So I’ve been a Landrover defender man for 15 years. This is my first Cherokee and it’s non stop faults.

Today, driving along she would rev really high but didn’t have much power. Did a 2 mile drive, parked up for an hour, noticed brown/red liquid coming out of the radiator pressure release valve. (Liquid was thicker than water but not as thick as oil).

got back in and started to drive her home. Now she was really revving high to get anywhere. She did change gear but finally packed in when driving up a slight hill and she just couldn’t make it. Turn the engine off and the liquid was dribbling everywhere.

Im just about to take the car to the scrap yard which is a shame as she’s stock and nearly no rust.

Only things I’ve done since owning her the last 3 months is remove the thermostat as it was stuck shut, replaced the belt and water pump.

plus usual oil, spark plugs, cleaning the idle sensor

 

P.s it’s a 1998 jeep Cherokee XJ auto 4ltr

 

sounds like the trans cooler has split within the radiator, so coolant & trans fluid have mixed, have you checked ?

 

Sounds like trans fluid from the trans cooler section of the radiator is mixing with what ever is on the engine coolant side of the radiator. How does the trans fluid look on the dip stick? Wouldn't be driving it until the problem is solved.

 

@awg @EZEARL Thanks for your reply guys, I'm a bit of a loss on this one. I'm also not really a mechanic, more of someone that doesn't mind tinkering. My landy, which was close to 40 years old, was the simplest thing in the world to work on. Like a meccano set.


How do I check if the trans cooler has split? Where does it sit within the radiator?

Also how hard is this to repair? A tinkerer like me or is it an engine out job?

 

The trans cooler is built into the radiator. I don't think you'd be able to see much in there without a scope. How does the engine coolant look in the radiator and overflow tank? Spectra makes a good replacement radiator for a hundred something bucks and no you don't have to pull the motor to replace it if that's your problem.
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My biggest worry at this point is driving with water in your transmission. I would 100% NOT be driving it, and drain both the radiator and the transmission and see what comes out.

 

You didn't notice contaminated coolant while replacing the thermostat & water pump?

 

the overflow low tank has never increased or decreased in fluid since I got her. Not even sure what it’s for to be honest.

so without a scope there isn’t any real way to know if it’s broken on the inside? If so then could there be anything else it could be?

 

nothing at all, I removed the radiator to replace the water pump, so maybe something broke when I was doing that.

 

Would a broken transmission coolant part breaking within the radiator and mixing water and transmission coolant mean that the truck hardly moves?

 

I’ll buy a new radiator and drain the transmission fluid, but there will still be residual water in the transmission. Obviously this isn’t ideal but will it destroy her or simply burn off at some point?

 

It's not trans coolant, it's trans oil. And yes, no doubt, if there is coolant in your transmission then the clutch material will be destroyed and there will be no way to engage gears. It doesn't take long to kill an automatic transmission. 10 seconds with water in the oil and its toast.

 

sh*t.

it was probably 20 minutes in total with her running mixed like that.

Time for the scrap yard or will draining and replacing the oil be fine?

 

You have to try at least. Get a new radiator, flush the cooling system and flush the trans.