Ok, So i check my tranny fluid recently and see that it is pink. Obviously this denotes that there is water in the fluid. So i drained all the fluid and replaced. Upon driving about 50 miles afterwards I noticed it was turning pink again. How the hell is water getting in there!?! The tranny fluid only started turning pink after I replaced the radiator. Could there be a leak in the transmission fluid cooler that would allow water to seep in? How should I go about diagnosing and taking care of this. If I dont do something soon Im gonna need a whole new transmission, which is something i am not entireley in the position to replace. I will say that there is no slipping yet, only hard down shifting when I come to a stop

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1983 300SD White with Grey interior

If that started right after replacing the radiator I'd suspect it, does the coolant level fall at all? It'd have to be losing some...not much however. I'd definatley think thats the only place water could get into the tranny fluid....beside the possibility of accidentally getting it into the vent on the top of the tranny, which is very hard to do and since it turned pink again after changing the fluid....does the coolant have any tranny fluid in it?

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I had a Volvo leak coolant into the transmission via old and corroded radiator. Made the tranny fluid foam and start to slip. I installed a new radiator, and flushed 5 gallons of cheap tranny fluid through the tranny before it was free from contamination.

Get a new radiator and flush your transmission,

Carrameow nailed it, also stop driving it or you will blow the tranny.

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1999 SL500
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Yes, quite possible. You can disconnect the transmission cooler lines, pressurize the radiator, and see if coolant seeps/drips out of the trans cooler lines...

Best Regards,
Jim

You could also disconnect the transmission lines, pressurise the tranny cooler and see if air bubbles up in the radiator.

Theres no need for a test. THE ONLY WAY the tranny is getting water in it is from the radiator. NEW RADIATOR TIME!

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Matt (SD,CA)

1984 300SD.. White/Chrome Bunts..Green

1997 2500 Dodge Ram 5.9 Cummins 12 Valve 36 PSI of Boost = 400+hp & 800+tQ .. ..Greenspeed

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Fight the good fight!......

I've got the same problem with my 190D. Back in March I discovered my transmission fluid was the color of a strawberry milkshake. I replaced the radiator with a new one, drained the tranny and torque convertor and flushed the system. Everything was fine for a couple months and then the tranny started acting up again. Yup, more water contamination. We have a pretty good analytical lab at work so I gave a sample of the fluid to a friend and he ran a couple tests on it. He found 2.5-3% contamination of WATER. No sign of antifreeze.

So how is the water getting in? Are there any plugs that might have come loose? Where is the vent tube on this transmission (722.414)? Ideas?

usually on the top of the tranny. and that is the first place to look. then i guess i would look for a crack in the case perhaps inside the bell housing?

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

veggiediesel
Do you occasionally hose the engine down to clean it? If you do and if you rinse down the rear, behind the engine, you could be sending a stream of water directly into the vent that is mounted on top of the transmission case.
From what I can tell that vent gets is supposed to be setup to avoid that, but with time it loosens up and will allow water to run down and directly into your tranny. There are even a couple of nicely placed channels back there that direct water right into that vent.
Sweet design huh?

I've never hosed down the engine/drivetrain, but have certainly driven it in wet weather. Right now a defective or dislodged vent is the the lead suspect. Looks like I'm going to have to drop the tranny. I'll carefully check the case and the bell housing while I'm at it. Thanks for the advice!

Is it possible for the AC condensation liquid to be getting into the tranny. I'm sure it is designed to be in a different area, but just trying to come up with other places water could be coming from. I know it drips down on the tranny through the floor, but don't know where it goes relative to the vent opening.

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
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Gone:
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