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Author Topic: Transmission Fluid & Engine Coolant  (Read 314 times)

Offline RunsinLight

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Transmission Fluid & Engine Coolant
« on: October 08, 2011, 11:01:33 am »
 This doesn't really make sense to my uneducated car mind but I'm sure I read it somewhere about my car. Does it make sense that the transmission fluid and engine coolant share the same reservoir?

2006 Pontiac Pursuit
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Offline tpl

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Re: Transmission Fluid & Engine Coolant
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2011, 11:15:18 am »
They don't.       Transmission fluid is an oil with specific lubricating properties. ( It has to work as a power transmitter in the torque converter AND to lubricate the gear sets in the transmission.)
Coolant is a mixture of Glycol, additives and distilled water.



Now you might see pipes from the transmission appearing to lead into the radiator.  This is having a separate radiator attached to the main radiator to cool or even warm, in winter, the transmission fluid for better performance/life of that fluid.
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Offline Gardiner Westbound

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Re: Transmission Fluid & Engine Coolant
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2011, 11:27:39 am »
Not sure about the motivation for the question. Transmission fluid and coolant cross contamination is a heaping bowl of not good. Pull the transmission dipstick and examine the fluid. Good transmission fluid is reddish in color, like blush wine.

A light pink milky appearance is antifreeze contamination. Hie to your independent mechanic and seek his valued opinion and recommendation. Ideally it will be looked after by a certified automatic transmission technician with the specialized tools and exact fluid the automaker stipulates.

A free inspection at a franchised shop is a bad idea. You're behind the eight ball from the get-go. Staff are often bonused to escalate your free inspection into paid services; better that you pay for their time.
« Last Edit: October 08, 2011, 04:10:17 pm by Gardiner Westbound »
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Offline johngenx

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Re: Transmission Fluid & Engine Coolant
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2011, 01:27:26 pm »
No, not the same fluid.  However, some vehicles use a common radiator with both fluids side-by-side to save on the number of radiators.  One example is the 2007- Nissan Pathfinder.  One problem that can arise on that particular vehicle is that a seal that isolates the two fluids can fail, allowing engine coolant to flow into the transmission, destroying it.
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Offline ktm525

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Re: Transmission Fluid & Engine Coolant
« Reply #4 on: October 11, 2011, 11:48:18 am »
Quote from: johngenx on October 08, 2011, 01:27:26 pm
No, not the same fluid.  However, some vehicles use a common radiator with both fluids side-by-side to save on the number of radiators.  One example is the 2007- Nissan Pathfinder.  One problem that can arise on that particular vehicle is that a seal that isolates the two fluids can fail, allowing engine coolant to flow into the transmission, destroying it.

This is a common problem on P2 Volvos (V70, XC70, SS60). Let's see weak clutch slave on the standards and cross-contamination on the autos. You can't win.
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