How about the nuclear solution a.k.a. brake cleaner? I have an extremely sensitive nose to both gear oil and CV grease (one from driving an Impreza with a leaky tranny and the other from rebuilding CVs for a summer) and can smell it way before anyone else can so it really bugs me when the car smells. Also, the thing that kind of worries me is that when I was underneath my car the last time I couldn't smell anything and the housing didn't seem to have any dribble. I'll probably also buy a new shift boot since my current one has residue oil in it.

 

Careful with the brake cleaner. It can possibly ruin seals or other rubber-like parts. It will also cause plastic to become brittle.

 

I know, that's why I call brake cleaner the nuclear solution.

 

Rule #1 in public speaking: Know your audience. You and I know what brake cleaner does but the rest of the readers of this thread may not. Then guess who they become upset with when their connectors and seals are wasted because he wasn't clear when he said "nuclear"?

 

Oh true, point taken.

 

Yes, thanks for clarifying the possible results of using Brake Cleaner.

Goodbye!
Edgardo

 

I wonder if engine degreaser might work better?

 

subscribing as im due for new gear oil this spring ...

thanks for all the good info guys!

 

IMO you don't have the shifter boot seals installed properly or there is a tear some where. The very bottom boot seal has a lip that needs to fully be seated around the trans tunnel sheet metal opening, the next one seals against that and also is an extremely tight fit around the shifter shaft body. There's no way any undercar smells should be getting past those if they're not torn/bent and seated properly. I would pull it all apart and double check.

 

I agree, however, even after a thorough inspection, I am still baffled at how the smell navigates itself into the interior... I did clean all the pieces and the smell has died down, but is not completely gone.

FS

 

Team, the point you make is precisely why most of us with the problem are baffled. Plus, there are several others who ONLY changed the fluid, while not even touching the boots and seals, and the odor presented itself.

 

my other guess is since i dont have this problem, and i just did it by dumping it down the shifter with the fill plug off to get the right amount in...

if you even get a bit of this stuff on you hand and touch anything in the interior you are going to enjoy it for a while...

beers

 

I changed my fluid last August, to RP Maxgear 75w90, using the filler hole. I have never disassembled the console or removed the shifter. Since the change I have had an oil smell, that RARELY enters the cabin unless the windows are open or I sit for a long time at a light with my HVAC on fresh air. When I get out of the car in my garage, however, the smell is pretty strong.

After reading thjis entire thread, I am convinced that this is the problem I have, but I can only smell it from outside the car (thankfully) since I never opened up the shifter.

Some questions:

So, is this something that is unavoidable as a result of the vent design, or can we hope to find a solution?

Is it really appropriate to fill the tranny until it dribbles, or does that end up being more than 1.8qt?

Is there a vent on the rear diff also?

 

I have the smell on my STU car, but also have the exhaust valve cable running into the cabin from the underside of the lower boot so just assume that's where it's coming in from

 

another possibility, for me at least

swapped out the differential this weekend, which meant draining all that stinky oil from the trans. When I was putting the new oil back in the trans I noticed there was some oil smearing on the forward bottom of the trans housing. It appears to be some gear oil weeping out the front trans shaft seal and out the weep hole hole in the bottom of the bellhousing just above the rear of the engine subframe. There was zero leakage anywhere else, including the tailshaft seal. It wasn't dripping or anything, just a light smearing that I wouldn't have seen unless closeup under the car with a light

I had already purchased Redline Shockproof oil to install in the trans this time, the Heavy version for max durability at no viscosity increase, when I also noticed this statement in the Redline literature;

"does not produce the foul sulfur smell common to most gear oils"

interesting ....

 

Could you post a picture of the location?

FS

 

I just finished taking apart my center console and removing the rubber shift boots. There is a sheen of gear oil on my shift turret and both my shift boots had gear oil residue on them. This makes sense as my leather shift boot also has gear oil residue on it. I'm taking it in tomorrow as I don't think there's any way to clean the rubber boots of the gear oil without destroying them, and I don't really want to change the transmission oil in Pepboys' parking lot a third time.

I know correlation does not equal causation, but the last time I changed my gear oil I put in about 1.9 quarts.

 

I got the smell about a month ago. it comes an go. I thought it was from plastic bag stick on exht or from someone elses car. because the smell only present when I am driving with fresh air setting or just parked. at the same time I notice a leak on my garage floor. at first I thought it a slow drip from change the oil filter. days later oil accumulated,it created a foot wide oil mark on the floor. I decided to put a piece of cardboard underneath to get a gerneral ideal where the oilis coming from. then I drove the car on a ramp and got under it. Imediatly I notice dark oil stains under side of the tranny housing. I cleaned it as well as I could, burned gear oil doesnt come off easily. then I waited to see where the leak comes from. Everything seem to be dry. I notice there s a pair of wire going into something like a lug nut. its on the right side of the tranny. where the wires attached to the nut is oilly. so I gave it a wriggle and notice oil weeping very slowly from the wire grommet that set into this nut. anyone know what this nut is call? it must be some kind of sensor screwed into the tranny. I going to have it replace on saturday.
I read through the whole thread , seem like I am the only one with this problem, oil splatter and burn marks on the tranny housing.

 

Redline HD Shockproof oil in the trans seems to have solved my smell issue, super smooth shifts despite also adding the AF short throw shifter too

 

nice note.

beers

 

I can smell oil in my interior for a few seconds after starting up the engine......after that the smell kind of disappear, is it the trans fluid ? or something can some one tell me? I have AT btw

 

Really good information here. I've had this problem for a while. My question to you guys is this: I had my oil changed with my 30K at the dealership, has ANYone gotten the dealer to cop to smelling the oil? and has anyone gotten the dealer to fix this? i'm pretty pissed that they charged me a crapload to make my car smell like gear oil. Thanks.

 

Another question on top of this... has anyone else experienced issues with the 2nd and 4th gear synchros after the tranny oil was changed? The dealership already inspected it once (for about two hours while i was stuck there) and found no leaks.

 

I just went to the dealership this afternoon. They smelled it and am ordering me a new shifter.

 

Team are you using heavyweight or lightweight or super lightweight?