# 2012 Dodge Journey Transmission Leak and Rod(?) **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** transmissions, dodge\ **Created:** [January 14, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645 "2019-01-14T19:14:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nevetz10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nevetz10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevetz10)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/1 "2019-01-14T19:14:06Z")
My wife texted me and said she heard something dragging the ground. She saw pink fluid on the ground. I went to check and a U-rod type part (yea, not a car guy) was hanging down underneath the radiator area. And transmission fluid was on the ground. I started it up to see and transmission fluid came out as a small stream. I’ve attached a picture of the hanging part. A friend said something about transmission oil cooling rod… Thanks for the help! [20190114\_130542|374x500](https://community.cartalk.com/uploads/short-url/kWFxIKhHfrlxwE6la7COKwWJ4Vk.jpeg) ![20190114_130547](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/5/56f5a2e3160514c977e7aaf8b9576503344f36b5.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Nevetz10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nevetz10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevetz10)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 7:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/2 "2019-01-14T19:14:47Z")
![20190114_130542](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/9/92cd4a68c5a7c80de24e4a8098a97fdb870b09aa.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 7:20pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/3 "2019-01-14T19:20:44Z")
That looks liked the power steering line, that loop is the cooler. ---
**Author:** ![Nevetz10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nevetz10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevetz10)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/4 "2019-01-14T19:22:06Z")
So power steering instead of transmission fluid? How would I check the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 7:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/5 "2019-01-14T19:26:20Z")
The power steering system uses ATF+4, red in color, the same as the transmission. Check the fluid level in the power steering reservoir. ---
**Author:** ![Nevetz10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nevetz10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevetz10)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2019, 7:27pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/6 "2019-01-14T19:27:37Z")
Thanks! Will do. I’ll update what I find out. ---
**Author:** ![Nevetz10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nevetz10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevetz10)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 12:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/7 "2019-01-15T12:21:21Z")
Checked the reservoir. Empty. Gave a quick test drive. No steering help. Thanks for the input. Is there any patch I can do, or am I having to replace it? The loop end closest to the ground on the back side of the loop dragged for a while and has a hole where the fluid streams out while the car is on. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/8 "2019-01-15T12:30:00Z")
You cannot seal a hole in steel tube/line. You need to replace the part. ---
**Author:** ![Nevetz10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nevetz10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevetz10)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 12:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/9 "2019-01-15T12:44:52Z")
Thanks! Yea, I know the basics - how to change fluids, a tire, battery. That’s about it. Thanks everyone! ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2019, 1:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-dodge-journey-transmission-leak-and-rod/132645/10 "2019-01-15T13:24:52Z")
Yup that aluminum “loop” is a primitive cooler but a cooler nonetheless. In the real world that loop should have cooling fins attached to it which would make it look like a long rectangular radiator, but this is how things are done these days sometimes. The trans cooler runs into the radiator…so that loopy is almost surely your power steering cooler. Not a big deal, easy to fix, no panic involved…