Just got my Edge and towed my 7500lb camper up to the mountains. I had to climb about 3-4 1 mile 10% grade hills. Tranny temp peaked at 220 then quickly went back down to 200 and less once I reached level or downhill parts. Is 220 too hot or should I be concerned? Also is the tow mode the best for towing? Can you use the performance mode to tow? If anything perhaps on a lighter load like my 3000lb boat? Thanks any input.
I did notice a substantial difference in tow mode towing and in performance mode empty!

 

220 is right about the max temp you want. A 10% grade is a pretty good grade, and 7500lbs is about 75% of the max capacity with the tow package. Pretty good!!

I don't know enough about the Edge other than the battery draw issue I'm fighting on a friend's vehicle right now. I'm sure you could use any of the modes to tow if you wanted. The vehicle is still going to shift based on the load applied to it. Tow mode just spreads out the standard shift points.

If my friend decides to use his again when it comes back, we're going to use the level one, (economy) and set up all the WOT settings for "performance" when he uses WOT. I noticed the most difference when I tweaked soem of those WOT settings.

 

The performance mode changes the torque curve if I'm not mistaken, so it would be better to tow with level 2.

 

Only use level 2 for towing. I am pretty sure this is covered in the instructions. When your trans temp hits 200 you need to be doing something right away to cool it down. I have my alerts set on my Edge so it goes off at 200, that way I know to pull over and let it cool down.

 

lol...in the canned mode, the level 3 doesn't let the xmsn shift until damn near redline at WOT according to the truck I rode in...normally, it shifted way earlier. Going up a hill normally, it shifted like normal.

How can you change the "torque curve" with a chip other than not allowing the xmsn to shift normally? Dump more fuel at WOT?

Answer me...I already KNOW the answer.

 

Edge does not recommend that you use level 3 for towing, at least not anything heavy (like the camper you mentioned). The shift structure, fuel curves, timing curves and torque management changes are not designed to have that kind of weight behind the vehicle. If you are pulling less than 2500 Lbs, you can get away with level 3 well enough.

Considering the weight you were towing and the grade you were pulling, 220º is not horrible but it's not great either. 230º is about the MAX I'd ever go before finding a spot to cool down, and that's only for a minute or so. If you find that you are frequently pulling a heavy trailer up those grades, invest in a good 6 or 8 pass tranny cooler. It's cheap insurance and you will definitely thank yourself for it in the long run.

As for the torque curve, it can be changed by adjusting the fuel and timing curves in the lower RPM ranges. Mainly, running slightly richer improves low RPM torque but has an adverse effect on fuel economy. However, it also helps keep cylinder temps down which is an added benefit for towing.

Take care.

Bill

I think this smilie is just great!

 

HI Bill,

Can you give some good examples of the transmission coolers you are talking about? Maybe some makes and models? I am towing close to what the original poster is pulling and I see 200 degrees sometimes. I would like to keep it south of that if possible. Thanks.

 

MINIMUM temperature we can do a test on your transmission when you have a problem is 160 degrees, so be careful of keeping it cooler than that...Just a thought. It's designed to run best between 170 and 210.

 

I've always been partial to B&M and they have a nice cooler that's built very similar to a factory external cooler. Google "B&M 70274" and you'll find a number of vendors.

As FE stated, there is such a thing as too cold on tranny temp with ideal being about 170-180 unloaded and 185-210 loaded. The cooler I listed above is the "Big Boy" with about 30,000 BTU heat dissipation. There are also smaller coolers that might be better suited for your application (and budget) so keep that in mind.

Take care.

Bill

 

Good information. Thanks.

 

So are you guys telling me that when I do this trip I will eventually kill the tranny? Pulling over to cool down is not a luxury I have. This road is narrow with no shoulders plus I would think it would be worse to stop and start from stop with this weight on this hill. The 220 is only seen like less than 5 minutes at a time. I will see how it does this coming weekend. Not as steep of hills to the spot I'm going to. Maybe a couple of shorter 4%-6% grade. I guess after the powertrain warranty expires I can trade it in for a PSD, or brace myself for a tranny rebuild.

 

I wouldn't say you are going to kill the tranny, just that 220º is on the high end of the "comfort" zone. Keep in mind that for every 20º increase in trans temp above 175º, you cut the life of the fluid in half. See the following quote...

Obviously, going above 240º is getting to the point where it's dangerous to the transmission. Not only is the fluid burning up, but the friction material and other soft parts in the transmission are not going to be happy either. Again, 220º is not horrible. It's just a matter of personal preference as to how high you are willing to let the transmission run before looking at an external cooler.

Take care.

 

I do have an external cooler. I can start thinking about a larger one. In how many miles shall I take my truck in for a tranny flush/change? It has 24,000 now, and I just started towing with it. This was my 3rd camping trip towing the camper. I will only be towing the camper about a dozen times or so per year so it's not going to be something I'll be doing every week or anything like that.

 

I've always recommended a tranny service every 15K (every 5th oil change) or once a year, but that's just my personal preference. You can certainly go a while longer but I wouldn't go more than 25K between services. From the sound of it, you are about due.

Check your owners manual as it provides recommended guidelines for maintenance intervals. Keep in mind that towing is considered "rough service conditions" and will reduce the time between services.

Take care.