My mechanic just installed three auto meter gauges in my 02 SD. I run syntheitic oils for everything. What temperatures should be "normal" for the oil, transmission and rear diff (My rear diff. hold almost 6 quarts). So far the tranny has only reached a little over a 100 degrees after driving for 40 minutes. The sender is in the test port. I find that temp. to be a little cold even though the ambient temp. is around 45 degrees. The rear diff. ran about 130 degrees. The oil gauge appears not to be working, the gauge starts at 140 and the needle never moved. The sender for the oil was teed into where the oil pressure line is. I know the gauge is working because the mechanic grounded the sender and the needle did a full sweep. Is this right and is their any better place to mount the oil sender (besdies the oil pan plug). THANKS.

 

i don't know about the engine or rear dif as i don't have the ability to test them yet.
my trans has a mag-hytec pan on it so thats 15 qts on a drain and fill . runs about 145 degs after towing 20 miles.from the reading on my nemisys scan tool read out or the same when i use sct's livelink into my lap top.
my diff's i have to get gauges on it as they also have the mag-hytec covers adding a lot of oil. i can put my hand on the covers after a tow and they are cold. engine that should be around 180 or 190.

 

i see one big problem


The sender for the oil was teed into where the oil pressure line is


he should know that the T only works for pressure not temp. temp requires flow.

 

I pull a 5th Wheel and have the Faze guage for my tranny temp. I was told by tech services that when I see temperature above 230 it is time to let it cool down. It has never gone over 210. Before adding the gauge and an additional cooler I made a large puddle of tranny fluid on a rest stop in the mountains. No damage to the tranny but it lost 3 quarts! After changing fluid and adding the additonal cooling and guage I've had no more problems. Usual driving without towing it runs anywhere from 100 to 160 depending on atmosphere temp at the time and how fast I'm running. I may add an electric fan in front of the cooler.
I knew of a guy who cooked his transmission on an F350 pulling a 5th wheel up a mountain in Wyoming with road construction going on. Speed was around 10 to 20 mph for over an hour uphill due to the circumstances and his tranny fluid cooler did not get enough air to cool her down. Truck was only a year old.

 

my mag-hytec pan and covers have ports for the temp senders, but mike is correct move that engine temp sender to where it will feel the flow or sit in the oil, i.e. into the oil pan
again as i have a super good scanner and a sct tuner i can watch my engine and trans. temps very easy.

 

I think almost as many auto trannies are fried in the campground as are done on the freeways pulling grades. In my 32 years of Rving I have seen so many people backing big fivers on soft ground, their motor screaming, the tranny slipping ,absolutely no cooling to speak of and you can smell the trans fluid cooking.

That is the beauty of having a 4x4 with that low range transfer case. You can idle that Fiver on soft ground, up a grade, no problem.

Then you pick up a copy of Trailer Life magazine and read an article written by some so called expert and they will tell you there is no advantage to towing with a 4x4.

I would like to have a real temp guage on my tranny, not the idiot light with a dial that comes on these new trucks.

 

that new gauge is worth less. it's always in the middle even with my big pan