Transmission Temp/overheating

Used a ScanGauge for the 1st time this weekend and it showed my transmission temp rising to almost 270 while climbing(it was a long and high climb) I stopped the truck as a precaution but didn’t get any warning lights on the dash.

I’ve climbed hills in the past without issues but never had the scangauge to scare me about trany temp before. Read oil temp over 270 = bad things to transmission. When I checked the dipstick, trany oil was fairly cool to the touch but I could’ve fried an egg on the transmission cooler.

Wondering if our trucks can manage higher transmission temps? Was I worried for nothing? Should I change the trany oil?… If it truly was overheating, what could be the issue?

Thanks all!

 

Just checked the tranny dipstick and oil is over the “hot” portion of the dipstick. Truck is fairly level/little slope downward in front end but not much.

can too much oil may be why the scan showed temp rising so much?…

 

At some point in the past it was stated that the warning light comes on around 225. 270 seems unbelievably high. I almost wonder if that was a false reading since your light didn't come on. The highest I've hit was around 207-210 I think.

Were you crawling in 4Hi or 4LO? Our trucks don't like 4HI under 10mph for long. They tend to get real hot. If you switch to 4LO temps will actually drop. Empty Lord explained why but I can't remember now.

 

It’ll be higher than normal when the temp is up that high, so don’t worry about the level. Instead check it when it’s 170?? as stated in the FSM.

You should check it in other conditions other than climbing hills just to see if it’s normal most of the time. If hills are the only thing causing it to go high, I would do a drain and fill more often if you see yourself doing hills a lot.

 

That’s exactly what I was doing. Crawling up in 4hi in low gear under 10mph.

 

Checked the dipstick just now while trucks been off since yesterday. It’s that high while cold.

 

Ummn, you are checking it with the engine running? Right?

 

Bill is right. You need to get the truck up to operating temp. Park it on a level surface, cycle through the gears, leave it running in park and then check it. You won't get an accurate reading any other way.