Couple questions. I've towed heavy up steep grades in summer to where the tranny temp gage (autometer, not OEM) hit around 210-215 briefly. Wouldn't that be fair indication that the engine was heating up enough that I should have heard the cooling fan kick in? I've never heard it. I only have the OEM water temp gage which has never read hot.
Also, what is the significance of boost pressure? I'm working on an EGT gage, but want to know why boost is the third most recommended gage here.
Thanks in advance

 

Tranny temp is high. Probably should look into a tranny cooler for sure.. I freak out when mine goes above 165 on hot summer day.pulling the 5th wheel.

I don't have engine coolant gauge either just a stock one. Mine never moves .I have watched it with AE and it stays steady no matter what the tranny temp is. I think the water coolant system part of our motors is super. I don't think the coolant temp and the tranny will have much to do with each other. Maybe a little.

I think the EGT gauge is a must also with the tranny temp gauge.
My boost gauge is just an indicator that my boost pressure isn't leaking and everything is working correctly. I don't watch it much which is why i made up a home made one for $12

Boost 3rd? really? I never really look at it. Am my Missing something?

I watch my Engine Coolant temp/EGT/Trans/oil pressure and my Magellan. And possibly my mirrors for blue smoke from one of the H pressure oil lines or something leaking.

If i keep an eye on my boost it would be if something felt wrong or when pulling heavy loads i would see the boost rise, on cruise control, heading up a hill. I will kick off cruise before the tranny down shifts and usually it is around 10/12psi. I hate it when it down shifts. Sounds so wrong.

 

Hey thanks Dan. Yep, I hear ya about the downshift. If Santa can afford it, I'm going to get a tuner (leaning toward a Power Hungry Phoenix) largely for the better transmission control.
I know the tranny and engine cooling are not connected, just figured if I was working the transmission that hard, it probably should have gotten the engine hot enough for the cooling fan to kick in at some point. Does yours when towing heavy in the heat? In my probable ignorance, I'm thinking eng. water or oil temp would be more important than boost pressure too, but I've read from several members that boost gage is the third needed. Hope some of the guys in the know chime in.
BTW, just last week I installed a Tru-Cool tranny cooler. Just got the temp probe for the EGT gage that was gifted to me by Mark Evans (maevans). Can't wait to try it out.

 

So can anybody tell me why I should have a boost gage with a tuner??
Or if I should be hearing my cooling fan occasionally?
Need some help please!

 

I can't say anything more about the boost gauge. I use it just for keeping an eye on things. Making sure nothing is leaking and everything is working. I would imagine a chip would not change anything as weather it is needed or not. It is nice to have for a visual, I guess i would miss it if it was gone and probably always have one. My dad don't have one. And he asked the same question as you. I plugged in mine and went for a drive and his boost acts the same as my truck so i guess his system is working ok. After the drive he said " and why do i need one? "

I can't say i have ever heard my fan kick in. Maybe at idle once in a while i can hear it whip up. But i have never heard it while driving. Pulling or not.

 

First, 210-215 is okay if it's just a short time up there then cools back down. But, there are aftermarket coolers out there that will keep you trans much cooler. Mine sits around 140 max over the summer with the 6.0L cooler, unless I really get on it, then it warms up a bit more. The boost gauge is for a couple reasons. You can use it to troubleshoot various issues, and you really want to keep below the 25ish range on the stock turbo. On a tuned truck you can exceed that (which isn't that bad, once in a while), but the PCM will also defuel the engine at 25, so if you hit that level, and hear the engine stutter, it's because of that. You can't read coolant on a truck with an automatic with AE. I have a Scan gauge and watch my oil temp instead. The PCM doesn't look at it, but it will give a bogus value if you look at it.

About the cooling fan, I think it kicks in at an EOT of about 220 degrees, I believe. It just means your engine hasn't been that hot, which is a good thing!

 

you don't NEED one. it is just one of the 3 gauges that most company's sell as part of there 3 gauge kits. it is a popular gauge. EGT, Trans temp, and Boost. are the 3 most popular i think. but EGT and trans temp are more important out of the 3. that is probably why people say to get the boost 3rd. it is however nice to have a boost gauge. if i were to lay out all the gauges i think someone should have it would go like this. EGT, trans temp, fuel pressure, HPOP pressure, and boost. and i would say in that order. all the other gauges out there would be helpful yes but where do your draw the line. it all depends on what you are going to do with your truck and what needs to be monitored because of what you have done.

my fan has never come on at all when pulling and in the summer it can get around 100 to 110 and i am usually pulling about 8000 lbs for work. i don't know what it would take to get my fan to kick on but i haven't found it yet. the factory engine temp gauge works good so i would trust it.

 

I would add EOT, Jeron. Probably above the trans temp gauge, at least in my case. I don't tow and I have a 6.0L cooler. I don't think my trans temp gauge is really worth having full-time. I *can* see it with my scan gauge, so if I were to do it again, I'd get a three gauge pod. EGT, Boost, and my Scan Gauge (which can look at everything else).... LOL

 

lol ya that scan gauge sounds nice lol... and that is why i told him that everyone is different and he would have to figure out what he needs to monitor.

i will always have a trans temp gauge. even if i ever get a BTS with 31 row cooler lol... heat is the number 1 killer of a auto trany and it can be something stupid that causes it to start heating. i would want to see that and shut it down before i make ANOTHER $2500 mistake of running it to long ha ha.....

just a question though. if your EOT is heating up wouldn't the water temp heat up also. that is why i have never thought of a EOT gauge because i always figured the water temp would start to show that also.

 

The stock water temp gauge is a glorified idiot light like the trans gauge. By the time it moves, it's too late. The other reason to have an EOT gauge is so you don't drive it too hard until it's warmed up. I drive mine like grandpa until it's at least 150, and I don't really hammer it until 170.

 

So it sounds like it takes more than I've dished out to get the engine hot enough for the fan. Scholl buses I've driven in the past with the International E444 engine would have the fan engage much more often (around town at slower speeds though). EOT temp gage sounds like it's for me.

 

I was thinking, DANG. I know I took my medication and I know I watched my ECT. It was a couple years ago when I rushed to get my trans temp gauge installed before a big 5th wheel pull down to myrtle beach.
Did I use AE? Which your not supposed to use the power port to plug in your laptop while using AE. Did I use the scan gauge? I have one, but no i didn't use it., But I know I monitored it.. Then I remembered that I borrowed a thermocouple w/digital display from work and temporarily hook that up for that trip. Heat wrapped it to the radiator hose.

Wrong again.. Dang. I had so much temporary crap hooked up over the years looking at stuff, I forget the details. Then I checked my “To do” list and seen that I had on there. “install ECT” gauge.

 

I hear ya' Dan. Just about any job I do anymore is like I've never done it before. Gettin' old is a pain, but still better than the alternative!