I checked my tranny fluid, and saw this:









I do not know the history of any transmission flush, or what fluid was used before. This looks wayyyy bad to me, but I wanted to see what you geniuses on the shopforum thought.

The stuff seems about the same consistancy as ATF, maybe a little runnier (it's not thick or globby at all). Has an interesting smell to it - I'd have to think a while on how to describe the smell.

Regardless of what I find out, I'll be doing a fluid and filter change. I found instructions on how to do so...but does anyone have any personal-experience tips to add?

Thanks for all the input!

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1983 300SD ~250k

Transmission cooler leaking and allowing coolant to mix with ATF?

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1977 300d 70k--sold 08
1985 300TD 185k+
1984 307d 126k--sold 8/03
1985 409d 65k--sold 06
1984 300SD 315k--daughter's car
1979 300SD 122k--sold 2/11
1999 Fuso FG Expedition Camper
1993 GMC Sierra 6.5 TD 4x4
1982 Bluebird Wanderlodge CAT 3208--Sold 2/13

Yep, I'm afraid that it's time for a radiator replacement.

All that trans fluid needs to be drained......including the t/c.

Thanks for the replies.

I didn't even realize that these trannies HAD coolers. Is the transmission cooler some sort of radiator that's immersed in coolant from the main radiator? Or is it an air radiator? Any useful links to get me pointed in the right direction?

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1983 300SD ~250k

it is part of the radiator. If you get uner the car and look at the bottom of the radiator you will see it's connections.
On the maybe good news side, Mine did this a few times finding a good used radiator. Now it is fixed and still runs fine.

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

Search "external trans cooler".

do you mean that you found a good used radiator, installed it, and that fixed the problem?

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1983 300SD ~250k

x2

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1986 300SDL, 211K,Dealership serviced its whole life
1991 190E 2.6(120k)
1983 300D(300k)
1977 300D(211k)

yes, the 2nd time. 1st used radiator also leaked. It took about a week after the first one for the fluid to look like that again. Radiator change is a quick easy job. just hoses and clips.

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83 300SD Dark Silver Dark brown inside

If you run it for too long, it will mess up the clutches in the trans. No experience, just read it in my trans manual

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81 300SD daily driver/project
86 420SEL (sold)
85 380SE(in the graveyard)

I had the same problem a year ago, which is why I put in an external cooler:


(I plugged the fittings on the cooler in the bottom of the radiator)

My tranny shop had to flush mine 3 times to get all the pink milkshake out, but they were able to save the tranny and it didn't cost much money.

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'81 300CD - 180K, cannot be killed by any conventional means
'99 Ford Escort - good MPG