Transmission Temperature - What is considered "Hot"?

[jdelrizzle]

Yea 210f seems like the wrong answer, there's a tech on this forum that mentioned ATF warms up pretty to close to the coolant temp, especially if your going through stop and go traffic or idling for awhile, there's no air hitting your coolers.

[Gurrzt]

210F is when transmission fluid starts to burn and degrade.

 

You can add a deeper transmission pan along with an external cooler (if you do not have one), B&M has a 24k with a mounted fan that will do the job for you.

 

Your routing would be:

 

Out of the trans, into the radiator, out of the radiator into the external cooler, out of the cooler back to the transmission.

 

Curious as to where you found the 210 number? Seems awfully low since it's known that several of us have reach and exceeded that number and show no sign of fluid burn in our transmissions? Not starting an argument, I honestly curious.

 

 

210F IS when transmission fluid (Dexron III) will burn, and the reason this temperature does not affect our vehicles is that we use a synthetic Dexron VI, so I guess it is a moot point.

 

NEVER ANY ARGUMENTS, only debates

[crankman]

I hit 205 once couple weeks ago it was 108 air temps and i was pulling about 4000lb trailer about 75mph all the way home bout 90 miles. My 6.2 seems to run a tad warmer that my previous 5.3 transmission. Considering the ambient temps it didnt alarm me.

[Rayaz_XL]

My Denali runs around 168-170f in and around traffic on hot days like today

[formerlylifted]

2008 Sierra 4.8L 4l60E

Normal highway driving- +/- 185 degrees

95+ mph or towing a trailer (empty, up to approx 3000lbs) it runs 210-212degrees

 

2007 Yukon 5.3

Normal hwy driving- +/- 173 degrees

 

I was told (by my brother-not sure how he found out) that fluld starts to break down at around 230 and 245+ starts to break down the seals inside. Running at +/-230 is ok intermittenly but would require fluid changes if prolonged.

 

His truck:

2011 Sierra 5.3 4L60E

Towing 30' fifth wheel 220-230 degrees

[dsblue2000]

Well, I took the unusual and drastic (for me) step of actually looking in the manual. I was as surprised as anybody to see actual numbers on the page describing how to read the engine and trans temp gauges. Paraphrasing, for the transmission,

 

- normal operating range is 180-200F (it says this here and how to check fluid level - nice that they are consistent, at least)

 

- at approximately 265F the DIC will display TRANSMISSIOH HOT, and will change shifting patterns,etc., and once it falls below 260F things return to "normal".

 

I've heard similar comments as mentioned by formerlylifted and I hope I never see temps this high. I do have an aftermarket gauge and, unless I have no other alternative, I plan to pull over, shut down, or slow down around 230 unless I can see I'm about done with the grade or whatever situation is pushing it this high.

[mc7719]

I've heard similar comments as mentioned by formerlylifted and I hope I never see temps this high. I do have an aftermarket gauge and, unless I have no other alternative, I plan to pull over, shut down, or slow down around 230 unless I can see I'm about done with the grade or whatever situation is pushing it this high.

 

 

I wouldn;t recommending "shutting down" if you hit hot temps..... the fluids need to be MOVING to cool off (pumping through the coolers, etc.). Pull over, stop, and leave the engine IDLING (in P) will cool it down.

[dsblue2000]

Agreed. "Shut down" was carelessly phrased/typed. Thanks.

[Chris]

Lately with almost 110F temps I'm seeing about 200F transmission temps. on my cluster the gauge doesnt start turning red until almost 300F

[CKNSLS]

Well, I took the unusual and drastic (for me) step of actually looking in the manual. I was as surprised as anybody to see actual numbers on the page describing how to read the engine and trans temp gauges. Paraphrasing, for the transmission,

 

- normal operating range is 180-200F (it says this here and how to check fluid level - nice that they are consistent, at least)

 

- at approximately 265F the DIC will display TRANSMISSIOH HOT, and will change shifting patterns,etc., and once it falls below 260F things return to "normal".

 

I've heard similar comments as mentioned by formerlylifted and I hope I never see temps this high. I do have an aftermarket gauge and, unless I have no other alternative, I plan to pull over, shut down, or slow down around 230 unless I can see I'm about done with the grade or whatever situation is pushing it this high.

 

 

As I said, I have hit 235 degrees and no warning on the DIC because of the synthetic fluid.

[Chris]

I just run regular fluid i believe. I want to say the red marks start at 285F

[cs300823]

When pulling my 27' TT at or around 90+ degrees outside and pulling up a 7% grade I usually hit around 200-215 but other than that she runs at a steady 190+ under normal towing conditions on flat land.

[c4cruiser]

I just finished a 200 mile round trip for a track day and I saw trans temps from 185 to 196 towing my 20' enclosed car trailer weighing about 6800 lb. What I found strange was how the temps moved up and down. Climbing small grades on I-5 at 65MPH, temps were pretty consistent at 185-190 and on the flats, I saw never saw much over 185. When it did climb to 196, it was actually on flat ground at about 70MPH.

[CapitalTruck]

Mine hit 200 moving/towing 3 tons of fill dirt. (One in the bed, two in a 1500 lb trailer) I was really pleased that it only got up to that towing in the city 105 degree day. So much that one hill I had to go up in 1st gear (1/2 ton with 4.8L V8, quite the overload).