Mike L

Hello All!

As we know, the addition of various guages gives us a lot more information about how our trucks are running. Unfortunately, they sometimes give us more information to worry about than we really need to. My case in point revolves around the transmission temp. readout of my Edge monitor. It is pretty chilly here right now and our nighttime temps are hitting -30*. When I fire the beast up the trans temp. is around 20*(F) and of course takes forever to budge from there if I am just running around in town. Once on the highway, even after, say, thirty minutes at 70MPH, the trans temp rarely gets above 98*(F). Once back in town and puttering around the trans temp will go up to around, maybe 125*(F). I do not have any sort of aftermarket coolers, trans pans or trans pan fans blowing of any kind. The only trans cooling is what came from the factory.

Once we get out of these crappy temperatures, like above 0* again, the trans seems to run right around the 150* to 160* (F) temps. which I believe to be reasonably "normal". I am pulling my temps off of the Edge sender which is screwed (per the OEM instructions) into the port on the passenger side of the trans, just above the pan.

So, then, my question is this; Are my temps too low in the cold weather and if so what can or should I do to keep the trans. temps higher in adversely cold weather? If this is a problem then if would affect all of us relatively equally, no.

What do y'all think?

Cheers!

Mike

gorms

How warm does the motor get? You should have a heat exchanger, which cools or warms the trans fluid with engine coolant. I don't know for sure if those temps would do any damage, but I would imagine it wouldn't do it any good as they are designed to operate around 160-200*. I would also think those temps would give the fluid the right viscosity for the transmission, although it is at least getting kinda warm.

If your motor is running cold, block off the radiator, can help by 30 degrees or more if it's not getting up to temp. If it's getting nice and warm, try blocking off the trans cooler, which cools the fluid immediatley after leaving the torque converter, which produces much of the heat in a trans. Good luck.

nickg

the port your screwed ionto basically measures the temp of the tranny case, from all I've read there is little to no fluid movement at this port, I moved mine to the output line, and now I actually see tranny temp movement.

a search might find the link where I read this, I think it was on DTT tranny forums

I made my own "block" to hook to the output line in about 20mins out of a piece of alum. this does not spice into a cooler lin(no chance of leaks) and I vouch it works slick

http://www.dieselmanor.com/dm_products/DM-TRS.asp

bcbigfoot

In the early 90's Crysler had a rash of burned up trans in thier minivan's. They found sub -30temps and highway driving was making short work of the trans. the trans oil was forced through the cooler. I don't think it applys to our trucks as our external coolers (in front of the rad) have a built in thermostat that short circuits the cooler when cold. Your trans. temps do sound a little on the cool side, might be a idea to cover the external cooler till you get warmer weather (if you don't have a weather front already) and if you don't pull anything.

Mike L

Thanks for the replies guys!

I think that I will re-plumb my temp sensor location like Nick has suggested. Once I get a more accurate read on the matter I will start experimenting with blocking off the trans. cooler etc. I will keep you all updated with my progress.

Cheers!

Mike