trans temp gauge sender location

Ok, guys, I've been doing a bunch of searching on here and I'm still not sure which hose on the transmission cooler to tap into for the sending unit on my truck 2010 5 speed auto with tow package. I tried feeling the temps on the hoses, but cant really be sure which one is hotter. Hoping someone on here can tell me which is the inlet hose to hook up to...
TIA

 

Figured I'd post on an old thread rather than open a new one... And bummer no one seemed to answer this guy's question.

I've seen a write up and see that he put the sender in the hardline as it exits the transmission.

I was wondering if anyone has done, or heard of, doing the same hardline tap but up toward the front of the truck. I noticed the lines go right above the skid plate and kinda think it'd be easier to install there because the line has a long straight stretch and it's easy to reach (after removing the skid plate).

Any thoughts? Would this be too far away from the transmission to get an accurate reading? I can't imagine the fluid would lose that much heat to make this location a bad one.

 

http://www.ultra-gauge.com/ultragauge/index.htm

this.

 

UG won't read trans temp on the Tacoma.
The Scanguage will in it's latest software revision.


To the OP and the followup....

This is one of those things that is constantly debated.
On the Duramax forum I used to hang on, it was most common to mount the gauge on the return line to the trans.
The feeling was that it was a more homogenous reading. The trans exit temp will fluctuate wildly during heavy loads and will cause false alarms. The return temp is a more stable reading. It's not unlike instant MPG vs Avg MPG... the instant reading is really pretty useless.

Same with the trans temp. High temps are the enemy of an auto trans, but brief periods of elevated temps are not a problem. The exit temp might show a temp spike every time the trans shifts, because of the clutch slippage that is always present... but the pan temp (comparable to the cooler exit temp) is a more stable indication of the trans health.
Overheating of the trans to a point that will burn fluid will show as elevated pan (cooler exit) temps.

 

Thanks Rich91710!
I really like that idea of thinking and comparison (Inst Mpg Vs. Avg Mpg). Makes me really not worry too much about where I put it.
My thinking is as long as I got a good baseline for normal driving, I'll know when I'm towing if it is slightly above normal or waaayy above and then cause for concern.
I plan on getting it all put in some time in the next few weeks.

 

And to allieve worry a bit more, the 5spd 4x4 does have a trans overtemp "idiot light" on the tach face.

 

Yes, I am aware of that... BUT, I do want to have something that's more realtime and can monitor.

Does anyone know what temperature the idiot light comes on at?

 

I just got a trans temp gauge and haven't hooked it up yet. I'm waiting until I have to do the fluids change since its all covered by my skids right now.

 

I ended up connecting the sender to the hose on the drivers side of the trans cooler (right side when facing the front of the I've seen an anything from 130-180 under city driving depending on ambient temps with higher temps seen when the ambient temps were around 95-100 degrees out. Not sure if I tapped the input to the cooler or the output, but the temps seem fairly stable without wild fluctuations ( I do notice a significant drop in temps one I move from a stop and go type situation to a 35-40 mph constant speed situation of at least 20 degrees) I'm guessing I connected to the output but really can't be sure. truck) has anyone installed a trans cooler wih a fan to help with stop and go traffic situations?ive sen the temps go over 200 on a hot day in a stop and go situation.