[lschaerer]

I am having to put about 1/2 quart of transmission fluid in every week. The leak seems to be at what I call the back (in front of the dashboard area), and causes the car to smoke in that same area as if it's leaking on the exhaust. After a bit of research, it sounds like it is the axle seal. Took it to a Honda mechanic (not dealership) yesterday, and he told me that it's the front seal, meaning that the transmission has to be pulled out to replace it, and said he might as well change the torque converter while the transmission is out. My transmission has 254K miles on it. Charge to do so will be $1300. I asked him to check around for a replacement transmission to see the cost difference. He found one with $100k miles on it, but said total cost with transmission and labor will be $3000. Should I get a second opinion? Is there an easy way to tell which seal is leaking (from home without a rack, and I'm no kind of mechanic at all. My husband can build a house but not a car). Thanks for your suggestions.

 

[bluetegjoe]

The front seal leak will manifest as a drip where the transmission meets the engine. The axle seals will manifest as wetness where the shafts enter the differential. This can be checked by putting the car on jackstands, wiping those areas clean, and checking again after a day of driving.
A second opinion is definitely a good idea when you are potentially spending that much money. The reality of the situation is that after 14 years there is not likely to be many “low mileage” used transmissions . Wrecking yard mileage claims are notoriously unreliable. A used transmission is a greater gamble than replacing the seal on yours if it is otherwise working fine.