Transmission Fluid Leaking (1 Viewer)

[dobrze13]

Hi everyone, I'm a new member here, although I have been reading these forums for the past few months.

I have a 1996 TLC which has had its share of problems.
1 year ago I replaced the radiator.
3 months ago the cruiser overheated after the PHH burst.
3 weeks ago I had the head gasket replaced, the head milled for $2000.00.

I did not drive the TLC much after the head gasket replacement, but this last weekend drove a 150 miles to NYC to visit parents. On the weekend I was there, there was 24 inches of snow.

Anyhow, the truck drove fine, until my return trip on Sunday night.
As I got off the highway, I noticed at a stoplight that when I accelerated from a stoplight, the engine would rev but the tranny would not catch.

I pulled over and checked my tranny fluid level at a gas station.
The dipstick was completely dry. I put two quarts of ATF and drove home and parked it.

Two days later, (in the daytime) I turned the engine on and let it warm up. From underneath the radiator, I noticed fresh ATF dripping down onto the ground.

The ATF level again was low and it starting doing this slipping thing again.

I noticed that just ahead of the radiator, behind the grill, there is a mini-radiator, probably a tranny cooler.

My question is, since the ATF is not leaking from the Tranny but rather from the front of the engine, is there some hose that could be loose or burst? Could this be related to the engine repair three weeks ago? Remember, I hardly drove it until this weekend.

I have called the repair shop and made an appt for Monday, and they do seem honest but I want to know everyone's opinion. Am I looking at another expensive repair bill? Is there something that I can easily fix, such as a hose?

Thanks for all your help and this great forum.

 

[MoJ]

You'll notice that in front of your radiator there is a smaller radiator aka transmission cooler. On my formerly owned 1991 80 I had a leak in the same area. Turned out to be the hose right where it entered the trans cooler. Easy cheap fix replacing the hose. If it is the hose make sure the replacement you obtain in approved to handle trans fluid.

 

[landtank]

there is a cooler for the tranny in the rdadiator itself as well as one up in the front. That small coil of tubing below the radiator is the power steering cooler which can also leak tranny fluid as that is what is typically used to replace the PS fluid.

 

[dobrze13]

Moj,

thanks. do you mean in front of the radiator?
There is a small radiator just behind the grill, but the tubing to it looks intact. where does the hose go from that small radiator. I'm wondering if there is a leak at the other end?

 

[Cruiser Jimmy]

Dobrze13,
First of all, welcome. And now the mud solute.

Next, there are two pipes that come out of the tranny to the tranny cooler. (little radiator looking thingy behind the grill)
trace these pipes and find the leak. Maybe just a hose, maybe a loose fitting.

Third, Good luck, we hope you stick around unlike Z71.

 

[alaskacruiser]

Moj,

thanks. do you mean in front of the radiator?

yup- he meant in front of the radiator.

 

[Rich]

You just need to get on the ground under your truck and find out exactly where the fluid is leaking from. You are going to have to get dirty.

 

[MoJ]

yup- he meant in front of the radiator.

yes I did, thanks AK.

 

[dobrze13]

Thanks,
I'll get under it this weekend. It's cold in NY.

 

[Rich]

I remember my first on the road repair. Working in a parking lot, had to replace the passenger side drive shaft on a '68 volkswagan bus. It was early December and 0° F due to an unseasonable cold snap. At the time I was happy to have found a replacement driveshaft with CV joints at a nearby junk yard for $20.

Cold weather auto repair is not much fun.