3rd Gen 4runners 96-02 with Auto Trans, Please read!
 

Something that everyone should be made aware of with this generation 4runner. If you have the automatic transmission and over 100K miles (which should be most by now) either get the radiator replaced as a routine maintenance item or bypass the built in transmission cooler with an aftermarket external cooler. The built in radiator coolers are known to leak and mix coolant into the transmission and transmission fluid into the engine cooling system.

This causes the engine to overheat and the transmission to fail. A double whammy and it can all be avoided by the above mentioned radiator replacement or OEM cooler bypass. I see more people practically every week on these forums saying it happened to them.

Most people never heard of problem before until it happens to them so I'm trying to warn as many as possible.

Here's one good link. There are many others. This does not just happen to 4runners as these built in radiator type trans coolers are used on a lot of other makes and types of cars/trucks.

http://www.yotatech.com/f2/bypass-oe...cooler-126953/

For more reading just google 4runner and strawberry milkshake, pink milkshake or even pepto bismol which is what I heard the dealer calls it!

Thanks for reading. I hope it helps someone...