4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/liquid leakage

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Expert: - 11/18/2004


Question
Hi Carl,

My 1997 4X4 Grand Laredo has some liquid leakage from two hoses located under the radiator and middle of the front wheels.
It looks like oil in red color. Somebody told me that it is steering liquid, but I thought it is transmission liquid because the hoses with
metal tubes seems runing into transmission box (if I am right). Are these hoses are cooling lines for transmission oil ?

Thank you very much !

Hu Lee

Answer
Hu,

You are correct, that should be transmission fluid.  Automatic transmissions circulate the transmission fluid through a section of the radiator to cool the fluid.  You may have a loose fitting, or a line going bad.  Make sure that you check the transmission fluid, and don't let it run low.  

Your power steering fluid, should be a light, almost clear fluid, and the power steering lines run from the power steering pump to the steering box, and back.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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