I've been out of the Jeep scene for about a year now but tonight found a deal on another XJ similar to my old one and with winter coming, what better time to grab it.

The jeep is a 92 Laredo, auto.

My question is: On the 75 mile trip back home (which it did make running 70 on flat ground and 90 down hill) , the Jeep would leak trans fluid, 3 different times onto the exhaust causing the obvious horrific smoke from the exhaust burning the fluid off. The transmission never once slipped, quit pulling, didn't shift or anything negative for that matter. What I did notice is the transmission is over full with fluid (according to the dip stick), from what I can put together it was venting excess or pushing it out of a seal or something like that? Is this an accurate assumption?

Also let me add, I paid $600 for it, clean title, 4 door, with some character. That being said, I couldn't care less it leaked some fluid, he was drinking his beer and I was making my offer.

Tomorrow I'll pull it in my shop and throw it up on a rack and first drain however much necessary, slowly, until I get a correct reading on the dipstick and then proceed to check for a cracked line or case or cracked/broken anything for that matter.

And before anyone chimes in with how that's so bad for the pump, internals and transmission in general, I'm well aware of that, this isn't my first or last Jeep. I've done numerous headgaskets on these, swapped trans, t-cases, gears, front/rear ends, rebuilt bottom ends, rolled them over, blown headgaskets, demolished perfectly good quarter panels and fenders, busted off mirrors, changed both upper and lower ball joints on trails at 5am, started fires to keep warm on those 5am nights, backed into my buddy in his xj in traffic to test bumper strength, climbed ***** no one said I could climb, replaced numerous d30 front axles with my eyes closed at midnight, listened to my buddies transfer case chain jump teeth for hours while he tried to climb what I climbed, etc etc etc.

 

Anyone?

 

Just sounds like it was overfilled. I don't think many people know the right way to check the level

 

I think you're right, this ding bat had filled it all the way up to where the words start saying 'level when warm' or whatever they say, instead of using the crosshatches where it clearly indicates "Full"

 

I just got an automatic a few months ago for a project and haven't driven it yet, the "right" way to do the fluid is apparently check it while warm with the engine running and transmission in park or neutral. I'm not sure if that pushes the fluid level on the dipstick up or down in comparison to when it's cold and off, but from all the threads complaining about leaks I'm assuming it moves it up!

 

That's what it says on the trans dip stick, apparently some people don't know how to read a dipstick, can't wait to check the oil in one to find it half way of the stick...

I drained about 1/2-1 quart of fluid out, took it on a 30 minute or so drive to some great trails, hills and mud holes, wheeled it all night long and then drove it back home, parked it and drove it all around town today. I would imagine it was just venting excess fluid.

 

Nice. I figured it was some from strange mysterious place nobody ever looks called The Owner's Manual. I had no idea it actually says that on the dipstick! Ayecarumba