Hey guys, so I have a 2005 TJ and I noticed a problem when I was driving back from a wedding in Savannah, GA. About an hour and a half into my drive back, I noticed that my temp gauge was spiking to "Check Gauges" so I pulled off immediately to find that there was smoke coming from the engine bay. Not a lot, but enough to make yah go wtf. So I checked my coolant tank and low and behold, it had about nothing in there. I let the engine cool down a bit and filled it up to par. Gauges went back to normal. I get all the way back home to Roswell and notice that the same thing had happened and there was no coolant once again after a 3 hour drive. I waited, refilled, and noticed that there was RED fluid all over the place of the engine, mostly in the front. Looked like transmission fluid and immediately I was spooked. I'm taking it to the shop tomorrow, but was curious if anyone had any idea what might have caused this problem or if anyone can pinpoint exactly what the problem is. Any thoughts?
Wrangler TJ 42RLE automatic transmission spewed fluid everywhere
- Thread starter tshoess
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- coolant tj transmission fluid
Most likely a blown transmission cooler hose. If so, a blown length of rubber coolant hose can be cut out and a replacement spliced in with a pair of 3/8" brass splices. I've bought them in hardware stores and hydraulic hose shops.
Like this...
If you find a blown hose and decide to replace it on your own, just make sure you fully top off the transmission with ATF+4 afterward.
Like this...
If you find a blown hose and decide to replace it on your own, just make sure you fully top off the transmission with ATF+4 afterward.
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I agree with Jerry. The transmission line connects to the bottom of your radiator. There's a metal threaded "bung" that goes into the radiator. The bung is sealed with an o-ring. Your transmission line is a combination of metal and rubber. The metal end is held in the bung by a spring clip. There's a plastic cover over the clip. The video below shows how the clips work.
If the rubber portion of your transmission line is leaking, you can replace it with another piece of rubber line and secure with hose clamps. I installed hose clamps on my when I tied in my auxiliary trans cooler.
If the rubber portion of your transmission line is leaking, you can replace it with another piece of rubber line and secure with hose clamps. I installed hose clamps on my when I tied in my auxiliary trans cooler.
Thank you for the tips fellas. I also forgot to mention another detail due to me being at work, but I am leaking ATF from where the tranny cooler hose connects to the radiator. It's also spraying everywhere when I am driving, I believe that to be from wind while driving, but it is all over the place. I am losing coolant somewhere as well, but with no obvious signs of a leak (yellow/green puddle). The worry is that coolant is ending up in my tranny, causing it to spit out ATF.
If I repeated myself, I apologize, that's a more descriptive worry I'm having with the my TJ.
If I repeated myself, I apologize, that's a more descriptive worry I'm having with the my TJ.
If coolant was leaking into the trans or vice versa, either your radiator or your trans would have a red/green milky fluid inside. That should be easy to see.
This was from earlier, can’t see a whole lot, but you can definitely see that it was spraying all over the damn place.
Something else worth pointing out, there is NO transmission fluid on the dip stick. It was completely bone dry when I checked it at home, and the coolant is also still disappearing.
SantiagoCamachoH
New Member
Hellow everyone, i know this isnt the specific thread for my question but I recently noticed that mi 05 Tj Rubicon´s 42rle transmission stoped shifting into 1'st or 2´nd gear when i cranked it on either position, any thoughts of what can be going on?... trans works fine on drive and with the overdrive activated. It just wont shift into 2 or 1 manually.
The trans cooler is inside the radiator. There is a bulkhead type fitting that keeps it sealed there and then there is the cooler line fitting. If that bulkhead fitting gets loose, you would have coolant leaking. Maybe the whole fitting is damaged or loose, causing you to leak both, coolant and trans fluid?
Just to follow up here, my radiator was bad. Replaced it and it runs good as new. The trans cooler actually completely busted and I was losing fluids all over the place. A radiator and transmission and coolant fluid drain later she runs better than before.
Shatto
TJ Enthusiast
Good the engine and transmission survived.
Next time you admire the bottom of your Jeep, carefully inspect the lines to be sure they are properly fit, hung, insulated so they don't bind, rub, chafe, vibrate and are away from the exhaust; all of which will eventually cause trouble, problems, grief and the expenditure of money.
Don't be cheap with the liquids in your Jeep. Be like me in at least this way; use the best products you can afford.
Next time you admire the bottom of your Jeep, carefully inspect the lines to be sure they are properly fit, hung, insulated so they don't bind, rub, chafe, vibrate and are away from the exhaust; all of which will eventually cause trouble, problems, grief and the expenditure of money.
Don't be cheap with the liquids in your Jeep. Be like me in at least this way; use the best products you can afford.