transmission temperature
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 191
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transmission temperature
I finally towed our travel trailer (~4000 lbs) for the first time since I installed my transmission temp. gauge. I'm curious if anyone has transmission temp. readings for comparison purposes. Towing on a twisty, hilly (going over the Cumberland plateau in east TN) two lane road, it hit 193 F (speed ranged from 30 to 50 with no OD or cruise control). Once I got into town (towing on level road at 30 to 35 mph) it cooled down to 178 F. I also towed on the interstate for about an hour and it hit 198 F. This was mostly long, steep climbs were I start at the bottom at about 65 mph and by the top I'm down to 50 mph (again, no OD or cruise control). BTW, I have Mobil 1 syn. in the transmission and the sending unit is in the inspection port on the E4OD/4R100.
Just curious if anyone else has temp. readings and what temperatures are safe. I also had two bikes on a bike rack hanging off the front of the expy (frount mounted receiver). I'll post pictures once I get them developed (we are one of the last families America to not own a digital camer).
Philip
Just curious if anyone else has temp. readings and what temperatures are safe. I also had two bikes on a bike rack hanging off the front of the expy (frount mounted receiver). I'll post pictures once I get them developed (we are one of the last families America to not own a digital camer).
Philip
Freshman User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 46
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From: Florida
I have a B&M Trans Temp Kit and my sensor mounted in the inspection port as well. It has never gone above 170-175F pulling my 3500lb boat at 80-85MPH in OD. Now I have not pulled it in the summer yet, and we don't exactly have mountains or even large hills here on this sandbar called Florida. I do not have a towing package and I have not installed my tranny cooler yet.
Hotshot
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 11,537
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From: Long Beach, Ms.
The temps that you experienced are where I would expect them to be. A problem with using a front mounted rack is the disruption of air flow through the radiator area. All of your cooling is through that grill. With the low speeds and obstruction of the radiator the 15-20 degree increase of temp is quite normal. However a temp over 200 degrees is a danger sign. If you get to 220 degrees you should change the fluid. The use of syn. fluid will help you avoid trouble but you should still find some way to lower the temps. I have driven the Great Smokie Mountains pulling a travel trailer over some of the high passes and I've found the highest fluid temps when I'm going the slowest.
Last edited by shorebird; Mar 30, 2004 at 10:37 AM.
Senior User
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 219
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From: Grand Island, NY
They use the radiator fluid to help cool the transmission fluid so I do not understand that 195 would be bad. The tranny fluid must get way over 200 to use the radiator in series with the external cooler to cool it.
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Mountain Pass
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 191
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I added some pictures of my towing setup in my gallery. It shows the bike rack on the front of the truck. It's hard to believe that the bike and rack would interfere with air flow as to effect cooling. The ambient temp. outside was about 80 F.
What bothers me is the 198 F on the interstate. The temp kept slowly rising with each steep grade. By the time I reached the top of a grade, the temp would have risen 2 to 3 degrees. It might drop a degree before the next grade and then would rise 2 to 3 degrees again on the grade. I would have thought it would hit some plateau and leveled out. Maybe my exit from the interstate came before that plateau.
philip
What bothers me is the 198 F on the interstate. The temp kept slowly rising with each steep grade. By the time I reached the top of a grade, the temp would have risen 2 to 3 degrees. It might drop a degree before the next grade and then would rise 2 to 3 degrees again on the grade. I would have thought it would hit some plateau and leveled out. Maybe my exit from the interstate came before that plateau.
philip
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