i'm gonna have any paint on the front end of my car when i leave her in 8 hours.

[TRACYCULBERSON]

Originally Posted by jswillmon

I was going down the interstate this morining behind a camaro and all of teh sudden it started spraying tranny fluid from under the car. I was already late for work. Plus there is not a car wash around here that actually sprays hot water, so i'm basically stuck until i can go by the detail shop i used to work at to use their pressure washer. Since I have no choice but to let it sit all day I must know if it will damage my paint.

thanks guys.

WILL NOT HURT A THING. PEOPLE USE 2 WAX THER CARS WITH OILS
SHOULD NOT HURT A THING

[Les7K]

Some Transmission fluid can be caustic and actually etch into paint surfaces. You should remove it as soon as possible with a wash specifically formulated for paint. Not a detergent. And don't let air dry. That would just further spot your finish and possible leave hard water deposits and further etching.

Waxing your car with oils is an old wives tale dating back to when car bodies were made of wood. And even back then they didn't use oils. Plus Transmission fluid and oil are two different things.

After washing if do notice some etching has occurred, use a pure polishing compound on the area. Then follow up with a good coat of wax. You shouldn't need such things body solvents or goo be gone if you use a good wash for paint.

[TRACYCULBERSON]

Originally Posted by Les7K

Some Transmission fluid can be caustic and actually etch into paint surfaces. You should remove it as soon as possible with a wash specifically formulated for paint. Not a detergent. And don't let air dry. That would just further spot your finish and possible leave hard water deposits and further etching.

Waxing your car with oils is an old wives tale dating back to when car bodies were made of wood. And even back then they didn't use oils. Plus Transmission fluid and oil are two different things.

After washing if do notice some etching has occurred, use a pure polishing compound on the area. Then follow up with a good coat of wax. You shouldn't need such things body solvents or goo be gone if you use a good wash for paint.

WELL ONE THING I KNOW IS TRUE .PEOPLE DID USE TO WAX CARS WITH OIL THATS A FACT. I HAVE GOT TRANS. FLUID ON CARS IN THE PAST .
I HAD NO PROBLEM. BUT THAT DONT MEAN THAT IT WONT CAUSE A PROBLEM. I SURE WOULD NOT JUST LEAVE ON A NICE CAR.,

[Les7K]

Yes, it's true that even today's waxes do contain certain oils (i.e. petroleum distillates). But transmission fluid is another beast. And while it may not absolutely cause damage if it gets on your paint, I think we are all agreeing that you should try to remove it ASAP if at all possible. I mean, why take the chance?

[d_birch]

A little more on Transmission fluid and Paint - I have a 2000 Cadillac Eledorado ETC with a color called Crimson Pearl. The car still has the original paint in mint glossy condition that everyone comments on and since buying the Car in 2002 it has never had a wax job, Today it has 245,000 Kms on it. The only thing I ever use is to wipe the whole vehicle in Automatic Trans Fluid, leave it overnight or over the weekend and take it to the do it yourself car wash using their soaps, and wash and rinse it. I do this about twice a year and the paint beads in the rain as if polished. Two years ago the whole passenger side of the car was repainted due to a school Buss peeling the outer skin from the passenger door and minor damage to panels either sideof the door. The GM Body shop Painter said he used the exact same formula the car was originally painted with and the colours matched perfectly. I told him before the painting that I used the Tranny fluid rather than wax. He said that no special conditions were used to prepare the surface. He also was surprised at the method I used, but a word of caution here, DO NOT USE THIS OIL ON LIGHT COLORED PAINT as it will start to change the colour to a pinkish shade. It's perfect for red colors as it tends to replentish the colors that the sun eventully fades on red vehicles. Try it on those faded red plastic bumpers you see, and see what happens.... The shiney paint reflections you see ARE NOT FROM WAX,

[DropZone77]

Of Course It Will !

[Gojirr]

Originally Posted by jswillmon

I was going down the interstate this morining behind a camaro and all of teh sudden it started spraying tranny fluid from under the car. I was already late for work. Plus there is not a car wash around here that actually sprays hot water, so i'm basically stuck until i can go by the detail shop i used to work at to use their pressure washer. Since I have no choice but to let it sit all day I must know if it will damage my paint.

thanks guys.

The Transmission fluid may disolve the wax, but it won't harm the paint.
Transmission fluid is made from Parafin which is a base product for many waxes

[dqs2rr4r2i]

Transmission fluid and oil are two different things. After washing peter if do notice some etching has occurred, tross use a pure polishing compound on the area.