Seriously hot Trans Temp

[LVMarauder]

My Tans temp is reading 210 plus, Im very worried. I had it flushed yesterday and filled with new Mercon V. Granted its 100+ out side and Ive been driving "spiritedly" (spelling?) around town, but still it flys by 180, 200 and rest on 210. Is there something wrong or is vegas just too hot and I need a cooler?:eek:

[merc]

I don't see a problem with those temp readings. :rolleyes:

[fastblackmerc]

I don't see a problem with those temp readings. :rolleyes:
I think they are alright too unless they stay in the upper range you should be OK. As heat is the enemy to your trans I'd install an aftermarket cooler just to be on the safe side.

[jim geary]

Also you have to remember that your into summer now. Your looking at temps
that range from 104 yesterday and 110 for Friday and Saturday. Plus it just
dosen't cool down that much at night. Trans cooler would be nice.

[cyclone03]

I just spent about 2 hours driving around Mesa and Gilbert,AZ on Monday.
104-110deg showing on the climate control outside temp gauge.
I showed no more than 180 on my trans temp gauge(sensor about 1" from bottom of pan).


I have a PI 3000-3500 stall converter.
Ford Racing deep pan
B&M trans cooler (biggest they make)
Out of city traffic the temp dropped back to the 160 range after about 5 miles.

I've never gone over 180 pan temp,I got to a solid 180 at the track after three passes but I stopped and let it cool.

[shakes_26]

You don't say where thats being read from, if its the output of the TC, then thats fairly cool. But judging by the numbers your providing, that sounds like the pan or cooler output/return.

That is okay for the ambient (outside) temps you are seeing, especially if around town (stop/go) witha stall. I've punished mine worse than that at the road course, and the fluid was fine, still haven't got 'round to changing it, but its still cherry red.

Of course adding a good cooler to it, will do nothing but good for you (nerves) and the tranny life.

I like the stacked plate design coolers, and with your crazy air temps, you might consider one with a fan mounted right on it.



My Tans temp is reading 210 plus, Im very worried. I had it flushed yesterday and filled with new Mercon V. Granted its 100+ out side and Ive been driving "spiritedly" (spelling?) around town, but still it flys by 180, 200 and rest on 210. Is there something wrong or is vegas just too hot and I need a cooler?:eek:

[SergntMac]

Shakes is right. If you are taking your temp sample from the tranny case, or, fluid output leading to the OEM cooler, they will read higher temps. If you are reading the output from the cooler back to the tranny, or, from the pan directly, 210 is a tad high. My question is, how stable are the temps?

Reaching 210 isn't much to worry about, if it's staying at 210 throughout the occassional Vegas "hot" day. That said, Ford Racing has a "stacked plate" add on cooler (M-7095-SR, $49.95, page 134 of the '06 catalogue) that is very efficient as a secondary cooler. Install will prolly be as much, so, for 100 bucks, get some piece of mind. Reinhart has a primary cooler that will chill beer, for a few more dollars.

BTW, don't rule out a faulty gauge either. What does it read immediately after an overnight "cold start"?

Keep us posted?

[LVMarauder]

I just drove down to the Imperial Palace to check out their car collection, impressive exotic and classic cars for under 20k for sale!

In cali It never went above 190 even pulling 4000ft mountain passes.

I have the sender plugged into the case via the service port, takes time to warm up but since i came back to vegas its getting hot fast and going higher ( 210) , it is consistently at 210 however.

READ THIS: I put it in reverse and it took a good 5-6 seconds for it to engage, never happened before. What really worries me is I put it in manual second and when I go WOT it bogs down , ZERO power, very slow wind up. I think maybe my OD or second gear is going bye bye.

Also , I got it flushed yesterday, could this be an air bubble or improper amount of fluid in there? Im freaking out as I have a stallion 3000 and extended warranty, I dont want them to crack open the trans ( if it comes to that) and deny my claim based on mods. :bigcry:

Faulty guage has came to mind but it has worked in the past and at cold start reads nothing until it starts to warm up and gradually increases from 150 to 180 to 195 to 210 and stabilizes. :help:

I have a trans cooler sitting around here, B&M model, time to put it to use.

[sailsmen]

Reinhart has a Performance Built Trans for a very reasonable price.

[MENINBLK]

I just spent about 2 hours driving around Mesa and Gilbert,AZ on Monday.
104-110deg showing on the climate control outside temp gauge.
I showed no more than 180 on my trans temp gauge(sensor about 1" from bottom of pan).


I have a PI 3000-3500 stall converter.
Ford Racing deep pan
B&M trans cooler (biggest they make)
Out of city traffic the temp dropped back to the 160 range after about 5 miles.

I've never gone over 180 pan temp,I got to a solid 180 at the track after three passes but I stopped and let it cool.


Pan temperature IS NOT ACCURATE.
You need the temperature of the Transmission Oil as it EXITS the transmission.
If it is 180F, in the pan, after it exits the cooler,
what temperature was it BEFORE it went into the cooler ???

Motor Oil can be measured in the pan.
After the Motor Oil lubricates the engine and carries off the heat,
it ends up in the pan.
This is where Motor Oil is the HOTTEST.

In the transmission, the oil is its hottest when it leaves the converter and heads for the cooler.
When it passes through the cooler it comes back and gets dumped into the pan
where the filter picks it up and sends it back to the pump.

[RF Overlord]

^^^what MIB said^^^

[2003 MIB]

I just drove down to the Imperial Palace to check out their car collection, impressive exotic and classic cars for under 20k for sale!


I love that place- coolest thing in Vegas. We're going in July. No de-rail indended- carry on.

[SergntMac]

READ THIS: I put it in reverse and it took a good 5-6 seconds for it to engage, never happened before. What really worries me is I put it in manual second and when I go WOT it bogs down , ZERO power, very slow wind up. I think maybe my OD or second gear is going bye bye.

Also , I got it flushed yesterday, could this be an air bubble or improper amount of fluid in there? Im freaking out as I have a stallion 3000 and extended warranty, I dont want them to crack open the trans ( if it comes to that) and deny my claim based on mods. :bigcry:

Faulty guage has came to mind but it has worked in the past and at cold start reads nothing until it starts to warm up and gradually increases from 150 to 180 to 195 to 210 and stabilizes. :help: Gear engagement and lack of acceleration are symptoms of a more serious problem, check fluid levels and try to replicate the symptoms several times before taking a look inside. In 110 degree Vegas temps, what does a WOT pull in manual second tell you? Could this be overloading the tranny?

An air bubble in the line shouldn't be a problem. It's not a sealed/pressurized system, and the bubble should pass through. I suppose it could cause an anomalie in the valve body, which may explain the pause in getting into reverse, but that why I suggest you test for repeated events.

The purpose of a tranny temp gauge is to report changes. Matters little if it's reading 160 or 190, but you should know what your normal range is and detect when something is amiss. To that end, there will always be opposing views on where to sample tranny temps, and each has their own valid points.

Sampling temps as they come from the torque converter will immediately report every spike from acceleration. It will be a very active display, much on the order of a real oil pressure gauge. Taking temps from the pan will be more stable across the board, and you'll be able to detect even small bumps in temp much easier. Either way, you just need to know what is normal for your tranny.

IMHO, I never liked using the service port for temp readings. I can't help wonder what/how the tranny case temps affect the sensor. AutoMeter makes a manifold for the output line to the cooler, which protects the sensor from case heat. You may want to consider this if Vegas is having a hot summer.

Keep us posted?

[LVMarauder]

Taking it back to Ted Weins Firestone this morning. I let it cool off for 5 hours and took it out at around midnight. Second Manual was back and strong, reverse was kicking in immediately as should be. So only when I was reading above 210 did I have these problems. I hate being so OCD about this but trannies are so damn expensive I dont want to take any chances. I have the B&M racing cooler and the manifold you speak of. Just been busy with college. Obviously Ill be finding a shop to have them installed.

I agree with your suggestion of attempting to repeat results Mac, but im somewhat cautious of flogging the trans that way just to confirm. Ill likely try it anyway.

My question is this. What does this all mean? To me its looking like strictly a heat problem.

Thank you all very much for your information and ideas.

[SergntMac]

My question is this. What does this all mean? To me its looking like strictly a heat problem. I agree, now that reverse is engaging.

I do not suggest the WOT 2nd gear flogging, no need to cause trouble. But, as it is with any mechanical problem, test often, repair once.

Best wishes.

[Fourth Horseman]

Perhaps it's a mechanical problem that's being exacerbated by the heat? For what it's worth, I have my temperature sender in the same place as yours, and in rush hour stop-and-go traffic with outside temperatures above 90 degrees I'm reading 210 to 220 degrees in the transmission but it has been operating perfectly. The high temps scare me as well, but so far no adverse effects here. Good luck!

[David Morton]

Pan temperature IS NOT ACCURATE.
You need the temperature of the Transmission Oil as it EXITS the transmission.
If it is 180F, in the pan, after it exits the cooler,
what temperature was it BEFORE it went into the cooler ???

Motor Oil can be measured in the pan.
After the Motor Oil lubricates the engine and carries off the heat,
it ends up in the pan.
This is where Motor Oil is the HOTTEST.

In the transmission, the oil is its hottest when it leaves the converter and heads for the cooler.
When it passes through the cooler it comes back and gets dumped into the pan
where the filter picks it up and sends it back to the pump.

MIB is right. Put the sensor in the cooler line that's going to the cooler, right after it exits the transmission. This is the also the best location to show load on the torque convertor. Also, you can expect temps up to 250*F and be fine as long as that isn't sustained too long.

Excluding thermal transfer from the engine block to the case and internal friction, which are both insignificant, the convertor is what is heating up the transmission fluid. And that, mainly when she's out of lockup. There must be a good deal of heat made as well when she goes in and out of lockup, but if you want to heat up your transmission fluid fast, stall it at the red light.

About your slippage issue. If your clutches are slipping because they're tearing up, no amount of cooling is gonna prevent their eventual failure. I'm sure you've checked the level, of ot's OK, just wait it out. If they're going bad, it won't take long to die.

BTW, don't try to save it by adding "mechanic-in-a-can". They never prevent failures, and only screw up a good technicians diagnosis of the problem, and this could compromise his fix for the tranny.

[LVMarauder]

Well they just called said everything checked out fine and fluid looked good. No explination for loosing reverse or second temporarily. said they couldn't reproduce the slippage. O well , better lay off of the halucinogens. Thanks for all the input everyone. Ill let you know if I drop a trans in the next couple of weeks lol.

[cyclone03]

OK so I'm just kidding myself,fine with me.

The fact I can keep the fluid in the pan at or below 180f says I'm cooling the fluid and keeping the transmission at the lowest temperature posible under the conditions I drive,that has to be a good thing.

I have no dought the fluid runs as hot as 230 at times,maybe more but my set up seems to control the temps and lowers them quickly when the conditions change (stop and go becomes more go than stop).

As Mac said average temp is more important than temperary spikes.
If the trans temp jumps every time you move the throtle what would be "normal"?

[SergntMac]

Don't take anything to heart, Lance, no one view is right, or, wrong on this. It's simply a matter of identifying what you want to know sbout your car, and how to collect that data.

[BAD MERC]

Truth be told - transmissions run A LOT hotter than that! The only thing that controls their temp is the cooling system on the vehicle. An auxiliary cooler in front of the condenser and radiator will give 100% efficiency. Measure how much room you have and get the biggest one you can fit. My 1995 Taurus had one from a 'class B' motorhome. 170,000 miles on the original tranny with frequent fluid changes. The tranny only had to be rebuilt because the 1 - 2 gear accumulator spring broke and was slamming second gear.

[sailsmen]

Be careful what your trans cooler does to your eng temp. The needle on our coolant temp does not move until the temp has gone up 60*.

Eng cost a lot more than trans.

[jstevens]

But I thought our trans had a stock cooler on it.

[MitchB]

Be careful what your trans cooler does to your eng temp. The needle on our coolant temp does not move until the temp has gone up 60*.

Eng cost a lot more than trans.

Wadduya mean?

Mitch