How hot is to hot on the trans?Ive seen working diesels as high as 210-220.Mine runs around 145 just driving normal no load but wondering what the danger temp would be.

 

I am not sure what the optimal temp is but my 08 runs right around 145-150 so I would think that is about the right temp...

 

I think I asked this question once as a newbee and got slapped down! Finally, with a lot of effort, I found that it depends a bit on the kind of fluid you have in the transmission. But, as I recall (why didn't I write it down?) TFT temperatures in the 200 degree range cut the service life of the fluid in half.

In Arizona, in the summer under no load, I tend to see what you see; probably in the 145-165 degree range. But, if I start pulling a trailer up a long hill like the one out of Indio headed east on I-10 in the Mojave Desert, it will get up to 210+ in a hurry. I've never seen mine above 215, even pulling the trailer over 11,000+ foot passes in Colorado, but if the torque converter is unlocked, the heat is going to go up.

I DO have a transmission cooler though, and that probably limits it from getting hotter.

- Jack

 

160 is a ok as uyou go up from their chances for failure increase depending on the oil you use

 

It may be cold here, but I'm still running about 145-150. It's interesting how the trans will still have some heat in it after sitting all day outside, or even after sitting all night in the garage.

 

Haha, is this a joke? 160 is nothing. I've seen as high as 185 just driving around towing nothing in the middle of the summer.

 

Lately mine has been around 150-160 city and highway. Not too hot here yet but those seem to be my stable temperatures.

 

The transmission fluid is not going to fail instantly, nor is it going to cause damage to the transmission instantly to run it hot. I think it was at 195 degrees that the service life was "cut in half". This means, to me, that if the service life is 100K in the 145-150 range, then if you run it at 195 most of the time, you'd better change it after 50K. I've checked my fluid after these short periods at high temperature and it's still nice and pink and clear and smells fine. I think if you got it up to, maybe, 250 degrees, you'd be looking at very rapid breakdown.

And Jeremy, you're right. It's easy to see it get up in the 170-180 range in a hot summer drive when the torque converter unlocks (and it doesn't take much for that to happen).

- Jack

 

When I get on the freeway it will climb to 160.

 

Transmission temps will vary. We all drive under different conditions. Ambient temperature, elevation, weight in the bed, towing, et cetera. If you are worried about overheating the transmission, then look into coolers & deeper pans. As long as you're not going over 200, then you have nothing to worry about.

And why is this in the Chips, Tuners & Programming forum?

 

Because it was started there? Sorry, couldn't resist!

- Jack

 

Even if you do go over 200 you have nothing to worry about. The transmission cooling strategy is somewhat effective, or else it wouldn't be used, now would it?

 

how can i read that temperature?

 

With a tuner thats the reason i posted in this section

 

That's easy! Now that I have an Edge I know the temp of the oil in my transmission.