Tranny temp. gauge
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 223
Likes: 0
I towed 6000 lbs from San Diego to Bakersfield, and at the top of 5-mile grade near Castaic, I checked and I could actually touch the tranny cooler with my bare hand. I dripped some water on it thinking it'd sizzle, but nope. I could used overdrive, but kept it in Drive for 90% of the trip, I think that helps keep the tranny cool.
2WD 3.73LS
I'll probably put a trans temp guage in the empty spot where the 4wd switches would go, if I can find one that matches the Lariat guages well. My brother burned up his trans in his 97 Silverado flatbedding my 3100lb vette.
2WD 3.73LS
I'll probably put a trans temp guage in the empty spot where the 4wd switches would go, if I can find one that matches the Lariat guages well. My brother burned up his trans in his 97 Silverado flatbedding my 3100lb vette.
FTE *******
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 791
Likes: 1
From: Pittsburgh, PA
Keeping it in drive doesn't keep the tranny cooler. It makes the engine rev harder and the tranny spin faster when it may have rather been in OD. Your oil gets more heat in it, your parts are all spinning faster and wearing faster...if it needs to downshift for the hill, the tranny will downshift on its own. We have a 99 F-350 with 95K miles on it, about 40K of them are while towing our 13K lb trailer...always in OD, and always in the hills of Western PA. It is the factory unmodified tranny without even a cooler on it! Its my father's truck, and he does not believe in modifying the truck aside from the Superchips 1705 programmer he runs in tow mode. I'm sure running it in drive rather than OD did not hurt you, but its really unneeded and it just kills the already low fuel economy and adds heat and wear when it could maybe have been avoided.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
A/Ox4
1999 - 2016 Super Duty
9
May 10, 2011 10:30 AM
Sparkplugless
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
14
May 29, 2009 01:31 AM
