Ok Im going to sound stupid but here goes.. I have a 2005 Dakota Quad and want to hook up a tranny cooler to it. I purchased one that zip ties to the front of the radiator and then proceded to un-do the tranny lines that go into the radiator to tie them into the new cooler. To my surprise
Anti freeze came out the lines and not trany fluid??? I thought I was seeing things until
my catch pan on the ground was overflowing with antifreeze and the radiator was empty.
I double checked and followed the lines from the tranny and I disconnected the right ones?
Does the 05 DAK have a different type of tranny cooler or did am I missing something?
My book says this is supposed to be tranny fluid so why did anti freeze come out?
My last 99 Dak i did the same thing to and the lines had tranny fluid in them like they were supposed to.. Any answers for me?

 

uhm, let me see if i understand... you removed the 3/8" transmission hardlines/hoses and the transmission cooler side of the radiator was full of anti-freeze. this is not good. that would imply that your radiator/cooler fluids are either wrong or intermixed, and it would also imply that your transmission is full of Prestone instead of ATF.

are you sure ???

can you stick an air hose in one port of the cooler and blow air through it. the transmission cooling side and the engine coolant side are supposed to be completely separate coils, with nothing in common except the overall frame.

 

Yes Im sure it was anti freeze as it was green? I checked the tranny fluid and it is showing red so I cant say if it is inter mixing? Im going to tear it apart again tonight and see whats going on?truck runs fine but I want to tow my camper 3800 pounds and want to keep the fluid cool?

 

Not sure how far you are towing, but 3800lbs isn't much to tow. These little trucks are towing beasts for thier size. I know I tow trailers quite regularly, and havn't had any problems. I mean with a rating over 7000lbs on a stock truck, you shouldnt need a tranny cooler IMO. I mean if your twoing it everywhere with you then you might, but just once and a while I don't see a need.

 

thats what i Thought but i just wanted to be on the safe side. Ive towed plenty of times with it and no problems, My travel trailer is a lite weight 24 footer gross weight of 3800 pounds non loaded

 

YOUR NOT NUTS!!!
I changed my trans filters and wanted to do a full fluid change by disconnecting the lines at the radiator. I slid the whit platic thing back and backed out the fitting and the SAME THING, antifreeze. I traced the lines 3 times and they are Trans lines, I wounder if it is a double fitting, exterior sealing the radiator and the inside the Trans? I qiute and never got back to it, I guess I will ask the dealer next time... Funny I posted it on a different board and they still think I am nuts, maybe I am a little, but this is straange!

Please post if you find out anything!

Thanks,
LB

 

Just an idea. But maybe the cooler is inside the transmission. It could work like an internal heat exchanger, send colder fluid to the trans, remove heat and send the hotter antifreeze back to the radiator. Please let us know when you find out.

 

Im guessing thats the case because when i took off the lines and put my finger in the hole. It felt like there was a space and then I felt the threads deeper in with a little movement of them. My guess is that the tranny cooler is in the regular radiator and bathing in the antifreeze. I cant find it in any book but its appearing like that is the case. im going to ask a tranny guy at the track this weekend about it to confirm.

 

hmmm, I am like Eric on this one, kinda lost because I have the factory aux trans cooler already, sounds different for sure...