Towing and Trans Temps

@stickyTaco, what are you towing, travel trailer or just a flat bed? Curious in regards to frontal area. Your temps are more in line with what I thought I would be getting. All flat roads around here, no grades whatsoever, with a decent headwind and I can't get it below 240 without stopping. Really starting to think something is up with my transmission, but surprisingly the local dealer doesn't seem to care. Their response is "if there is no code to pull, we can't do anything". On another note, I have an Ultragauge as well but haven't been able to work out trans temp on it. Did yours come with it preinstalled or did you have to add codes to display the trans? Thanks

 

At any point did the transmission temp warning light come on?

 

I had to code the ultragauge but trans temp is only available on the MX or Bluetooth options (see here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/ultragauge-transmission-temp.318340/page-28#post-12021542).

I was towing this travel trailer when I saw those temps

 

I think the light only comes on when you hit 300F...I've never seen it in my truck and the highest temp I've seen on the ultragauge is 245f.

 

Yeah....I have no idea what the trigger point is. Seems silly to have one that would only warn you after the damage was done. That's why I figured it would pop on well before the point of no return

 

I hope not my light came on after being stuck in sand but went off quickly. I have been dragging my feet on the fluid replacement. Last weekend I was looking at a 4500lbs camper to buy after reading this I am not sure I want to pull that..........I'm a gear junky and will pack a few hundred pounds of shit to take on trips.

 

see my posts above with transmission temps on a warm day in the mountains pulling a 5k lb travel trailer...unless there is something mechanically wrong with your truck you should be fine

 

I did have a second cooler install but didn't wire up the fan yet when temp light came on. I've heard good things about Taco's and towing. Just never thought it would overheat in a sand trap.

 

The light comes on at 302°F, Toyota says that normal operating temp for the A750 is 122-176°. The ultragauge is preprogrammed to display the torque converter temp. You have to modify the code a little to display the pan temps. The pan will show a cooler temp than the torque converter unless the TC is locked, if it's locked the temps will even out more or less. The TC generates most of the heat in an automatic transmission.

 

Good info @07 sport 4x4. FWIW, I monitor temps at the torque converter and regular driving with no trailer puts me at 185f in the summer heat here.

I had the transmission fluid changed at 50k and will likely go with that service interval going forward.

 

I usually run 130-160 in the summers, I'll see 180°+ occasionally if the ambient temp gets high enough.

 

I wouldn't mind chiming in on this. I have a 13 DCSB with lift, I tow a 26'TT dry it's 4350# and loaded for a trip it's 5300#+/-. My first tow with the TT using a scan gauge my trans temps were 260 pan 270 torque, outside temp 90* some hills. I only towed the TT once after I seen these tempts. I then installed a larger Trans cooler, took a trip that weekend, 90* outside temp, bigger hills, trip was up to new York / Canada from Rhode Island (long as trip) and my trans temps came way down to the highest points of 210* pan and 223* torque. So installing a larger cooler will make a big difference

 

What transmission cooler did you install @gmann1972? I'll likely be adding one at some point.

 

I will get you the info later this evening, and send you a pic if I can of the install.

 

Ok so I used the Derale 52560 cooler, look at the link below, I referred to it when I did my install. one of the great things about this forum. there is a lot of help from a lot of great people...anything I can do to help just hit me up.

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/trans-overheated.428722/

 

if you add a second one, take a look at the ones with fans. Mine comes on at 200ish, its a double row cooler. havent had a chance to two with the fan hooked up yet or the new gauge, but it seems fine now. will test it again soon.

 

you should ditch those pipe-and-fin coolers and get one real one.

 

for this application, and the cost, it works quite fine. maybe next time. towing 6k it didnt seem to have any issues keeping the trans cool.

 

Are two of those less than 50 dollars?

 

its a combo kit, "used" from Amazon for 47 bucks i believe.