I was trying the 'remove the restrictor' trick today and while poking around the engine I noticed what appears to be another radiator. First the main radiator is there, in front of that is the a/c condensor, then a 3rd unit, much smaller, in front of that. The diagrams in the Haynes manual don't show it.
Pic 1 is from the front looking down, you can clearly see it.
Pic 2 is from the reverse angle looking forward, showing the lines coming from it and seemingly connecting to the regular radiator, though I can't be sure of that. The big blob on the right is the alternator.
Pretty much all radiators installed in cars with an automatic tranny has the tranny cooler as part of the radiator. And all automatic trannys MUST HAVE a cooler. You will not find an automatic tranny without a cooler, either as part of the radiator or a separate one.
no cuase we all know that these tranny's are week and the 3.5 has what about 50 hrs more then the 3.3 and the 3.5 has a tempeture controled tranny if the tranny gets to hot it will hit limp mode
euhm... I dont know what to tell you guys... I have the haynes, and it does mention the trans cooler, actually, on my car (93 vision 3.3) its mounted on the drivers side of the radiator like...
______
rad |#
______|#
# = trans cooler
i know i'm not clear but, its just like in there on the side of the radiator and the condensor, one side on it... i dont see where it gets airflow, but there it is... :S
The tranny cooler was a mid year change. My 95 Concorde 3.5 has one (built Nov 94). There is a TSB for Dodge/Chry cars that calls for the installation of a tranny cooler if the car does not have one. There is even a part # for a tranny cooler kit. The trans fluid flows from the transaxle to the internal (radiator) cooler, then out to the air cooler, then back to the tranny.
....I am still trying to see if my car has one of those flux capacitors.
-Unfortunately I noticed something else down there. That shinyness on the tops of the bracket above the hose is water. Hopefully it's just a leaky fitting and not the radiator itself.
Thee isn't a source for water on that side (passenger side) unless you have a radiator leak or a transmission cooler line leaking tranny fluid. There are 4 connections there that could leak tranny fluid, usually from an old hose that needs replacing.
Actually that is on the driver's side. I touched it and it's water. I see a couple of hoses leading in to the radiator right there and just above that.
Is it just water, no antifreeze in it? Could be condensation, or something splashed from underneath. Not sure why there would be just water on the hose without antifreeze mixed in it.
Honestly I'm not sure I could tell the difference! It seemed to be in a spot that wouldn't get wet easily. (dry day, no puddles, etc) I'll hand dry the area in the morning and re-check it later to see. I did check the coolant level and it was a tad low, but it could have been that way already...
I am sorry - thats correct, the tranny lines are in the driver side. The lower radiator hose is at the bottom on that side. If water is leaking above that point, if its antifreeze, then you have a leaking radiator. It can't be repaired like a normal copper radiator, it is made of aluminum and plastic. A new radiator cost $95 from www.rockauto.com (I just replaced mine for the same reason). Run the engine to normal operating temp (15 minutes at idle or so, longer in cold weather). See if there are any bubbles coming out along the seam or where the tubes enter the side tank area, or watch for water dripping out at the bottom. If so, replace the radiator. Check that it isn't spewing up from the lower radiator hose attaching point first. Also check the tranny fittings (brass nipples) coming out of the driver side of the radiator. Water circulates behind these fittings and if they are loose or have a bad seal, you can disconnect the tranny cooling line hoses, use an adjustable wrench to loosen the lock down nuts, check the washer behind them, replace as necessary, re-tighten and see if that fixed the leak at that location.
Better yet, let the neighbors cat take a sip. If it dies, you have a radiator leak.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
DodgeIntrepid.Net Forums
2.2M posts
41.9K members
Since 2001
A forum community dedicated to Dodge Intrepid owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, specs, parts, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!