Prado Petrol 4L V6 - Radiator Replacement - ATF fluid loss.

[Seth Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close Seth]

Hi there,

My radiator on my 2006 Prado Petrol 4L V6 started to leak due to the plastic deteriorating. I'm no mechanic but want to give it a go and replace it.

My only concern is apparently the transmission fluid also runs through the radiator which would mean there would be transmission fluid loss when swopping out radiators. Is this a concern? Would I need to top up my transmission fluid? I've heard that isn't too straight forward though and requires knowing transmission fluid temps ect to make the top-up.

[Daniel150 Member Find all posts View Profile Close Daniel150]

Yes, you will loose some fluid.
You could do the radiator swap yourself and possibly still drive it to a transmission place to get it topped up.
You’ll loose about 3-500mm of fluid which for a really short trip probably won’t bother the transmission.
If you have a $20 Bluetooth obd 2 reader off eBay and some time, it is possible to diy. I have flushed my own transmissions with a scan gauge and Tom Thumb pump before, but given the time and mess involved, I just pay the $4-500 for the trans place to do it now.