leak?
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 453
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From: Orange County, CA
Slow trans leaks may not effect the level much. Where that leak is makes it hard to tell the color since it's so dirty around there. Both fluids are reddish in our truck usually, but trans will be a darker red. It's almost a more oily feel whereas antifreeze will feel more watery, but still slippery. Check it as soon as it warms up on the first drive of the day. No matter how subtle an antifreeze leak is, it likes to drip instead of seeping like oils do.
Lets just hope it's not leaking into the aux trans cooler built into the radiator..
Lets just hope it's not leaking into the aux trans cooler built into the radiator..
Last edited by varnerhba; Feb 19, 2012 at 11:33 AM. Reason: on my phone may be misleading
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,013
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From: Ontario, Canada
That would be nice - I'm not crazy about our winter season since I'm not into winter sports & the cold keeps me from doing a bunch of things I enjoy, including wrenching 
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 453
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From: Orange County, CA
ouch....cant imagine having a knuck buster in the cold of ontario....
Champion
Joined: Feb 2010
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From: Greenfield, Wisconsin
I would lean towards the trans cooler lines leaking, just because of their nature to do so. Plus, the hose is all covered around the couplers, giving me the impression thats where the leak is. With the fan right up there, when something leaks, it goes everywhere. I swore for a month that my oil pan was leaking, but it actually ended up being the crankshaft seal. If it was coolant, you'd loose pressure in the radiator and would certainly have cooling problems if you drive any more than a few miles a day. Just my .02
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2011
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From: Ontario, Canada
This winter hasn't been too bad from a temperature point of view (hovering around the zero C mark), also, very little snow, but still it's not very comfortable rolling around on the frozen ground & my garage is filled with tools, machinery, and other things I can't live without, so I can't even get out of the wind. Last winter it was pretty brutal, and I needed my Jeep that had some toasted valves, so in -10 C (14 F) with a stiff wind, I removed the head, had a head & valve job done, and then re-installed the head. That was a few days of numb fingers.
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 453
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From: Orange County, CA
This winter hasn't been too bad from a temperature point of view (hovering around the zero C mark), also, very little snow, but still it's not very comfortable rolling around on the frozen ground & my garage is filled with tools, machinery, and other things I can't live without, so I can't even get out of the wind. Last winter it was pretty brutal, and I needed my Jeep that had some toasted valves, so in -10 C (14 F) with a stiff wind, I removed the head, had a head & valve job done, and then re-installed the head. That was a few days of numb fingers.
Veteran
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 453
Likes: 0
From: Orange County, CA
I would lean towards the trans cooler lines leaking, just because of their nature to do so. Plus, the hose is all covered around the couplers, giving me the impression thats where the leak is. With the fan right up there, when something leaks, it goes everywhere. I swore for a month that my oil pan was leaking, but it actually ended up being the crankshaft seal. If it was coolant, you'd loose pressure in the radiator and would certainly have cooling problems if you drive any more than a few miles a day. Just my .02
as per the running hot, I havent had that happen yet, the transmission is good, but the coolant looks low, took a picture of the reserve, i cleaned the hose and the ends, then i put a piece of cardboard under the front end and let the truck idle and reved it several times, and nothing, so i put the truck back in the garage and put the cardboard back under it. one thing i learned, is that a k&n intake is friggin loud
trans1.jpg
coolantreserve.jpg
cleanpipe.jpg
trans1.jpg
coolantreserve.jpg
cleanpipe.jpg
Record Breaker
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,013
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From: Ontario, Canada
Those hoses/tubes are transmission cooler hoses. If your leak is from one of the 2 quick disconnects on the cooler, they don't always leak. At lower rpm, you most likely won't see much, but when you've been using it for a bit with about mid-range rpm, and after the transmission has warmed up, you'll start to see some leakage. You should also see the drips gather along the tube and hose where it's leaking (it could be both quick disconnects).
If it's coolant coming from the radiator, it should drip anytime, but if it's coolant coming from one of the coolant hoses, you'll need to let it fully warm up to see this, and as already mentioned, you normally won't see coolant gather along a tube like you would with transmission fluid.
If it's coolant coming from the radiator, it should drip anytime, but if it's coolant coming from one of the coolant hoses, you'll need to let it fully warm up to see this, and as already mentioned, you normally won't see coolant gather along a tube like you would with transmission fluid.