Recently added a transmission temp gauge to my 2001 V10 F250. Yesterday was the first time I towed since then. I towed my lightly loaded 2 horse trailer at 70 mph for 100 miles, OAT was around 95 degrees. Transmission temp slowly crept up and finally stabilized at 230 degrees. On the way back without the trailer it ran around 175. Are these normal temps? Thanks

 

It depends on where the temp probe is located. 230 might be a bit high. You might want to add additional trans cooling for towing.

 

I think 230 is a bit high. I would add a good trans cooler. You can also try synthetic fluid. It stays cooler. The life of the fluid is cut down drastically by high temps (230). I would service the trans and start over. Try and kep it under 200 if possible. Where is the sensor located?

 

Thanks for the responses. Temp probe is located in the trans test port. The truck has a bit over 103k miles on it. Are the high trans temperatures indicative of a problem with the transmission? I've got to tow the loaded horse trailer 700 miles next week, and I'd prefer not to end up on the side of the interstate in a clould of smoke.

 

It can be an indication of tranny problems, but they could also let you know that the onset of tranny problems could be happening right then. I talked to the tranny guy at my dealership and he said that 210 was the highest that you wanted to see when towing. I would suggest a deeper tranny pan and a cooler. I would check the fluid that you have in there and see if it looks or smells burnt.

 

Maybe also try a 6.0 cooler if you already haven't, and I've had good luck with the addition of my Derale tranny pan - cooling tubes and xtra capacity.

 

I've had one on my 2000 F-350 for five years. The highest reading I have had is a little over 150, and that was a hot day, towing 7000lbs. I also used the test port.

 

If you have a full synthetic fluid installed 230 isn't too high. If you are towing a heavy load in top gear you can expect the temp to be higher cause the pump isn't turning as fast so fluid isn't circulating fast enough for proper cooling. The syn has been working for me for hundreds of thousands of miles. I put it in all my vehicles after break in and never again change it with never a transmission problem. Before I went syn I did annual services of trannies and still burned em up. Glad those expensive transmission repairs are history. The expetrts tell me the failures were caused by the fluid breaking down with heat causing a lack of lubrication in the tranny. Synthetic fluid they tell me dosen't break down. My Bronco with the E4OD had a quarter million miles of heavy boat towing up to 9,000 LB on it when I sold it with never a fluid change after the first one. Of course it had Mobil one syn in it. Loved the Bronco's for handling boats at launch ramps and in tight spaces.

 

I appreciate all your input. Took the truck into the dealer, told them the symptoms. They didn't seem too concerned about the high temperature (maybe they think they can sell me a new transmission if I can kill this one). They changed the fluid and replaced the pickup screen. I towed the fully loaded horse trailer 350 miles each way at 75 mph, and the trans temp gauge never went above 195.

As a little background, about a year and a half ago I took the truck in for a major service, including a transmission fluid change. A couple of weeks later I was driving around at my hunting camp when I noticed that the transmission seemed to be slipping. I pulled off the road and looked under the truck to find transmission fluid pouring out. Drain plug had fallen out. Had the truck towed back to the dealer, they refilled the transmission and pronounced it ok. Had a rather frank discussion with the service manager, and he gave me an additional 12k mile warranty on the transmission. That was around 17k miles ago, and the transmission has given no obvious problems since.

If you don't have a real trans temp gauge, I can heartily recommend you get one. If I was running 230 degrees pulling an empty trailer over flat terrain, I can only imagine what it would have been with the extra 3000 lbs over the hilly terrain I ran last week.

 

How big is the tranny cooler on your '01? I have an '01 also, and the cooler is HUGE...

 

[QUOTE=285exp]I appreciate all your input. Took the truck into the dealer, told them the symptoms. They didn't seem too concerned about the high temperature (maybe they think they can sell me a new transmission if I can kill this one). They changed the fluid and replaced the pickup screen. I towed the fully loaded horse trailer 350 miles each way at 75 mph, and the trans temp gauge never went above 195.

The Ford fluid for the torqshift is supposed to be a full synthetic so it shouldn't breakdown at high temperatures and will still provide lubrication not like conventional fluids which breakdown and loose there ability to lubricate at moderate temps. You were lucky to stop and discover the missing transmission plug before you toasted the tranny. Make sure you don't loose documentation of this incident in case something does happen in the future. Even if the dealer won't give you a new tranny it at least should get you a substantial discount even after the gaurantee is out.

So, your saying the factory temp gauge is a joke then? I just installed a quality aftermarket temp gauge on my old 1975 Ford 200 diesel tractor cause I didn't like the factory expanded range temp gauge cause it didn't really tell you what the temp was only if it was too hot or cold! Thanks for the tip, gonna add a good tran temp gauge to my SD.

 

My 01 does have a pretty big honking trans oil cooler, so I don't think that lack of cooling capacity was my problem.

I understand that it can be a bad idea to start using synthetic engine oil in an older engine that has been using dino oil; is there any downside to a change to synthetic trans fluid in a transmission with over 100k on it? Does Ford have a recommended synthetic for the 4r100? Is it worth it for a transmission with 104k miles on it?

When the AAA tow truck driver came to load up my truck to haul it to the dealer after the drain plug incident, he said (jokingly?) that I should go ahead and drive it until the transmission was good and fried so I could get a new one. If the truck hadn't had almost 90k on it at that point I might have considered it, but I was pretty sure I had caught it before really bad things had happened. I hope that the failure of the thing to blow up so far means I'm not going to be punished for my honesty. I've certainly heard of other 4r100's packing it in before 100k. I reminded the service advisor if the incident when I took it in last week.

I think that, generally, the factory gauges are pretty much glorified idiot lights. My truck had no factory trans temp gauge anyway, but I prefer gauges that tell you something useful, like the actual temperature, rather than Hot and Cold, with a vast In Between. Thanks again for the help.

 

Thats pretty much why I do hate the ones on the tractors that I have, I just can't really see spending that money on the tractors though when they aren't do intensive field work for me, if I was doing hay or big crops then I would.

 

The 2001 should use Mercon SP which is to the best of my knowledge full synthetic.

But from what I read a lot of dealers service with Mercon V which is not the same or a substitute for the SP.

Check your invoice from the dealers to see what fluids they used.

 

A recent TSB came out that says to use Mercon V instead of Mercon SP.

TSB
06-14-4
MERCON ATF IS BEING REPLACED BY MERCON V ATF AS A SERVICE FLUID.

Publication Date: June 29, 2006

FORD:
1980-1997 Crown Victoria
1981-1997 Mustang, Thunderbird
1981-2003 Escort
1986-1993 Festiva
1986-1997 Taurus
1989-1997 Probe
1994-1997 Aspire
1995-2000 Contour
1980-1996 Bronco
1981-2003 F-150
1981-2004 E-Series, F-Super Duty
1983-1996 Ranger
1986-1996 Aerostar
1991-1997 Explorer
1993-2004 F-53 Motorhome Chassis
1995-1998 Windstar
1997-2004 Expedition
2000-2005 Excursion
2001-2007 Escape
1987-2000 F- & B-Series
2000-2007 F-650, F-750
LINCOLN:
1980-1997 Town Car
1981-1997 Continental
1993-1997 Mark VIII
1998-2004 Navigator
2002-2003 Blackwood
MERCURY:
1980-1997 Grand Marquis
1981-1997 Cougar
1986-1997 Sable
1987-1999 Tracer
1995-2000 Mystique
1999-2002 Cougar
1993-2002 Villager
1997 Mountaineer
2005-2007 Mariner
MERKUR:
1985-1989 XR4TI


This article supersedes TSB 01-15-7 to update the vehicle application chart. ISSUE:

MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid is being replaced by MERCON® V as a service fluid.

ACTION:

Beginning immediately all automatic transmission / transaxle applications requiring MERCON® can now be serviced using MERCON® V or MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid or dual usage fluids labeled MERCON® / MERCON® V. After July 1, 2007, MERCON® Automatic Transmission Fluid will no longer be manufactured, therefore, availability of this fluid will only continue for however long it takes to deplete what remains in inventory.