Hit it this weekend towing my 6,500 lb 5th wheel for a short period. Couldnt pull over... once over the pass is dropped immediately. Seems high to me. Should I be concerned? Trans doesnt do antyhing weird shifts firmly doesnt slip. Truck is stock except for BFG's. 40k miles

Anyone out there tell me something similar for them? Is this normal or excessive for a Dodge?

Do I or can I do anything about this?

Do these trucks have a Trans fan?
Thanks

 

You can get a deep pan which will hold more fluid and keep the temps down

 

pretty sure they all have trans coolers.

according to the service manual trans oil temp over 240 F (or coolant temp above 244 F) is overheating and the ECM will lock the torque converter at any speed above 25mph to help cool it down.

 

i have never seen over 180* in all my racing i do, dont really tow at all, but i have a DD pan

 

I have had mine up to 260 deg.. and the light never came on. As long as you do a full service on it within a week or so you will be fine!

 

Thanks guys I guess what is unacceptable to me is the fact that this truck only pulling 6500lbs will get this hot. it is completely ridiculous. I shouldnt have to completely service the **** trans after everytime I pull a a pass w/ 6,500lbs. Almost as ridiculous as my truck getting 8.1-9.2 MPG's hauling a measly 6,500.

I have posted in the RV forum here and others are saying 12MPG's all day long towing a 5ver that weighs 9K over every pass known to man.

my 2003 6.0h no did way better than this Dodge towing similar weights. Way better. Shoot my 2003 7.3L Excursion clowned this truck in the effeciency department w/ any weight behind it and it weighed about 1,500 more and had bigger wheels/tires! i feel like my experience w/ this legendary Cummins motor everyone talks about isnt so legendary after all. its actually pretty pathetic when i get right down to thinking about it. Very disappointing.

Sorry to vent but c'mon at this rate I can do better w/ a V10 at almost $.70 per gallon less!

 

I hit 250 pulling 10500lbs fifth wheel but was pulling in first gear up to a mountain camp site. The tech at my local dealer said I was fine. And yes I do get 12mpg pulling my camper which is 12'4" tall, a very big wind sail. Looks like my milage is up after rollig over 20000 miles. I have hit 21 and 23 on a few 200 mile round trips.

 

Well, 250 degrees is nothing to worry about as the ATF+4 is rated to 320 degrees for short periods.

I would question what you were doing to get that temp though. Locked up the trans should not ever see that high a temp this time of the year unless there are other issues. The only way I can see it getting any where near that is with the TC unlocked.


How fast were you going? What gear was it in? Was the TC locked or unlocked?

 

There's something wrong with your truck; it should pull 6500# with ease. It could be the 35s, but I doubt they would make that big of a difference.

Nick

 

I have 35's and in stop and go LA traffic I can hit 190 if I'm not nice. But I will hit that empty or pulling my TH also. Once the TC locks it will go back down to 160'ish. Usually pretty quickly again with or without my TH.

And when locked I can pull the biggest hills around LA and the temps stay around 170 @ 60-65mph. If I'm pushing it up the hills (I got stuck behind a slow car and pushed it back up to 60-65) it will go 180-190 but thats while accelerating UP the hills from like 40.

I'll get 12-13 pulling the trailer loaded @ about 10K.

 

I get 11-12 mpg pulling 14k. this is on average. Im sure it does the 8-9 pulling up a pass. However, I get quite a jump in economy by using an edge comp on setting 1. At fuel prices being what they are Id suggest you get one or something like it. The tree huggers might hate you however.

 

Yeah, until all the extra fluid reaches operating temps. Then you'll just have more hot fluid.

I agree. Your stock tranny should not reach 250 unless you're towing uphill slow enough that the torque converter isn't locking up, or you're towing something in reverse for any amount of time. Reaching 250 with the TC locked means something is slipping (likely the stock TC). 6500lbs is nothing for these trucks.

 

These pans release the heat better than stock pans so they stay cooler.

 

There's something wrong with your truck, not all Dodge trucks.

 

That's not what people who've done before and after tests say. I still have the stock pan and my temps are the same (or lower) than what others report with a DD pan.

The pan is not where the fluid is intended to be cooled anyway. The tranny cooler does that.