Why is my friend’s car leaking ATF where the CV axle goes in? Could it be a bad fit?

Automotive Forums
1

2011 Ford Fusion leaking ATF where the CV axle connects to the transmission. My friend said the axle was replaced about a year ago, and it’s been leaking ever since. I pulled the axle out, and the seal looks okay to me. Reinserted it, and it snapped into place fine.

But the axle has a lot of movement—about 1/4 inch in and out and another 1/4 inch up and down. Doesn’t seem to move left or right, though. Could the new axle just not fit well, or is there something internal causing this? The leak is pretty bad, he’s going through ATF like crazy. Any advice?

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2

Make sure you check everything carefully. If the seal’s been disturbed or damaged, that could explain the leak. Also, double-check if the snap ring is still in place on the axle. It might be missing, which could cause the play you’re seeing.

3

This sounds like a known issue. If it’s a 6F35 transmission, the bushing behind the seal might be worn out. This is a common problem because of poor design. Replacing just the seal won’t fix it — you need an updated bushing and seal. My shop has done this repair a bunch of times.

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@Rowe
Same issue happened with my old 2011 Fusion. My local shop replaced the bushing and seal, and it solved the problem.

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@Rowe
I work in a transmission shop too, and this is a frequent issue. The bushing fix is the way to go.

6

If the seal’s already been removed, replace it. No harm in putting in a new one while you’re there.

7

Two things to consider:

  1. If the seal was damaged during the repair, it should be replaced.

  2. If there’s fluid everywhere, clean it up first so you can tell what’s leaking now versus leftover mess from before. Sometimes old fluid can make it look worse than it is.

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@Hollis
It’s definitely leaking now. He’s adding about a quart every few days. It’s all over the area, just like when a CV boot splits and flings grease everywhere. I’ll replace the seal and see if it helps, but the play in the axle has me wondering.

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@Chandler
That much movement isn’t normal. Axles naturally have a little play, but 1/4 inch sounds like a lot. Replace the seal first and check the fluid level. If it’s still leaking, you might need to inspect the other side to compare. Also, is the snap ring missing from the CV axle?

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@Hollis
If the snap ring is gone, the axle will move too much and leak badly. Check for that first.

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@Chandler
If the bushing inside the transmission is worn, just replacing the seal won’t fix it. Unfortunately, the bushing might require more work to replace.

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Corey said:
@Chandler
If the bushing inside the transmission is worn, just replacing the seal won’t fix it. Unfortunately, the bushing might require more work to replace.

Actually, you don’t need to pull the transmission to replace the bushing. I’ve done this repair many times, and it’s a couple of hours of work tops.

13

Does the axle have the snap ring in place?

14

It looks like the snap ring is missing from the axle.

15

It’s usually one of three things: the axle isn’t fully seated, the seal is bad, or the bushing inside the transmission is worn. Sometimes you need to give the axle a light tap to get it to snap into place properly.

16

Looking at the picture, it seems like the seal might be damaged where the fluid is dripping.

17

Is that a wear sleeve on the shaft? If the seal and sleeve aren’t matched, they can cause leaks.

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I don’t know this car specifically, but shouldn’t there be a retaining clip in the groove? If it’s missing, the axle might not stay fully seated.

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  1. Some axle seals are directional, so double-check the part number and diagram to make sure it’s the right one.

  2. These seals can be very fragile. Even a small nick when sliding the axle in can cause a leak.

20

Not sure what happened to my original description, but here’s more detail:

The axle was replaced about a year ago, and it’s been leaking ATF ever since. The seal seems fine to me, and the axle snapped into place, but there’s still a lot of movement in it. Could it be an internal issue or just the wrong axle for this car?