Hi! My car, a '03 Ford Taurus station wagon leaked a good amount of transmission fluid onto the rough cement garage floor and the gravel driveway. First question is ‘Why?’ because the transmission mechanic found no problems with it and just refilled with fluid. Second, what kind of cleaning solution is safe to use with transmission fluid and will work well on the gravel area where the spill occurred? Additional info, it was 90 degrees out when the fluid leaked so might that have anything to do with it?
Tranny fluid is just a special kind of oil, how would you treat an oil stain? Throw some Kitty Litter or oil dry on the cement floor. Don’t worry about the gravel.
Why? Good question.
There is really no way for fluid to escape a transmission except past seals and out the dip-stick tube…I had a Malibu that did that once, fluid poured out of the front seal of the transmission for about a minute then it quit. But over time, the leaking got worse and I had to rebuild the tranny…
To remove the mess from concrete, spread the cheapest cat litter you can find on it then work it into the cement with hard-soled shoes. Really grind it in. Then sweep it up. Next, sprinkle laundry or dishwasher detergent over the spot and spray it with water (lightly). Work it in with a broom and let it sit for 1/2 hour and hose it off…Repeat if necessary. As for the gravel, you might have to just spread more gravel on top. Over time, it will “blend in”…
Here is what I would do.
First you need kitty litter, not the kind that clumps, the cheap stuff. Next, spread it on the garage floor, and grind it into the oil stain with your feet. You might need to sweep up the first attempt and start again with fresh litter. Then sweep it up. If that doesn’t take care of it, get a deck brush, scrub it with bleach, and hose it off. If you have made it to this point, and there is still a stain, you might consider learning to live with the stain, but if it really bothers you, consider borrowing or renting a pressure washer. Don’t go crazy with it. Keep the pressure at a low or moderate level.
On the gravel, I would just throw some kitty litter on it hope for the best.
If available in your area, TSP works better than the detergent.Liberally spray the stain on the concrete with brake parts cleaner and let it soak for a minute or two. Apply oil dri/kitty litter over the stain and let that sit for five minutes. Sweep up and the stain is gone.
Tester