[foxv]

Hey folks,

I haven't posted often, so thanks in advance to whoever reads and replies on this. So recently I've developed a situation where I get a whiff of ATF smell now and again. I'm still trying to corner precisely how to make it happen, but I think it tends to be when I'm shifting hard and/or cornering. I checked the obvious parts that I've touched (I do my own services) -- the drain and fill bolts. Both are dry, no staining, and no signs of leakage. I teflon tape everything and the teflon on the threads of the fill bolt is still white -- considering I use Redline D6 that is dyed VERY red, that teflon would be stained if any was forcing its way out through the threads. As such I'm pretty certain it's not the drain or fill bolts.

Which leaves me these four possibilities, ranked in likelihood by my estimation:
1) Shift tower -- I know it's sealed, but at some level this seems to be the most likely candidate because it does seem to be related to aggressive shifting and cornering. I haven't taken the center console apart yet to check but that's next on my list
2) Sandwich plate -- now I inspected visually, but that was only the bottom. I think if it's leaking, it is A) very little, and B) coming from the top or upper sides under the conditions I mentioned
3) Output shaft -- I've got the AWD so this mates right up with the center diff, and visual inspection did not show any but it could be leaking out the top here? I'll feel around next time I'm inspecting everything to see if I can find residue
4) Input shaft -- this is the least likely by my estimation since it'd be leaking into the clutch area and I have had no changes in clutch feel or indications of any issues with the clutch

Any suggestions or directions on how to diagnose this further would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you!
-FoxV