Transmission cooler missing…I know I know

So do you have a gauge or way to read your temps or not?

 

Appreciate the insight, but once again it’s a horrible idea and or plan to make a consumer run their engine that hard at the expense of even worse fuel mileage just because they decided it wasn’t worth it for them to put a cooler in front of the new AC condenser design for a few year models. This is literally one of the dumbest things I could ever imagine Toyota would do and even after all the backlash they have received they’ve done nothing about it. Guarantee you they figure most of these trucks will be out of warranty when the transmission problems start surfacing on these trucks.

 

It’s a different truck with a whole different power train and 200 ftlbs more of torque..

 

Ordered one yesterday! I just know that the shit I drive is a hell of a lot more challenging on a cooling system compared to what I’m seeing others reporting in mild to non challenging conditions, leaves me with no doubts what I’ll be dealing with.

 

I think we understand where you are coming from but you started this by saying:
"I live in southern Colorado, 5,000 ft 7 degree grade passes in high ambient temps is all summer long I can’t imagine what the tranny temps will be pulling my camper up those passes." and you do not have to imagine anything when you can see the Temps.

 

Bottom line...there is room for improvements all over this truck if you truly want a solid truck. Transmission wise for towing I will probably add a deep pan and a HP valve body in the not too distant future.

 

Will it make it any different when I actually see what I already know I’m going to see? There’s video after video and screen shot after screen shot of these newer Tundras with 230-250 deg trans temp readings and they aren’t even fighting their way up steep grades with a trailer.

 

I don’t think it needs any of that, but it damn sure needs to run cooler than 230-250 degrees.I towed a 9,000 lb boat 1,000 miles in 90+ deg temps and never had any issues overheating with a previous Tundra.

 

I will feel better,hows that!

And sure you may be surprised as well?

I have a 2015 and seem to be getting higher temps than most report even with the cooler and now am worried about that too.

 

What thermostat?

 

This is the part that the previous Tundras had attached to the transmission it has a line running to a cooler/condenser behind the grill up front and then a line running back to it. When the trans temp reaches 195 it sends fluid in that cycle to col it down. They removed it from the 2019’s-2021’s.

 

There is a wax thermostat housing available for the transmission case. It can also be pinned open. Mine is pinned open.

 

Didn't they change the type of transmission fluid in them as well. They are now using a fluid that is designed to handle higher temps?

 

Nope, same fluid as before and not even a full synthetic. ‍♂️

 

Just a little food for thought on transmission fluid operating temps. And don’t forget there are a lot of things inside that tranny besides fluid. Orings, seals, gaskets and clutch packs , none of which like 240+ deg temps.

 

Precisely why I swapped my fluid and added a cooler after the first sign of heat.

 

A person can definitely get by with a $300 install. Maybe $175 for t-stat, $75 for a cooler & DIY bracket, $50 for hoses and clamps and WS fluid. A lot of the added cost in the Genuine Cooling kit is for the pair of Toyota T-stat hoses and the Toyota hard lines. They don’t seem absolutely necessary, but for non-wrenchers like me adding to a brand new truck, there is some comfort in using Toyota parts that fit on pre-existing mounting brackets, plus the very slick and solid cooler mounting bracket that comes with the kit. I consider it money well spent over the (hopefully long) lifetime of the vehicle.

 

Nick’s mhx kit works so well it actually pulls 3-5 degrees out of engine coolant ( if you leave it pinned)

 

I threw the towel in on the cooler debacle when I saw my new 4Runner ( a750 trans) keep temps at 170 at highway speeds. It took a full cabin of passengers, full cargo area, and hill country runs at 78 mph to hit 190F.

the 4 runner has old school in tank radiator style cooler with no thermostat.

if there was a technical basis for moving the temp target up to 240-250 on ab60f then it would have saved them buckets of cash just changing thermostat internals and using the old cooler. No block off plate needed.

If 4Runner was running around with 250 degree trans temps then I’d believe that there must have been a strong technical basis for such a change because other rear wheel drive platforms did same thing.

The 2021 4 runner had the same refrigerant change as well with no apparent change in transmission cooling.

They also did a mid cycle cooler delete in Tacoma too.

It’s all over the place in terms of sound technical basis.

I’m sure they have reams of data showing the ab60f can handle the high thermal loads but there were other cost effective ways of changing the ac condenser without adding 40 degrees to the thermal load.

And there isn’t much control over it either. The temps can go up unbounded.

 

i looked at a 2021 Lexus GX570 at the dealer. Same engine as Tundra. It has a giant cooler in front of the radiator, which looks like its for the transmission. spend 100k get cooler

 

Lx570 and land cruiser have 8 spd but yeah point taken... all over the place.

 

The cooler is back in the 2022 tundra, as well as the grab handle. Mike Sweers short change the customers of the last years of the 5.7

 

Was it the condenser?

 

I hear ya and am not one to cheap out on stuff, but $1000 for parts alone for what it is, is ridiculous. The Toyota OEM tstat is a must, but the rest is just two hoses with clamps, some sort of bracket and an adequate cooler. The system isn’t even under pressure to really speak of.

 

That really is the case, Toyota literally made the collective decision to screw over the owners of the final years of production Tundras only looking forward to the next model. Kinda sad if you ask me.

 

I agree that is too high. My 2016 checked while pulling a trailer up and down hills, never exceeded 199. Ambient temp was ~85.

Toyota knows that the transmission will easily outlast the powertrain warranty. I believe it makes sense that if you are going to tow regularly, to install the OEM thermostat and cooling radiator. This is if you plan to keep the truck "forever".

I plan to do it on my inbound 2021. And no, it does not violate the warranty.

And what a major PIA it would be to uninstall it every time you go in for service (as someone suggested). Would probably cause more damage doing that!

This was a cost savings move on the part of Toyota. That's it. Cost of OEM parts ~$300 x 100k vehicles per year = $30mm!!

 

And what is dumb is they could have put some version of nick’s kit on it , called it an optional enhanced transmission cooling kit, and sold it as a $1500 option and I bet everyone would have gone with it without thinking twice.

their cost savings actually cost them more then they realize

 

Nope, didn't suggest removal every time you go in for service. Only implied, if going in for transmission warranty claim. Not diifficult to understand.

 

A cooler is back in the 2022. They are calling the puck a cooler in the 2019-2021. We don’t know until someone sees it what exactly they are calling a cooler on the 2022. Could just be a different version of the puck

 

I don't know if it was Toyota the culprit, I blame Mike Sweers. Every year after he was promoted, both trucks, Tacomas and Tundras lost something. My 2007 SR5 is a far better truck than my 2021 Limited, and my 2ng gen Tacoma, far superior the my 3rd gen