Transmission cooler missing…I know I know

Their are plenty of trucks on the road that had survived without a cooler. I have owned a few that I have towed with. There are plenty of trucks that have failed transmissions that had transmission coolers. This debate is much more complex simply because transmissions are designed to handle heat. The temperature is what is in question and what certain temps with do to the specific Tundra transmissions in the 2019 to 2021 models.

 

Maybe , it all depends honestly on how you drive the truck . I never ran into any issue with my 19 towing or not and always managed to keep my temps in the 215 on average which what seems to be the standard now with ford hd trucks also as well as the f150

If you are going to push the truck which results in torque converter almost all time unlocked , then yes , the temps will creep up and the puck will not be able to dissipate the temps as fast as an air to oil cooler would do .
So at the end of the day , I have seen so many 19 and up owners are able to keep their temps between 215 and 220 pulling 7k+ loads which isn’t bad at all .

I still decided to add the cooler as I know it won’t hurt and don’t have to watch my temps as much especially with my bigger trailer

 

As you stated earlier, at this point it comes down to what each owner/driver needs. However, that doesn't change the fact that Toyota cheated for financial gain.

 

Where is the warmer labeled as a cooler??

 

This diagram should be evidence for a class action lawsuit.

 

I am not bitter about the “cheating” because I knew it wasn’t there before I purchased. Should they have taken it out?…no. I can agree there. But I also am not worried because I am going to drive my truck accordingly. No one needs to follow my principles but I don’t believe that owners are “idiots” for not installing.

@2mchfun…that last comment is not directed at you in anyway…just a general statement.

 

Crickets

 

It’s not a maybe.. he didn’t say all trucks without a cooler will have a problem, or all trucks with a cooler will not have a problem. The relative temperatures are lower with the cooler no matter your driving style. Lower temperatures are better in a machine built around explosions and friction/heat mitigation, there’s no question there.

 

Here. That diagram is from pre-19 models. Toyota started calling the warmer a cooler in 2019.

 

So they have a newer coolant flow diagram with it labeled as a warmer/cooler? If so, can you please post it.

 

I don’t know. I found that diagram you posted years ago somewhere, maybe in a thread on here. I’m not sure if a new one if it exists.

 

I pull a boat and an RV (not at the same time obviously) all over Florida. I'm also lifted, 35 inch muds, steel bumper winch etc in some serious Florida heat. No issues or warning lights. I remember seeing a video someone did on youtube (fast lane truck), they pulled like 10k lbs in a trailer wide open 20-30 minutes 10% grade blah blah. Never went above the temp spec. I trust Toyota for what its worth.

 

The “warning” light in this circumstance is a “you done fuct up” light. 302*
Good temp for baking biscuits but not operating a transmission.

 

Guess they need to change the name of the light. I'm going to keep on pulling heavy stuff in the heat and if I need something to worry about someday I'll circle back to this.

 

The warmer is not a cooler and it comes on every tundra whether it has a tow package or not. They changed the verbage from warmer to cooler when they F@#$ed up and put that a transmission cooler was part of the tow package on the monroney sticker of the 19’s and 20’s when they had removed it and had to be able to say there was a cooler somewhere to cover their asses.

 

That TFL video was not a real testament either, they parked below Loveland pass and ran up to the tunnel in 8 minutes in 50 deg weather and then coasted down. Truck had been parked, was not warmed up like it would have been if they drove there pulling said trailer, trailer was already there waiting for them. If they had towed that trailer from Denver and then pulled the pass (like most owners would) that thing would have been way hotter than 250 deg. I’ve towed a camper across I-70 (including Loveland Pass aka the Ike Gauntlet) and you will work the sh$& out of a half ton pulling those passes. I have seen 230 at the pan of my Tundra with an empty truck pulling the hills here in Colorado, can’t fathom what the temps will be towing my camper. I can tell you that my previous 5th gen Ram 1500 and 2021 Silverado never got to 200 deg pulling the same camper all over Colorado. It’s a no brainer to me on whether to install a cooler, but it damn sure pisses me off to have to do it. IF….IF Toyota had even switched to a higher quality full synthetic transmission fluid, even that would have been some better assurance, but running 2006 semi synthetic oil and telling us we’ll be fine is a sh#$ ton of deception.

 

Yep. Appears that the TSB just increases the temperature before the light goes on. If and when the light does appear, you're basically f**ked. The damage is done. No fluid change is going to fix the damaged internal components.
Of course this is my opinion as Toyota has not officially stated normal safe operating temperatures. I'm going to install a cooler before I start towing my travel trailer.
And the TFL test is a total joke. I had thought they were impartial testers until I viewed that video. They were clearly subsidized by Toyota for that "test". It was designed to put people's minds at ease and hopefully put the issue to bed. I'll bet this subject is a hot discussion topic at HQ Engineering Staff meetings.

 

What's funny the f150 "powerboost" or whatever its called overheated the trans and cut power

 

Have we seen any information about what the TSB actually is? It is a software update but that doesnt necessarily mean it just raises the temp limit before the warning. Software updates on modern vehicles can do everything from timing, to torque curves (per gear), to TC lockup conditions, etc. There is a potential that the software update could in fact be lowering average fluid temps in some way.

Would love some real data!

 

If the update is designed to actually help the trans run cooler then it should not be a TSB, it should be a recall.

 

Maybe for Toyota but what would GM do? If their transmissions exploded and dumped two gallons of hot ATF on the asphalt the GM lawyers would argue they are sealing the roadway surface and send the DOT a bill.

 

Why? Do you have some large scale data about 2019+ transmissions burning up and failing? The vast majority of Tundra drivers (this is a guess so take it with a grain of salt) probably have no need for a cooler, the TSB, or anything else to help their trans run cooler. It seems that the only individuals who are experiencing trans temps that they believe are too high are people who tow heavy loads and people who have a lot of equipment installed on their vehicle and off road in 4LO. This is likely a very small minority in the world of Tundra owners.

As a side point, I ran all of Broken Arrow this past weekend in 4LO and got no trans temp warnings at all.

 

We dont do that here.

You may select one from the following menu:

1) conjecture
2) hearsay
5) indirect anecdotal evidence
₩) conclusions based upon cherry-picked data


Select now, plz.

 

I will say, this thread is amusing while I'm sitting here bored. I bought a 2020 Tundra as a tow rig, realized it didn't have a cooler, added a cooler, and moved on with my life. Truck tows great and temps are where I want them with 7,500 lbs behind it going through hilly terrain. And to top it all off, I averaged 11 mpg on my last 800 mile trip.

 

Rumors floating around on the web say that cooler sucks another 2 MPG.

 

I'm happy to report my calculator says otherwise

 

Can you number them please, I'm starting to overheat my brain by not having any numbers in front of the choices.

 

Sounds like your brain needs a cooler

 

So what’s the chance Toyota fesses up and bites the bullet? In other words offers to retroactively install a cooler on 19-21’s?