Blown Transmission Cooler in the Radiator?

zchsteve · Jun 23, 2021

First post here. Ill try to make this short and to the point. Yesterday I noticed 2 drops of what looked like transmission fluid under my Jeep. I shrugged it off because it was literally 2 drops and decided to take a look at it this upcoming weekend. Bad idea. Fast forward to this morning about 35 min into my 40 min drive to work (90% highway) I started smelling burning fluid. At the light in front of work I could see it smoking pretty good. Got it to work and popped the hood to find transmission fluid all over EVERYTHING. I took those 3 pictures in the morning and looked at it at lunch. I replaced the trans cooler lines probably 3-4 years ago they appear to be good unless there's a leak in the hose section and they were still installed correctly into the radiator. So if its not the lines do you guys think its the trans cooler in the radiator with that kind of mess and volume of fluid? I got a ride home and am going to work with a car dolly tomorrow to bring it back home and look at it up on the lift.
Thanks,
Zach

AndyG · Jun 23, 2021

Just drain the radiator a little and look at the fluid... If it has transmission fluid in the cooling system then that is what has happened

Going by the burnt smell and the volume it sounds like the transmission has puked it out of the filler neck from overheating possibly

remember Power steering fluid looks like transmission fluid so don’t rule that out but of course don’t overlook the obvious.

Farmergreg · Jun 23, 2021

I've got a got a high miles '03 pickup that just had a similar incident. Last week one of the trans cooler lines found to berubbing the intercooler pipe and finally wore a hole and a steady stream of ate was all over the passenger side.

Can you take some pics of where the lines enter the radiator? Possibly start it and see where its leaking?

zchsteve · Jun 23, 2021

Thats kinda what I was thinking once I get it home. I checked my power steering and that was fine, still had power steering and the pump wasnt whining so I think I ruled that out. I run Zerex G-05 (I know I know many people like it and probably more hate it lol) as my coolant so my coolant isnt red or green, its more of a clearish almost like oil or even like cooking oil, so I know its not coolant. The coolant in the overflow reservoir looks as it should with no oil in it. Let me ask you this... This morning it was pretty cool, barely 60 when I went in, if it somehow overheated and puked out the dipstick what could have caused it to do that. A clog somewhere in the system?

Farmergreg · Jun 23, 2021

zchsteve said:
Thats kinda what I was thinking once I get it home. I checked my power steering and that was fine, still had power steering and the pump wasnt whining so I think I ruled that out. I run Zerex G-05 (I know I know many people like it and probably more hate it lol) as my coolant so my coolant isnt red or green, its more of a clearish almost like oil or even like cooking oil, so I know its not coolant. The coolant in the overflow reservoir looks as it should with no oil in it. Let me ask you this... This morning it was pretty cool, barely 60 when I went in, if it somehow overheated and puked out the dipstick what could have caused it to do that. A clog somewhere in the system?

From the pic of the underside of the hood, the oil looks to be originating from the front and not the rear where the dipstick is located.

zchsteve · Jun 23, 2021

Once I get it home tomorrow evening Ill try starting it to see what happens and grab some more pictures. The lines themselves looked good and the connection to the radiator was secure but ill double check all that on the lift tomorrow. For some reason i didnt check the ATF fluid level before I got a ride home, but in the parking lot at work there was probably 3/4 a quart on the ground alone and no telling how much I lost on the way in. I agree that it looks toward the front from how wet it was up by my radiator and underneath on my steering stabilizer and everything else up there, but that isnt saying much theres literally drops on the spare tire on my carrier facing backwards.

Farmergreg · Jun 23, 2021

zchsteve said:
Once I get it home tomorrow evening Ill try starting it to see what happens and grab some more pictures. The lines themselves looked good and the connection to the radiator was secure but ill double check all that on the lift tomorrow. For some reason i didnt check the ATF fluid level before I got a ride home, but in the parking lot at work there was probably 3/4 a quart on the ground alone and no telling how much I lost on the way in. I agree that it looks toward the front from how wet it was up by my radiator and underneath on my steering stabilizer and everything else up there, but that isnt saying much theres literally drops on the spare tire on my carrier facing backwards.

Doesn't take much oil to turn into a huge mess.

On my leak, my wife told me there was a puddle in the garage about 1/2 way along on my commute. There was still fluid on the dipstick, so I continued to the my shop. My leak went down the frame on the passenger side then all over the rear differential, and the tailgate. Took 3 quarts to fill it up and a good steam cleaning.

Farmergreg · Jun 25, 2021

OP, were you able to find the problem?

pagrey · Jun 25, 2021

Power steering is the same fluid and much more prone to this kind of mess. Obviously just a guess, I'm sure the source was easy to spot with a careful inspection.

zchsteve · Jun 25, 2021

So I got the Jeep on the lift today and couldnt figure it out at first cause it was everywhere. Checked the transmission fluid and it was a tad low, barely at the add mark, it probably lost just a few quarts of the 8.8. Got lucky I guess. I filled it up and let it run and it was spraying like crazy on the drivers side by the knuckle on the steering column under the overflow for the radiator and the fan was blowing it everywhere. Thought it was the oil cooler in the radiator. It wasn't, it ended up being the return hose from the oil cooler to the trans, not the metal trans line itself but the rubber hose that is crimped to the metal hose and goes into the radiator. I saw smoke on the exhaust manifold and was finally able to see it spraying upward into the fan blowing it mostly on the drivers side of the engine. So Ill replace the hose and fill it up and we should be good to go. Figuring it out, cleaning everything and towing it everywhere was the hardest part. It should be smooth sailing from here. What a mess...
Thanks guys
(PS check your hoses under pressure first even if you've replaced them before you tear into it , you never know I guess)

Search

Search

Blown Transmission Cooler in the Radiator?

zchsteve

New Member

AndyG

Because some other guys are perverts

Farmergreg

The work will set you free

zchsteve

New Member

Farmergreg

The work will set you free

zchsteve

New Member

Farmergreg

The work will set you free

Farmergreg

The work will set you free

pagrey

TJ Guru

zchsteve

New Member

Similar threads