Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

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Jul 14, 2003 | 07:14 PM

Ramtuff

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Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

Hey everyone,
My mother has a 93 Aerostar (AWD, 4.0 Liter, XLT), and I have a few questions on it. First off, she just got home from a trip on Sunday and noticed an oily film all over the rear lift gate. Upon further inspection, the bottom of the vehical is covered in tranny fluid. Tomarrow I'm gonna pull it into my shop to take a look at it and change the fluid/filter, but is there a common problem with these trannys that I should look at first? Maybe a common seal problem? The van has about 108,000 miles on it if it helps any.

Second, when it rains water leaks in somewhere around the back pass. side window. I pulled all the trim off, but didn't see and water marking arond the window. I took a quick look at the outside of the van, and it looks like the body filler the factory uses to fill in the groove where the side panel and the roof has actually cracked and chipped off a bit, and has a made a little hole in that seam. Is this a likely area for water to enter the passenger compartment, and is this a common problem?

Thanks in advance for helping out this Dodge guy! lol!

Jul 14, 2003 | 10:51 PM

myvan

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Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

About the leaky window...mine '94 Aerostar Extended has done that since I got the van 3 years old. I could never pin point where it comes through, and so I keep a towel in the back ever since.
The transmission sounds like a seal problem, you'll be able to get a better look once your underneath. You'll see where its coming from if it is the transmission at all.

Jul 15, 2003 | 06:02 AM

JL_Aero

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Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

Both my 1986 and 1990 Aerostars had the leaking window. Got so bad at one point on my 90 that water would fill up the seat wells. There is a person here called the Window Doctor that took out the window, put in a new gasket and sealed it. Looks great and no more leaks.

John

Jul 15, 2003 | 09:03 AM

cawamor

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Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Ramtuff

I took a quick look at the outside of the van, and it looks like the body filler the factory uses to fill in the groove where the side panel and the roof has actually cracked and chipped off a bit, and has a made a little hole in that seam. Is this a likely area for water to enter the passenger compartment, and is this a common problem?

I had the same leaky window as youv'e mentioned. I used galss sealer and no more leaks.

Jul 15, 2003 | 04:51 PM

Beast12

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From: Sarnia, Ontario, CANADA!

Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

Quote:

Originally posted by Ramtuff
Hey everyone,
My mother has a 93 Aerostar (AWD, 4.0 Liter, XLT), and I have a few questions on it. First off, she just got home from a trip on Sunday and noticed an oily film all over the rear lift gate. Upon further inspection, the bottom of the vehical is covered in tranny fluid. Tomarrow I'm gonna pull it into my shop to take a look at it and change the fluid/filter, but is there a common problem with these trannys that I should look at first? Maybe a common seal problem? The van has about 108,000 miles on it if it helps any.

Thanks in advance for helping out this Dodge guy! lol!

The EXACT same thing happened to me two weeks ago. The back door was COVERED in the film you are talking about. There is a seal in the transmission that is prone to failure. This seal will need to be replaced. If you want you can drive it somewhere but make sure you top up your fluid. I left mine for about 4 days and topped up the fluid and drove it somewhere to get fixed. On my way there it didn't leak a DROP! I still got them to fix it. I ended up putting a different transmission from the junkyard. The reason I got them to do this is because I drove it for about 10 kilometres with low fluid and suspected I MAY have wrecked the inside of the tranny. If you do put a used one in make sure you replace the seal in that tranny because you never know when it was done last. And you mine as well replace the torque convertor fluid and put a new filter an gasket in too. I hope you have some good luck.

-Matt

By The Way, a used tranny, a new seal and filter, installed with my fluid used cost me about $725 Canadian just to give you some numbers to go by. I got a junkyard to do it for me. I thought that was pretty reasonable.

Jul 15, 2003 | 09:33 PM

Ramtuff

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Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

Thanks for all the great replies! Looks like I got off lucky with the tranny. I looked and felt all over, and the tranny and t-case were both dry. The rear vent tube had popped off and I was able to trace the "leak" to the vent. She propably just overheated it on her trip (it was mostly up hill). I changed the fluid and filter, and didn't notice and excess of metal shavings (it was typical for having 108,000 miles w/out a previous change).

As for the leak, I'll take another look at the window. I just got a pressure washer, so I'll try it in a few different spots and try to see where the leak is.

Thanks again for the help.

Ian

Jul 22, 2003 | 08:54 AM

streitm

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Leaking Tranny & Leaking Window

sounds like my 94 had the same water leak as yours (both sides). I took off the trim and tightened the nuts on the inside of the window and no more leaks! I think all the miles 110,000 caused the nuts to come loose.

Mike

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