What could this leak be???

I just noticed a leak coming from around the transmission area. The fluid is a clear oily substance. It has a kind of sweet smell to it. Its thick like oil but not as smooth. Its definately not the oil as the oil has a very different smell. I wonder if its the transmission fluid but seeing as we dont get dipsticks I have no idea what the stock transmission oil looks or smells or feels like. Does anyone have any idea what this may be?

The transmission fluid is red. Where is the leak actually; driver's side, passenger's side, engine side, driveshaft side?

it seems to be on the passenger side below and around the transmission case pan seal. its a very sweet smelling fluid. I changed my front brake pads this morning is there any chance this could be related in any way? I havent driven it much since, and its splashed all underneath the tansmission pan and right at the front of the transmission where it connects to the engine housing. I checked powersteering fluid and its not the same, I smelled the brake fluid and I dont think thats it (Maybe it is, but I still have braking power I drove to the store and back and no probs) And its definately not engine oil as its not black like the oil. My only other thought was tranny fluid but ive never seen tranny fluid that wasnt red, I thought maybe with a sprinter though anything could happen.

You'll still have braking power long before the low level brake light appears.

Best thing to do is the measure your tranny fluid level. Might as well get your own tranny dipstick to do it.

I forget where I read it, but that is definitely the place/side of the tranny that starts to leak. Has your rumble strip noise gotten worse?

Wileycoyote said:

I changed my front brake pads this morning is there any chance this could be related in any way? I smelled the brake fluid and I dont think thats it (Maybe it is, but I still have braking power I drove to the store and back and no probs)

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If the pads you removed were very worn AND if you had topped up the brake fluid reservoir some time before changing those pads- it is possible you expelled excess brake fluid from the overflowing reservoir when retracting the caliper pistons(you did that to make room for the new pads). If that is what happened- then there is no risk of problems other than damaging any paintwork the excess brake fluid may have contacted. Doktor A

I thought of that but my reservoir did not overflow as I never added any fluid from the time the van was new and today so when i retracted the pistons it only refilled the reservoir back to being just under max. Sikwan are you positive that the stock tranny fluid is red? The fluid on the ground doesnt smell like typical transmission fluid though, no burnt smell most tranny fluid smells like. This is weird. It seems to drip out most after the van has been shut off. I stopped at the video store left it running and came out 5-10 minutes later and no drip but when I got home there was a drip within 3 minutes of turning the van off.

Could be heater core leaking. Sweet smell is the hint of a coolant leak.

check the floor on passenger side and und the blower motor, lots of little hoses there that could be leaking.

Wileycoyote said:

Sikwan are you positive that the stock tranny fluid is red? The fluid on the ground doesnt smell like typical transmission fluid though, no burnt smell most tranny fluid smells like.

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The transmission fluid will lose its new fluid red tint and turn a yellow color with age. Doktor A

Afer 60k kms and the fluid will be yellow/clearish you think?

Eddy is right, sweet smell smells like coolant. zz

Well it was a leak coming from a sending unit off the transmission. And shocker of ALL shockers........... The part was in stock!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i nearly fell over when the service advisor told me that!
Well I guess Sprinter tranny fluid is a clear, thick, as oil, very sweet smelling substance. So different than conventional tranny fluid. There wasnt even a hint of the standard burn smell you have in all other types of vehicles.