R50 pathy stuck in snow, sprayed ATF all over, won't go into gear

[RyanCo]

Hey all, my 97 auto 4x4 got stuck in a heavy snow storm (west of Denver) and I think I broke or disconnected the transmission line.  Red fluid all over the snow on the drivers side, it won't go into gear and the O/D light was on.

 

Pushed it back out of the street and wanted to get an idea of what to look at?  From a quick read, it looks like the ATF cooler is on the drivers side?  From the looks of the snow, there is no fluid left in the truck.

 

I'm not very good with diagnosing problems but if they aren't too major I can usually follow instructions and fix things.  Any help appreciated- thanks

[Slartibartfast]

Hopefully just a plumbing issue. If it was gushing fluid, the issue should be pretty apparent once you get under there. Look for the red drips.

 

The first thing I'd check is your cooler plumbing. One hard line (metal pipe) connects to either side of the trans, and runs forward to the radiator. Check where they connect to the trans, and along their length for obvious damage or rot. In the front, you've got rubber hoses connecting the hard lines to the coolers. There's one oil-to-water cooler in the bottom tank of the radiator and one oil-to-air cooler in front of the radiator, on the vertical brace under the hood latch. It's also possible previous owners have added more or larger aux coolers, so follow the hoses. There's enough stuff around the transmission pan that I'd be surprised if it took a hit, but I would still have a look at it while I was under there.

 

I have heard of transmissions puking fluid through the dipstick tube or breather line if overheated. The "snow drift" part of the story makes me doubt that this is the problem, but I have heard of rigs overheating when the rad is blocked with snow.

 

If it's not obvious where it's coming from, you could put a bunch of cardboard down where you think the leak is, add a quart of ATF, and have someone start the engine for a second while you watch. Even if you don't see it coming out, you'll see where it hits the cardboard. This will make a hell of a mess, which is why I would only do this as a last resort.

 

Don't run the engine with no fluid in the trans. When you refill the trans, don't go to the mark on the stick when it's cold. Add less than you think you need (enough that it grabs gears), warm it up, cycle through the gears, then check the stick and adjust as needed. I set mine cold and ended up overfull, and it's much easier to add a little (get a funnel that fits the dipstick tube!) than it is to drain a little out.

 

Good luck!

[CamperDan]

16 hours ago, RyanCo said:

Hey all, my 97 auto 4x4 got stuck in a heavy snow storm (west of Denver) and I think I broke or disconnected the transmission line.  Red fluid all over the snow on the drivers side, it won't go into gear and the O/D light was on.

 

Pushed it back out of the street and wanted to get an idea of what to look at?  From a quick read, it looks like the ATF cooler is on the drivers side?  From the looks of the snow, there is no fluid left in the truck.

 

I'm not very good with diagnosing problems but if they aren't too major I can usually follow instructions and fix things.  Any help appreciated- thanks

Hopefully none of the transmission cooler hard lines were damaged as it doesn't look like Nissan sells them anymore. If you do end up needing replacement lines let me know and I might be able to locate them at one of my local Junkyards.

 

Chris.

[Dbot]

As Chris mentioned, it could be the trans cooler hard lines or  It could also be the rubber portion of the line which is the best case scenario... Just go to the auto parts store and ask for transmission line hose of the same diameter and you're good to go. It could also be the radiator. The radiator has aluminum barbs for the trans cooler lines that can snap. I've snapped mine off on the trail before. Once you find the point of exit for the fluid and fix it, a simple refill should get you mobile again. I'm guessing 4 quarts should get the thing rolling. May need a 5th quart to get where you need to be on the dipstick. Driver side cooler line is hot fluid exiting the trans. Passenger side is cooler fluid returning to the trans. 

[RyanCo]

Thanks all, turned out to be a simple fix- the hose had just pulled off the barb on the drivers side of the radiator.  I reseated it and move the spring clip to where the hose wasn't indented from it.

 

Thanks also for the tip on fill-run-fill-run.  It took quite a few times of letting the fluid work through before the dipstick continued to read full.

 

I think that when I backed up in the deep snow, the plastic under guard scooped up a bunch of snow and ice and pushed the hose sideways until it popped off.  A good thing to keep in mind for the future- it would have been worth it to dig the snow out.

[CamperDan]

20 hours ago, RyanCo said:

Thanks all, turned out to be a simple fix- the hose had just pulled off the barb on the drivers side of the radiator.  I reseated it and move the spring clip to where the hose wasn't indented from it.

 

Thanks also for the tip on fill-run-fill-run.  It took quite a few times of letting the fluid work through before the dipstick continued to read full.

 

I think that when I backed up in the deep snow, the plastic under guard scooped up a bunch of snow and ice and pushed the hose sideways until it popped off.  A good thing to keep in mind for the future- it would have been worth it to dig the snow out.

That's awesome I'm glad it all worked out for you, there's nothing better than a no parts required repair.

 

Chris.