As you might have seen this problem, and probably on this forum for 1078th time.
Stock radiator is shared to cool engine and automatic transmission.
We all know that there is a chance of developing cracks and then when transmission cools, it sucks up coolant.
Sob story that is easy to read and forget.

Until it happens to you!

I read about this, but as non-mechanic this never stuck with me as concept, I could not imagine the damage it can cause.

It all started with harder shifts into 1-2 gear.
Then car started to jerk when putting into D or R from cold start.
All kinds of errors started to pop up.
P0717 was the common one.
I replaces fuse box, mine was rotted/green.
That fixed some errors.

Went to my local mechanic who agreed to look at Automatic transmission.
All it was to just change oil and maybe some shift solenoids or/and pistons.

There was a coffee like liquid inside transmission.




Torque converter had to be sent to only place in my country that can open it, fix it, then wield it back together.

Rest also did not look too good.
Brain had rust in it, gasket was rotten/rusted to the plate, had to be scraped off.





I am happy that I found a mechanic that had US cars and knew what he was doing.

One rebuild kit later, plenty of oil, spit and polish, addition of drain hole:



He also dropped transfer case, replaced plastic fork(for what he was very surprised that there is a plastic parts inside.)

All is back together and car is driving amazingly good, I did not knew H3 could drive so good.

Also, got transmission radiator, no more sharing one radiator.






I purchased car with broken transmission and drove it around for almost a year.

TLDR: get transmission radiator ASAP, comparably little expenses will save so many down the road.

 

Virtually every automatic transmission vehicle made has its transmission cooled through through radiator and only a very few have cross contamination issues. Not as common as you think, no conspiracy theory developed for it yet, but it does happen.

 

Nice pics bro... Glad you got it squared away.

Who did the Trans work? Looks like he was a prol...

 

A guy in my city (small town by US standards).
He works on cars on his off-time, not his day time job, but knows way around transmissions.

Closest analogy would be something like in Russia where you have mechanic(self tought) in a village somewhere far away from civilization.

 

Radiator sprung a leak on the exterior. I changed it out to an all aluminum. This may have happened to me if it hadn't failed outward. Thank goodness!!!