So one year ago in my 2000 4runner, I got the pink milkshake. I researched everything on the forum that I could on what to do. New radiator, separate transmission cooler the whole nine yards. I did it. A year goes by and I was about to go on a road trip and though. "Gee I should flush the radiator and do a oil change before I driver over a 1000 miles."

Now I know that any "good” gear head should have been checking in on situation periodically. Well, when it got to -20 this winter I couldn't bring my self to go check it and do my own oil changes. So I just had Valvoline do it. And let it slip from my mind…

So, on the up side I caught it before I would have over heated. The down side is I have already replaced the radiator and added a transition cooler. I have no idea how I got another milk shake?

My only idea is this. I bought my 4runner used, So I took it to my Toyota dealer in Fargo. (Bought it down in the Twin Cities) I asked them to check it over and see if there was anything major that need to get taken care of. The only thing that they came up with was breaks and ... the Valve Cover Gasket and Intake Gasket.

Now having owned a '98 Ford Ranger in the past. (Please forgive me, I have seen the light that is the 4runner) I have had other dealers try this on my before just to get some more cash out of me. I ignored the recommendations and focused on the breaks.

SO, could the Valve Cover Gasket and Intake Gasket be leaking and cause me to have another milkshake. I would love some advice on this one guys/gals. Any ideas? Thanks!

To this question I will say:

NO, I don't see how that could happen .

No,

The valve cover gaskets are at the top of the engine and only prevent motor oil from leaking out the top. The intake gaskets only prevent air leaks and neither touch coolant at all I believe or transmission fluid.

Head gasket ,if u bypassed trans cooler from rad, then only other possibility is motor oil , unless oil cooler went bad

If you replaced the radiator AND you added a trans cooler and now a year later you think you have a milkshake then something is up.

What I would guess is they never really flushed the trans properly (eg multiple times) after the first milkshake.

Can you post a picture of the fluid in the radiator and also the trans? Take a picture of the radiator resevore cap and also a paper towel with the fluid on it. Same for tans, use a paper town and also dipstick.

That will really help.

Now everyone on this forum is going to ran to the parts store to buy an external cooler to by pass their oil cooler.

I don't run a trans cooler. No need -for me.

I did replace the radiator at 195k miles.

Is it only rad that's show oil contamination ? Or is it in trans or
Engine ?????

This......where is the milkshake is it in the rad? If so its either the engine oil cooler or a head gasket.

I'd check engine oil cooler first.

If milkshake is in the trans then.........

What color is your milkshake this time?

Hey guys I took some photos as asked, let me know what you think.


Under the hood




Transmission Cooler




Reservoir tank has milkshake in it. I had cleaned it all out




Under the cap




transmission dipstick



oil dipstick




Here is a time-lapse of me swapping the radiator out last year.

Time lapse of swapping out the radiator in my Toyota 4Runner - YouTube

Question time:

When was the oil last changed? (This help put the picture in perspective)

When was the trans fluid last changed?

When you had the pink milkshake before and fixed it, how many times did you drain and fill the trans OR did you do the machine flush?

Is your vehicle currently showing any significant signs of a transmission issue?

Did then vehicle overheat recently?


To me ... Of all the pictures the trans dipstick and color looks the most normal.

It looks like engine oil contamination to me. Check your engine oil cooler. Or just remove it and replace all the o-rings. And drain oil and refill with something like Supertech from Walmart for now till this is resolved. Also you can borrow a combustion gas tester from a autoparts store to see if any are present in the antifreeze.

We'll the video was interesting ? Why did you pull rad out from bottom ? Just wondering why, when u last had milk shake did u flush engine /coolant out ?

Looks like tranny fluid. But no way to get it in the coolant now. I'm sure they didn't flush out the cooling system properly