Radiator water gone pinkish in color and gearbox oil gone pinkish in color

[P.Jay]

The Gear box oil has gone pinkish in color and the engine cooling water has gone pinkish in color. what has happened?

 

[losh1971]

Sounds like the trans cooler in the rad has failed. Time for a new radiator, full cooling system flush and a full transmission flush. Don't drive it or you will ruin the trans in no time.

It's known as the "strawberry milkshake".

 

[Fu Manchu]

The coolant is pink/red in colour.
The trans fluid will be a red/pink colour if you smear it on your finger or wipe the dipstick with a paper towel.

VZ, VE, VF use red/pink coolant.
Models previous used green.

Dried coolant will be light pink.

Both fluids should be fairly clean and clear. You don’t want to see the above mentioned strawberry milkshake. That’s not cool.

 

[P.Jay]

The coolant is pink/red in colour.
The trans fluid will be a red/pink colour if you smear it on your finger or wipe the dipstick with a paper towel.

VZ, VE, VF use red/pink coolant.
Models previous used green.

Dried coolant will be light pink.

Both fluids should be fairly clean and clear. You don’t want to see the above mentioned strawberry milkshake. That’s not cool.

I have just drained the engine coolant water it was mucky oily anything but clean water/coolant. defiantly oily to touch the dipstick from the gearbox is the same mucky oil. its like water and oil mixed. how could it get to be like this. the amount of liquid in the gearbox is about 1.5 to 2 cm over the full mark

 

[DavesSV6Tonner]

I have just drained the engine coolant water it was mucky oily anything but clean water/coolant. defiantly oily to touch the dipstick from the gearbox is the same mucky oil. its like water and oil mixed. how could it get to be like this. the amount of liquid in the gearbox is about 1.5 to 2 cm over the full mark

The transmission coolant tube that runs through the radiator has burst allowing coolant and transmission oil to mix. Not good.
As others have said DO NOT DRIVE until fixed. The radiator must be replaced, the cooling system flushed and the transmission, torque convertor and cooling pipelines drained and thoroughly flushed.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Best the transmission is flushed by a workshop capable of doing a transmission flush. Not a job that can be done at home.

 

[P.Jay]

The transmission coolant tube that runs through the radiator has burst allowing coolant and transmission oil to mix. Not good.
As others have said DO NOT DRIVE until fixed. The radiator must be replaced, the cooling system flushed and the transmission, torque convertor and cooling pipelines drained and thoroughly flushed.

Thank you for your help to work out my issue. I am now 75, over the years I have done many small mechanical repairs to my cars but this one is all new to me. The cost for a mechanical shop to be involved is a little frighting, I have friends and acquaintances I can talk to or ask for help. So that I have some understanding, and to get me started when I talk to them, what chemical would be used to flush out a gearbox

 

[figjam]

As others have said DO NOT DRIVE

Again, very important.
If you had a Ford 6 speed ZF box, which you don't, it would be goodbye transmission, goodbye $$$$.

 

[Fu Manchu]

Thank you for your help to work out my issue. I am now 75, over the years I have done many small mechanical repairs to my cars but this one is all new to me. The cost for a mechanical shop to be involved is a little frighting, I have friends and acquaintances I can talk to or ask for help. So that I have some understanding, and to get me started when I talk to them, what chemical would be used to flush out a gearbox

You’ll be on the cusp of a new transmission as it is.

The trans will need to be flushed with a special machine. It will use only the correct transmission fluid. It takes quite a while. Without it, cleaning all the places in the transmission is impossible. Especially the torque converter.

 

[Ginger Beer]

You'll need "all of the ltrs" of transmission fluid to flush it properly

Last time I did a flush due to a failed radiator trans cooler it took around 30 ltrs before it was at an acceptable condition (not my car)

The "correct" way is to pull and disassemble the transmission to clean, this includes splitting the converter

The cheat way is to replace the radiator, pull the trans sump, remove the filter and clean what you can with brake clean, put in a new filter, refill and start flushing, last flush you pull the filter again for a new one, and refill the trans

To flush pull the RTN line to the trans, start the car, put it in gear and dump 2 LTRS into a container, back into park, shut down, then refill trans, then rinse and repeat dumping and refilling the trans until the trans fluid is clean