Snorkel

I just finished hooking up my trans temp gauge and just ran it around the block, it registered 150 degrees. What should the normal temp range be for a 2001 Dodge Ram 2500 turbo diesel w/ 4-speed auto trans?

coachgrowl

My tranny gauge is located on the hot output line. It reads 150*-180* around town when the outside temp is 70*. I have a cooling fan on the tranny radiator. before installing this it would go to 190*-210* around town stop and go driving.

Snorkel

Thanks, coatchgrowl, I had no Idea what it should be. I pull a 30 ft. 5th wheel some times and I think it will go up some when I put that load on it.

EverydayDiesel

where did you put the sensor? in the pan? on the line coming from the tranny?

Snorkel

I put it in the pan.

louielouie

I don't mean to 'hijack' this thread but what gauges do I want (or need) for my stocker? I see that coachgrowl is well instrumented and that would give you a great baseline to work from but if I'm staying stock do I need any of it? This is my first diesel (and new one at that) so I wanna take care of it.

DL1221

Although its nice to be able to monitor your engine, if your staying completely stock then you really don't need anything. With a stock baseline calibration, your EGTs and Boost will stay well under the danger zone, and you should have a warning light for the trans temp in case it gets too hot.

However, if you want gauges, you should get EGT, boost, and trans temp. Your 07 is a 3rd generation truck, so you may get more specific answers if you ask the guys in the 3rd gen forum (this is the 2nd gen forum). I don't know if these 3rd gen trucks have a fuel pressure problem, if so then you may also want a fuel pressure gauge.

DL1221

I think if the sender is in the pan, the readings won't be the same as if it was in the hot line. The way I understand it, the hot line to the cooler is the ideal place to mount the sender because it gives you the hottest and most dangerous temperature readings. Do a search on trans gauge, there are several posts that talk about this.

coachgrowl

My truck is completely stock except for K&N drop in filter and vulcan big line running a stock carter lift pump on the frame rail. I installed all the gauges because of the 5th wheel towing. Wanted to monitor just in case. BTW the last time over the grapevine my tranny temp went to 210* so when I got back I dropped the pan and installed a drain plug. I put in 5 quarts of ATF+4 from Valvoline. That was about 3 weeks ago. Well yesterday I decided to see how well it worked crawled under dropped the drain plug and did not spill 1 drop of fluid. What a joy. Wonder why this is not a factory install?

RowJ

I don't understand 150* in the pan from just a trip around the block? Something sounds off!

When I had sensor in the pan...I would not register any temp till 15 min on the hwy. But if your sure it's working ok...I would get nervous when pan temps hit 180*+/-. That's probably well over 200* coming out of the hot line.... but your really just guessing.

RJ

Snorkel

"Row" I had just change the trans fluid, so the truck was idling for 15 min or so to bring the engine temp up to 190 degrees before I took the ride. I forgot to mention that.

rvman

Just came back from trip to Oregon with my 5th wheel. On the interstate at 62 mph my trans temp was 150 to 160.In town in stop and go it was 180 and 1 time in a really hilly town with stop and go it went to 200 but only for a short time.My sender is in the hot line which will show hotter temps than yours in the pan.

Snorkel

Since my last post I checked with a friend that builds torque converters (TCS) in AZ and has been in the Transmission business all his life. He advised me that I installed the sensor in the correct position (in the pan) he said that you need to know the temp of the oil there because that is where the cool supply oil is. If the oil cooler is not working you want to know it. The out going fluid is very hot but if the incoming oil isn't,that will be a problem. He said that the fluid in the pan should be around 150 - 180 deg. under normal conditions. Pulling a 11,000 lb trailer that temp. could go as high as 210 - 230 deg. going up a steep grade, and for short priods is ok. I'm just going by what he said, Idon't know but it sounds logical to me.

2500Ram

I'll agree to disagree. Yes you want to know "IF" your cooler is working witch you will know with your sender in the pan, BUT you will also know how hot and how well the cooler is working with the sender in the hot line. If you maintain ~180* pulling your TT in the pan I'd guess your safe. But knowing how hot the fluid is getting via the hotline really begins to tell you when you need to change the fluid again. There was a really good article I'll try to find it but basically (memory issues here) I believe if your trans temp has exceeded 210* plan on a 15000 mile interval for changing, more frequent the hotter it gets. I can pull my TT all day long on the hwy and not exceed ~180* but once I'm on side streets, stop and go traffic it's up to 210* pretty quick. Never been above 215* yet but expect it soon with summer heat.

I'll edit if I find that link.

Good luck.

Found it

A quick snip from the article

As a rule of thumb, every 20 degree increase in operating temperature above 175 degrees F. cuts the life of the fluid in half!

At 195 degrees F., for instance, fluid life is reduced to 50,000 miles. At 220 degrees, which is commonly encountered in many transmissions, the fluid is only good for about 25,000 miles. At 240 degrees F., the fluid won’t go much over 10,000 miles. Add another 20 degrees, and life expectancy drops to 5,000 miles. Go to 295 or 300 degrees F., and 1,000 to 1,500 miles is about all you’ll get before the transmission burns up.

Source http://autos.yahoo.com/maintain/repa...ques123_0.html

Russ Roth

That is exactly what Tony Garcin of Dunrite told me a couple of days ago. I think I would like to know what the max temp the oil reached just so you know how long you can leave it in. Tony says you can just go by the color but I think I may end up with a sender in the hot line AND one in the pan.