Transmission temperatures

Did some searching on here before posting this and found some info but looking for more feedback. 2010 tundra 5.7L 6inch lift 35"MT. I've been using the Torque app. What are typical tranny temps both pan and torque converter not towing just cruising around? What peak temps do you guys see typically? Appreciate any help.

 

2018 Tundra Platinum on 35s

Typical Trans Pan Temps: 185-195°F
Typical Converter Temps: 185-215°F

Your truck should have a slightly different auxiliary cooler setup than mine. It sits way out front of your condenser, so it could be caked in bugs, leaves, etc. If so clean it off and recheck. You can also very easily pin your trans cooler thermostat and it should being temps down quite a bit.

 

Mine shows middle on the gauge, so I think it's medium temps. I have towing package that come with transmission cooler, the real one.

Gauge never went above medium ever.

 

180-200 in general. If you're regeared the higher rpm tends to heat it up more too. If the converter unlocks the converter temp spikes very fast, but in lockup it drops to pan temp instantly. If you pin the thermostat on the trans cooler it'll drop temps considerably too. But if it's not holding above 200 I wouldn't be very worried. If the trans temp gets over 220 I start to worry, if it's nearing 240 I would pull over or slow down to let it cool.

 

I am seeing 257ish F on my 2007 with the towing package. I use the Alpine FLX-F511 paired the Maestro connected to OBD port. Not sure what sensor that the reading is from but it indicates on the radio as the automatic transmission temperature. Not sure if I should be concern with it as the OEM guage doesn't go over medium as well.

 

The OEM dash gauge is almost useless. The OBD II readings are way more accurate and therefore useful. 257°F is really hot, but the overheating warning doesn't come on (on the dash) until somewhere around 300°F. I'd be concerned and would check that your thermostat is working properly, your cooler itself isn't overly dirty, and I'd do a few drain fills with fresh ATF WS for good measure

 

I would change your transmission fluid, probably never been changed unless you've already done it. I would also pin open the transmission thermostat, takes all of a minute to do with a piece of wire. If the torque converter is unlocked the trans temp spikes, and you're most likely seeing converter temps. The torque converter doesn't lock up in stock form all that often, and even with a trans cooler it can get extremely hot. Pinning the thermostat will help it a bit, and then do fluid changes every 30k miles to help keep the trans healthy.

 

I have changed it once and I planned to do another one. Is the thermostat underneath the truck or in the engine bay?

 

It's under the truck, on the passenger side behind the front tire. There will be a big hockey puck sized thing coming off the transmission, above that is the thermostat. On the back side there is a little plunger that you push in with a screw driver, and then slide a wire/pin through both holes and it will keep the plunger depressed.



The thermostat opens when the transmission gets hot, but it doesn't seem to FULLY open so you actually end up with quite a bit more cooling in my experience with it pinned open. In the winter time, myself and many others keep it pinned open, the transmission still gets up to temp within a couple miles.

 

I'm getting ready to do my first drain n fill on my '18. I'm only at 40k miles but Im sure the fluid is 7yrs old.
Am I understanding correctly that it's safe to keep the pin in the thermostat 100% of the time? By doing so, that will keep my trans temps cooler? What are pros or cons? I'm in So Cal. I never tow but occasionally I haul heavy loads.

 

Yes sir, correct, leave it pinned all the time. Lots of people even in colder climates leave it pinned in the winter, that is the only time maybe you'd want to unpin it---but I leave mine pinned and it gets into the teens where I live and it's fine.

Not really any cons for the best I can tell, quite a few of us on the forum have had it pinned for years and thousands of miles now. If you're in Socal I would pin it and never think twice. It made a 20+deg temperature difference on my truck.

 

Awesome! Thank you.

 

I'll give this a shot in a few weeks. Both daily driving and towing the RV (loaded ~8K), with 37s on stock gearing, 90degF outside, S4, results in the pan at 195degF with the TC hitting 220 when I've got to give it the beans. Curious how much that steady state will drop.

 

Question is, why are you seeing such high temperatures in the first place, even woth trans cooler included?! Many gang here even without trans coolers of later year tundras don't post these numbers

☆question for lilac with 250f temps☆

 

Appreciate the all the replies and info. I've never towed with this truck and highest pan temp i've seen is 199F. Highest torque converter temp i've seen is 225F. This was gunning it hard up a long hill. After cresting the pan dropped to back to 194-196F then even lower down 188-190 going back downhill. Sometimes around town i'll see the torque converter spike to 215-218F always goes down when locking up. I used Grok to make a chart for my recent trips. How do these numbers look? Thanks gang!

 

I wouldn't sweat it hitting 220 range, it's inevitable if the converter unlocks for any period of time in my experience.

 

I have no clue... Truck drives and shifts fine. I only became aware of the temperature after installing the radio with the capability to read the sensor and show the temperature. The case of having too much information and not knowing what to do with it.

 

I see mid 180s to mid-190s on my 2008 (stock size tires, 5.7 with towing package) with regular driving. The picture shows the OBD Fusion app running.

 

Can anyone post their transmission temperature when the truck is turned on in the morning? My starting temperature is @ 150 F which I don't believe is accurate.

 

That can't be. Mine starts around 89. Is a 2021 and no transmission cooler.

 

That's what I am thinking. It's not calibrated correctly. We have had some cool mornings lately in California and there's no way that the sensor should be reading 150F after just starting the car.

 

What are using to monitor?
Here's mine after start up and running for about 3 minutes, OAT 90 degrees.