Transmission Cooler Recommendation for a 2009 Nissan Frontier

Updated 01/19/2011 | Published 01/17/2011

Question:

Yes I have a 2009 crew cab se 2/4wd that suffers from tansmission radiator contamination, I want to bypass the transcooler in the radiator and and either add a heavy duty transmission cooler to work in conjunction with the one in front of the radiator or eliminate the one in front and just add the bigger tranny cooler ,would you please give some thought on which way to go.Thank you for any healp you can give me.

asked by: Brian B

Expert Reply:

Basically, transmission fluid cannot be overcooled, so adding a cooler to work with the factory cooler in front of the radiator would give you the most cooling. I am not sure how you would go about taking the cooler IN the radiator out of the loop or if doing so voids the truck warranty, so you would want to contact the dealer for that information. They might also be able to shed some light on the contamination problem you are having.

For a cooler, I think the Derale Series 8000 Plate-Fin Transmission Cooler, # D13502, that you have referenced is a good option. It is large enough to make up for losing the cooler you plan to bypass, but not so large that it will not fit. I have included a link to our transmission cooler FAQ article and a link to a video showing a typical installation of a transmission cooler for reference.

expert reply by: Michael H