Coolant in transmission fluid(not an XJ)

[iwannadie]

My mom has a 99 mercury sable automatic and had the radiator replaced a year ago at some friend of a friends shop. She told me yesterday it was leaking a lot of transmission fluid so I go and check it out.

I see it leaking from the upper quick connect on the radiator and go get a new fitting(how I hate these quick connectors). I removed the fitting and coolant comes pouring out with littler sign of transmission fluid. I check the coolant catch can and it is nasty smelling with sludge on the bottom. Transmission dipstick is more like normal oil consistency however.

So, it's clear the radiator failed mixing the fluids but the question is, has this killed the transmission? Can it be flushed out and saved or will it be now on it's last legs? Also can the shop that replaced the radiator be held liable or is just one of those things?

 

[DrMoab]

If the oil in the tranny is fine you are probably good to go. You would know if it had coolant in the oil. It would turn it really milky looking. If it's not that way, I would just replace the radiator and run it till it dies (it's a ford, it won't take long anyway )

 

[iwannadie]

Yea the transmission fluid was not milky/foamy at all.

This thing has seen I think nearly 200k miles now and still kicking, not a car I would recommend but it's doing the best it can ha.

 

[Keithmania]

Plus, if the trans fluid had mixed with the engine coolant it would be a quick death for the tranny. It would start shifting erratically, it would have an incredibly loud whine, and would over heat as the trans fluid became emulsified with the engine coolant. BUT, I would get that radiator core changed ASAP and not drive it til you do...

 

[iwannadie]

I had her call the shop that did the radiator and he insisted she have it towed and not drive it so he can assess the damage. Hopefully the transmission survived, from what I know it was not shifting out of the ordinary at all.

Just crazy when I pulled that transmission fluid line from the radiator it was all coolant that gushed out just a small trace of transmission fluid. I can't imagine they mixed that badly in the radiator but nothing made it back to the transmission unless some how the pressure pushed it all into the coolant.

 

[Johnnie Walker]

Sounds like when you pulled the line, it gave enough at that point to separate the material between the rad/trans cooler. I really am surprised that her trans lasted as long as it has, most of the axod trans I know of last MAYBE 150k.
Time for a new vehicle.