I have a 2005 Sebring Touring convertible that had a broken driver's side CV half-shaft. I replaced it and when I put in transmission fluid, it drained under the car. I took the wheel back off and found this hole (circled in pic). Also the transmission mount was broken on that same side. I'm assuming the transmission was sitting on or hitting the area where the control arm screw is (arrow in pic) because the bracket the arm sits in is also missing part of top. The bracket is below the hole.

I'm not a mechanic and it's probably a stupid question, but should there not be a hole there? Could that hole be where the transmission fluid is draining out? Is that hole part of the whole transmission or a separate replaceable part?

I stuck my finger in the hole and there was black grease. The transmission fluid that drained under the car was not dirty and red color like the new fluid I had just poured in. Does that area where the hole is hold transmission fluid? If not, is it just a fluid-less area? The broken CV shaft boot was ripped off at the transmission side. Maybe the black grease is the boot grease?

Does the whole transmission needs to be replaced, or can that hole be sealed (like welding a metal piece on). Any info and advice is appreciated.

Vince

 

There should not be a hole there. The "black grease" could be a combination of old oxidized transmission fluid and dirt that sat in the bottom of the case for who knows how long after the damage was done from the broken mount. It's likely that the new fluid you put in just ran over the top of the gunk at the bottom and right out the hole.

Does the whole transmission need to be replaced? Probably. There's no telling what the condition of the internal parts of the transmission might be. If it was driven for a distance or at speed with the fluid gone it could be torn up pretty bad inside. Even if the guts are in perfect shape, it would probably cost more to pull them all out and replace them into a new case than it would to simply replace the transmission with a second-hand one.
Could you weld up the hole and get back on the road? Welding on a transmission case like that is pretty risky. You could set it afire pretty easily, or cause internal problems to seals that wouldn't be apparent. And because of the previously mentioned possible but unknown internal damage, welding the case could be a complete waste of time.

If you want a possible quick and dirty solution, you could try cleaning the surface extremely well and using a good epoxy to glue a patch over the hole. After letting it cure, you could try filling it with ATF-4 again and seeing if it will run. Chances are that if there is internal damage, it won't work or won't work very well, and you'll know that you need to replace the transmission. Even if it works, I wouldn't want to count on that being a permanent fix for the problem. At least you could then drive it to some different shops for repair estimates.

 

Thank you for the info.

 

Dcotter, hi
gpatel
Subject: Sebring 2006, v6 2.7, sedan. 190000km
Hi,
I have had this car for 13 years and same serpentine belt , same water pump etc and still runs like new in 2020 October!
never a single problem in tranny or engine, always used synthectic oil.
replaced water jacket with 3 hoses twice as hole in plastic housing. Spent less than $2000 in 14 years on this car, replaced all ball joints in front and rear springs. Best car out there, and still going strong like new. The body is spotless and looks like it rolled of production line yesterday. Washed no more than twice a year, fantastic rust free condition. Will go on for another few years before i will buy another new car. Trick keep away from average grease monkeys who will sell u a new car by throwing parts at it because they dont understand how to diagnose problems. Changed tranny oil once at home, 50% drain and fill with new filter diy job.
Sebring Touring 2006, , v6 2.7litres, sedan.
Thank you