Can Trans Fluid Grow?

[skeewood]

Newbie here so speak slowly and use lots of hand gestures. ha ha. Kid drives a 93 Explorer w/ 4.0 6 Cyl, 4x4, AT. From what I can gather the transmission is A4LD which I understand has vacuum modulator. Trans fluid cooler separate from radiator. I have read all the threads about leaks and i am wondering if its possible that we might have the reverse of that.

Lately it seems that the trans fluid increases in level over time, leading to shifting problems. Now it won't go into gear and after I towed it home the trans fluid level was a good 1 inch over the upper hole checking it cold. Not sure if running it in this condition is good for it or whether that would heat up the fluid to check hot. I had to drain fluid a few months ago and again last spring. Just figured kid was not paying attention as he gets busted for low fluid levels.

he has sworn that he's not overfilling. I am now thinking he might be a pretty good kid after all and am wondering if its possible that somehow we are getting motor oil into tranny through the vacuum system. Fluid looks kinda brown but I haven't changed fluid or filter since we bought it. You guys seem real helpful and I have enjoyed reading all about it. Am i nuts? Should I keep the kid? Any ideas?

 

[Drednaut]

well im not sure about the leak or reverse of a leak but i havent changed my trans fluid since i bought my 92 ex 4x4 and i put a good 10,000 on it between last april and november and my trans fluid is still regular color but i know trans was replaced at 75,000 previous owner did one thing right i guess.

 

[Limited02]

Well is it losing motor oil? Is the brown kind of milky brown? Maybe the "kid" is taking it off-road and getting water into the tranny through the vent line? No oil doesn't "grow" but something is either getting in or to much is getting added

 

[Glacier991]

You check it with the engine running and warm, not cold. If you check it cold with the engine off it will read high.

 

[skeewood]

Thanks for replies. The trans fluid is pretty much brown. I'll go with "turkish coffee" brown. I just wasn't sure if running the engine would heat up the trans fluid because it won't go into gear. I thought the fluid expanded when it heats up and hence the two different ways to check it on the dip stick. So is that a myth?

We haven't added any fluid and the level is way up from before and so I'm wondering if there is a way that this can happen... Just looking for somebody who may have had this happen or somebody to tell me its not possible as I am not a mech in any stretch of the imagination. Thanks again

 

[gijoecam]

You check it with the engine running and warm, not cold. If you check it cold with the engine off it will read high.

Ditto. The first question we have to ask is, "are you checking it properly?" Engine warm and running, having manually shifted through all gears pausing briefly to let it engage them all. THEN pull the dipstick.

Now, if the level is still creeping up, it's not good (and probably not pure trans fluid anymore!!) My guess would be that it's been losing coolant somewhere you can't find, and because he keeps the fluids topped off, you haven't noticed that it's going through coolant. The integrated oil-to-water trans cooler built into the radiator may have perforated and is pushing coolant into the trans fluid through the crack.

It happens.