A couple of issues and questions I have come across with my transmission:

1. After running for awhile (generally about 50-60 miles, an hour or so), my O/D kicks off, and most of the time, a TRANS TEMP light comes on in my instrument panel. Any ideas as to what might be the cause of this, and what I might try to do to fix it? And

2. I have noticed a leak coming from my transmission pan, appears to be a worn gasket, because there is fluid on a lot of the bolts as well as all along the seam between the pan and where it bolts in. So I have bought the filter and gasket kit and the ATF fluid to change the filter & gasket, but I have not been able to locate the drain bolt or "magnet". Can anyone help me with where this is located so that I can try to get as much fluid drained as possible before pulling the pan?

Thanks in advance for any and all helpful replies!

 

Better check your fluid level asap. If tranny temperature gets to hot or to cold, Overdrive will kickoff by design. There isn't a drain plug on the transmission pan. There is a kit you can buy and make a drain plug for future use. Loosen bolts and have a big pan underneath.

 

Thanks, ReadRam, I wondered if that might be the case on the pan; I might decide to drill a hole in the pan and install a drain plug/bolt in there for future.

As for the other, I have checked the tranny fluid shortly after it has done that each time (which is only a couple of times, intermittent issue more/less), and the fluid level has been okay, but I know it isn't normal for it to do that, so it seems to me something is causing it to run hotter than it should. I did recently have the radiator changed, and did not realize until a few drives after, that the flush/drain valve on the bottom of the radiator had not been closed all the way, so I was losing water from the radiator until I closed that the rest of the way. Is it possible at all that could have caused the transmission to run hotter and trigger that light and the o/d turning off? I ask that because I know the transmission cooler is linked to the radiator, so that made me wonder if the radiator was too low on water and was unable to cool the transmission fluid like it normally would?

 

your transmission depends on the radiator for cooling, so that might contribute.
if you haven't removed the check valve in the hot side cooler line, do that.
do a fluid and filter change, it might solve your problem.

here's a good thread on drain plug. lots of others here on df.
http://www.pavementsucks.com/tech-article-39.html

 

Sounds good, dhvaughn, thanks. I am going to change the transmission filter, gasket and fluid before I drive it again, I figured that can only help my cause too. Hoping the combination of spotting (and closing off) the leak from the radiator drain valve, and replacing the gasket to eliminate the leak at the tranny pan, will help and resolve the tranny running hot and take care of those issues. It will be next weekend before I can get to it, but I will post on here how it goes and if that fixes me! =-)

 

None of that is gonna help if your check valve is plugged. They tend to plug up with crap from normal transmission wear and shutoff fluid flow to the cooler. Best to remove it or drill it out. It's just a plastic ball that can toast your trans.

 

drill out is the simplest and cheapest approach. cost=0.

locate check valve on cooler line. brass connector screwed on at the end of the hard pipe, at the frame rail. put a drain pan under the truck. about 1/2 quart of atf will drain out of the radiator/cooler. i'm not sure the exact sequence in what unscrews first and last. you might have to disconnect the pressure line from the bottom port of the radiator, then unscrew the line from the check valve, and then the check valve from the hard line. drill out the little ball and spring. clean out all debris. double check that its clean.... reinstall. crank truck, shift to neutral and check for leaks.

 

Do this, but before starting and checking for leaks go a head and pull the lines off the transmission. If you can find it, look for Dr Tranny Kooler Kleen at your local parts stores, pull the fitting from the back port of the trans and connect it back to the rear line so you have something to connect the flush can to. Proceed to push the flush through the coolers catching what comes from the front line. After the flush has run out push air through the line for a minute or so to finish cleaning things out and dry/push out the remaining flush.

If removing the check ball and flushing the cooler(s) doesn't do the trick then you have a slipping component inside the transmission causing the excessive heat.

 

Happend on my 02 Ram 1500...$1700 rebuild later just because a stupid little plastic ball failed!

 

Changed the transmission pan gasket and filter today, and replinished the ATF (took about 5 1/2 qts). Leak is gone and seems to be running and shifting much smoother; I'm guessing today was the first gasket/filter/ATF change this truck has seen in 12 years. Took a couple road trips, about 15 miles each time, but mostly highway, and did not have any issues with the O/D kicking off, the TRANS TEMP light, nor any leak. *Could* the changing of the gasket and sealing that leak have also resolved my issues with the tranny running too hot and shutting the O/D off, or do you guys think that is still a seperate issue? I guess time and more driving will tell for sure, but so far so good!