Trans Temperature Guage

[david]

Whether it would pay to install a transmission temp gauge is dependent on how much strain you are putting on your engine/transmission while towing. What is your highway fuel mileage without towing and what is your mileage while towing? The ratio will roughly tell you how close you are to stressing it. If it is near 2:1 then it might be worth it. If it is 1.5:1, I wouldn't worry about it.

David

[david]

That is a great ratio. Your highway towing mileage is about what your city driving mileage is, so it shouldn't hurt your transmission (or engine) a bit. No need for a transmission temperature gauge with those numbers.

David

[dp]

David, thanks. You always have good info. It is appreciated.
    Ron

[geo92128]

David,
My ratio is a little less than 2:1 but what is a "too high temperature number" for transmission fluid? My Chevy Colorado has a transmission temperature gauge but I cannot find anything in the manual on what is too  high or what is normal. i guess I need to call a chevy dealer to find out.

[geo92128]

I just got off the phone with a Chevy Service technician; 200-220 degrees when pulling a trailer is normal. Mine got into the 230's when going over the Smokies last month. He told me the check engine light would come on if it gets too hot and to let it idle a few minutes before killing the engine after pulling a long mountain road etc. He indicated there are fans that cool the fluid especially when in haul mode. He told me not to worry about it that if I got it too hot it would let me know.

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/13956/thread" timestamp="1438723962" author="@monted"]I just got off the phone with a Chevy Service technician; 200-220 degrees when pulling a trailer is normal. Mine got into the 230's when going over the Smokies last month. He told me the check engine light would come on if it gets too hot and to let it idle a few minutes before killing the engine after pulling a long mountain road etc. He indicated there are fans that cool the fluid especially when in haul mode. He told me not to worry about it that if I got it too hot it would let me know.[/quote]This advice might keep it from failing catastrophically, but it would be better to stay on the cool side to maximize your transmission life. Doing it once in a while probably isn't a big deal, but a big road trip a few times a year with higher temps and you're probably reducing you tranny life by some not-insignificant amount. There are bluetooth adapters for around $20 that combined with a smartphone app can give you the readings and even log them for the whole trip.

[fasteddieb]

[quote source="/post/13958/thread" timestamp="1438725081" author="@tinkeringtechie"][/quote]Do you have a link to a preferred one? Ford Flex and iPhone combo.

As an aside, my ratio is almost exactly 2:1 - just under 24 mpg unladen, about 12 towing, albeit the unladen is at 65-70 mph most of the time and I tow at 55 mph max.

[charliem]

[font size="3"]Good luck on getting the auto manufacturer to commit to a temperature value. I tried dealerships and factory customer service on my Toyota Tacoma and no one would commit. I think this is because the real answer is a time-temperature product. I know the fluid degrades much faster at high temperatures which must lead to reduced transmission life. I did determine that if the red idiot light comes on you're already in trouble. The best I've read is to start getting concerned about 230F. Short pops to 230F probably not a problem, but longer stays will degrade the fluid. If you've seen extended or repeated periods above 230F it's time to change the fluid. And I purposely won't define "extended" or "repeated"  
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[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/13961/thread" timestamp="1438727193" author="@fasteddieb"][quote source="/post/13958/thread" timestamp="1438725081" author="@tinkeringtechie"][/quote]Do you have a link to a preferred one? Ford Flex and iPhone combo.

As an aside, my ratio is almost exactly 2:1 - just under 24 mpg unladen, about 12 towing, albeit the unladen is at 65-70 mph most of the time and I tow at 55 mph max.[/quote]Here's the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/BAFX-Products-Bluetooth-diagnostics-Android/dp/B005NLQAHS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1438727353&sr=8-1&keywords=bluetooth+odb2

I used it when we towed with our Subaru Outback (different trailer too), but I haven't used it much with the Sequoia because it has a transmission temperature gauge on the dash. This one is Android only, so if you're in Apple town you'll need to get a different one. Also, some of the fancier ones will turn off automatically but this one just stays on all the time.

[tinkeringtechie]

[quote source="/post/13972/thread" author="Ronnie" timestamp="1438742396"][div][/div]Ok, now I have to know, how do you hook it up? And where?
   Ron [/quote]Every car since the mid-90s has been required to have an ODB2 connector. Normally it's under the dash to the left of the steering wheel (by the hood release). It looks like a black computer plug. You just plug this gizmo in, use the appropriate app on your phone and you can read just about anything from the car. 

[dp]

I have to have one of those for sure. Thanks for that info.
     Ron