well my trans was rebuilt about a yr ago, and my clutch hydraulics were replaced about 4 months ago, but im leaking trans fluid somewhere. i moved and now have a limited amount of tools(stock jack etc) haha, seriously though, i really dont have much to do this, but everywhere i go wants like $30 just to check and top off my trans fluid. how can i raise the car but keep it level? whats the best way to get trans fluid back in there? any common areas where the leak might be coming from just incase i want to try to fix it?
any help is appreciated
thanks
patrick

 

I hesitate to post a suggestion for saftey reason but do feel your pain. I live on a frikin slope and every thing done under my cars and trucks is a major undertaking. I can't stress enough how important it is to not take a single unecessary chance when working under a car. A co-worker had his son's fiero come down on him. He was still blue in the casket at the viewing. Serious stuff....

Solid ground is especially imperative when working under a 3,500 lb car!

If you really can't pony up for or find a flace to keep a floor jack, car ramps and good jack stands then you have got to make a friend that has them.

When I buy a car for my family or myself, I have to look under it. At one dealership, I asked them if I could run two wheels up on their raised walked area around the building. I made sure the parking brake worked and the car was parked. This gave me enough room to look at the main seals, check the exhaust and look for damage, rust, drips or torn boots (on fwd cars).

If the ATF is spotting the ground near the front of the car, look at your radiator where the lines come in. If the spot is approximately 1/3 back from the front of the car in the center, then you probably need a front seal. If it is a little further back, it will be the rear seal which is less of a problem to replace.

I'm not a mechanic and can't afford one. Therefore I can empathize with your situation. Like you, I have to ask some basic questions hoping to get even a little advice. This is the best I can do.

Regards

 

When i changed mine, i didnt even have to jack the car up. Drain the fluid. Then next i bought one of those tubes that screw onto the bottle with a valve in the tube. It really helped. Stick the end in the fill hole and squeeze the bottle until you cant get anymore in. Youll have to keep condensing and combining the bottles so that one is full enough to squeeze. Its tedious but it worked. Just a thought.