Transmission leak

Well you wanted to determine where the drip is coming from I doubt it's the transmission literally usually it's a input shaft seal or output shafts here where the CV joint goes into the transmission You should look there real quick and see if you see an obvious drip there If it is there that means when it's running and spinning it could be slinging some out so it may have the whole area there nice and shiny and wet If that's the case that's an easy seal to replace and then maybe it's time for you to change your transmission fluid anyway it's not that difficult and $300 holy cow to check the level yeah okay it's like checking an old rear end in a truck or a car You put it level you have the plug out the upper plug You stick your finger in it and the tip of it should just get wet You don't bend it down just stick it right in your pinky It should come out with some red on it not from the threads from the level of the transmission.

 

It's NOT a sealed system. If it was, how's the dealership going to check it for $300???
You'll find a 10mm hex plug at the base of the transmission, drain plug. On the other side is another 10mm hex plug, up near the half-shaft - the fill port. That's where you check the ATF fluid level. If the car is level, fluid should drip out - if it doesn't your low. Fill with Toyota ATF WS until it begins to drip out.

Hope this helps.....

 

Repair manual fluid level check attached. Toyota didn’t include a fluid change instruction for gen 2. Dealership’s $300 USD quote to do this is preposterous.

 

Do you have any photos or videos of the location where you saw the leak?
That would help us give more valuable advice.

 

Are you able to raise it yourself say with floor jack or ramps? What’s the parking situation? If possible, wipe everything down then monitor.

there’s a link in my signature regarding third gen transaxle fluid change, which may be useful. (On a phone turn it landscape to see signatures).

 

An ATF change should cost you around $125-$175. It takes 3.5 quarts of Toyota ATF WS. It's a simple drain and fill - DO NOT let them tell you need to flush it, that's a rip-off IMHO, because 98% of the ATF will drop out of that drain plug.
Have whomever does the job, measure how much came out vs how much was put in. That's your leak rate. Do that again in a few months of normal driving activity to gauge the rate of loss. Place a piece of cardboard where the car is normally parked to get an idea of drip rate. If your losing more than 1.5 quarts every two months, it's needs fixing - otherwise you can just keep adding every couple of months. You may be able to keep the car for a few more years, depending on how fast it's dripping out of there.

Good Luck.....

 

It is worth carefully examining the lower part of the transmission box.
Any fluid leak should not be left unchecked.
The fluid costs a small amount.
Replacing or repairing the block in which it leaks will cost an order of magnitude more if the fluid suddenly disappears.

 

But not the leak rate. Many types of vehicle leaks are at different rates depending on how hot the car is, how fast it is going, and so forth.

For a DIY solution, the OP could pull the fill plug, put in a tube from the top, then slowly add fluid until it overflows, keeping track of how much fluid went in. Then plug it up again. Repeat in a few days, then a week, or whatever they determine is a safe interval. That will give the leak rate with no need to drain it.

The problem with that approach is that the problem seal might not just get slowly worse, it could fail catastrophically while driving. So best to find out what the actual problem is, as the OP is doing.

 

Well if you lucky, whomever did the axle replacement may have nicked the transmission seals. Hopefully that's where it's leaking from. Cheap easy fix.

Good Luck....

 

That's strange, If the ATF was never changed - how did that fill plug get loose? From the factory, those plugs are so tight I've to use a 36+ inch breaker bar to get them loose.
If this was the same mechanic that replaced the axles, he probably realized his mistake - while he was under there. A good mechanic would check ATF levels after replacing axles, since some ATF drips out. Then again, a 'good mechanic' wouldn't leave a loose fill plug either. But we're all human...... glad it worked out.

YMMV.....