Has towing package ever proved inadequate?

On your 2nd gen with towing package, have you ever had the transmission overheat?
If so, what was the situation? (towing what, outside temp, oversize tires, what happened)

 

Ive never towed anything heavy enough to overheat, buy i have had my transmission reach 205 F with no trailer through steep mountain climbs. It has me concerned with towing a heavy camper 3-4000 lbs, as ive been looking at them. I dont know if there would be a peak temp, guess i wont know until i try

 

with stock towing package installed (trans radiator and pink fan clutch?)

 

I tend to believe the tow package/tranny cooler to be barely adequate. In 85° and warmer temps, in stop n go traffic, my trans can reach 212° with no trailer and no weight in the bed.

Pulling 5k uphill on a hot day... better go pretty slow and take it easy.

 

Nope, but I've smoked my clutch trying to back up a 5000 pound trailer without putting it in 4lo first.

 

I tow a TT that weighs in around 5,000 lbs loaded and will see 230f pulling it over passes in the Sierras at 55+mph during the summer months. A larger transmission cooler is on my to do list but I've never seen temps above 240f and it is usually 190-210f when towing.

 

yes

 

That seems about right, as others have said the cooling package seems very inadequate

 

I wouldn't say it is very inadequate. The temps would likely be lower if I didn't push it as hard in the mountains and the fact that I can pull a trailer of this size (we're talking weight and wind resistance) over 8-10k ft passes going 55+mph and only see temps of 230f says a lot about what this little truck can do.

Sure, when being pushed the transmission heats up but it cools very quickly when you back off a bit. A minute or two at 230f isn't going to kill a transmission if it is serviced appropriately.

 

Thanks for the feedback guys. I take it you monitor the temperature with the Torque app + bluetooth dongle?
Here's an ATF temperature chart for reference.

 

Would a synthetic ATF fluid, like MaxLife be able to sustain higher temperatures without breaking down?

 

I use an Ultragauge MX to monitor transmission temps

 

I tow a medium size pop up trailer with factory two package and my transmission never exceeds 210°, even here in AZ when towing up long mountain climbs in summer. I don't push it hard though. I pick a gear and leave it there and accept the fact I'm not going to be doing 85 mph.

 

I see this bogus chart popup every now and then. Transmissions, through a spectrum of automobiles, run around 195-205. So this chart is saying a transmission will only last on average 75K when it operates at normal levels. GTFO !

 

Factory two package?

 

Given how rare it is to see transmission failures on a Tacoma I think says a lot.

 

This right here.

Very rarely do you hear someone with issues with the 5sp auto... and most of the time the issues are solved by adding fluid to bring it to the proper fluid level....

 

also, the 4spd auto on the older 2.7s is actually the same 4spd used on the 3.4l engine and I can attest to their durability

 

That's exactly what prompted me to start this thread. This and the fact that plenty have added a supercharger with no towing package (no trans cooler) and are doing just fine.

 

Buddy tows his 6000lb toy hauler trailer at way to fast of speeds IMO (3rd gear at 4.5k rpms ~ 80-85mph) up the 14 to cal city in his SC'd taco with the smaller urd stealth pully, no issues.

That stated, a bigger aux trans cooler out in front definitely will not hurt anything.