1993 SL transmission fluid leaking problem

[tjr19136]

I notice my transmission fluid is leaking badly. I first figured it was the transmission pan gasket. I jack the car up and notice that their is not a under pan for the transmission. I notice that the transmission pan may be attach on the side on the transmission.

I alway went to all my local auto part stores and no one sales transmssion pan gaskets for this car........

Do any one has experience with fixing a transmission pan gasket on a saturn 93 SL

[denisond3]

Im going to assume your has the automatic transmission. The 'pan' is located on the top of the tranny, under the battery and the battery support tray. In most other cars that 'pan' is on the bottom. With a Saturn you have a drain plug to let the fluid out, and a spin-on filter at the front of the transmission. You could remove the air filter and its housing to get access to this filter. There isnt a pan on the bottom.
But first find out where the fluid is leaking from. A good way to do this is to jack the car up safely (not supported by a jack) or run its front wheels up on a pair of ramps. Then crawl under it and clean off the oil and dirt and muck - until the transmission is fairly dry and clean. Then start the car, leave it in neutral, and crawl back underneath - to see where the oil is coming from. It could be from where the axle shafts go in. It could be from that pan at the top of the tranny, or from the place where the hoses for the transmission cooler run between the radiator and transmission. It could be from the multi-wire connector that plugs in to the top of the 'pan' on the top of the transmission. It could also be a spin-on filter that is loose or got damaged.
If the leak seems to be coming from the bell housing, and its fast enough to be dripping while you watch - it could be a hole has been opened up between the differential and the bell housing - from a differential pin that has gotten loose and is scraping the inside of the transmission casting. If that is where the leak is, fixing it requires removing the transmission.
To get parts for the transmission, you will need to find the types of businesses that sell just transmission parts. Its enough of a specialty that you arent likely to find a regular auto parts place selling the parts, nor knowing enough about transmissions to be very helpful.
You can try doing a search at ebay.com. Search for TAAT. That is the model of automatic transmission that Saturn S series cars used.

[RC1488]

Originally Posted by tjr19136

I notice my transmission fluid is leaking badly. I first figured it was the transmission pan gasket. I jack the car up and notice that their is not a under pan for the transmission. I notice that the transmission pan may be attach on the side on the transmission.

I alway went to all my local auto part stores and no one sales transmssion pan gaskets for this car........

Do any one has experience with fixing a transmission pan gasket on a saturn 93 SL

Also assuming an automatic.

how much is leaking? find out where first!!

check where the axle shafts go into the differential. not there?
then more than likely your differential pin put a hole in the case. solution? get a new tranny

[tjr19136]

3 major facts

when i first purchse the car the second day i notice the trans fluid dripping....... about a week later on my way home from work the trans reved like if the transmission was done. i drove it home slow and when i got home i check the transmission fluid and it was compltely empty/dry......... once a week i put in about 2-4 quarts of trans fluid

I also just replaced a motor mount.....which was causing the car to shake very bad...........

ever so often when i put the car in reverse it shifts hard and jerks..........it almost always does it when shifting into 2 gear.

[RC1488]

Originally Posted by tjr19136

3 major facts

when i first purchse the car the second day i notice the trans fluid dripping....... about a week later on my way home from work the trans reved like if the transmission was done. i drove it home slow and when i got home i check the transmission fluid and it was compltely empty/dry......... once a week i put in about 2-4 quarts of trans fluid

I also just replaced a motor mount.....which was causing the car to shake very bad...........

ever so often when i put the car in reverse it shifts hard and jerks..........it almost always does it when shifting into 2 gear.

1 major solution. you need a new transmission.

[denisond3]

The engine revving up when you are in gear is the classic symptom of the fluid being way low in the tranny.
Unless you find that the tranny fluid is leaking from around the oil filter, or from a damaged drain plug, or transmission cooler hose; I would agree you need either a replacement (used) tranny, or a rebuilt one. And the color of the leaking oil will be a deep pink - as opposed to engine oil that is brown to dark brown to black.
I got a used tranny from a junkyard in central Pennsylvania for $200. It went into the car with nothing done to it except cleaning the outside of the case, putting on a new spin-on fluid filter, and a replacement temp sensor (old one got mashed). Works perfect.