Transmission Temp ?s
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Joined: Oct 2011
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From: Dallas TX area
Transmission Temp ?s
Hi everyone,
I have a 2005 Explorer, 4.0, v-6, 4x4. I have an 18 foot travel trailer that is at the top end of the factory weight limit.
Last weekend on a trip from Dallas to OKC with the trailer, outside temps around 75 deg., the analog temp gauge (aftermarket) hit 260 deg. when pulling up the Ouchita mountains, (NOT ALL THAT TALL!) Mostly it ran around 220 deg. Driving w/o trailer and outside temp around 100 deg. the gauge will read 180-200.
To me the trans. temp seems high when towing, but I am NOT knowledgeable in this area. Any reassurances, or warnings, or corrections and suggestions. (A bigger tow vehicle is NOT on the table right now.)
John
JEStark (I got this in the wrong category. I'll copy it into SUV, I'm new at all this.)
I have a 2005 Explorer, 4.0, v-6, 4x4. I have an 18 foot travel trailer that is at the top end of the factory weight limit.
Last weekend on a trip from Dallas to OKC with the trailer, outside temps around 75 deg., the analog temp gauge (aftermarket) hit 260 deg. when pulling up the Ouchita mountains, (NOT ALL THAT TALL!) Mostly it ran around 220 deg. Driving w/o trailer and outside temp around 100 deg. the gauge will read 180-200.
To me the trans. temp seems high when towing, but I am NOT knowledgeable in this area. Any reassurances, or warnings, or corrections and suggestions. (A bigger tow vehicle is NOT on the table right now.)
John
JEStark (I got this in the wrong category. I'll copy it into SUV, I'm new at all this.)
Posting Guru
Joined: Jun 1999
Posts: 1,642
Likes: 6
From: Northern California
John, even though your trailer may be within towing specs for your Explorer, it still puts a "load" on your transmission when towing on a grade, ect. Many people forget that wind resistence when pulling any type of trailer, it putting more of a load on your engine and transmission.
If I was you, I'd add a good quality transmission cooler with a spin on transmission ATF filter (usually looks like a small oil filter). Then flush and drain your trans fluid and use a quality synthetic trans fluid such as those from Royal Purple or RED LINE, both make a stout ATF.
If nothing else, I would do the later. Drain your oil ATF and change the trans fluid + trans filter, and fill with a synthetic trans fluid. These ATF's are built for stress applications such as towing, run cooler and produce much less deposits over time due to high heat conditions.
Lastly, make sure your cooling system is good. Radiator flushed and flowing? Heater core clean? Thermostat, the correct one, and operating as it should? Many people fail to realize that a hot running transmission is actually caused by a problem in the cooling system, usually from sediment in the bottom of the radiator which causes a restriction in coolant flow. Also, make sure your lower radiator hose is new. I've seen transmission overheating due to a lower radiator hose that flattens out while driving, causing a coolant blockage, which overheats the transmission. Stop the engine, radiator hose not under pressure, cools, returns to and looks normal. Those things, beleive it or not, happen in the real world.
Good luck. I own a 2000 Explorer Sport, 4.0 V6.
Ed
If I was you, I'd add a good quality transmission cooler with a spin on transmission ATF filter (usually looks like a small oil filter). Then flush and drain your trans fluid and use a quality synthetic trans fluid such as those from Royal Purple or RED LINE, both make a stout ATF.
If nothing else, I would do the later. Drain your oil ATF and change the trans fluid + trans filter, and fill with a synthetic trans fluid. These ATF's are built for stress applications such as towing, run cooler and produce much less deposits over time due to high heat conditions.
Lastly, make sure your cooling system is good. Radiator flushed and flowing? Heater core clean? Thermostat, the correct one, and operating as it should? Many people fail to realize that a hot running transmission is actually caused by a problem in the cooling system, usually from sediment in the bottom of the radiator which causes a restriction in coolant flow. Also, make sure your lower radiator hose is new. I've seen transmission overheating due to a lower radiator hose that flattens out while driving, causing a coolant blockage, which overheats the transmission. Stop the engine, radiator hose not under pressure, cools, returns to and looks normal. Those things, beleive it or not, happen in the real world.
Good luck. I own a 2000 Explorer Sport, 4.0 V6.
Ed
Moderator
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 6,508
Likes: 657
From: Sioux Falls Area
I'm going to second everything Ed said 
For what it is worth, on my 2000 Explorer I've got the trans temp gauge plumbed into the cooler return line (aftermarket guage also). Mine has the towing package which comes with the external trans cooler like Ed suggested.
With the guage sender in the cooler return line I RARELY see fluid temps over 160*. The only times i have seen temps over 160* have been 4-wheeling offroad at low speed, in town from stoplight to stoplight (moreso with a trailer), or backing a trailer up a hill into my shed (the highest temp i have ever seen came from backing my boat in the shed).
I also had my trans flushed with Full synthetic. I think it was Castrol, but i'm not sure. I just left it to my mechanic so it is whatever brand he could get his hands on. Offers piece of mind knowing that thermal breakdown will not be an issue with the fluid.
One other thing to look for with a trans cooler is to find a "plate and fin" type in stead of a "tube and fin" type cooler. B&M makes a plate and fin with a built in fan and thermostat which is the cat's meow, as far as i'm concerned. Summit has the best price I have been able to find, but I havn't explored all options.
B&M 70298 - B&M Hi-Tek SuperCoolers with Fans - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Nice thing about the fan and thermostat is you know you will get maximum cooling no matter what you are doing. Like i said, the only time the external cooler can not scrub the heat is when there is no air flow across it. This cooler eliminates that problem.
Other than that, I'd recommend not using OD while towing. Just find a speed at which the engine seems to sing a wonderful song and the transmission does not have to shift to go up every hill. Some shifting up big hills is to be expected, but try to modulate your foot so that it only downshifts once to get up the hill and then maintain that throttle pressure all the way up. Hunting for gears up a hill is a killer for any trans.
Do what you gotta do to pull the load, but avoid "flat footing it" up hills if you can avoid it. Sometimes flooring it one time to force a downshift at the bottom of a big hill and then maintaining that gear up a hill is the best, many motors make their peak torque around 4000 rpm, so if you see a big hill try to work the motor near 4000rpm all the way to the top, forget your speed and drive by the tach up the hill.
other than that .... Free flowing air in and air out is about all you can do. Perhaps a K&N air filter and a magnaflow mufller?
good luck.
For what it is worth, on my 2000 Explorer I've got the trans temp gauge plumbed into the cooler return line (aftermarket guage also). Mine has the towing package which comes with the external trans cooler like Ed suggested.
With the guage sender in the cooler return line I RARELY see fluid temps over 160*. The only times i have seen temps over 160* have been 4-wheeling offroad at low speed, in town from stoplight to stoplight (moreso with a trailer), or backing a trailer up a hill into my shed (the highest temp i have ever seen came from backing my boat in the shed).
I also had my trans flushed with Full synthetic. I think it was Castrol, but i'm not sure. I just left it to my mechanic so it is whatever brand he could get his hands on. Offers piece of mind knowing that thermal breakdown will not be an issue with the fluid.
One other thing to look for with a trans cooler is to find a "plate and fin" type in stead of a "tube and fin" type cooler. B&M makes a plate and fin with a built in fan and thermostat which is the cat's meow, as far as i'm concerned. Summit has the best price I have been able to find, but I havn't explored all options.
B&M 70298 - B&M Hi-Tek SuperCoolers with Fans - Overview - SummitRacing.com
Nice thing about the fan and thermostat is you know you will get maximum cooling no matter what you are doing. Like i said, the only time the external cooler can not scrub the heat is when there is no air flow across it. This cooler eliminates that problem.
Other than that, I'd recommend not using OD while towing. Just find a speed at which the engine seems to sing a wonderful song and the transmission does not have to shift to go up every hill. Some shifting up big hills is to be expected, but try to modulate your foot so that it only downshifts once to get up the hill and then maintain that throttle pressure all the way up. Hunting for gears up a hill is a killer for any trans.
Do what you gotta do to pull the load, but avoid "flat footing it" up hills if you can avoid it. Sometimes flooring it one time to force a downshift at the bottom of a big hill and then maintaining that gear up a hill is the best, many motors make their peak torque around 4000 rpm, so if you see a big hill try to work the motor near 4000rpm all the way to the top, forget your speed and drive by the tach up the hill.
other than that .... Free flowing air in and air out is about all you can do. Perhaps a K&N air filter and a magnaflow mufller?
good luck.
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