auto tranny nightmare

i have a 93 cherokee sport 4wd auto 4.0. i was just driving home from work doing a little spirited drifting in the new snow, i droped off a co worker and noticed that i seemed to be slipping a little more that usual, i then came to a stop sign a few blocks away and tried to go but it felt like i was in two wheel and could'nt go at first. when i got in front of my house a few more blocks away i had my girlfriend get out and see if all four wheels were spinning or just the back... she said neither and i realized it was the transmision slipping and would'nt engage untill around 2k rpm. it looked like i had killed some one in the snow with all the atf everywhere i lifted the hood and the whole front of the engine compartment was soked and dripping.

i need opinions on what could have happend and how bad this is? could it just be a blown seal or gasket. is the transmision blown? why was the fluid in the front of the engine compartment? i need all the help i can get.

i need opinions on what could have happend and how bad this is? could it just be a blown seal or gasket. is the transmision blown? why was the fluid in the front of the engine compartment? i need all the help i can get.
Maybe something got into the engine compartment while playing?

About the only places I can think of that transmission fluid would be getting that far forward would be either around the dip stick, or the fluid lines that go to the radiator.

I would 'hope' that once you get it cleaned up and put fluid back in it, you will be able to find the source of the leak. If you're real lucky, no major damage has been done.

Take Care,

About the only places I can think of that transmission fluid would be getting that far forward would be either around the dip stick, or the fluid lines that go to the radiator.


are there fluid lines that carry atf to the radiator area or any where else? i just figured it stayed in the tranny but ive never worked on an auto tranny. i know it wasn't oil or coolant it was red atf. i just hope i didnt kill my tranny. thanks for your response(s)!!

also there were no noises at all when this happened no mechanical noises no sqeeling, nocking, cluncking or anything the trans just started slipping and rappidly got worse. but while drifting if i hit a dry spot the wheels would catch and shake a little which is when i first noticed the smell that i now assume was the atf.

are there fluid lines that carry atf to the radiator area or any where else?In my '92 there is a transmission fluid cooler embedded inside the radiator and there are a couple of lines that carry the fluid between the transmission and the radiator.

I seem to remember that they are 'metal' lines, but there could be some rubber in there somewhere. I would start looking for the leak in those lines.

Take Care,

sounds like you sprung a leak. clean EVERY thing off and then fill up the trans and turn her on and look for leaks. i dont think you killed the trans, it just sounds like a leak.

wow i forgot about the trans cooler this is good new if its the case im gonna go get the hose and start cleaning it now. ill let ya know what i find. let me know if you guys have any other ideas. thanks for the help.

wow i forgot about the trans cooler this is good news if its just a cooler line. im gonna go get the hose and start cleaning it now. ill let ya know what i find. let me know if you guys have any other ideas. thanks for the help.

Cooler line would be my bet. The oil then gets sprayed all over the front by the fan.

Make sure you check the radiator too where the cooler lines attach.

ok i have a have a haynes manual and a chilton cd rom manual and i can't find the hose routing or anything about a trans cooler in either one. i can see two different coolers in front of the radiator but dont know wich is wich. its been snowing here and cold so i havent been able to stay out as long as i'd like to look at it real well. can someone tell me where to find this info or diagrams or help me out if you know what i need to do. thanks!

Ok there is a feed line and a return line for the transmission line into the radiator. if you were sitting in the jeep they are on the left side of the engine bay. the upper line is threaded in. the bottom line uses a plastic quick disconnect fitting. get under your jeep now. you will see the metal lines turn into rubber line then back to metal.

Hey,
Just follow the cooler lines from the radiator to the trans cooler. The largest one is the ac condenser, the trans cooler is the smaller one.

You probably just overheated the trans fluid and pukes it out the filler tube. Cool 'er down, fill'er up, if you don't see a leak, drive it ten miles and recheck the fluid level. No leaks, no worries!

Its really quite simple as they say. Follow your trans cooling lines from the tranny to the front of the jeep.They will either go into the radiator or a separate cooler if you have 1. The cooler lines do just that, use the radiator to cool your trans fluid. When we worked at the shop, fill er up with trans fluid and look for any leakage. Especially by hold down clamps where the lines are tied down or where they may be rubbing against each other or anything else. All you need is a pin hole leak and under pressure when running it will piss more fluid out then you after 12 beers real fast. The other thing that can happen is the cooler lines in the rad pin hole but then your fluid would be pink milk.If You find a pin hole leak you can braze them shut, a hose can be replaced , if it has a tear in it you should replace the line or cut out the piece it usually wont be much more then an inch with an Imp pipe cutter and you can use a compression fitting to put the 2 ends of the line back together. Fluid leaking up front will always blow back so see where your qmain amount of wetness is and start from there. Hope this helps you out some.