2000 QX4 Help ID a Part & Should I Fix or Cut my Loss

[imhim00]

2000 QX4 Automatic Transmission 240k Miles

So I just purchased this truck and was definitely screwed, blame myself and should have known better rushing the purchase. When I test drove it, it ran smoothly with no apparent issues. Unfortunately, I forgot the most important thing to check and didn't actually go in reverse smh. I found out quick when I got home and tried to back out the driveway. I put it in reverse and the engine just revs. Checked trans fluid it was full and didnt look dark. It sat overnight and appeared to have a very slow leak which looked like oil. Anyway, I decided to try a fluid and filter change to see if it helps and at least get me by until I get another car.

I am new to diy repairs and still cant identify common parts until I have to fix it. So I need you all help with identifying this part I attached in the picture and advise if I should even continue the repair. Its right next to the transmission and leaking from there. I drained the transmission fluid and it was dirty af and I assume it wasnt oil leaking and just the trans. The filter case "looks" new but not sure but the filter is dirty. Wondering should I even fill it with new trans fluid with that part leaking.

Also I noticed it actually went in reverse briefly when I took 4wd off auto to 2wd but not again after that and I put it back on auto. Tried 4wdhi & lo same result. No check engine light but figured he just reset it, so I checked the code and got p0325 knock code. Researched how to fix it and saw people just relocate it to top of the engine. Which I noticed it was already done. I checked the carfax vin before purchase and everything looked good. I paid $2500 for it. So is this not even worth it? I had a 2003 QX4 300k miles no issues and got rearended. Still drivable but they labeled it a total loss. Only offered me $1900 for it. Couldnt keep it due to the strict laws in GA smh. Need a vehicle bad and dont want a car note. Should I fix or get rid of it?

Thanks for any help!

[VStar650CL]

That's the bell housing. Oil there can be from either the transmission front seal or the engine rear main seal, so it's important to identify what it is, engine oil or transmission fluid. The simplest way is to put a bit of UV dye in the engine oil and run it for awhile. If the drips glows then it's engine oil, if not then it's the transmission.

[imhim00]

That's the bell housing. Oil there can be from either the transmission front seal or the engine rear main seal, so it's important to identify what it is, engine oil or transmission fluid. The simplest way is to put a bit of UV dye in the engine oil and run it for awhile. If the drips glows then it's engine oil, if not then it's the transmission.

Thanks for the feedback. Ill look into getting the uv dye today and test that out to see. After I finish replacing the trans filter n fluid. If that is the case that it’s oil, I just have to replace the seal?

[MisterH]

Sorry you made a hasty purchase and got stuck with a car that may not be worth fixing. I feel for anyone having to deal with buying used cars right now, as prices are insane. In my region, 20 year old Pathfinders and QX4's that don't have serious issues are $5-8K. If you determine that it's an oil leak from the RMS There's a product called AT-205 that has a decent reputation and there's others like Blue Devil or Bar's.

That said, the more immediate concern is the transmission and in all probability it's in need of a complete rebuild, given your mileage. You could take it to a mechanic for a thorough diagnosis but since you've pulled the AT pan off you could check the bottom of the pan. If you see a lot of metallic fragments it would confirm that your clutch packs are burned up and the AT needs to be rebuilt. In your description you didn't make it clear whether or not you have already changed the AT fluid. If the amount of metal fragments is insignificant you could just put in new AT fluid and pray that it goes into reverse.

You could get an estimate on a transmission replacement but it'll probably be more than the value of the vehicle. The cheapest route would be to source a good used transmission from a dismantler and pay a good shop to install it. I believe it takes roughly 10 hours to R&R the transmission. The one benefit if you were to go that route is that replacing the transmission can also address your rear main seal leak. Lastly, ignore the P0325 engine knock code for now - that gets triggered anytime the ECU detects another error like a misfire or some other significant fault that will affect engine performance. Unless you have another error code present it's not going to affect anything by itself. Good luck to you.

[imhim00]

Sorry you made a hasty purchase and got stuck with a car that may not be worth fixing. I feel for anyone having to deal with buying used cars right now, as prices are insane. In my region, 20 year old Pathfinders and QX4's that don't have serious issues are $5-8K. If you determine that it's an oil leak from the RMS There's a product called AT-205 that has a decent reputation and there's others like Blue Devil or Bar's.

That said, the more immediate concern is the transmission and in all probability it's in need of a complete rebuild, given your mileage. You could take it to a mechanic for a thorough diagnosis but since you've pulled the AT pan off you could check the bottom of the pan. If you see a lot of metallic fragments it would confirm that your clutch packs are burned up and the AT needs to be rebuilt. In your description you didn't make it clear whether or not you have already changed the AT fluid. If the amount of metal fragments is insignificant you could just put in new AT fluid and pray that it goes into reverse.

You could get an estimate on a transmission replacement but it'll probably be more than the value of the vehicle. The cheapest route would be to source a good used transmission from a dismantler and pay a good shop to install it. I believe it takes roughly 10 hours to R&R the transmission. The one benefit if you were to go that route is that replacing the transmission can also address your rear main seal leak. Lastly, ignore the P0325 engine knock code for now - that gets triggered anytime the ECU detects another error like a misfire or some other significant fault that will affect engine performance. Unless you have another error code present it's not going to affect anything by itself. Good luck to you.

Yea a harsh lesson learned for me. Right prices are insane right now. When I checked the carfax b4 purchase it actually said the value was roughly $5-6k. After everything play out, i'll look into the AT-205 if needed. So I havent already replace the fluid, I just drained it for now and going the replace the fluid after I reply. When I cleaned the pan I didnt see any metal fragments at the bottom but the magnet was covered in black "sludge." As I was wiping it off, I noticed the fragments on magnet that I couldnt get off. I wouldnt consider it a lot but have no idea. So yea ill pray it goes in reverse after replacing fluid. It definitely wont be worth getting the transmission rebuilt. Fortunately, that was the only code, so good to know thats the least of my worries. Thanks for the feedback and suggestions. I'll finish up and hopefully update this with some good news. Thanks again fellas.

[PalmerWMD]

my 2 cents,

If the QX4 gets a new transmission since the engines on thee are pretty good you may have a pretty strong vehicle after that.
How is the vehicle cosmetically?

[imhim00]

Update: So I replaced filter & fluid. Before adding the fluid, I had the truck on a ramp and tried to see if it will reverse off the ramp so it can be leveled when I add fluid. Of course it didnt budge but after I added the fluid while on the ramp, it came off ramp when I put in reverse without pressing gas. Added fluid, let it idle for a bit, switched between all gears while in park. Checked for leaks, no leaks. When I tried to back out my garage to test drive around neighborhood, putting it in reverse it would slowly roll but when pressing gas the engine just revs. Drove around, checked fluid and tried same steps. Same result but this time while idling in park I noticed the RPMs increase randomly. Googled it and commonly ran across Idle Air Control Valve. If I remember correctly, I also ran into that when googling initially why QX4 won't go in reverse. (have to double check that.) Anyway I got frustrated and it sat in garage a couple days, wife noticed yesterday fresh transmission all over the floor. So definitely a leak. Not sure next step from here or even worth trying to continue to fix. Im off today and planned on messing around with it.

[imhim00]

my 2 cents,

If the QX4 gets a new transmission since the engines on thee are pretty good you may have a pretty strong vehicle after that.
How is the vehicle cosmetically?

Cosmetically its pretty good. Only noticeable problem is tears in the driver seats. Body is good. Can tell it was well taken care of.

[MisterH]

Looks to be cosmetically very nice . If your idle is irregular the first thing I'd look at would not be the IAC. With the miles you have it could be at least several other things that would crop up, given your mileage - a worn out distributor, for one. If you don't already have one, you should get a basic OBD2 diagnostic tool if you're going to be doing repairs yourself as it can help greatly in looking at the baseline running parameters of your engine like fuel trims, spark advance, etc. Without it you run the risk of spending time and money chasing the wrong culprit. But that aside, the transmission would be the primary concern as it represents the most costly repair decision.