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Typical transmission temps?

Discussion in '2.5 Gen Tundras (2014-2021)' started by trails-end, Aug 2, 2021.

  1. Jul 24, 2022 at 3:20 PM
    #211
    Mad Max

    Mad Max New Member

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    They can be the fk, they can be the at fault driver, in the end you will be involved, and there is a 50% chance the other driver won't have insurance. Call the Police, bet they are taking the details on another catalytic converter be stolen lol. Massachusetts what a joke state, prevented their citizens from buying Apple back in the 80's. I wonder how that worked out for them. Nanny state. If you are going to tow and your vehicle cannot maintain speed then get a F250 or larger. You are the hazard with your slow moving tow vehicle. Make sure to check your trans temp but how, you would have to take your eyes off the road, that isn't safe either.
     
  2. Jul 24, 2022 at 9:13 PM
    #212
    Joe333x

    Joe333x Member

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    Yes Massachusetts is a joke of a state, no disagreement there. I drive all over New England though and the highest speed limit is 70mph in NH. I'm not even towing when I'm driving the speed limit. I'm not knocking anyone who drives over the speed limit either. Theres a reason a highway has multiple lanes. You want to burn more gas, wear out your tires, transmission ect faster as well, the passing lane is there for you, use it. If someone wants to drive the speed limit in the right lane and save gas, drive safer, and not get a speeding ticket theres nothing wrong with that. If you notice absolutely no one agrees with you on this, all your posts have 0 likes and every post disagreeing with you has multiple likes. When I was young and dumb I drove like a idiot as well, then when you get older and sit back and chill in the slow lane and watch all the stupidity happening going past you, especially when you see them fly by and then come up on them and they're off the road a couple miles up or pulled over getting a ticket. You realize that the couple extra minutes you're trying to save really is not worth it. I feel much more relaxed when I arrive at a destination after I drove there in no rush. We're driving pick up trucks, not sports cars or motorcycles. The Tundra is about the least nimble thing I've driven next to an actual box truck, add a trailer behind it and you're just asking for trouble flying down a highway over the speed limit, considering these things don't stop on a dime even when unloaded.
     
    Last edited: Jul 24, 2022
  3. Aug 14, 2022 at 5:56 PM
    #213
    bflooks

    bflooks New Member

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    Glad to see someone else in OH was seeing those temps while towing. I was talking to people at the campground who traveled west and we were all discussing the lack of downhill or level highway, and how the headwind was not noticeable except for MPG and engine load displays. Highest I saw, with trans cooler, was 217. A drop to 4th for a few miles and the temps started retreating back to the 207-211 range. I didn't reach 217 in the mountains of PA, so I was a bit concerned.
     
  4. Aug 15, 2022 at 10:32 AM
    #214
    JDR76

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    Got our first fully loaded towing trip post-install of the cooler.

    As a recap, previously I'd tow mainly in S4 with some S5, and typically run about 217-222 degrees, with short blips to 230 on more significant hills. I avoided towing in D because it would get too hot, too fast.

    This trip, after the cooler installation, was about 70 miles each way. On the way there, ambient temps were about 85 degrees F and I left the transmission in D for the entire drive. Temps hung out around 202 deg with one blip up to 210 degrees, which quickly came back down once I crested the hill.

    The return trip was cooler - about 75 degrees out, but I doubt that made much of a difference. This time I drove in S5 and saw similar temps. A bit more up-hill on the way home than the way to the campground. Hung out again in the low 200s, and peaked for a short time at 213.

    So overall, I'm averaging about 20 degrees cooler and no longer needing to use S4 to control temps. Now I can just put the transmission selector in whatever selection I need to deal with hills, and not really monitor temps so closely. I'm happy with the results.
     
  5. Aug 15, 2022 at 11:04 AM
    #215
    Retired...finally

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    Great news. Did you notice and difference in the fuel consumption or does she still drink like Winston Churchill.
     
  6. Aug 15, 2022 at 11:17 AM
    #216
    JDR76

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    Not conclusively so. I say that because I feel like I get something different every time I tow. I got about 10 mpg on the way there and about 9 on the way back. My best ever while towing was about 11 mpg (tail wind, no doubt) and my worst is about 8 or 8.5 mpg. So I'd say my mileage on this trip was typical and not outside of my norms.
     
  7. Aug 15, 2022 at 11:48 AM
    #217
    Retired...finally

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    I can't say that I've really done enough towing in D to come to a conclusion. The instantaneous and average figures from the scan gauge were as usual. One thing I can say is the stock '21 sure heats the fluid when towing in drive.
     
  8. May 25, 2023 at 6:53 AM
    #218
    WiscoWalleye

    WiscoWalleye New Member

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    I bought a used 2020 tundra with 47,000 miles. The previous owner towed with it, I owned it for 2 weeks and the transmission went out. Toyota replaced it under the powertrain warranty. These things do fail if they aren’t taken care of properly. I’ll definitely be changing the fluid every 40-60 thousand miles or whatever the book says. I guess it’s more of a refresh than a change since you are only getting about 4qts in and out.
     
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  9. May 25, 2023 at 7:59 PM
    #219
    NoMoreGreen

    NoMoreGreen New Member

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    Toyota service manual doesn’t talk about changing the fluid.
     
  10. May 25, 2023 at 9:28 PM
    #220
    WiscoWalleye

    WiscoWalleye New Member

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    Actually it does if you read it…..

    IMG_1190.jpg
     
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  11. May 25, 2023 at 9:32 PM
    #221
    NoMoreGreen

    NoMoreGreen New Member

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    fair. I forgot about the special operating conditions. It’s not in the normal vehicles operations portion.

    the dealer tries to tell me every visit I need every special operations service. My tundra has towed two trailers in its 52k life so I guess that makes it special operating conditions.

    toyota intended for the majority of these transmissions to go their entire lives without having fluid changed. Ford does the same thing. I had a 2014 f150 before this tundra and the manual never called for a fluid change under normal conditions.
     
  12. Aug 25, 2023 at 8:13 PM
    #222
    Desert4673

    Desert4673 New Member

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    Just another datapoint : I have the 2020 with engine / transmission / cat skidplate I live in Vegas and I got up to 240 towing (3500lbs tall trailer) in 110F and 224F in S4 ( about 65 mph). two weeks later on same stretch of freeway I was around 220F without the trailer in 102F weather (about 70-75mph).
    once weather cools down a bit I will drain the transmission fluid at about 57,000miles.
     
  13. Aug 25, 2023 at 8:26 PM
    #223
    WiscoWalleye

    WiscoWalleye New Member

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    I bit the bullet and installed a transmission cooler. Much better on the temps now. Attached is a photo after the cooler. The same trip on the way to install it I was getting 210 degrees with converter spiking as high as 230 it was 85 degrees outside. After the cooler install the converter has yet to spike above 210 and usually stays well below 200 degrees.

    IMG_1719.jpg
     
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  14. Aug 25, 2023 at 10:18 PM
    #224
    Chip_Tundra

    Chip_Tundra New Member

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    Pinned thermostat and cooler installed. Here are the transmission temps in 100+ degree weather in the southwest.

    Top pic was after stop and go traffic, 2nd is cruising on the freeway.

    Without the transmission cooler, I've seen temps as high as 240 deg.

    20230817_174932.jpg
    20230817_165503.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 27, 2023
  15. Mar 14, 2024 at 6:07 PM
    #225
    Captain papa

    Captain papa New Member

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    Well it has been over 5 years since the 2019 Tundras came out without the air to fluid transmission cooler. A lot of debate at the time of whether the higher operating transmission temps would cause any transmission failures. There should by now be some fairly high mileage Tundras without the coolers out there. Any reports with failures? Any high mileage ones out there that have survived without the cooler someone wants to brag about?
     
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  16. Mar 14, 2024 at 6:41 PM
    #226
    Clemsonman14

    Clemsonman14 New Member

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    You’ve also got the Sequoias that went this same direction that have to be getting some miles. Unless you are towing very heavy most people don’t need one
     
  17. Mar 14, 2024 at 6:57 PM
    #227
    Terndrerrr

    Terndrerrr guzzling dealer repellent

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    @WiscoWalleye reported the failure of a 2020 transmission, post #218 just above.
    Here are a few others I found. Worth reading these threads if interested:
     
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  18. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:26 PM
    #228
    d33pt

    d33pt New Member

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    What determines if a truck gets a cooler from the factory? I thought it was only the 2019+ that did not get them, but my 2015 doesn't have a cooler.
     
  19. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:36 PM
    #229
    TILLY

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    Does your truck have the tow package?, that could be the reason.
     
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  20. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:37 PM
    #230
    d33pt

    d33pt New Member

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    It has a tow hitch and trailer plug. That's not the tow package?
     
  21. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:42 PM
    #231
    TILLY

    TILLY Gently Used Member

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    I would think so if its factory, there's no auxiliary cooler in the front behind your grille?
     
  22. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:43 PM
    #232
    d33pt

    d33pt New Member

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    No, only the power steering cooler on the bottom.
     
  23. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:45 PM
    #233
    TILLY

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    Very strange, did you buy it new?
     
  24. Mar 14, 2024 at 7:55 PM
    #234
    d33pt

    d33pt New Member

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    No, i just got it. That's why I thought it was strange. I also had a 2013 before, with tow hitch and trailer wiring. No trans cooler either.
     
  25. Mar 14, 2024 at 8:01 PM
    #235
    TILLY

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    I always thought if you had the tow package you got the cooler, but I guess I'm wrong. Maybe others here with a similar truck to yours can chime in and clear this up.
     
  26. Mar 14, 2024 at 8:33 PM
    #236
    Joe333x

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    I dont think 5 years is nearly enough time to tell. I have a 2019 and only have
    Look under your truck at the transmission and see if you have lines running to the front The cooler is part of the AC condenser and not a separate radiator.
     
  27. Mar 14, 2024 at 9:21 PM
    #237
    WiscoWalleye

    WiscoWalleye New Member

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    Yes mine failed at 45,500 miles. Previous owner towed a heavy ice castle with it in the winter and job trailers. Nothing that the truck shouldn’t be able to tow on a regular basis. My transmission was fully replaced under warranty fluid was all burnt and contaminated. Anyone that uses their truck as a truck not a city boy waste of space look at me bro machine will risk blowing their transmission without a cooler.
     
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  28. Mar 14, 2024 at 11:06 PM
    #238
    d33pt

    d33pt New Member

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    Oh i was looking for something like this. Aren't the lines from the transmission running to the radiator? That's how my tacoma is, so I assumed this was the same. I never actually followed the lines. I will check next time I get under.

    [​IMG]
     
  29. Mar 15, 2024 at 4:21 AM
    #239
    bflooks

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    Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the 2/2.5 Gen Tundra has had multiple iterations of the cooler.

    1) separate standalone unit (similar to photo directly above only from the factory) 2008-2013?
    2) integrated into the radiator 2014(?)-2018
    3) none existent and people are adding an aftermarket external back to it (see photo directly above for an example of a GCS version). 2019-2021

    Just because you don't see it may not mean you don't have it in #2.
     
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  30. Mar 15, 2024 at 7:18 AM
    #240
    clownkillerloaf

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