GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Oil Cooler Pipe Concerns

Bending and/or Internal Restrictions

  1. Inspect the oil cooler lines for signs of abnormal pipe bending, pipe deformation and or physical damage to any areas of the cooler pipes. Repair or replace the cooler pipe(s) if necessary.
  2. Apply clean, compressed, shop air at 2 kg/cm 2 (28 psi) to the oil cooler pipe inlet side. Inspect to see if there is a cooler pipeline restriction by confirming that there is an unrestricted airflow from the other end of the cooler pipe. If a restriction is present, and there are no external concerns found in step 1, flush the oil cooler lines and retest. If a restriction is present after the flushing procedure, replace the oil cooler line(s) as needed.

Note: A restricted oil cooler pipe can cause:

   • A decrease in the fluid flow quantity to the oil cooler. A decrease in fluid flow will increase the fluid temperature and can cause erratic shift points, engagement response, and/or automatic transmission fluid (ATF) to leak from the automatic transmission vent assembly.
   • The TCC lock up OFF pressure/return path to be restricted. This condition can cause the engine to stall while coming to a stop. This is caused by the TCC staying locked up due to not being able to remove/exhaust the apply fluid pressure from the clutch side.