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Radiator Issues

391 Views 12 Replies 9 Participants Last post by  smj999smj
Seeking advice from the xterra fam!
I have a 2012 xterra PRO4X with 100k miles. Bought off a lady that changed transmission 15 k miles ago. No bypass done and no radiator replaced.
I checked the engine fluid and it looks good, check the transmission fluid and that looks red as it should. Checked the radiator and i have some white deposit there . I flushed it twice still getting this white deposit. Video below. Any advice on what this is and what should i do?
It shifts well , no overheating …
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Could be a head gasket which is failing
No idea really. But did she change the trans fluid only swap out the whole tranny? I think you don't have to worry about SMOD given the year. Head gasket? No clue, but my 06 is totally fine. Try AT205 before you tear the engine apart if it is a head gasket. It has totally worked for me!! You can find it on Amazon.
Ps: The video you mentioned is not showing on your post. This may be an issue on my end.
No video attached, as of now.
SMOD isn't an issue on that year, unless someone swapped in an old model radiator. You could always do the bypass for a bit if you want to rule it out.

Coolants can do some really weird stuff when you mix different 'versions'. They can harden up, look like corrosion, turn to jelly, form little tiny boba tea like balls, etc etc. If someone just grabbed whatever coolant was at the auto-parts store, you might be having issues with compatibility.
I personally would drain it and refill with just water and run it like that for awhile, then put in the proper coolant. Maybe even cycle through a couple fills of water to make sure its flushed everything out.

There are also chemical test kits that will check coolant for head gasket leaks, but I've never messes with them.

And Yeah, I'm not seeing the "video below" either.
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SMOD isn't an issue on that year, unless someone swapped in an old model radiator.
You are correct, although SMOD is technically possible for any automatic trans with a radiator cooled trans cooler. Its just not common. Certain Toyota's and Honda's I have heard of with SMOD - just not very often.

Simply saying you can never rule it out 100%.
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Sorry i couldn t post it but here is the youtube link:
As an update i bypassed the radiator, installed a radiator for transmission, flushed the fluid it professionally . While flushing transmission fluid was perfect , mechanic said it is clean.
out of ideas. He says engine oil is clean and the issue i am observing can be from a seal or the engine oil cooler. He pressure tested the cooler and all was in spec.
Might be that there was a failure (transmission was replaced) that causes mixing of fluids, the problem was repaired but even after replacing all fluids there is still residual crap left over?
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Bypass on my 2015 led to overheating Offroad and engine limp engaged.
That’s when I bought manual transmission temp gauge and I saw it go up to 260 degrees

Photos of sensor:
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Might be that there was a failure (transmission was replaced) that causes mixing of fluids, the problem was repaired but even after replacing all fluids there is still residual crap left over?
i flushed it twice and it seems like it is still there.
Anyone had issues with headgaskets or engine oil coolant in the past?
There have been some VQ40DE head gasket failures, although they are not a common problem. I know Blackstone Labs can test a sample of your engine coolant and they may tell you if there is a head gasket failure to be concerned about. Tests & Price List | Blackstone Laboratories (blackstone-labs.com)
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