Contaminated Oil ??? Tranny ??? Help !!!

[red2rebel]

I recently recieved my truck back from the Body Shop (after a pretty serious front end accident). They had to replace the radiator, oil cooler, transmission cooler, condenser, fenders, hood, etc., and I think that some coolant might have contaminated the oil ... and I am looking for assistance. I decided to check the fluids after driving for a short distance. The truck was driven about 60 miles when I checked the oil. I did not see any symptoms of water contamanation, but I decided to change the oil ... just to be safe. So I drained the oil and while draining the first 1/4 cup, there was some clear water that came out first, but none of the oil had any milky emulsion in it. Comments? Is their anything to add to the oil that would displace any other moisture that might be in the system? I am also wondering about transmission? How well does transmission fluid prevent water damage in a transmission. I did not see any emulsion in the transmission fluid on dip stick. I know that water will destroy the friction material on the clutch's. Would something like WD40 or Marvels grab hold of the water. I hate like hell to have to pull the pan. Your assistance is appreciated.

 

[MolaKule]

Drain all fluids, sample and analyze, and replace fluids and filters. Stay away for WD40; it is only a surface displacer.

 

[Al]

Absolutely get the trans oil analized. If there is warer in there take the report and go right back to them and see what they are going to do about it. If nothing go back to the insurance adjuster. If they got water/coolant in the trans it will most likely have some damage.

 

[red2rebel]

Well I figure it it is proably a bit late now! It was driven about 60 miles before I thought of it. I will have to wait until I can buy the fluids and filters. I only have 21,000 on the truck right now and it still has 15 mounths left on the warranty. I am going to have to take the calculated risk. I am hopeing that if their was a breach of the trans cooler that the high presure side failed. If high pressure side failed then their would not be any pressure to force contaminated fluid into the trany and the coolant and trany fluid would have taken the path of least resistance onto the ground. I did not see any trany fluid leakage after the accident, just coolant leakage(which means nothing). Does my truck (Dodge Dakota) use a transmission cooler built into the radiator then an auxilary air only cooler in front of the radiator before heading back to trany? This is the situation when you hope you have an air only cooler. I have always hated the primary cooler being a water cooling unit before heading to an air only auxilary cooler. The OEM set up is almost always like this. I will have to take a sample and send it off. I have an oil sample that has been sitting around for a couple of months (is it still a timely test or will two months ruin the sample). *** Can I sample from the fill tube? ***I hate to pull the pan if I do not have too! Comments Please !?!?!?! Thanks!

 

[red2rebel]

Repeat ... Anyone Help Here?

quote:

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Originally posted by red2rebel: Does my truck (Dodge Dakota) use a transmission cooler built into the radiator then an auxilary air only cooler in front of the radiator before heading back to trany? *** Can I sample from the fill tube? ***I hate to pull the pan if I do not have too! Comments Please !?!?!?!

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Looking for help. Thanks!

 

[widman]

a simple, quick, cheap test for water. Cut a beer can down to an inch or so, put it over a candle or lighter, and put a few drops of the oil in question in it. If is sizzles or pops, it has water.