All the trans fluid keeps being "pumped" into the oil pan.
How can this happen?

Maybe a clue!
I drained the oil and stuck my finger up inside the oil pan thru the drain hole.
I felt what I think is tubing.
What is this?
Is this some transmission fluid tube line running thru the oil pan to cool the trans fluid?

Has anybody seen this problem?
How do I fix it? Or what would it cost to fix?

 

You are getting transmission oil in the engine oil pan?

Trans fluid is red, what color is the engine oil?

Check the radiator coolant, any oil in the radiator?

 

It is just as I stated and no more.
No oil or anything in the coolant.
Engine oil turned red and went way up the stick.
Trans oil below (off) dip stick.

Trans fluid is being "pumped" into the oil pan.

 

Not questioning your observations, but.

Mixing of trans and engine oil is unheard of on this car as the trans and engine are completely separate.

The engine coolant and trans fluid could mix if the trans cooler in the radiator was leaking. What condition is the engine oil, reddish but does it also look like chocolate milkshake?

Has any work been done on the engine?

How is the trans fluid being checked, hot, cold, both?

Any chance trans fluid was put into the engine?

 

Not, the oil looks normal except for the color change.
I do my own oil changes and have been for decades.
I know where the oil and trans fluid goes.
After the last oil change I checked both dip sticks before running the engine.
The oil was at the mark and the trans fluid was off the stick dry.
So I added trans fluid to the cold mark.
Idled the engine for one half hour while washing the car to warm it up and saw the oil stick go way up and turn redish and the trans stick was dry. After letting it sit for several days, the dip sticks remained the same: oil way up and trans dry.
So the engine was pumping the trans fluid into the oil pan.
I drained the oil and saw it looked OK except for the color and the volume was more than usual.
The coolant is normal pink and transparent.
On some models there used to be a vacuum control tied to the trans. When it when bad, the trans fluid would be sucked by the vacuum into the engine.
I saw no smoke when the engine was running, smelled nothing out of the ordinary. The trans fluid smell normal, not burned.
Before all of this, the trans acted perfectly and drove just fine. No trans symptoms at all.

 

The mixing with the engine oil happens that fast?

The trans is electric with no vacuum controls.

You can look on the trans for vacuum hoses running to the engine. If vacuum hoses they would go to the engines intake. Any oil being drawn into a hose would go into the intake to be burned by the engine.

Any work done on the engine or trans?

The only exterior trans oil lines go to the oil cooler on the radiator.

Check the bell housing under the car where the trans bolts to the engine for signs of trans fluid.

Suppose if the front trans seal were leaking badly enough the trans pump could force oil through the engine crank seal where it comes out. But the bell housing typically has a cover plate on the bottom for access to the torque converter bolts. The bell housing is not sealed, any fluid leakage would eventually find its way to the ground.

You can put a fluorescent dye into the trans fluid (common product-check internet or auto parts stores for products), then check the engine oil for the dye. If present this would be absolute confirmation of the mixing.

 

Yes, in the time it took to wash the car.
I see no drips on the concrete or anything wet underneath.
No one has done any work other than change spark plugs and brake pads over a year ago.
I watched the whole process for both.
Someone suggested that someone might have switched the oil and trans cooling lines. How could that be possible? Even so, the trans would contain oil and it does not. After I filled it I started it and checked the level after a minute and the fluid looked right. Then I washed the car.
I need no dye, they are mixing. No doubt.

 

Don't know, but.

Follow the trans oil cooler hoses from the trans and determine where they go, should be the lower part of the radiator - oil cooler. If not correct something is wrong.

Look over the engine for an engine oil cooler. The engine should not have one but never know if someone added it.

Make sure the hoses are not crossed between coolers.

Look over the trans for any hoses connecting to the modulator which would be located on the side of the trans. There should not be one, but?

Get under the car and look at the bell housing mating up to the engine. The trans may NOT have the access plate described in a previous response as such there could be a sealed space between trans and engine block, the bell housing.

If may be possible (but very strange!) for the front seal on the trans oil pump to have blown out (the seal around the trans power intake shaft) or something on the torque converter blew out now allowing trans oil to enter the bell housing.

The trans pump operates at high pressure (100-200ish psi), it could be high enough to allow the fluid to force its way past the crank seal and into the engine oil pan.

Remove the starter and look at the sides of trans flex plate and ring gear. If covered with trans fluid this is the problem.

The above is long shot but never know. Easy to check by taking out the starter.

Please post back with your findings.