Transmission oil leaking. one mechanic said it needs a solinoid. How do you replace the solinoid? Is it difficult?

Only solution is to replace the oil seals

Good job, sounds like you are onto it. Only thing wrong with your analysis, is it could be leaking all the time, and only starts smoking when exhaust is hot enough to burn it.
Leaking power steering hoses can be very difficult to remove and replace-location makes them difficult to access, holding brackets may be hard to find. Likely you will need the front of car up on jackstands, and work from underneath. The two lines (the power line and return line) connect to the PS reservoir at top, and to the rack and pinion unit mounted on a crossmember below and behind the engine. Wipe both of them off to find the leak. You may have to run the engine while underneath to spot the leak. Often a small mirror helps to see up behind the engine. And remember, the fluid may leak at one place, then run along the outside of the line before it starts dripping on the exhaust. You may luck out and have a fitting on the reservoir that just needs tightening.
Good luck.

sounds like you were running it without oil..that would explain why there was no oil leaking on the ground..the gearbox would now be worn out so it's best to get another trans,, could be a rebuilt or from a scrapped crashed vehicle..if the trans was running out of oil, best not try to repair it..

unfortunately sometimes when you get the engine or transmission flushed it can cause an oil leak I don't know what it will cost but I would be getting other quotes & get the work done at the cheapest quote, it pays to shop around........hope this helps......cheers.

Can't say how much to repair without knowing exactly what's leaking. If it's leaking from around the transmission pan, it's a matter of replacing the gasket which is included in the price of having the transmission fluid changed. If it's a transmission line, it all depends on the location and how difficult it is to get at the line.

yes the exhaust has to come down. 6 or 7 bolts no big deal.Didnt your mechanic tell you that? why isnt he replacing the pan for you?Why would you buy a pan from a salvage yard, they are cheap from aftermarket sources, and if it leaks when you are done, tough luck.. turning the ck engine light is not solving anything. your trans has a problem and the sooner its fixed, the less it may cost you.

what code did the mechanic say it had on it was it a shift solenoid or torque convertor lockup solenoid.

leaking from where??????? seal or gasket??

Get someone to check oil pressure with a mechanical gauge, to verify whether you have oil pressure or not. These engine/vehicles, have 2 warning sensors & a control module in the instrument panel. Once you know you have pressure for sure, then you can proceed from there.

usually not to expensive and yes it is difficult if you just bought the car and never worked on it , i always go to a mechanics the first time. just check the fluid often dont run it low, until you get it fixed. its just a matter of removing the bolts that hold the plate on and then changing/flushing the trans fluid, filter. if you never done it i wouldnt attempt it alone .