Nissan Titan Forum banner

Trans Smoke?

874 views 10 replies 4 participants last post by  HRTKD 
#1 ·
So I took a trip to the mountains over the weekend and I had a little issue. Every time I went up a steep hill to the cabin we were staying at and I parked I would get a little smoke from the front of the truck for about 5 minutes. It was not a ton of smoke but was visible and smelled like a burning. My temp gauge never went up and it was not smoke from the motor. I am not mechanically inclined but did check the trans fluid with the motor hot and the engine running and it seems over filled to me. It is above hot and way above hash marks. There are two little notches in and the fluid is way above them. Truck does not smoke during normal driving or when not going up huge hills.

Again I am not mechanically inclined so any help would be appreciated.
 
#2 ·
4wd? Maybe the front diff breather did a little spitting.
 
#3 ·
Get underneath and look for leaks. I believe the lines from the transmission to just slightly in front of the transmission are metal lines. After that - in front of the engine - the lines are both metal and rubber. Look for a leak that has somehow sprayed on the exhaust. Focus on the joints where a clamp is used. The OEM clamps are a failure point for some Titans.

On my '91 Ford Ranger there was a breather tube on top of the transmission. When the transmission overheated fluid came out the breather tube and I think it managed to hit the exhaust, creating some smoke. Look along the sides of the transmission for residue.

If you gear down while stressing the transmission it will bring the engine RPMs up and that will help cool the transmission. Try that next time you hit the same hill.
 
#4 ·
What Walrus suggested is a much more likely answer if you are 4x4 and you were in 4hi or 4lo. The differential fluid and the transmission fluid smell completely different. But you have to know what they smell like in the first place to tell the difference. The front differential breather tube is attached to the air box in the driver/front corner of the engine compartment.
 
#7 · (Edited)
To me diff fluid smells nasty-rancid rubber, while trans fluid smells "sweet".

I'm thinking that you MIGHT have been too hot to accurately check your trans fluid level.

You should check it at normal operating temp on level ground, in park but then shifting through all gears (brake on) or some such...

Also you might check your power steering fluid level, those Jose clamps are known to spring a leak, but I dont THINK it drips near enough to exhaust to cause a burning smell.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Since my trans level looks high is emptying some a reasonable thing to do. Like I said truck does not smoke but just that one weekend in the mountains. Only go there a couple times a year. Will level being too high affect everyday driving? This truck is a third vehicle and only used a couple times a month.
 
#9 ·
Before reducing the fluid level in the transmission you need to verify where the fluid is leaking from.
 
#11 ·
Go ahead and drain the transmission pan. Then carefully refill it. It's not like a spill-and-fill is a bad thing. Guys are doing it all the time. Mine gets changed about every 30,000 miles. If you're feeling like an overachiever you could drop the pan, clean it out as well as the screen.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top