Chrysler Repair: Transmission Leaking in drive, but not in park/neutral, chrysler sebring, sebring lx

Question
QUESTION: Hi, I am having a problem with my transmission leaking.  It just started doing this a couple days ago.  It only leaks when in drive or reverse.  Which makes me think something is wrong with the torque converter.  We had the tranny out a couple weaks ago and replaced a few seals.  I seen online that there is a torque converter seal?  I think i narrowed it down to the converter because it only does it in drive or reverse, not neutral or park.  Any info you might have would be great.  The car is a 1996 Chrysler Sebring Lx 2.5 L engine 4 speed auto trans.

ANSWER: Hi Josh,
I am not sure I would agree with you on that distinction because the torque converter is always in action whether in drive or in park/neutral. It is not connected to any gears but the input turbine and output turbine are indeed spinning in park/neutral so I don't see why if it were leaking it would not also leak in park/neutral. Rather I would suspect an output drive shaft seal because those definitely don't turn in park/neutral and otherwise do. You probably can see the leak on one side or the other if I am correct by running the car with the front wheels elevated off the ground and putting the engine/trans in drive and/or in park/neutral and see whether the fluid is leaking from either side at the differential/half-shaft interface.
Roland


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well i expected it to be the torque converter because the trans fluid is leaking right out of the flywheel cover?  What seal would that be? Or why would trans fluid leak out of the flywheel cover?  It leaks out enough trans fluid in one day that its not able to drive.

Answer
Well you didn't mention that was the leak location. It would probably be the seal at the output shaft of the turbine where it enters the transmission would be my guess. There would be a difference in the forces around the seal between when the trans was in park/neutral vs in gear, even though the shaft would be turning in both cases.
Roland
PS:You may be able to distinguish between a torque converter leak or a leak of the entrance seal of the transmission (called the 'oil pump seal). To make a test, get thin piece of sheet metal: 1/32" thick or thereabouts, 5" by 1 and 1/2" to use as a test probe on the inside surface of the torque converter housing, parallel to the crankshaft direction. Remove the dust shield cover on the under side of the torque converter housing. Bend a tab at one end of the probe and drill a hole sufficient to pass a bolt from the cover so that the probe can be inserted inside the housing to lay on the insice surface and secured by the tab via a bolt (bend probe to conform with the shape of the inside surface). Then clean the inside surface as much as possible with a solvent and dry it off with compressed air. Make sure the probe clears the torque converter and the probe is clean and dry. Then run engine for 2 minutes at 2500 rpm (with the trans at near operating temp by having run it before you did the interior cleaning). Stop engine and carefully remove probe. If the upper surface of the probe is dry, then there is no leak in the torque converter. If there is a path of trans fluid across the upper surface of the probe then there is a leak in the converter. If there is fluid on the back side of the probe (that was in contact with the interior of the housing) that would indicate a leak in the oil pump seal of the trans. Let me know which result you get and I can tell you what are the possible sources of which type of leak.
This procedure is used in the 3-speed automatic but I see no reason it would not apply to the 4-speed automatic.
Roland