ZF Auto fluid everywhere!! Help

[goldey]

Okay, let me set the scene.

Enjoyed a great low range romp through the bush yesterday :):), some of which was quite muddy. Car performed faultlessy, even had to snatch a 80 series cruiser and Prado out of a couple of bogholes :cool:.

Come to today, washed the car and washed off all the mud underneath, went to pick my boys up from school, on the way home, a fine mist ended up covering the rear of the car, whilst I was chugging up a hill. Got home and discovered quite a bit of transmission fluid on the garage floor. It was dripping off just about everything from the muffler to the rear diff to the chassis, it was everywhere. In a mad panic I rang my friendly local Landie mechanic who suggested I check that the auto box breather tube hasn't been blocked (thereby pressurising the gearbox and pumping the fluid up and out of the dipstick filler when it got hot, which judging by the fluid trail under the car is exactly where the auto fluid came from).

Made sense, however after locating and removing the breather tube and blowing through it end to end found that it was empty and not blocked.

What should I do now? I know I can take it down to my local Landie mechanic and he would probably fix it fine, however it would probably cost me a small fortune as well. Would it be beneficial for me to do a filter change and renew fluid just in case there is some foreign matter in the box from the muddy run yesterday (I suppose this is plausible as my auto dipstick tube is broken at the firewall and I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet) or should I just take it to the mechanic??

Your advice would be hugely appreciated.

[justinc]

If the only time the thing leaked oil is when it was going up a hill, and it was coming out the dipstick tube then it is seriously overheating. Possibly due to mud blocking up the cooler core. Slunnie had this happen to his auto, and I think it fried the poor thing:($:($

I would also check the cooler lines for leaks, as it will go everywhere if one of these is blown/ split.

I would just get it to the mechs, at least they can (Hopefully) get a presure gauge etc on the 'box and check line pressures etc ,(if there isn't a leak,) to see if it hasn't suffered.

JC

[tdiBrad]

Howdy,

Transmission cooler hose will be it.

Stick your head under the drivers door sill and take a look at the lower front of the auto transmission, you will see two hoses, one upper and one lower.

Likely one of them is leaking a little, you will only notice the drip when the engine is running and the fluid is circulating.

If either of the hoses is leaking (or the metal connections that actually go into the auto trans), don't bother being fancy and trying to get an aftermarket Pirtek or Enzed, as they will likely cost about the same, or maybe even more, and will not last any longer.
Brad

[goldey]

G'day Brad

One of my cooler hoses has had a slight leak and originally that's what I had thought. That the hose had finally ruptured and was spewing fluid everywhere, but it wasn't the sight of where the fluid was coming from, ruled it out already.

Further developments, the transfer case is still full and the auto fluid doesn't stink like gear oil (there was a fear that the transfer case had bled it's oil back into the gearbox). I have drained the auto fluid and could not see any swarf or clutch material. I have still got to drop the pan and replace the filter, at which time I will check for more swarf and clutch material, if none, then it will be getting some new fluid and start using the car again.

In the meantime I am desparately searching for an intact automatic transmission dipstick tube to replace my snapped in half one. I can buy a new one for 150 bucks but that seems a bit too cruel and unusual for what is essentially a bit of tube with a nut and flare on it, oh and a couple of bends.

Anybody know of where there might be a second hand one I could buy? It has to be off a 300tdi auto (obviously) series 1 Disco.

Cheers

Goldey

[Lotz-A-Landies]

I recently had a leak in the cooler element on a RRc. In my case the fluid was all over the front of the car and dripping below the b bar so was easy to locate the actual leak. Turned out that the steel tube had rusted through between some of the wire loops.

Quick trip out to the wrecker for a replacement element. Then the dramas began, but that's another story.

[goldey]

A further update on the auto box, the fluid I drained, didn't have any foreign material in it, however it had a reasonably strong burnt smell and wasn't as clear to see through as new ATF fluid if that makes sense.

Would this necessarily mean the gearbox needs to be dismantled and rebuilt??

Goldey

[Blknight.aus]

not at all if the fluid is clean and the strainer is clean go again with new fluid and strainer and your laughing...

if it starts to slip and struggle with the new fluid in then its time to think about the rebuild.

[justinc]

Agree with Dave to a point here, but if the box was slipping and overheating with that fluid in there, then unless the screen was VERY blocked etc, I would be concerned.

Try it anyway, it's worth a go!
Also, check that the kickdown cable hasn't melted and siezed. When these boxes get hot enough, the plastic cable outer melts and causes the kickdown cable to sieze in one position, and it then doesn't work at all. This has a direct result of more slipping = more heat etc.
With regards to the dipstick tube, Triumph Rover Spares in Adelaide have a fair few of these wrecked, I recently bought a P38a dipstick, tube and oil pan to fit a Td5 D2 from them.
JC

[tdiBrad]

G'day Brad

One of my cooler hoses has had a slight leak and originally that's what I had thought. That the hose had finally ruptured and was spewing fluid everywhere, but it wasn't the sight of where the fluid was coming from, ruled it out already.

Further developments, the transfer case is still full and the auto fluid doesn't stink like gear oil (there was a fear that the transfer case had bled it's oil back into the gearbox). I have drained the auto fluid and could not see any swarf or clutch material. I have still got to drop the pan and replace the filter, at which time I will check for more swarf and clutch material, if none, then it will be getting some new fluid and start using the car again.

In the meantime I am desparately searching for an intact automatic transmission dipstick tube to replace my snapped in half one. I can buy a new one for 150 bucks but that seems a bit too cruel and unusual for what is essentially a bit of tube with a nut and flare on it, oh and a couple of bends.

Anybody know of where there might be a second hand one I could buy? It has to be off a 300tdi auto (obviously) series 1 Disco.

Cheers

Goldey

Hi Goldey

One thing, when the coolant lines have a little leak you may be surprised just how much fluid ends up on the back window. I have had to replace both the upper and lower hose (the upper is going to soon be replaced again !). The first time the leak was minor, yet i still ended up with the sprayed rear window. The second leek was a shocker, and it dripped out at the rate of one drip per 5 seconds.
Both of these ended up producing the same smear on the rear window, though the second leak also gave a lovely stain to the driveway.

Best of luck with it !

[tempestv8]

So is it fixed?

If there's still some fluid in the gearbox, and the clutches didn't run dry, chances are your gearbox will be OK.

Keep us informed!

[goldey]

Good news. Well I think it is so far. It took 5 and a half litres of new ATF to fill it back to just below the full mark, and I also fixed the dipstick tube (hopefully the brazing work will hold, found it hard to swallow paying 155 dollars for a newy). It seems to be driving pretty well again, but the ultimate test I suppose will be when I get it hot again. Time will tell. Thanks for all of your help guys. This Forum is truly an enormous font of knowledge.

Cheers

Goldey