Anyone know where the connection points for the dealer full trans flush are? I had a flush done at Avondale Subaru in Arizona back in March. Was told I had an oil leak after the flush was done. Funny, I hadn't had one in over two weeks of hard driving! Hadn't seen a drip. Later that day I had a new leak (two small spots) under the car, and swiftly got back down to them. The mechanic told me (again) he'd checked out the car and that I had a leak at the oil pump seal. Aircraft-engineer and I had just done a timing belt service, and I had no leaks afterwards for over 2000 miles. This just seemed weird. But we didn't replace the oil pump, just the seals, so I shrugged it off and just kept checking the fluid. I checked the transmission, and it was OK. Since the fluid wasn't red, I believed the mechanic.

 

However, the drips weren't exactly under the pump - but off the driver's side just back of the radiator. Later, a day or so later, they appeared under the oil pump. OK, I thought, Houston, we have the oil leak back! Boo. Not much of one, the drips were merely dime-sized.

 

Well, I had the same dealer do an oil change yesterday, before I (finally) go home, and voila! A new mechanic AND the service manager come tell me I have leaks on both transmission cooler lines. I get under the car and see them. Forward ends of the hoses, both of them, leaking just off the radiator cooler. The fluid had run back to the crossmember under the oil pan and dripped down, pulling the old oil leak stains with them from before the timing belt service. Hence the red not showing.

 

The old mechanic was no longer there. He'd also told me I had a head gasket leak (which I knew was wrong, and posted a question about it), and this new mechanic went over the oil pump carefully. He found no sign it had ever leaked since the belt service. Nothing wrong with the head gaskets, either.

 

I strongly suggested I shouldn't have to pay for the hoses, since they were not leaking before the flush, and I was really annoyed I'd been misinformed - twice - about the source of the leaks. Unfortunately, the dealership doesn't think so. I'm still going to get them done (cheaper than a new trans), but do I need to worry about damage somewhere else?

 

If this was the connection point Subaru used, case closed, source of problem. I know Jiffy Lube/Pep Boys/most other shops use the lines as the point to hook up their flush unit. If Subaru dealers use another point, what do I need to look at to see if there's other collateral damage? Dragon's shifting well, now that she has that cup of fluid added to her. (We know the stick reading problem - is it low, or isn't it? Do it thirty times, still don't know, guess low ) She was only starting to shift a mile or two late this last week, and not hard shifts, just not as smooth as she was after the flush.

 

You know, I'm kind of glad I tore a CV last week, or I'd have driven home on this and never known! $300 CV - ugh. Saving $2000 transmission - yeah, that really IS priceless.

Most would hook up to the point behind the radiator. They would only have to disconnect 1 hose to do the job.