Another thread.... Where's the end...? lol

Anyway, I put up the transmission fluid temp on Torque while driving around (the OBD2 live display android app), and noticed that it was sitting around 80-85'C (176-185'F) while driving around and went up to 95'C (203'F) when idling in stuck traffic! This is Philippines, so it's always 35'C (95'F) in the day or more.

Should I be worried with these temps? It's due for a fluid change and flush next month, could that potentially help reduce the temp, or should I consider getting a bigger cooler for it?

I think my Expy has the HD towing package, but I'm not 100% sure. It has two plugs for a trailer and a square hitch attachment mounted in the rear. One plug is smaller with 4 pins, the other is a bigger square one with more pins, but didn't count them yet. I do see 2 coolers mounted in front of the radiator, one really small one on drivers side (engine oil cooler?) and one larger one which looks more like a transmission cooler on passenger side.

It's a '05 EB 4x4 with 3.73 diffs if that helps identifying towing package or not.

 

Skauber,
I don't think those number are very far off normal and I wouldn't be concerned. I know many 7.3 users put a 6.0 tranny cooler on the 4r100's and see good results. Not sure if it's easily compatible with your 4r75?
You will have the trailer pkg if you have the factory class iV hitch, and 2 plugs as you mention, electric brake connector under the dash, and h/d tranny cooler. Most of the time, the air bags options were also put under these trucks but not always.

 

I do have a loose connector right next to the OBD connector, I was wondering what that was but I guess that's the brake connector. I have all airbags that were available for the year, including side curtains. The hitch in the back does look factory mounted, so that means I do have the towing package. I guess in a tropical country, it would be nuts not to have a proper cooler for the transmission.

I'm not too worried about the temps while driving, but I was a little worried about the 95'C (203'F) peak I saw when sitting in traffic idling. Granted, this is the time where there's not much air moving around and you're surrounded by hot vehicles and hot pavement underneath. Not sure how much a deeper finned alu-pan would help in that situation, I guess only a cooler with a fan would help there if it's needed.

 

As long as you have the specified Mercon V in there you're all set.

 

And this is why Ford puts dummy gauges in the dash. When everything is working as designed when given real numbers people panic. Your temperatures are exactly where they should be.

 

Hehe, ok. I was under the impression that if you saw anything over 200'F, you should be worried. That did apply to my older cars at least, I've had some GM TH350 and TH200R4 transmissions which shouldn't be that hot, as well as an older European Ford (my first car, '86 Ford Scorpio, 2.8 V6) with A4LD (modified C3 with overdrive) that blew up..

In Norway, there's almost no transmission shops as automatic transmissions are uncommon there and most people drive manuals so it always means buying a new transmission. Here in Philippines, it's a little easier luckily..

Anyway, enough rambling.. What temps are considered high on this transmission? I run it with Motorcraft Mercon V, I don't take the chance to run anything else on it. It's up for a fluid change and flush as said, and I plan on doing that every 30k miles or 50k km. I might also add a inline filter on the supply line to the cooler just to save it from getting gunked and replace that filter at every transmission service.

 

Anything under 220F is normal. You can go as hot as 250F for no more than a half hour at a time.

 

Thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'll keep monitoring it, now when I know the correct temps for this transmission. I don't think it has a risk of reaching 220F and certainly not 250F unless I'm towing something heavy, even in this heat..

 

if we had real gauges with real numbers and an accurate "normal" range, there would be no need for the worthless dummy gauges.


is RAM and GM being inundated with complaints about their useful gauges?
must not be.


when I look at the trans temp gauge on a GM, I can see that the normal operating range ends at about 230, and the end of the cautionary range ends about 250 ... are GM owners inherently smarter than ford owners, that they are able to figure it out without the PCM filtering the data?


one of the only things I found nice about driving my FIL's GM was knowing that on the highway, it runs about 210°F and about 60psi oil pressure. and that at idle it drops to about 40psi ..... yeah ... gauges that work really stink!


not surprised to see that you are a proponent of worthless gauges, though. I've never gotten the impression from you that you hold the general public in high regard.

 

That's Mercon isn't it? With Mercon V I'm under the impression you can go up to 350 for short periods of time without the fluid breaking down.

 

No, I'm not a proponent of worthless gauges. I'm telling you the reason I was told when I was at Ford that they had worthless gauges.

I'm sorry you've gotten that impression. I wasn't aware of I had that reputation.

I don't know that MERCON V can go to 350 or not. I do know that some of the parts in the transmission CANNOT go that high, whether or not the fluid can.

 

i unduly came at you a bit harshly.

my humble apologies


FWIW, my internal filter is broken today. you aren't the first today, belive me. ask my wife ... i can't because she's upstairs in the bedroom hiding from me (no joke)

 

Friends can always say they are sorry and you have

 

Hi Skauber... you write that you are live montitoring your tranny temp using a Blue Tooth scan device and Torque android app.

I am looking to live monitor my 2005 Expedition tranny temp as well (same tranny as yours). My hard wired scan tool is not showing tranny temp (it does show coolent and ambient air temp). My tool is an Actron CP9575.

If it turns outr my 9575 will not live report tranny temp, and I need to buy another scanner, I may go with a BT solution. As you write you are monitoring tranny temp on this tranny with a BT scan tool, what BT scan tool are you using ? I am considering the BAFX unit.


Also, overall, how happy are you with the BT solution vs a hard wired scanner solution ?

Thanks for the info.

 

I'm using the OBDLink MX, it's a great scanner that does everything I want. I also have a Ford VCM, which is a wired scanner. I only used the VCM when I'm doing specific things, the OBDLink is almost always enough. It can even program PATS keys with the FORScan app!