Transmission cooler or not Thread

Ahhh simple yes but.......

It needs more discussion because,

someone can't bash Toyota so someone else can defend Toyota,so someone can bash Mike Sweers, so someone can defend Mike, so someone can dismiss the guy that brought up installing a cooler, so the guy that installed the cooler can dispute the anti-cooler guy with facts ,that the anti-cooler guy dismisses with his own facts , who then gets disagreed by someone who's brothers sisters cousins fathers uncles nephews friend put on a cooler and.........................................................................

 

that is the hardest part of the whole thing.

 

You won't regret it. Once you get past the skid, absolutely nothing about this install is hard. All that's required is common sense and a good set of tools.

Highly doubt this will affect any warranty if installed correctly.

 

I highly think that installing a cooler, including lines and the t-stat body on the side of the trans will void the warranty. These transmissions aren’t cheap. You can almost bet that if a trans that came without a cooler fails and it has a cooler, the warranty will get denied.
I am in the fence just because of the warranty issue. Now considering my commute to work is 3 miles, the trans hardly reaches 120-130, have to double check, but not hot at all. Some times I have to pick up my kids and it will get to normal temp (195-205+/-). I don’t tow anymore either.

 

This is my concern as well. My day to day is very similar and usually sees the temps max out around 205. Would feel much better if I could get a dealer to install the trans cooler though

 

You probably don't need to worry about it much if you do not tow anymore. As for warranty, it would be hard to argue that adding a cooler to a tranny via factory thermostat caused a failure. It would be a ludicrous statement to tell a customer that adding something that used to come from the factory for years caused the tranny to fail.

 

If you are that worried about it, then just remove it if your trans fails. Shouldn’t take more than 15 min or so to take everything out. You wouldn’t even have to recheck the fluid.

 

You don't need to remove the RCI. Unless you have a mid plate under the transmission as well that prevents you from getting the thermostat installed.

I installed the entire kit (OEM thermostat & hard lines, hoses, and heat exchanger up front) without removing or even loosening my front RCI engine skid. It just takes a minute or two to figure out how to work the OEM hard lines into position.

 

By my calc there are currently 17,648 owners of MY 19+ Tundras that have experienced trans overtemp warnings.

 

Here is an interesting TSB for you guys to look at.

https://www.tundras.com/threads/2019-hp-tuners.96152/#post-2442495

 

I would imagine that there have been a few pissed off individuals back at the dealership when their tranny overheated backing up a hill.

 

It just says reprogram ECM. Need someone to find out what that reprogramming does. Does it change shift patterns or just raise the warning light temp?

 

Interesting. First step in admitting they screwed up….



Edit- They’ll never admit they screwed up.

 

Is there a way to figure out what the new flash changes? I'm guessing its the trigger temp for the warning, but it would be cool to know the actual temperature.

 

My guess would be something related to the torque convertor locking up but who knows. I can tell you that my 2014 had much more pep than my 2020. I wonder if they messed with the torque management since they removed the cooler.

 

All we can do is guess though.
No one has any real idea what the flashing does nor do they really know how the programming might have changed when they decided to do without the cooler in the first place,they are only guessing as well.

This seems to not influence many though who are determined that they just know what and why this is not the way it should have been all along.

I have read compelling arguments for each side of this and I certainly am not an Automotive Engineer or Transmission Designer of any kind and I can just as easily accept that they were reprogramming the shift points and patterns to reduce temps and cool the tranny some as I can that they were simply being cheap and cutting corners as is suggested over and over and over and over and.......here.

We just really do not know.

 

Even more of a reason not to be worried about your warranty when adding a cooler. The TSB has Toyota admitting that there is a heat issue.

 

It's unclear to me if the TSB is addressing an issue with high temps or if it's dealing with the warning message coming on when it shouldn't (false/inadvertent illumination). I haven't had the warning message come up on mine. I'm towing this weekend. Maybe I just jinxed myself.

As for coolers and warranty, that's a tough one. There was a TSB they issued to address brake squeal on my car. I brought it in to have that addressed and it was denied because they said I probably used dressing on my tires that over-sprayed onto my brakes. The only tire dressing I had used was a wipe-on type, not even a spray. I wasn't successful in proving that.

 

I think that it is time for another dealership. I have never had a service department deny me when armed with a TSB. In fact most of the time they would inform me of the TSB.

 

Yeah it was really ridiculous.

 

It will take you a few minutes to figure out how to thread the OEM hard lines into place lying under your truck. It helps to identify where they’ll screw into place. Working them into place might be a bit frustrating. But I did it on my 4wd truck without removing my RCI engine skid. I’m not even sure how much easier it would be with the skid off. Good luck!

 

You totally have the choice of not getting it installed then. I just happen to work with service departments who are aware that they are legally bound to proving that a certain component, without a doubt was the cause to the damage to another component. Aftermarket parts and upgrades also fall into this. The Magnuson-Moss Act backs it up.

 

The problem with that act is that the manufacture has deep pockets. Let’s say I install a cooler on my 2020 and the trans takes a shit. I take it to the dealer and they say, go pound sand, you installed a aftermarket part. Even if it’s all OEM parts, it still didn’t come from factory with it. Now I have to lawyer up to sue them for a new trans. Let’s face it, all the manufacturers have to say it that that trans wasn’t designed to operate at XX temp or he installed it wrong or any other reason. Now the burden of proof that it didn’t cause the failure is on you. For the vast majority of people, like myself, I don’t have another car or for argument sakes, the 5-6k I would say to fix it. Now what do I do? Put it on a CC and lawyer up to sue them for years to come? That act sounds good on paper but the manufacturer knows that the majority don’t have deep pockets to take it to court. Let’s take for instants if you have a sound system in your truck and the alternator goes out. The dealer can tell you that the system cause too much strain on the alternator and they will not replace it under warranty. Are you really going to lawyer up for a $300 part. I had an experience with that act. Luckily the dealer that sold me the car stepped up. But the dealer I took it to told me to pound sand. I wasn’t about to lawyer up for a leaking seal that was supposedly caused by overfilling the engine with 1 quart of oil. So while the Act might sound good and is good, it’s not as simple as it sounds.

 

Like I said, your choice. Don't waste so much energy arguing and typing. lol

Sigh (here I go not following my advice), and I have to add, ignorantly adding a sound system that obviously will overload your alternator, no one will cover that under warranty.

Also, (this is with the context I have through your response) an engine seal failing as a result from over filling your engine with too much oil, all your fault and no dealer would cover that under warranty either.

I'll keep my transmission cooler on. The truck has been in for warranty work with it installed and hasn't been voided of it.

 

If you know anything about engines, over filling by 1 quart doesn’t cause a seal to leak. Point was the dealer I took it to said go pound sand and since I DIDNT over fill it, it was a warranty issue. And there is no irony in the sound system, same as the added cooler that DIDNT come from factory, same as the sound system. The burden of proof is on you. The fact that you stated that the system over loaded the alternator is the owner’s fault is the same thing that the dealer can tell you for installing a cooler that DIDN’T come with the truck. Once again, burned of proof that the cooler didn’t shit your trans is on YOU. Pretty simple. And your warranty hasn’t been voided because the warranty work wasn’t for the trans. They can’t void your whole warranty for a trans cooler, duh.

 

First off, yes, overfilling engines even by just 1 qt can cause seal and gasket failure.

Now that we have that out of the way:

Many competent techs will agree that a good number of events would need to occur before pointing to an aftermarket cooler as the root cause of a major transmission failure, thus voiding any warranty repair. With a properly functioning transmission, this kit will not void the warranty if properly installed and fluid level is checked correctly.

I'll say it again, as you're so convinced: Don't get this kit if you're afraid it'll void your warranty. If you can't find the means to have it installed, don't get it.

BTW, if you don't have enough put away to handle a major repair, or have some sort of extended warranty/service contract in line, that's the least of your problems. People shouldn't even be owning a vehicle with this price tag without the financial means to do so.

 

Back to the cooler:

After driving with the thermostat pinned and unpinned, I'm keeping the thermostat pinned.

 

I feel as though many people are over thinking this. We are not talking about a lift or big tires affecting the steering rack that went bad. We are talking about Toyota parts that were on the truck for many years and they decided to remove them because they felt that they were not needed. They did not remove it because it was causing a problem with the transmission. The cooler was added to vehicles that tow more than usual; TOW PACKAGE.

I would love for a service writer to try and argue that Toyota parts designed to keep my tranny cooler, and used for years BTW, took out my transmission.

 

After years of racing cars, trucks and SUVs, 1 quart will NOT make seals leak.

Next, what manufacturer is going to believe that you installed it correctly and check the fluid to manufacturers specs. You said it yourself, if installed properly. Once again the burden of proof is on YOU.

I never said anything about the kit. I have added plenty of trans coolers, engine oil cooler, SC air to air and air to water coolers, etc. I was merely responding to the Warranty Act you mentioned and that’s it not so clear cut and dry.

Also I said as an example, never said I personally don’t have the money. You keep jumping to conclusions and that’s on you. Apparently you can’t seem to think out side the box incase of a what if moment.

 

Don't worry about me bud. I've got all my ducks in a row. We're going in circles here and quite frankly I'm exhausted of you. Have a good day lol