mikhail

I have a 95 4runner with the 3vze, sometimes i smell burnt tranny fluid when im driving with the windows down, its been doing it since I bought it a few weeks ago. The previous owner had an external cooler hooked up, i dont know why it wasnt connected to the radiator, but I ended up accidently breaking off the connection anyways.

The external cooler was small and all the fins were bent so I put a new bigger cooler on, that seemed to work for a few days, now it smells again. The transmission works perfectly fine though, shifts smooth at about 3k driving normally, the truck only has 148k on it. The fluid looks fine too, clearish red color.

I had another question too about the knock sensor since im getting a code 52 for it. Could I just rewire it to a different more convenient location? thanks

edit: forgot to add that the transmission light isnt on either

Noltz

I've got 2 3vze's. The '91 had that same smell. Mostly original, no external coolers or anything. I did a transmission fluid flush, and the smell never came back. Not a spill & fill, but hooked up a transmission fluid exchanger in line with the rad cooler and flushed 20L through it.

I too never had the overheat light come on... even axle deep in bogs.

mikhail

I was thinking of doing that, but I know its bad for a highmileage transmission since the clutches break down in the fluid and it needs the grit...

mikhail

could it be the torque converter? it seems to be comming from that area.

and I changed my knock sensor and the pigtail, cleared the codes, and its still showing a code 52. im disconnecting the battery to clear the codes is that right?

mmcpeck

That's a complete myth. Tranny's don't need the "grit" in "old" fluid. The reason flush machines are bad, at least the pressurized ones, is because they knock free build up and it clogs things up.

New fluid will perform better than old fluid in all cases. The myth just comes from people never changing their fluid and the tranny is about to go anyway, and they just so happen to change the fluid and it goes, and it gets blamed on the fluid.

Do a full flush or just drain and fill every 1K miles 3 or 4 times and you'll be good.

lt1toy

change your fluid recheck your connections to cooler and cooler for leaks after its been driven for 10 miles or so, leave neg batt cable disconnected for 30 sec to reset compter,the knock sensor could pick up rod bearing play

GVOLCRunner

Ha. READ above posts.
Edited cause I didnt.