Oil leak leak help

[TWGlass]

2002 Jeep tj auto trans

Driving down the highway today and smell something burning. Look out the back and I’m trailing white smoke. Pull off to the side get out and oil or trans fluid is dripping fast and heavy out of the from if the transmission bell and was blowing back on muffler causing the smoking.

Sit for a few minutes and it slows to almost no drip. Check oil and trans fluid and everything is full. Get back on the road and drove it another 15 miles and no problems.

I posted a picture but it isn’t great. Any ideas on what could have caused that?

 

[bedhed]

2002 Jeep tj auto trans

Driving down the highway today and smell something burning. Look out the back and I’m trailing white smoke. Pull off to the side get out and oil or trans fluid is dripping fast and heavy out of the from if the transmission bell and was blowing back on muffler causing the smoking.

Sit for a few minutes and it slows to almost no drip. Check oil and trans fluid and everything is full. Get back on the road and drove it another 15 miles and no problems.

I posted a picture but it isn’t great. Any ideas on what could have caused that?

View attachment 135071

Others will chime in, but this sounds like the rear main seal to me.

 

[TJ4Jim]

Clean the rear of the cylinder head and check the valve cover bolts, very common for the oil to drip down the rear of the engine and look like a rear main leak. After cleaning the cylinder head check in a few days to see if the oil returns.

 

[Kaptainkid1]

Rear main seal.

 

[TWGlass]

So update. I wiped all the oil off. Drive hone 35 miles on the highway and no leaks now.

Is there something that would cause the rear main seal or something else to blow oil out then stop? Maybe pressure related?

 

[Kaptainkid1]

Rear main seal is made of rubber and ages and leaks after 150k or after 7 years. This are not fast and steady rules may leak before or after general dates and miles.
I have to do mine too..170k 17year old. So my started last year.

 

[Goatman]

There is no seal that can repair itself if that is the question. Some gunk may get itself lodged in a seal and help it to stop leaking, but I've never heard of that happening in the time frame you describe. Could you smell the smoke from the leak? That may help us identify the fluid. Be sure your brake fluid level and coolant levels are good also. A one time massive leak and then reseal is very odd.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

Maybe you accidentally ran over a plastic quart bottle of oil, or something, that popped and sprayed up under the whole bell housing and exhaust area. Since it burned off the smoke is gone.

^Just randomly guessing.

 

[TWGlass]

There is no seal that can repair itself if that is the question. Some gunk may get itself lodged in a seal and help it to stop leaking, but I've never heard of that happening in the time frame you describe. Could you smell the smoke from the leak? That may help us identify the fluid. Be sure your brake fluid level and coolant levels are good also. A one time massive leak and then reseal is very odd.

Brake and coolant levels are good. I looked now and I have a small oil leak which I am very confidant is coming from the rear main seal. I am planning on changing that out in the near future.

I did smell the smoke when it happened but I couldn't tell you now which it was. I am wondering if maybe when they changed the ATF if maybe they didn't overfill it and after heating up on the highway it blew out of a vent tube. It's all guesses for me. I am going to keep checking fluid levels and keep driving it and see if it happens again.

Thanks for the input.

 

[TWGlass]

Maybe you accidentally ran over a plastic quart bottle of oil, or something, that popped and sprayed up under the whole bell housing and exhaust area. Since it burned off the smoke is gone.

^Just randomly guessing.

I didn't see one if I did but everything at this point is a guess for me and that is as good as any.

Thanks for the input!

 

[Kaptainkid1]

Brake and coolant levels are good. I looked now and I have a small oil leak which I am very confidant is coming from the rear main seal. I am planning on changing that out in the near future.

I did smell the smoke when it happened but I couldn't tell you now which it was. I am wondering if maybe when they changed the ATF if maybe they didn't overfill it and after heating up on the highway it blew out of a vent tube. It's all guesses for me. I am going to keep checking fluid levels and keep driving it and see if it happens again.

Thanks for the input.

When you start to do the rear main seal on these engines. You don't need to take off the Transmission. The RMS is pulled and replaced via the oil pan and from under the engine block. I never heard of this until I bought a Jeep 4.0L. They have tons of videos on youtube on how to's.

 

[TJ4Jim]

Brake and coolant levels are good. I looked now and I have a small oil leak which I am very confidant is coming from the rear main seal. I am planning on changing that out in the near future.

I did smell the smoke when it happened but I couldn't tell you now which it was. I am wondering if maybe when they changed the ATF if maybe they didn't overfill it and after heating up on the highway it blew out of a vent tube. It's all guesses for me. I am going to keep checking fluid levels and keep driving it and see if it happens again.

Thanks for the input.

Did you check the valve cover ?

 

[MountaineerTom]

If you get to the point where you think it is the RMs and start to tear it apart, once you get the oil pan off, look at the rear area of the oil pan gasket. I thought I had a RMS leak, but the oil pan gasket was a little compromised and you could see that it was leaking from that area. Some will say that if you've gone that far you might as well change the RMS. I did not. There was no sign of it leaking, so I decided not to disturb it. It's been a couple months shy of 3 years since and I've had zero leaks.

 

[LieutenantJohnson]

make sure the leak is NOT from the Valve cover and leaking back down to make it look like the RMS is leaking

 

[2005 TJ]

When you start to do the rear main seal on these engines. You don't need to take off the Transmission. The RMS is pulled and replaced via the oil pan and from under the engine block. I never heard of this until I bought a Jeep 4.0L. They have tons of videos on youtube on how to's.

On the 2.4 you need to drop the tranny as far as i can remember - because it's split