Looking at buying an 05 Nissan Pathfinder. I've been doing some research, and as you know these things have an issue with the trans coolant line rupturing and radiator fluid leaking into the trans.
IF somebody could help me with two questions that would be appreciated.
One, how do I detect the problem? Check the dipstick and look for milky fluid like you'd find in a blown head gasket, not sure....
Two, is there a solution to this problem. Say the transmission is fine, can I bypass the radiator pass through?
Thanks for any help!
05 Transmission
Moderator: volvite
The problem is with a seal in the radiator's integral cooler for the transmission fluid and only affects some---albeit, still a large number of---the factory installed radiators from 2005-2010. So far, I have not heard of any cooler failures on the updated Nissan radiators or any of the aftermarket radiators. Usually most people find out when they experience a high speed "shudder" from the transmission. The other signs are white streaks in the ATF fluid or worse, the "strawberry milkshake." You might also find oil in your engine coolant reservoir.
If the radiator is original, failure-prone model, it should have a Calsonic sticker on the top tank with the part number 21400-EA215 or -EA265. If it has been replaced with a Nissan radiator, it will likely have 21400-9CA2E. Nissan radiators also have "Nissan" molded into the top tank. Aftermarket radiators will not have "Nissan" molded into the top tank and will not have the Calsonic sticker. I have heard of a couple of failures with the -9CA2E radiator, so that's not a guarantee that it's the updated design, either. It seems the change was made under that part number sometime. If the radiator was replaced 2010-or-later, I'd feel pretty comfortable with it.
If you are purchasing one, getting a Carfax on the vehicle would not be a bad idea.
If you want to prevent the cross-contamination issue, you can either replace the radiator (which is still not a 100% guarantee, but cooler failure is unlikely in an aftermarket or updated radiator), or do the "bypass," which in a 2005-07 model, is as simple as re-routing the hoses to bypass the internal cooler. Your fluid will then be cooled by the factory installed, auxiliary cooler in front of the A/C condenser. The "con" of bypassing is that you lose the radiator's ability to warm and maintain the temperature of the transmission fluid, as well as remove some cooling ability in extreme conditions. The majority of people who bypass don't report any problems, however.
If the radiator is original, failure-prone model, it should have a Calsonic sticker on the top tank with the part number 21400-EA215 or -EA265. If it has been replaced with a Nissan radiator, it will likely have 21400-9CA2E. Nissan radiators also have "Nissan" molded into the top tank. Aftermarket radiators will not have "Nissan" molded into the top tank and will not have the Calsonic sticker. I have heard of a couple of failures with the -9CA2E radiator, so that's not a guarantee that it's the updated design, either. It seems the change was made under that part number sometime. If the radiator was replaced 2010-or-later, I'd feel pretty comfortable with it.
If you are purchasing one, getting a Carfax on the vehicle would not be a bad idea.
If you want to prevent the cross-contamination issue, you can either replace the radiator (which is still not a 100% guarantee, but cooler failure is unlikely in an aftermarket or updated radiator), or do the "bypass," which in a 2005-07 model, is as simple as re-routing the hoses to bypass the internal cooler. Your fluid will then be cooled by the factory installed, auxiliary cooler in front of the A/C condenser. The "con" of bypassing is that you lose the radiator's ability to warm and maintain the temperature of the transmission fluid, as well as remove some cooling ability in extreme conditions. The majority of people who bypass don't report any problems, however.
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