2019 2020 transmission cooler missing

Im an engineer, what of it?

 

When did you first realize you enjoyed driving trains? Do you prefer steam or diesel?

 

I may be late to the party, but I am new to the forums with my first Toyota and it is a 2020 Tundra SR5. I seen this problem on forums and sure enough my scan gauge has uncovered the truth about the trans. temps. I am really considering doing the mod for the cooler. It is really disappointing that I have to contemplate doing something like this to a BRAND NEW TRUCK!

 

What temps are you seeing?

 

Let me explain.... I just bought this truck a week ago. I am in the process of moving I have a 7x16ft enclosed trailer that is 4k empty it has the beefy 6" frame and 3500lb axles. I am not even sure what the GVWR was when we were making trips back and forth but I can tell you that it was LOADED down to the max. The truck seemed to be shifting a bit funny after sitting in traffic for a bit stop and go. So the next trip I took my scan gauge out of my Tahoe and loaded the gauges and was terrified. Pan was running 240-260 and the other 230+ especially spiking after 25-35mph pulls on hills in stop and go traffic on I-77 although it was 90+ degrees outside. I then watched it the past couple of days while driving empty with no trailer. It was running in the 200-215 range depending on traffic. My Tahoe pulling this same trailer runs around 180-190 when loaded the same way and unloaded is runs 170 but it has an external cooler.

 

all the proof.

call toyota, make a case

 

Did you get your 500 miles of break in done before you started towing? I only ask because your intro post states that you got the truck 1 week ago. I've always followed the owner's manual break in guides as best as I could, so I don't know if towing to early could explain the "funny" shifting. Just a thought.

 

So I got around 850 miles on it before I began to tow. The main reason I got the Tundra is because my Tahoe's transmission recently fried but at a overdue 260k. I am just amazed at how hot it runs driving around town empty.

 

Well that's good. I'm considering adding a trans cooler myself. A member on the forum has created a kit for it (Takes the thinking out of it for me) if you are interested. Here's the link to the thread. https://www.tundras.com/threads/2019-transmission-cooler-kit.60550/

 

Water boils at 212. I fry food at 350. Surely modern transmission oil can survive somewhere in between.

 

Yes, it can. But you cut the life of the oil in half. It's more about the clutches. They don't like heat and they like good lube.

 

I saw this kit, however you can do your very own kit for hundreds of dollars less. The hardest part I think in the whole install is actually mounting the cooler securely on isolators

 

Pretty sure he's not making hundreds of dollars on his kit. Add up the parts. Sure, you could source cheaper (read as inferior) parts, but I don't mind paying for quality.

 

Yeah, but the guy that tells the guy, that tells the guy, that tells the guy, that tells the guy, that tells the engineer how the engineering money is going to be spent went to Wharton School of business.

 

Sounds like you might have been overloaded. Those temps are normal according to Toyota. They say it can handle up to 280.

 

No proof at all. Toyota says it can handle 280. They won’t do a thing. We also don’t know how much weight he was towing and what kinds of roads. I can overload my 18 with a cooler and drive uphill and make it overheat too.

 

From others responses temps also seem to stay down if you use tow/haul and s4

 

Ya know @sgtfluffy16 , as I posted last night, there is plenty of opportunity for screwups even if you get the basic concept right.

I used to have disdain for someone putting together a kit with a $500 mark-up, but frankly, some of these guys are "dumber than a bucket of hammers". They need a kit. The kit has at least been tested and it works. I won't need to pay the $500 extra for a kit, and maybe if you've worked on stuff before, you'll be able to think it through and get it right. Only your transmission is at stake.

 

So the question is, is it worth it for longevity sake being over protective installing the cooler kit? It only seems like good insurance to me.

 

I'm not saying he's making hundreds of dollars. He does have quite the expensive parts list. As I stated Pages ago, I bet he makes at least $50 per kit, but again, he did all the work, he did all the research, down to the nitty-gritty bolts of it all. So he deserves a Payday per each kit he sells

I'm stating you can buy a cooler of the same quality or even the same part number for less than $100. And you can buy the Toyota thermostat adapter plate for under $175 then all you need is some 3/8 line, a quart or two of ATF fluid, some lined hose clamps, and you have to fabricate up a mounting bracket for the cooler.

 

That honestly depends on your intended use of the truck and how long you plan to keep it. If you are going to trade it in within 5 years, it may not matter. If you plan to keep the truck for 10 years and tow a bunch, I don't see any reason not to put a cooler on it, whether you piece it together yourself or buy a kit.

 

Anyone tell this guy he also doesn’t have a real lsd?

 

Please elaborate.

 

If you’re referring to my post, it’s another complaint about tundras. They have an auto lsd. Not a real lsd. More false advertising. Call Toyota.

 

Auto lsd? isnt all lsd auto as one wheel spins over it locks? I am getting angrier and angrier about this thing by the dayMy z71 Tahoe has a lsd and is very useful to not get stuck in wet grass!

 

Tundras have an open diff. They use the brakes to simulate an lsd. It only works in 2wd. Should help with wet grass I guess.

 

How is that marketed as lsd in any way? You would also think it would still be necessary in 4wd to add traction.

 

While I am with the OP that it sucks that they removed the trans cooler, I am also not privy to the engineering behind the fluid tolerances, or any research Toyota may have conducted to ensure that the removal wouldn't cause problems. Toyota's reputation as sticklers for this type of thing bodes well for them.

My willingness to fight things like this is pretty simply broken down into a cost vs benefit scenario. My time is valuable. My employer even thinks so, and that is why they pay me for my time. I personally value my time more than they do, but that's beside the point. The issue being raised here can be resolved for less than $1000 so I weigh that cost against my time's value. How many hours would need to be spent to force the evil, money grubbing, corporation whose very existence is a blight on humanity (or so I am told) to "do the right thing" and install a cooler? Weeks? Months?

I can't speak for the rest of you, but I personally feel that my time is worth way more than the $1000 fix that is readily available. On that note, this thread merits a solid click of the Unwatch Thread button.

 

So you didn't thoroughly research a vehicle before you bought it and now you are unhappy? Look into the payload limitations of the Tundra. You're head is gonna explode.