Installing Derale Transmission Cooler to Replace OEM Cooler on 2007 Nissan Frontier SE  

Question:

Expert Reply:

The Derale transmission coolers we sell are designed more as a supplemental cooler that is meant to augment the factory transmission cooler portion of the radiator, not replace it entirely.

If you are experiencing the common problem with the radiator leaking causing the engine coolant contaminating the transmission fluid, your best bet really would be to have the original radiator replaced. I did a Google search using the keywords Nissan Radiator Problem and found that Nissan has extended the factory warranties on radiators on 2005-2010 Frontier, Pathfinder and Xterra models. You might want to contact your Nissan dealer for details.

If the mileage on your Frontier places it out of the warranty coverage, going with an aftermarket replacement radiator/cooler combination wold be the best way to go. (I would love to sell you some products, but I am more interested in getting your vehicle fixed correctly and the long term reliability of the repair.)

If you are determined to bypass the OEM transmission cooler, be sure to plug the factory inlet and outlet in the cooler to prevent leakage. Choose the largest, most efficient cooler that will fit in the available space directly behind the grille. The # D13504 would be a good choice, assuming that its 11x12x7/8 inch size will fit in the available space. Monitoring your transmission cooler temperature going forward will be crucial if you go this route. I would highly recommend installing a Remote Transmission Filter Kit with Temperature Gauge, part # D13091.

I have linked you to some FAQ articles about transmission coolers that you might find helpful, as well as a video showing the same cooler being installed on a GMC Yukon. Different vehicle than yours, but the video will give you a good idea of what the install entails.

expert reply by: Mike L

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Jaime R.

1/11/2013

Mike,Thanks for the quick and informative respones. My question was indeed geared toward the Nissan Radiator design flaw that leaks radiator fluid into the transmission. Im looking into other options as I no longer have trust in Nissan. My reasoning is that they are not admitting to a design flaw an ultimately a recall, but are treating this as an oops, looks like normal wear and tear. As you know, its just not normal wear and tear. Ive owned a lot of cars over my lifetime and have never had that issue. So, my thought was to investigate a way to bypass the factory radiator completely. What temperature should the transmission oil stay around? I was thinking of adding a temperature gage for temp monitor. Honestly, the pricing that Nissan has quoted is outrageous, unfortunately, the alternative is a damaged transmission and a large expense. Thanks again.

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Patrick B.

1/17/2013

I will forward this to Mike so he can follow up with you.

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