Transmission fluid leak from behind instrument cluster
Ford EscortFord Escort ZX2 is a hot-looking compact coupe with a rakish design. Yet its handsome interior reveals a roomy back seat and surprisingly large trunk. ZX2 provides responsive handling and good road manners and its engine delivers decent power. At the same time, the ZX2 is a practical car, with plenty of room in the back seats for friends.
I've had good luck with the paper towells stuffed up between the Speedo Cable and an air duct way up there. This past week I caught my first drip on the floor mat and replaced the towels. At least that keep the oil "contained" and off the shoes. As far as the location of the vent, it's basically under the air intake hose, about 4" above the height of the sensor. Look for a good sized horizontal surface. The cap should be somewhat loose and rotatable.
Does the vent screw out or is it pressed in? I found an aluminum looking cap on the flat surface that you described. I was looking for a rubber vent hose like a vacuum hose. Is the aluminum cap the vent?
I found the vent following the posts. Just take the intake hose off and it is straight below. I am uploading 3 pics 1) vent with cap 2) vent without cap and 3) cap with spring and rubber seal. This design has the cap pressed onto a raised vent (pic2). The cap will spin freely and in order to get it off, you pry with a flat screwdriver which damages the cap so it can't be put back on. That is because the cap has a spring inside it and a flat black rubber gasket. This gasket seals the vent hole until enough pressure pushes upward on the gasket compressing the spring and allowing the gasket to raise enough to let air out the edges of the cap which has small semi-circle cutouts at it's base. My cap spun freely and there wasn't anything clogging my hole. I used a guitar string to clean/check the hole for blockage holding onto it tightly. You do not want whatever you are using to drop into the tranny so put some duct tape on the end in case it slips out of your fingers.
I drove it about 50 miles with slow and fast up to 80 MPH and let it sit and it was not leaking. I think it may finally be fixed. Will post status after several more days. This vent cap is a cheaply designed check valve.
My Theory:
First, I didn't have problems with this during the cold winter months. My theory is that heat expands as we know and I live in Texas where it is hot, really hot. I suspect the heat expands the flat rubber gasket so it won't slide freely up and down in the cap OR the gasket gets cocked in the cap. The spring is very weak and wouldn't move the gasket back into place with just pressure changes.
Conclusion:
My cap was not free spinning when I first touched it, but a very light twist got it moving. I suspect the gasket was cocked in the cap. If I did it over I would just spin it and make sure there isn't any sludge around the cap. And see if the speedo still leaks due to pressure in the tranny case. If it still does, then you can do what Daniel and I did and pry it off, put a piece of tubing over the vent and secure with a cable tie wrap. Then, add a one way check valve and secure to one of the corrugated wire bundles above it.
Last edited by planoescort; 08-14-2008 at 10:25 PM..
The pics were a great help. Thanks for taking the time to do them. I found the valve. Now I just want to gather the parts together before I pry the cap off. What kind of "one way valve" did you use.
Total Thank You! I haven't tried the fix yet. As I am currently dropping some half-shafts in. But I too have had this "oil like" substance on my floor. It got so bad that I started tracking this gunk into people's homes. (I just replaced the floor mat and haven't had too many issues since). I also replaced a clutch (as well as trans.) and noticed it happening. I thought it was brake fluid from a master cylinder.
I originally noticed these stains on my white socks and once noticed a drip from behind the dash! I sure hope this is my issue and this fixes it. Also glad this post is current. Oh joy if this works (and I have cleaned up the goo under the dash) as I'll be able to wear dress pants and shoes etc. (as well as be able to tell if it is really fixed).
I happened to stumble upon this post when I googled "escort transmission shaft seal" (without the quotes). Didn't find my answer to my question. But did find a possible solution to a problem that's been "plaguing" me for a while.
And thank you planoescort for posting those pics. I hope to locate and clean that once I've got my shafts in and tranny filled.
Last edited by Escort_Phan; 08-28-2008 at 01:20 AM..
Reason: cudos to planoescort
I was just quoted a price of $38...the local transmission shop found one out in California...does that sound about right? Seems like a lot for such a little part.
I just bought my 96 escort three weeks ago from an auction. Receipts show new clutch kit installed in '06. I too have the leak from the same place. At first I thought it was power steering fluid, but I'm a girl and I figured because of the color of the fluid my power steering had a leak. I registered to this forum to get to the bottom of the problem. So thanks for all the above info, as now, at least I know what is wrong....now I just have to find someone to help me fix it. My question though is this - my factor radio has a short somewhere, sometimes, at no particular time, one or two or none of my speakers will work. Could the leak behind the dash being a cause for this short? And how long before this leak will cause major troubles for me if I don't get it fixed right away?
Thanks for any additional help!!
I have a 2000 Taurus. Intermittently it would pour all the transmission fluid on the ground. It went to the transmission shop. A month or so later it started pouring out the fluid again. I found the post about the clogged vent and just knew that was the answer because the fluid was being forced out the top of the dip stick. I took it to a neighborhood repair shop and was told it needed a radiator and the transmission flushed at least twice to the tune of about $600+. I said ok the car isn't doing any me any good the way it is. With credit card in hand I went to pick up the car. The good news is the bill was $176 for a filter kit. The car is fine. The shop could have charged me the $600+ and I would have never known the difference. Many thanks to A1 Automotive in Metropolis, IL.
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This May Be The Answer!!! 
THANK YOU! 
related question 
and I figured because of the color of the fluid my power steering had a leak. I registered to this forum to get to the bottom of the problem. So thanks for all the above info, as now, at least I know what is wrong....now I just have to find someone to help me fix it. My question though is this - my factor radio has a short somewhere, sometimes, at no particular time, one or two or none of my speakers will work. Could the leak behind the dash being a cause for this short? And how long before this leak will cause major troubles for me if I don't get it fixed right away?
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