I am pulling a heavy trailer now. I do not think my scanner has the ability to get tranny temps. I think I need a gauge. My question is there does the temp sender go ? Thanks in advance.

 

The question is simple but the answer is complex.
A. There are three locations but a best one.
B. How do you know what temperature limit is too high?
C. Are you equipped with extra trans cooling?
D. Is your total gross combined weight over the truck's limit?
E. Do you have the Hitch rating for the weight?
.
a. In the Pan, in the trans case side, in the output line from the trans to the radiator cooler. Best and most responsive is in the cooler line. Use electric gauge in this location.
At the trans side or Pan is after the fact and slower lower indicting. Not as good. Use mechanical gauge here.
b. The limits of the fluid where it begins to breakdown begins to be around 260 degrees on up.
c. You need aux cooling in the transmission return line.
d. Look in your user manual for the equipage your truck has. In the right most column is the GCWR. Subtract your trucks 'loaded weight' from that gross weight and what is left is the total trailer weight 'limit' recommended.
e. Is the hitch class correct?
.
Be prepared to be slow on the hills. Lock out OD so the trans will still run in converter lockup in third gear. This is important for trans cooling.
.
I did this involved explanation because you gave little information and may help other who are interested.
Good luck..

 

Blugrass, thank you for the excellent information. I don't think I an over weaght. The truck has no power. I can only drive 55mph pulling the travel trailer. 4k lbs I do gave a stand alone cooler. Once again thanks for the great information!

 

The side of the trans will give the best reading. The pan will give the coldest reading and should be avoided. The cooler line is a good place for those that like to be scared by how hot their trans fluid gets. it isn't unusual to see over 250°F here and there is NOTHING wrong.

I want to know what the internal temp of the trans is. The test port on the side of the trans is the closest to that temperature.

 

Yep the converter output line will scare most for awhile until they see its a normal response.
Heats fast and cools fast to lower load changes and if the trans is out of lock up.
On my truck the temperature normally runs close to 150 out of the converter in lockup winter or summer.
On pulling the mountain at good speeds to keep up with the rest of the 'race cars' it will go up to as high as 240 depending on the outside ambient.
When pulling a load and road speeds are low my thermostat controlled fan turns on at the aux cooler.
I have found that extra Pan capacity does not do much for the overall cooling.
Only delays it from a cold start until the overall temperature average is reached then its the same with or without.
Good luck..

 

Assuming aux cooler is at the very front of all heat exchangers, does the fan push air? Which is the hottest, transmission oil radiator, coolant radiator, or AC radiator?

 

I have an '04 E-150, 5.4L, 4W75 (And yes, I know that this is the F-150 forum, and that there is an Van forum - I searched FTE and this thread came up. Since the Tranny is likely the same, I figured I'd ask.) I've a got an Ultra gauge MX that is programmed to read transmission temp from the PCM - where would the sensor be located? So far the temperature reads between around 150 -160 normal w/ the highest temp being 180 (that was climbing a STEEP rocky mountain road in 1st for about 2 miles). I don't know if the temp would have gone higher as it climbed steadily as the van climbed, and 180 was what it was when we reached the trailhead for our the hiking trail that day. It has a good sized tranny cooler that looks OEM.

 

The OEM sensor is on the solenoid body, which is inside the pan. That's an excellent place to read the trans temperature.

 

Mark,

I was hoping you would chime in. Now for the question that you have answered over and over again, but my searching skills are not finding what I'm looking for - I've been reading that in general, temps of around 220 Degs are ok for short spurts. Whats the normal range that these transmissions run?

 

Up to 220°F is fine. You can go up to 250°F for no more than a half hour at a time.