2000 Cherokee 175k, car has a bad thermostat.
After a long day of wheeling I get home, park, and notice fluid is basically exploding out of my trans dipstick.

I figured maybe I had too much fluid in the trans and it frothed up.
Ok I refill it and next time the car is off after being hot same situation.
This has happened to the point where it has left me stranded and I had to drive it about 15 minutes with low fluid.

Just missed a traffic court hearing because of it and I am so tired of wasting money on this POS already.

Could the bad thermostat be causing the cooler for the trans in the radiator to overheat as well?

 

Add some details

-New fluid pump seal where torque converter mounts in bell housing
-new trans pan gasket + filter

 

yes, it could.

However a bad thermostat usually sticks open, causing over cooling, not over heating.

 

I am 100% positive mine is stuck closed

I guess I will go replace that and see how that ends up
Thanks for the quick reply!

 

If it is stuck closed then there is no coolant getting into the radiator and that is NOT the cause of the trans over heating...

 

basically what I'm trying to lightly put is this...

a $7 thermostat is probably not going to solve the puking trans fluid issue.

Although if your so sure its stuck closed, then you should change it anyway.

 

If the thermostat is stuck closed then the trans fluid going through the heat exchanger in the radiatior isn't getting any cooling which could cause the symptoms you are describing.

Fix the thermostat. Shouldn't be driving a vehicle with a closed thermostat anyway.

 

Why wouldn't it be getting any cooling???

Doesn't it still pass thru the radiator getting the cooling effect?

 

.... no.


Is the engine running hot at all?

 

Its like a hair over the 210 mark

So Im pretty sure the engine is overheating,
Im thinking the engine overheating the coolant could be transferring heat to the trans cooler?

But Im confused as to why it started happening now, Has been fine with a stuck thermostat for a while
Just realized it recently when I felt the upper/lower hoses after driving around

 

:facepalm:

 

The motor is overheating slightly. Due to that and Im pretty sure also a bad headgasket which I am way to lazy to fix right now
Coolant is cloudy, but compression is 150 cold all across so thats not getting fixed right now

So Im thinking it could be a clogged cooler line?
Maybe the breather tube is clogged?

I just want a general idea so I know where to start

 

Your trusting the OEM gauge to tell you accurate temp, and your basing your stuck closed thermostat theory on that as well?

Rethink that first. And if you really come back to that, change the thermostat.

 

Oh I understand your facepalm..........

Isnt a radiator made of aluminum? Which can VERY easily transfer heat..
I dott understand why else the trans would be overheating

The radiator is the only thing I can think of that might be an issue

 

@ 210 and little below is operating temp?
Besides the gauge,
I verified over heating with the hose check..

But alright I will do that and see what happens