2006 long wheel base high top 180,000 miles. About 20,000 miles ago, I had my transmission rebuilt. I brought it back to the rebuilder to have the fluid and filter serviced. I got underneath it and noticed there was fluid all underneath the van. If it was overfilled, is it possible for the fluid to come out somewhere other than the pan?
Transmission Over-filled
- Thread starter cdman1674
- Start date
lindenengineering
Well-known member
Yes breather port on top of the case!
There to vent over filled trannys just like you have explained .
You can get this condition even on a simple service!
Total capacity is a 7 or 8 qrt fill on a NAG 1.
Alway add about 4 to 5 qrts for starters , this will TOTALLY fill the case, but won't be enough to pee out the breather.
Then start the rig up to fill the converter element, then do a final level check when running.
All simple stuff but you will always get someone (smart ass) in a shop that bungs in the total amount and then is surprised to see its peeing out of the bottom via the breather!
Still can't be as bad as a "wally I employed who kept filling expensive oil into a Landrover with the drain plug out!
Suffice to state this dunderhead didn't last long!
Cheers Dennis
There to vent over filled trannys just like you have explained .
You can get this condition even on a simple service!
Total capacity is a 7 or 8 qrt fill on a NAG 1.
Alway add about 4 to 5 qrts for starters , this will TOTALLY fill the case, but won't be enough to pee out the breather.
Then start the rig up to fill the converter element, then do a final level check when running.
All simple stuff but you will always get someone (smart ass) in a shop that bungs in the total amount and then is surprised to see its peeing out of the bottom via the breather!
Still can't be as bad as a "wally I employed who kept filling expensive oil into a Landrover with the drain plug out!
Suffice to state this dunderhead didn't last long!
Cheers Dennis
lindenengineering
Well-known member
cdman
Crikey!
That's about what it should normally be in the main case as the torque converter will drain down a bit when the power pack is stationary.
Begs the question of how much was in it in the first place!
Suggest you refill when running using the dipstick tool to set the level, keeping account of how much you put in (of course while the engine is running.)
I wouldn't worry too much I saw one the other day that had the same issue being I suppose about 3 qrts overfull.
Dennis
Thank you both, i'm not really guessing. I have a 2004 sprinter also - i have serviced that transmission 3 times. I have an aftermarket dipstick, i think from europarts. Before i ever touched that transmission i checked the level cold, 24 hour not running- the dipstick i have sticks out about a foot with the silver machined knob. It alway reads the same about one notch from the top when cold. The 2006 is the one with a problem, after it was overhaled i checked it's level cold -it was all the way to the end of the plastic gauge- right at the spring. Doubting myself and trusting the person who remanufactured the transmission - since he specializes in sprinter transmissions. I assume that maybe there was a difference in the two transmissions- I drove it like that for about 20,000 miles then I brought it in to have it serviced. After it was serviced and after driving it four hundred miles and finding the leak, I called the transmission shop which is three hours from where I live and the owner asked me not to drive it back to him. He was worried that perhaps it had a leak and that the fluid would have been low. Since he knew that I serviced my other sprinter myself he asked me to drain the fluid and drop the pan to make sure the seal wasn't pinched. Before I did that I check the fluid level it was above the plastic and about an inch into the metal spring. I dropped the pan I realize that the seal was good and noticed that the oil was coming from the top of the transmission.
lindenengineering
Well-known member
Well from what you have posted it seems as though the transmission as simply overfilled.
Its easy to do and of course in extreme conditions it will blow out of the breather making a mess!
The dipstick relies on a plate to abut against so that you get an accurate reading. Still for me its a haphazard way of going about it--but it works. In any case I don't want to have a customer have oil blowing out of the transmission after a service, so we count the amount added plus a road test and further level check when hot to make sure there hasn't been an oversight.
With all that stated the repair shop was right to have concerns about the pan seal and loss of fluid causing a slip condition.
In fact the odd leakage can happen from the pan seal, and I can think of one incident where the 2006 T1N motor home worked fine for several weeks over the summer, then in RV storage started leaking once the snows and cold weather came.
I got it back being concerned like your service guy and did an FOC revision. The fine ribs on the seal face looked a bit uneven but seemingly not enough to cause a drip but it leaked on the driver's side.
By installing a new pan seal the thing has been fine ever since.
Go figure that out!
Had to be something in the extrusion molding of the seal I suppose!
It just pays to glance under the rig on a regular basis whether in storage or on the road after taking a coffee/ pee break.
Cheers Dennis
Its easy to do and of course in extreme conditions it will blow out of the breather making a mess!
The dipstick relies on a plate to abut against so that you get an accurate reading. Still for me its a haphazard way of going about it--but it works. In any case I don't want to have a customer have oil blowing out of the transmission after a service, so we count the amount added plus a road test and further level check when hot to make sure there hasn't been an oversight.
With all that stated the repair shop was right to have concerns about the pan seal and loss of fluid causing a slip condition.
In fact the odd leakage can happen from the pan seal, and I can think of one incident where the 2006 T1N motor home worked fine for several weeks over the summer, then in RV storage started leaking once the snows and cold weather came.
I got it back being concerned like your service guy and did an FOC revision. The fine ribs on the seal face looked a bit uneven but seemingly not enough to cause a drip but it leaked on the driver's side.
By installing a new pan seal the thing has been fine ever since.
Go figure that out!
Had to be something in the extrusion molding of the seal I suppose!
It just pays to glance under the rig on a regular basis whether in storage or on the road after taking a coffee/ pee break.
Cheers Dennis
surlyoldbill
Well-known member
my pan bolts were loose after coming back from a trip to 0-15 degree weather for a few days. I had done the tranny service last year and tightened bolts to spec and was surprised to find them finger tight when I inspected where the little puddle was coming from under my van on Jan 1.
Update after draining fluid to the level of my other sprinter and driving 350 miles. I believe the tech filled the transmission with the correct amount of fluid for a rebuild transmission not a filter service. It has never shifted as smooth as it does now!��Thanks All!
lindenengineering
Well-known member
There were comments in the Jeep forums that moisture intrusion might be a contributing factor as to the short service life of the NAG1 transmission fluid. They mentioned the dipstick tube seal. Maybe it is the vent tube letting water in?
How good does the design seem for water exclusion?
vic
lindenengineering
Well-known member
Sorry NO one way valve--its not a HUMwee, Landrover or Pinzgauer!
Winners of the Neptune Trophy.
In short mad ass soldiers that drive both types out to landing craft with sea water up to their necks!
Now you know why the US and British armed forces have disposal auctions of vehicles that are rust buckets through and through!
Last year we bought at auction a 2005 low roof Sprinter that was BOS only and had Bio -Hazard warnings all over it!~Stuck in the Colorado floods of the previous winter around the People's Republic of Boulder it was semi submerged in sewage. The engine kept "the stuff" out except for the alternator and starter. Puts a new meaning on the term "full of crap"! But good for the garden and me lawn as fert--lizer!
The flywheel housing was full of dried 'deposits" the tranny and rear axle milked up and totally full of yes! Liquid crap!--but "edumakted crap", its from Boulder after all!
The breather is of course unfortunately a two way street!
So we fired the beast after an oil change started right up and ran none the worse for its crappy ordeal.
Servicing, flushing the transmission and rear axle the whole lot is now none the worse for the experience! Stunk a bit!
All now transplanted into a very neglected but nice looking 20026 T1N and is scudding about in Denver as I write this!
Good stuff these Sprinters
Dennis
Winners of the Neptune Trophy.
In short mad ass soldiers that drive both types out to landing craft with sea water up to their necks!
Now you know why the US and British armed forces have disposal auctions of vehicles that are rust buckets through and through!
Last year we bought at auction a 2005 low roof Sprinter that was BOS only and had Bio -Hazard warnings all over it!~Stuck in the Colorado floods of the previous winter around the People's Republic of Boulder it was semi submerged in sewage. The engine kept "the stuff" out except for the alternator and starter. Puts a new meaning on the term "full of crap"! But good for the garden and me lawn as fert--lizer!
The flywheel housing was full of dried 'deposits" the tranny and rear axle milked up and totally full of yes! Liquid crap!--but "edumakted crap", its from Boulder after all!
The breather is of course unfortunately a two way street!
So we fired the beast after an oil change started right up and ran none the worse for its crappy ordeal.
Servicing, flushing the transmission and rear axle the whole lot is now none the worse for the experience! Stunk a bit!
All now transplanted into a very neglected but nice looking 20026 T1N and is scudding about in Denver as I write this!
Good stuff these Sprinters
Dennis