I have a 1992 960 and I just found ATF in my antifreeze. Saw it floating on top of the coolant in the overflow tank. Did my radiator just buy the farm or could I have over-filled the transmission?

JS

Radiator. Check the tranny right away for antifreeze - contamination could kill the clutch packs.

I would not drive the car any further ... disconnect the tranny lines from the radiator and do a flush per the FAQ. Order a radiator right away. I'd rather spend $150 on a new radiator than $1500 for a new tranny.

-- Kane ... especially if that's still the original radiator. You're on borrowed time already.
--
Blossom II -'91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles -'74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup -'86 245GL/AW70
The Wayback Machine -'64 P220/M40 ... The ParaBox -'90 745GL/AW70

Strange co-incidence - I'm just looking to find out where the oil in my antifreeze s coming from!
I've got an oily film in expansion bottle, but no sign of coolant in either engine or autobox oil. Engine is running fine and has no combustion gasses in coolant (head gasket OK?).
Question is - where is oil in coolant coming from? Engine or autobox? Is there any way of telling what kind of oil is in coolant - can I distinguish ATF from engine oil in any way?
Any advice gratefully received,
thanks

Ian F

i can dip my finger into the overflow tank and it comes out covered in ATF. It's red.

Dear überbox,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. Coolant in the ATF ruins the transmission, because the clutch faces are made with a water soluble adhesive (which makes sense, because only ATF fluid - an oil - is normally found in the transmission).

When water attacks the glue, fibers are set free. These fibers plug up the oilways and valve bodies. As a result, the transmission ceases to work.

If you're in the US and close to a Wal-Mart, get three gallons of Wal-Mart Brand fluid and flush with that, using the procedure in the FAQs, under FEATURES, above.If the transmission works fine, then I'd not worry too much.

If it doesn't, don't try to get it re-built. That is a huge waste of money. The AW-71 transmission can be had for small money at salvage yards. Because these trannies rarely fail, one from a junked car will be fine, especially if you can find a low-miles car.

Take the junk tranny, have it installed, and immediately flush it with Wal-Mart ATF. Drive for 500 miles, and then re-flush with synthetic fluid. You should then have many happy miles ahead.

With every warm, best wish for a Good, Healthy New Year, I remain,

Yours faithfully,

spook

Not sure why it was changed to the 700 model ... the one in question is actually a 960 with the harder to find AW30-40(?).

-- Kane
--
Blossom II -'91 745Ti/M46 ... Bubbles -'74 144GL/BW35 ... Buttercup -'86 245GL/AW70
The Wayback Machine -'64 P220/M40 ... The ParaBox -'90 745GL/AW70

Dear Kane,

Good p.m. and may this find you well. I agree that an AW30-40 or 30-43 may be harder to find at a salvage yard, than is an AW71. However, many salvage yards are networked, so getting a used tranny should not be hugely hard. Cross-continent shipping would be costly. Even with that, it will cost far less than having a re-build done.

Hope your New Year has begun nicely, and only gets better.

Yours faithfully,

spoook

not sure why it switched either. It's a 960.

Flourescent (UV) dye can be added to the engine oil. Don't know if would pick up a really small leak, diluted, however.

Or, possibly you could get enough oil soaked into blotting paper to get a better idea (smell?) (color? of what it was.

I personally would try compressed air into the tranny oil cooler, see if the rad bubbles

Good luck.

thanks for the advice.

Get to the flush on that tranny ASAP,if you get anti freeze in the transmission it will destroy it, by the way what was the fix on this car, few days ago it wouldn't run, what got her back together?

Good Luck
Poolman

Still not running. Well, it does but only when I put a jump box on the battery. It's something electrical which is a DIY kryptonite for me. Once I get the new rad installed I'm sending it down to a local mech who does good electrical troubleshooting.

JS