Greetings y'all, first time poster, long time lurker. I've been working on one of my 2001 Pathfinders (lol), this one has a bit of an ATF leak, and I believe I tracked it down to this...thing...but I'm not sure what it actually is, or how to service it.

Does anyone have any insight? The right side of the pictures are going towards the front passenger side of the car.





I've cleaned it up, but it looked like there's ATF coming out from around this thing, which appears to just slip/press into the side of the transmission case right above the pan, towards the back, on the passenger side.

After spending over an hour trying to figure out what it is, this is the closest thing I can find ("terminal assembly"), but I'm still not sure...it also has an o-ring and doesn't show any bolts so maybe this is it?

https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts/n ... 44x09.html

https://www.nissanpartsdeal.com/parts/n ... 41x04.html

Hopefully someone here has some experience with this, as I'm pretty much flying blind. I can't find an actual picture of this part on the internet, and I think the part is probably okay but the o-ring may be needing replacement - and I'm not sure how difficult that would be without seeing the part. Kind of scared to just yank it out of the transmission case, as the "terminal assembly" itself seems to be discontinued and unavailable anywhere, so if I damage it, I might be totally SOL.

Also, note that the part has "4409" stamped on it, and the "terminal assembly" part has 44x09 as it's last digits...not sure that could be a coincidence...

I think that's the trans temperature sensor, which is part of a "terminal assembly" sub-harness on your ride. The o-ring for it should be available separately, p/n 31526-41X04.

id0l wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 12, 2021 6:56 pm

Also, note that the part has "4409" stamped on it, and the "terminal assembly" part has 44x09 as it's last digits...not sure that could be a coincidence...

Not a coincident. The Nissan Parts Deal image of this wire harness is not very clear but clear enough to see the alignment tabs on the terminal that straddle that aluminum boss on the transmission case. You have identified the parts correctly and it's a good thing you didn't try to yank it out. All the wire connectors for the control valves and temperature sensor on the inside end of this harness have very little slack in them to be pulled through the hole where this terminal cord connector is mounted and leaking. This terminal connector is removed by pushing it out from the inside, while compressing the stopper at the back end of the connector, inside the transmission. Unfortunately, you can't do that unless you remove the transmission drain pan. From what I can gather, reading the FSM, it looks like you would have to remove the ATF filter and the control valve assembly as well before you can access the harness connectors, to unplug them, and gain access to the stopper holding the terminal connector into the side of the transmission just so you can then remove the harness from the transmission to replace its o-ring. Yikes! If I'm right and it was my ride, I would clean up the outside area around the leaky joint so that it is absolutely oil free and then apply a good heat resistant RTV silicone sealant to stop the leaking. I would do this if there was no other suspect issue with the transmission that also required a partial dismantling. If I had time and nothing better to do, I would take it all apart and replace the o-ring.

mdmellott wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 12, 2021 9:38 pm

If I'm right and it was my ride, I would clean up the outside area around the leaky joint so that it is absolutely oil free and then apply a good heat resistant RTV silicone sealant to stop the leaking.

Big +1. If Md has that right, then it's a job for "gray death" (Permatex Ultra Gray RTV). Tip when using RTV of any sort to seal external leaks, pour some water over it immediately after getting the RTV in place. This will leach the carrier agent (usually acetic acid) out of the top surface and cause the RTV to "skin", preventing anything from leaking through and ruining the seal before the RTV can set up fully.

Thanks for the help guys.

Perusing the Permatex lineup, would Permatex Ultra Black be the best choice for sealing this leak?

https://www.permatex.com/products/gaske ... t-maker-4/

"Ultra Black® ensures extended drivetrain warranty compliance. Fast-curing formula. Sensor-safe, low odor, noncorrosive. Meets performance specs of OE silicone gaskets. Retains high flexibility, oil resistant properties through use of a patented adhesion system. Temperature range -65°F to 500°F (-54°C to 260°C) intermittent; resists auto and shop fluids and vibration."

Seems this is specifically designed to repel oils, not sure how it compares to the Ultra Grey?

That leak is on the outside of the tranny and the black doesn't get as "solid" as gray, so the repair may not be as sturdy. Might consider going with both, a film of black to seal it quickly and then a cover of gray for solidity and weatherproofing.

Final layer of Marine-Tex give hermetic seal , I put on both my sweaty/leaky cam solenoids back of a VG3DE J30 motor. They looked very similar to above picture , and the leakage wasn't o-rings but SEAPAGE THROUGH via inside and dripping from that plastic to metal transition !!
6 YEARS - no problems , LOL

Ultra Gray is pretty hermetic. I had a half-dollar sized hole in the transmission case of my old Hoopty Hyundai from road damage, it was sealed with Gray Death and sheet aluminum for about 4 years. Never leaked a drop.