My truck just leaked a bunch of red liquid

[Friday88]

I know the transmission fluid is red, and I'm aware of the pink milkshake scenario, but what just came out of my truck is red, thin, and pretty clear.

I drove 20 miles to work without an issue, parked at work and when I got out, I heard a hissing sound like water hitting something hot. I looked under the truck and saw a puddle forming. Looked to see where it was leaking from and it appeared to be coming from the gasket of the "oil pan" under the transmission. It stopped pretty quickly but this is pretty alarming and it appears to be a mostly clear liquid and has no odor.

I'm probably going to have the vehicle towed somewhere today but I want some opinions on what this could be and what I can check. I've had the truck about a month. The previous owner replaced the radiator, along with shocks & upper and lower balljoints. I did find receipts in the glove box for transmission fluid but since the guy was a dyi type, I hope it was just maintenance. I realize a radiator + transmission work is a red flag, so if anyone who has driven rebuilt "milkshake" transmissions knows their behavior that would be helpful.

It might be worth mentioning that I may have picked up a rodent stow away when I took this camping a couple weeks ago. I found a ground wire that had been chewed, but it's the only evidence. I'm thinking the animal is long gone, but I'm unfamiliar with transmission cooling systems or if anything in that system could be damaged by a rodent.

after dipping my fingers in it.

 

[Friday88]

also I've never had problems with the transmission. shifts fine, 4x4 works fine, 4lo was a little finicky, but it worked. I've put about 1,000 miles on it since I bought it.

 

[RS Dude]

Probably your ps system. Check fluid level in ps pump.

 

[thegipper]

It could be PS fliud, or maybe not.

I would check the fluid level in the coolant reservoir first, is it low? If it pretty low, your fluid leak is probably coolant.

Next, check your tranny fluid (dipstick). You need to check it with the engine running, shift through all gears for a few seconds and see where your fluid level is. If it looks pretty low, your leak is probably tranny fluid.

Then check your PS fluid reservoir, is it super low? If it is, your leak is PS fluid.

Toyota coolant is red but will be thin like water. Tranny fluid is also red but will be oil and have an oily smell to it. PS fluid for these trucks is tranny fluid.

Based on the pictures, it looks like coolant to me. I see fluid drips on the bell housing. Check the rear heater hose lines up against the firewall and see if its leaking anywhere.

The "oil pan" is the transmission pan. Since there is fluid above that pan, I doubt that is the cause of your massive leak. It may be leaking (a separate issue) but I don't think it is the cause of your huge leak.

 

[thegipper]

Also, if you heard "hissing" there is no way it is coming from the transmission pan. If one of the heater hoses or heater control valve broke, it will certainly leak coolant right on top of the crossover pipe (exhaust).

I know, because it just happened to me....

 

[Friday88]

Also, if you heard "hissing" there is no way it is coming from the transmission pan. If one of the heater hoses or heater control valve broke, it will certainly leak coolant right on top of the crossover pipe (exhaust).

I know, because it just happened to me....

How convenient, it sounds like I have an expert!

I looked at the coolant and trans fluid earlier and I'm pretty sure this is coolant. the transmission fluid is thick and dark red, and the coolant is red, clear and watery. It looks exactly like what I saw on the ground. I haven't started the truck or checked the power steering fluid yet.

I'm feeling relieved that it isn't transmission fluid, but what causes it to puke coolant from the rear? The radiator appeared to be full, and I checked it after the engine had cooled down a bit.

 

[thegipper]

That wasn't a crazy amount of fluid, it may not really be low in the radiator. Check the reservoir though anyway.

There are a ton of heater hoses in the back. Do you have rear heat in your rig? If you do, there are several of these heater hoses and heater control valve that is plastic. That valve is known to break and dump coolant all over the crossover pipe and onto the ground.

My valve was fine but the two heater hoses that come up from the engine were leaking (weak clamps/ old hoses). Let me find my post since it has pictures in it to show you what I'm talking about.

Fluid can't leak up unless they are spraying everywhere. I see coolant on your bell housing, steering rack (which would be forward of the tranny pan) etc. That makes me think it is not from your pan but from something up above that area. Those heater hoses are in that area....

 

[thegipper]

Here you go.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...eam-when-i-turned-engine-off.html#post2752678

Take a flashlight and look at the back of the engine and the firewall, is there coolant everywhere? That plastic valve is essentially right in the center of the firewall up high by the hood. There will be two hoses going into it.

 

[Friday88]

That wasn't a crazy amount of fluid, it may not really be low in the radiator. Check the reservoir though anyway.

There are a ton of heater hoses in the back. Do you have rear heat in your rig? If you do, there are several of these heater hoses and heater control valve that is plastic. That valve is known to break and dump coolant all over the crossover pipe and onto the ground.

My valve was fine but the two heater hoses that come up from the engine were leaking (weak clamps/ old hoses). Let me find my post since it has pictures in it to show you what I'm talking about.

Fluid can't leak up unless they are spraying everywhere. I see coolant on your bell housing, steering rack (which would be forward of the tranny pan) etc. That makes me think it is not from your pan but from something up above that area. Those heater hoses are in that area....

Thanks I'll take a look when I take a lunch break. What do you mean rear heat?

 

[thegipper]

When you are in the back seat, looking at the center console, is there a switch for turning on the heat in the rear? It has a Hi/Lo switch and a lever for cool to hot. If you have that, than you have rear heat.

 

[Friday88]

When you are in the back seat, looking at the center console, is there a switch for turning on the heat in the rear? It has a Hi/Lo switch and a lever for cool to hot. If you have that, than you have rear heat.

Yeah I have that. I didn't know that was an option.

 

[thegipper]

Yes it was an option although it seems like most people have it.

Look where I suggested and see what you find. My money is on the heater hoses/valve by the firewall given your description so far.

 

[phattyduck]

Coolant leak... now to find what is leaking!

If you have a rust-free Arizona truck, I would suspect the valves or hoses at the top/back of the engine as others have suggested.

-Charlie

 

[Friday88]

Yeah it looks like you guys called it. The hoses near the firewall have clearly been leaking because there is residue below and above them. The hiss that I heard was probably the fluid spraying out. It seems like the seal must have finally bust under pressure. I haven't run the engine yet but I'm going to drive it home so I'll take a look at it when I get it back to my driveway tonight.

After reading thegripper's experience with replacing these hoses I'm leaning towards letting a shop do it. This truck is developing a list of items it needs, and I don't feel like cursing my way through this one.

In other news, I believe I may also have a leak at the power steering pump. The reservoir is low and there's oil everywhere below it.

 

[thegipper]

Looks like you got a couple things to address.

It definitely looks like your heater control valve is whats leaking, mine was the hoses below it. You can see dried coolant on the valve and hoses below it. If it's just the valve leaking, that is pretty easy/cheap to replace. If it's leaking from the two lower heater hoses, that is definitely a PITA to fix, not impossible but definitely a PITA.

If you do drive it home, you need to be very careful you do not over heat it. Do you have any way of monitoring engine temps (scan gauge, ultra gauge, OBD2 bluetooth reader etc)? And no, the temp gauge on the dash will not work, it is worthless. You won't see that needle move until it's essentially too late.

You don't want to screw up your motor (blow a head gasket, crack the head etc) if it overheats. If there is any doubt, just have it towed.

Check the boots on your CV axles and see if there is PS fluid all over them. The racks can sometimes fail internally and leak fluid out. It is possible that the fluid is leaking from somewhere else though too.

 

[Friday88]

Looks like you got a couple things to address.

It definitely looks like your heater control valve is whats leaking, mine was the hoses below it. You can see dried coolant on the valve and hoses below it. If it's just the valve leaking, that is pretty easy/cheap to replace. If it's leaking from the two lower heater hoses, that is definitely a PITA to fix, not impossible but definitely a PITA.

If you do drive it home, you need to be very careful you do not over heat it. Do you have any way of monitoring engine temps (scan gauge, ultra gauge, OBD2 bluetooth reader etc)? And no, the temp gauge on the dash will not work, it is worthless. You won't see that needle move until it's essentially too late.

You don't want to screw up your motor (blow a head gasket, crack the head etc) if it overheats. If there is any doubt, just have it towed.

Check the boots on your CV axles and see if there is PS fluid all over them. The racks can sometimes fail internally and leak fluid out. It is possible that the fluid is leaking from somewhere else though too.

I don't have any way to monitor the temperatures, but I could stop periodically to see if its leaking. There is what looks like power steering fluid in those areas but I can't tell if it's concentrated anywhere.

 

[phattyduck]

I'm going to second the 'don't drive it' suggestion.

That's a lot of coolant on the ground... And driving the car pressurizes the cooling system and it will leak more.

The visible dried pink coolant residue is not the main leak. There is something else going on, probably down lower.

-Charlie

 

[thegipper]

I'm going to second the 'don't drive it' suggestion.

That's a lot of coolant on the ground... And driving the car pressurizes the cooling system and it will leak more.

The visible dried pink coolant residue is not the main leak. There is something else going on, probably down lower.

-Charlie

Yup, the dried stuff is definitely not the main leak. The control valve nipple on either side can severely crack or outright break off. It's been slowly leaking for awhile but something major shit the bed.

One of the two lower hoses may have even ruptured.

With no way to monitor engine temps, I wouldn't drive it. It doesn't take long for enough fluid to leak out to ruin these engines.....

 

[Friday88]

Yup, the dried stuff is definitely not the main leak. The control valve nipple on either side can severely crack or outright break off. It's been slowly leaking for awhile but something major shit the bed.

One of the two lower hoses may have even ruptured.

With no way to monitor engine temps, I wouldn't drive it. It doesn't take long for enough fluid to leak out to ruin these engines.....

Well I'll take the advice from you guys and leave it alone. I'm going to use my roadside assistance and have it towed it tomorrow.

 

[ZionXIX]

When I first got my t4r, i was losing coolant and it turned out to be the Idle air control valve. Something to check if you are going to have a shop fix the heater hoses. I ended up bypassing mine since I live in a tropical climate.

Unrelated to the problem at hand, but are those hose clamps OEM that have the cotter pins in them? Ive never seen a hose clamp like that. Just curious.