Transmission Temp.---Whats too hott??

[newconcorddodge]

I have been trying to find something too tell me what the transmission temp should be. I am using the sensor that came with my edge juice w/attitude. Yesterday it was quite warm probably almost up to 90 here in ohio. We were putting up straw and using my truck with a 16ft trailer to load on, about 20-30 mins of driving(had not been running for 2hrs) around the field picking up bales you could start to smell the TC burning. The temps were at 190ish and we continued to load to half way when my alerts went off at 200 deg and it was up to 205 by the time i could get down to the road. I have been having issues with the TC since january and have been saving pennies since. I don't think it would hold up to pull a trailer on the I-state, but have hualed round bales below overdrive and the temps for the trans were 180ish at the hottest with continous up and down hills loaded. Will hopefully have my money together by mid august for complete "built" rebuild. I am sure it got too hot because we were mostly coasting and idling, but after driving it to work today, and around this evening with more than 10mins of driving you can start to smell it burning again which it is pretty bad. I have been watching the color of my atf and its the same red-brown tint that it turned into around jan. and smells the same. But I don't understand why I keep getting the undiserable stinch from the trans. Any idea's?????

[klx650a2]

Where is your sender? Mine is in the hot line before the antifreeze cooler and I've seen 220 and no smells or discoloured fluid. I'd drop the pan asap, adjust the bands, check for material on the magnet and put in new atf+4 fluid. As of "normal temps", I'd say 160 on the highway and close to 200 in town putzing around.

Oh yea, one more thing, pray that it lasts, its ALWAYS in the back of my mind...

[oldblues]

hi
180 -200 is not too hot prob normal

220 + is warmer than you want for long periouds and 240 + is time to stop and cool down .

i see mine 210 jerking around at low speeds ect but when convertor locks in od off and climing a 1/2 mile grade pulling a open car trailer it will drop to 140 and stay there !
i have a large aditional cooler, no fan , installed under driverside bed just in front of tire , was on truck when i got it ?
not the best location so i wash it ocasionaly to keep it clean .

[TexasCTD]

Here are a couple of charts I have run across here on DTR that give trans temps and ATF fluid life. Hope this helps.







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[TexasCTD]

Here is one more.



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[RowJ]

Back flush...or clean your front grill tranny cooler. Can make big difference...especially around a farm.
Easy to build a tool for this....2-3' of copper tubing on the end of a hose attachment, with a groove cut in the sealed end. Works to back flush all front end coolers.... radiator, CAC, A/C condenser. You won't believe all the crud/bugs, etc. that comes flying out the front if you flush from the backside! If your CTD is like many others...it's probably never been done! I do mine at the start of every summer.


I would drop pan and change fluids/filter also... if haven't recently. Cheap insurance for longest possible life.
As asked above...Where is your temp sensor. Good info HERE

No idea on smell unless it's a fluid leak ??

RJ

[newconcorddodge]

Thanks for all the info--especially the charts.

I changed the fluid about 12,000 miles ago. and the hottest the monitor had previously recorded it was around 180 degrees. When it got hot last night it was only for about 15-20min until I parked it for the night. I am planning on rebuilding it when I have the money here pretty soon. I will drive it until it says NO.haha
I know it has some issues because my average mileage last fall was 16+ and now i can barely get 14mpg. If it was going to be awhile till I was having it rebuilt i would definitely change the fluid, but I am sure it will last another month.

Never thought about cleaning out the cooler, I have to rig something up and try. Even though I keep my farm truck pretty cleaned up, I know at times it gets extremely dirty.

[AllanP]

Also if you are stopping a lot you can put the tranny in neutral and that will keep the fluid flowing and will help to keep it cooler. Thats if you still have the stock vb. If you have an aftermarket dont worry about it.

[Ronco95]

I still put mine in neutral when stopped for very long. The source of heat seems to be primarily the convertor. By using neutral, the engine is not loaded and the convertor is not loaded either.

Luckily, my Suncoast v/b will lock the convertor in second gear and I use that to my advantage when towing. I also downshift on a hill to keep the trans from heating the fluild.

With time, you will learn how to drive and keep the temps down. I towed a friends "99 QCLB 4WD to the trans shop about an hour North of him and I didn't see temps above 210* during slow drives. On the interstate with the convertor locked, I ran around 160* towing at 70 and 75 MPH.

Yes, that is a 6000 pound truck towing 10,000 worth of truck, trailer and people up the road. Makes you proud!

[bullfrog5.9]

i hav ? people say to use the trans fluild that the dealer sells. is it better than anyother fluild youd buy at the parts store

[cody_d]

used to work in a trans. shop (for a few months, then decided i was a weekend wrencher, not a full timer) when ever we got a truck that came in with a bad trans. that pulled a trailer a lot we asked/ recomended putting an aftermarket trans. oil cooler on, due to the fact that your antifreeze that runs through your radiator along with the trans. cooler is normaly around 200 degrees. and the trans. fluid should stay more around 150-175.

I agree with putting it in neutral if at all possible, because when its in gear the clutch(es) in your torque converter are slipping, and slipping causes heat, and heat apperantly causes damage.

there's my $0.02 hope it helps.

also if you really want to know, call a transmission shop and ask them what they think about the temps. I am am not 100% sure on the temps, but about 95%.