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2000 Pontiac Grand Am

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  • #838200
    Jim HutchingsJim Hutchings
    Participant

      So about a month ago or so I hit a coyote with my car and damaged the bumper and radiator. So I have repaired both. Have been noticing a little oil drip underneath my car. Kinda looks like transmission fluid but it is pretty well right below the air conditioning motor. My A/C does not work but not sure if the radiator would have anything to do with the leak? Does the A/C motor have oil? kinda looks like the hoses from the radiator go to the a/c compressor(motor)?

      Any suggestions? I am completely lost here?

      Thanks
      Hutch74

    Viewing 9 replies - 1 through 9 (of 9 total)
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    • #838204
      BrianBrian
      Participant

        First of all, the A/C has it’s own radiator in front of the regular radiator, it likely needs to be replaced then the system recharged. The compressor does have it’s own separate oil, but it is not likely lost in this incident. The transmission does have a send & return line that go from the transmission to the radiator and back. Make sure those lines are not leaking. Running on low tranny fluid can also RUIN the transmission in short order. I strongly encourage you to fix that asap.

        #838206
        Jim HutchingsJim Hutchings
        Participant

          So the oil that I am seeing drip is most likely transmission oil. How does a guy determine that the 2 lines from the tranny are leaking? I crawled under and kinda looked but there is quiet a bit of oil sprayed under the car can not really tell where its coming from other than the passenger side is coated. Surprizingly that there is only a small drip dripping on the ground with all that oil underneath the car.

          How big of a job is it to change those 2 lines out. I have had them off of the rad before but not sue how easy it would be to remove from the tranny?

          Thanks
          Hutch74

          #838207
          BrianBrian
          Participant

            Replacing those lines is not too hard at all. No need to remove the tranny! A little messy, but not requiring a college degree or 3 pounds of magical pixie dust either. Look up videos of how to safely wash a car engine and engine bay out, then go do that. Check the transmission dipstick & add some IF it is low. After it has just enough fluids – check them all to be safe – then after it is washed you will be able to see the source of the leak much easier. Tranny fluid has a pinkish redish color to it. New ones vary in price, but I bet you can find them online for Your car has a few options for transmissions & engines. If you know which engine it has, you can look up the stuff online. I did a fast look at amazon – unsure of your engine size, and I found the pair of those lines new with shipping included for less than $50

            #838208
            Jim HutchingsJim Hutchings
            Participant

              So thats exactly thre color of the oil. What are those lines actually called. So i can look at the pricing as i was thinking of going to pick n pull to get them. As i was going to replace that fron rad at the same time.

              Thanks
              Hutch74

              #838210
              BrianBrian
              Participant

                They are called the transmission cooler lines. The radiator looking thing in front of the radiator is called the condenser. It looks like a slightly smaller radiator.

                #838220
                dandan
                Moderator

                  agreeing with Peshewa on this one, your AC system naturally has its own oil in it, AC Compressor oil is not a red color like transmission fluid, there are lines that run from the transmission too the radiator and run through the transmission cooler in the radiator and back, if these lines are damaged and leak fluid as Peshewa has stated, you can cause damage to your transmission if you run it out of fluid, best to replace those lines ASAP, find out where the leak is and do the repairs.

                  #838222
                  Jim HutchingsJim Hutchings
                  Participant

                    Do they just screw into the transmission or how are they atattched to the transmison?

                    Hutch74

                    #838234
                    dandan
                    Moderator

                      they thread into the radiator and i believe they thread into the transmission as well either that or they are bolted to the side with O ring seals, never had to replace the lines myself but typically that is how it goes so that will be my educated guess.

                      but before you start taring things apart see where the leak is coming from first.

                      #838403
                      GlennGlenn
                      Participant

                        Hutch, some GM cooler line applications are held in place by a retaining clip. These basically hold the lines in place in the threaded access send and return ports on the radiator. Examine and see if the lines appear to have a clip holding them in place. Once the clip is removed (may require a small pic tool) the line(s) can simply be pulled put of the threaded port(s) on the radiator. Also, I have seen this same set up where the lines go into the transmission on GM’s.

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