auto got hot, is it now wrecked?

[muddymatt]

hi all,
I towed the horse trailer loaded today for the first long trip. 2 hours in after a long hill climb and I was giving it the jandal, the auto box temp light came on. I pulled over and waited a few mins and it went out. we drove on about 10 mins till destination and it came on again just as we got there.
the auto smelled hot and the transfer box leak I already knew about seems worse.
I had my nanocom plugged in for the drive but I was watching coolant temp! that peaked at 95/96 for the same hill.
it cooled for 4 hours and then we drove home more gently....
I'm not sure but the box may have shuddered coming out of tc lockup. ie at the end of a flat bit leading into a rise.
I was watching turbine speed, output speed etc on the way home but not really knowing what to look for....

I already have a trans filter kit here and I'm planning a flush/change but is it too late?

is the box stuffed?

[Slunnie]

My experiences are that you've done the right things but the damage has started and not long down the track it will increasingly fault as components break down.

I'd ensure the ATF cooler is absolutely clear so that it can cool the ATF and I would assume replacing the burnt ATF wouldn't be a bad thing either so that it can work properly.

That said, I would also keep driving it incase you got away with it!

[muddymatt]

My experiences are that you've done the right things but the damage has started and not long down the track it will increasingly fault as components break down.

I'd ensure the ATF cooler is absolutely clear so that it can cool the ATF and I would assume replacing the burnt ATF wouldn't be a bad thing either so that it can work properly.

That said, I would also keep driving it incase you got away with it!

i will be changing the burnt atf as soon as possible.
it has a discrete winch mounted, could this be blocking airflow to the trans cooler?

[Slunnie]

i will be changing the burnt atf as soon as possible.
it has a discrete winch mounted, could this be blocking airflow to the trans cooler?

Maybe, but if there is a gap between the winch and the radiator then the air should go around it. The big problem with the D2 ATF cooler is that it sits in between the Coolant radiator and the AC condenser, so it gets plugged up with mud and dirt and you cant clean it out or even see that it is still blocked despite cleaning it out the best you can. To make it worse, it sits right at the bottom underneath the intercooler, so its also the first to get blocked. The Torque converter also generates a lot of heat in these as a by product from making it drive so smoothly. I think they are undercooled from the factory.

[muddymatt]

Maybe, but if there is a gap between the winch and the radiator then the air should go around it. The big problem with the D2 ATF cooler is that it sits in between the Coolant radiator and the AC condenser, so it gets plugged up with mud and dirt and you cant clean it out or even see that it is still blocked despite cleaning it out the best you can. To make it worse, it sits right at the bottom underneath the intercooler, so its also the first to get blocked. The Torque converter also generates a lot of heat in these as a by product from making it drive so smoothly. I think they are undercooled from the factory.

on the to-do list is pull the intercooler and coolant rad and get both cleaned internally so I guess I'll attack the trans one then too.
this might now move up the list to the urgent section

[Slunnie]

Oh, I wouldn't disconnect the ATF cooler from it's lines or try to clean it internally. That'll quadruple the problem. The hose connectors are a problem and can blow apart and if you get any grit into the ATF cooler then it will also damage the transmission. I'd just clear all of the mud and dirt from within the fins. This is what they do - and I was always deliberate about cleaning the radiators externally after 4WDing.

[muddymatt]

Oh, I wouldn't disconnect the ATF cooler from it's lines or try to clean it internally. That'll quadruple the problem. The hose connectors are a problem and can blow apart and if you get any grit into the ATF cooler then it will also damage the transmission. I'd just clear all of the mud and dirt from within the fins. This is what they do - and I was always deliberate about cleaning the radiators externally after 4WDing.

no I just meant that I would have access when the intercooler and radiator were out.
thanks for the advice.

[lewy]

Dought the light coming on automatically means oil is cooked,I would still change it and have a smell or get someone who knows what burnt oil smells like.Hopefully you only think you felt a shudder,good luck

[redrovertdi]

i would flush the tranny refilling with synthetic, bit dearer but a higher boiling temp etc....

[muddymatt]

Update,

So today I got the chance to change the atf and filter.
On the drive to the workshop unloaded not towing it still did the judder I felt before

I won't document the change process, it's been covered before but I have shared a few pics.

The oil was obviously brown, burnt and smelly but the sump magnet was not that furry

I fitted new filter and filled it up and went for a drive.

The judder appears to have gone yay! It shifts as before the overheat, normally.

I opened up the old filter and it was full of a plastically black melted looking stuff. The gauze seemed pretty well blocked with it too.

Drive home was uneventful too but the test will be tomorrow when my wife tows the horses again. I haven't had chance to strip the front and check the cooler for airflow but the tow tomorrow is only 25 miss so I'm picking it will be fine.

I will be dropping the atf again in a couple of weeks to get some more brown out.

Any comments on the filter debris?