atf leak help

Hi all I have all of a sudden got a bad leak of what looks like atf (red oil) and its all over the left hand side of the engine bay and running under the disco. I cant find anything that looks like its leaking but the gearbox atf dipstick seems to pop out of the tube alittle, would this be blowing oil up the tube and so then looking like an oil leak on the left hand side?
I have had the engine running but it only seems to do it now and again and only under load.
Many thanks,
Mark.

is the breather blocked as this will cause the box to presurize, but where it is i havent a clue,but i do know that it doesnt take a lot to block them

brnocz said:

is the breather blocked as this will cause the box to presurize, but where it is i havent a clue,but i do know that it doesnt take a lot to block them

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Thanks for the reply could be worth a look. Anyone know where to look for the breather?
Better just add its had new oil and filter done on the box about 3000 miles ago and the box changes and runs smooth still.

hilly1 said:

Hi all I have all of a sudden got a bad leak of what looks like atf (red oil) and its all over the left hand side of the engine bay and running under the disco. I cant find anything that looks like its leaking but the gearbox atf dipstick seems to pop out of the tube alittle, would this be blowing oil up the tube and so then looking like an oil leak on the left hand side?
I have had the engine running but it only seems to do it now and again and only under load.
Many thanks,
Mark.

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You sure it's not power steering fluid coming from a leaking pump?

There is not much chance of oil being blown out of the dipstick as it is quite a distance from the sump . It could be just vibrations causing to move upwards , mine does this all the time . As regards the leaks it could be coming from the PAS reservoir or push fit/jubilee clip connections or a connection to the PAS pump or one of the auto box oil cooler pipes . It is not unusual as most of this is on the left side of the car and the swage fittings do give up after a while . Look at the age of the car and they are probably original fittings . Also check for the pipes rubbing and damage from corrosion etc.You need to get underneath with a inspection lamp and have a good look as well as looking and feeling around from the top. You might need to degrease the whole lot as fresh oil / leaks are easier to find when the engine and bay is clean and dry Regards Jonathan

Thanks for the replies guys I will have to give it all a good jet wash then run again and look for all the points you have told me about.
Mark.