Anyone ever had their transmission cooler fail? It happened to me this morning. The cooler failed and it started pilling the trans fluid out of the transmission and filling up the coolant overflow resevoir. Both fluids got cross contaminated. The truck is at the shop now and needs a new trans cooler, new radiater, new thermostat, and the fluids need to be flushed 3-4 times to make sure the systems are clean again. The truck is a 2000 Tundra with 120,000 miles and I have always kept up with all the maintenance.
Has anyone had this happen or heard of this happening? Does anyone know why this could happen. I did start plowing with this truck this winter but only my driveway and the truck seemed to respond fine. It hasn't snowed in a week and a half and I just had the problem today when the cap blew off the coolant overflow and I noticed coolant leaking.
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2000 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC
2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 CM
I haven't had it happen to be but I've seen it before. There is a trans cooler inside the radiator and they sometimes crack dumping trans fluid into the radiator. It happens. You might do a postmortem on the radiator to find out if it was corrosion related due to lack of coolant changes.
I have seen this happen, it happened on my uncles 2000 SR5(soon to be mine), make sure you flush the system like crazy, cause his blew around thanksgiving, and when i was borrowing it, the radiator blew again (not even 6 months later) the tranny fluid eats away at the rubber, the thermostat seal was also all chewed up. i recommend if you live in a warm climate, to run water for a few days flush it out, run more water for a few more days and flush it again. however you will never get it all out, but it should really help
Exact same thing happened to my 2000 tundra in the fall, 225,000 km on it. I was told I was lucky antifreeze never got sucked back to the transmission or it would have been a whole other can of worms. replaced rad and fluids.
Sorry I haven't had the time to update until now. What happened was the tube located inside the radiater separated from its connection. This caused the tranny fluid and coolant to mix with each other and overflow out of the top of the overflow coolant resevoir. There was no corrosion that we could see. We think that since I started plowing with this truck for the first time this winter that the tube became heated in a way it never has and caused the separation.
The fix: We flushed the radiator and transmission 3 times, replaced the radiator, thermostat, cooling hoses, and pressure tested the water pump. As I look back on it, I should have just replaced the pump. Right now I am keeping my fingers crossed that the transmission was not damaged.
I do love this truck but I think it should only be used more like a car. Everytime I have treated it like a truck, something breaks! Hopefully I will have better luck with my wifes 2007 crewmax. I am at 120K with my 2000 and want to get to 200k. We shall see ...
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2000 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC
2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 CM
You could also use the old radiator and get a new bigger and better trans oil cooler to replace the factory one and bypass the inside radiator cooler, by doing so you'll never have to worry about mixing the trans fluid with the radiator fluid.....
Check this possibility too.... couldn't find the site where I got my trans cooler.... will keep searching...
Yes, but the cooler in the radiator actually regulates the ATF fluid temp as much as cooling it. Cold fluid tends to result in harsh shifting. If you go with an aftermarket unit and bypass the radiator, make sure to get a cooler with a thermostat.
Should I go to the dealer and ask if they have a recommended preventive fix from Toyota (e.g., all new OEM equivalent replacement radiator or a trans cooler bypass w/ aftermarket cooler)?
How much should an OEM-equivalent radiator replacement cost?
After reading the 240 posts in the thread below and the current thread, I am very worried w. my 10 yr old, 100k '99 4runner 2WD LTD.
It seems that with all the fail safe redundancies in a modern power train, even in an old designs like the shear pin in a boat prop...
A faulty materials selection (metallurgical design) in a dual purpose radiator that can ruin both engine and transmission in a $35k vehicle in matter of minutes warrants a full-court response and notification from the manufacturer,
Some info as to what makes, conditions of use, or whatever...What is the appropriate response...what is the hazard posed?
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1999 4Runner 2WD LTD, V-6
100k, May 2009
Here is an easy solution:
Drain an antifreeze and transmission fluids, and refill your radiator and transmission with transmission fluid all together. NOT!
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2006 Toyota Sequoia Limited 4x4 w/ lxr package, 7008 navi, rear entartaiment system, 20" x-sp enkei.
2001 Toyota Tundra SR5 4x4 - TRD 9+Psi Supercharged, JBA Ceramic Headers, Walboro 255LPH Fuel Pump, 1UZ Rods, 20" x-sp enkei wheels, 7009 navi w/custom JBL wire harness + OEM XM/Sirus radio, drive by wire, and many other mods.
Just to keep you guys updated, it's been about two months since the work was done and everything seems fine. Maybe a little slugglish "kick" into second gear but that could also be me feaking out and paying more attention to the shifting. I will use the advice of one of my late friends who used to say "if it starts, RUN IT!"
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2000 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC
2007 Toyota Tundra SR5 CM
A few posts earlier, I posted about a long thread on the yotatech forums about this.
Since your experience and conversations since, have you gotten any clear sense of what vehicles are most susceptible, what are the percentage failures, and what dealers/manufacturer are thinking we all should do?
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1999 4Runner 2WD LTD, V-6
100k, May 2009
trans cooler failure
Linear Mode
