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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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 Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 4:08 pm Post subject: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Over the past two weekends, I've driven close to 1000 miles at highway speed. Everything seems to be working well. Oil level is constant between the two dots. ATF is pink and clear, also at proper level.
However, I've had t top off coolant at the overflow tank behind the license plate to maintain it's level between to HOT and COLD lines. Not much, maybe 1/2 quart or so.
When I open the engine compartment, there is black sludge toward the rear around the torque converter and up near the air flow meter pigtail.
There is also this same gunk on the ATF filler tube and on the rear of the pan aft of the pan you drop to change ATF. (The pan where to ATF filler goes into is clean however)
The gunk doesn't have the pink tint, nor does it smell like oil.
The only thing I can think of is the bleed ring for the antifreeze/coolant is leaking and dripping down.
Will ATF spray out of the torque converter if there in a leaky seal? Or is the coolant leaking from the bleeder onto the torque converter and spraying. I do notice that the heat/sound deadening material on the underside of the engine compartment cover is greasy near this area.
What can this be. |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 8350
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 6:42 pm Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Coolant is not greasy so this is not a suspect.
If your ATF is pink & clear then I doubt this is suspect.
What color is your motor oil? More than likely you have a bad crank seal, spitting
motor oil all around past the flywheel inside the torque converter housing... 
Keep us posted... 
- Dave
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52239
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| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| All it takes is a very small gear oil leak to make a big looking mess. If you are using negligible oil and can handle the appearance I wouldn't sweat the messy look. |
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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 7:33 pm Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| Dave, It isn't using any motor oil. The oil looks clear and the level on the dipstick hasn't dropped since I changed it 2,000 miles ago.. The substance doesn't smell like oil. |
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Tobias Duncan
Samba Member
Joined: January 15, 2013
Posts: 1412
Location: Taos NM
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| Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 9:04 pm Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Does is smell like 90wt?
Could it be diff fluid? |
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bluebus86
Banned
Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 11075
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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 4:52 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| bluebus86, the grime is nowhere near the power steering pump and that pump is dry. Do the power steering lines run toward the middle of the engine compartment? |
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32983
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 6:51 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Thanks, Dave. If gear oil has a distinct smell, this isn't it. It doesn't smell much at all. In looking at it, I'm thinking the coolant bleeder ring is failing. There is moisture around the "T" connectors for the lines that run to the thermostat housing and where the ring terminates behind the air intake boot.
The sludge is dirty. I'll take a picture and report back. |
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CurtisS
Samba Member
Joined: March 01, 2006
Posts: 128
Location: Kingston, WA USA
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 6:58 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Just went through a similar situation. Fluid all over the area above the torque converter, starter, etc. For me it was ATF but I couldn't really tell because it mixed with road grim was mostly black. The ATF was the only fluid I was having to top off on occasion. Final solution was the torque converter and torque converter seal. Good luck.
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If "con" is the opposite of "pro", what is the opposite of "progress"? |
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bluebus86
Banned
Joined: September 02, 2010
Posts: 11075
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| Posted: Mon Nov 07, 2016 8:25 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| IoWesty wrote: |
| bluebus86, the grime is nowhere near the power steering pump and that pump is dry. Do the power steering lines run toward the middle of the engine compartment? |
the lines run the length of engine bay. front to rear. they are on the right sjde. if a high pressure line gets a leak it can squirt fluid a good distance. the steering fluid should be same as atf fluid, usually red.
good luck
_________________
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djkeev
Samba Moderator
Joined: September 30, 2007
Posts: 32983
Location: Reading Pennsylvania
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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 1:34 pm Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Spray pattern on engine compartment cover
Looking down on torque converter
Pictures of coolant bleeder ring
ATF pan is clean
Pictures of torque converter housing
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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 4:24 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| As seen in the pictures, there's moisture in the transmission area. I'm using the orange coolant. |
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dhaavers
Samba Member
Joined: March 19, 2010
Posts: 8350
Location: NE MN (tinyurl.com/dhaaverslocation)
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| Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 6:28 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Time to:
- scrub off all that wet dirt, then when it shows up again,
- use a clean white rag to see what color it REALLY is.
Basic detective work...
_________________
86 White Wolfsburg Westy Weekender
"The WonderVan"
<EDITED TO PROTECT INNOCENT PIXELS> |
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IoWesty
Samba Member
Joined: February 17, 2014
Posts: 181
Location: Iowa
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:05 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| Can this be ATF coming out of the breathers in the differential caused by leaking seals? |
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Wildthings
Samba Member
Joined: March 13, 2005
Posts: 52239
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 5:58 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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| There are several seals that separate the ATF and the gear oil, if any one of them is bad oil can move from one box to the other. There is no fix for this other than pulling the transaxle and replacing all the seals. |
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Chainsaw
Samba Member
Joined: August 07, 2015
Posts: 249
Location: Issaquah Washington
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 6:45 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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With 95% certainty that is ATF. Take her to the car wash and it will come right off.
Be careful not to let to much fluid build up as ATF can be very flammable when hot. As me how I know
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AtlasShrugged
Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2008
Posts: 1605
Location: Decatur, Ga. USA
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| Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 8:18 am Post subject: Re: ATF, Gear oil or coolant? |
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Could be the torque converter seal...the torque converter has those ducts/fans built into it to cool the torque converter. That will blow the ATF out and around the back of the transmission and sling it around too.
You can see the ducts and how the ATF would blow around out back of the bell housing in this photo:
If it is the TC seal..inspect/measure that bronze TC bushing and running surface for the TC seal carefully. Use two seals, side by side with a liberal dose of Vaseline around and between the seals when going back together. |
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