PSA: Transmission Cooler Lines - Replace Your O-Rings and Clips!

[jamesbeat]

It seem as though Hillary Clinton is not the only person having trouble with leaks lately.

My transmission cooling return line has been leaking a frightening amount of fluid.
I posted another thread on this, and was advised about what parts I needed - a couple of o-rings and a green plastic clip- to repair the leak.

When I took the hose out last night, I discovered that both of the o-rings were chewed up.

I didn't take a photo because my hands were covered in transmission fluid, but it was pretty obvious that the o-rings had been subject to mechanical damage.

From the looks of the damage, I believe that it was caused by the long term effects of the normal vibration that happens in the engine compartment.

I'm still waiting for the parts to arrive (due Monday) so for now I have wrapped some PTFE tape around the end of the line and will be checking it frequently for leaks. It seems to be holding so far, but I am very anxious to get this thing fixed.

I'm posting this thread to warn people that this o-ring wear can happen, and to suggest that these o-rings and clips should be replaced periodically, perhaps every time you do a routine drain and flush on the transmission fluid.

The parts (two green clips and four o-rings) cost less than $5 from FCP Euro and take five minutes to install, so it's cheap insurance against the possibility of a ruined transmission.