Re: [A/S] Transmission operating Temperature

[Jim Dunmyer <jdunmyer@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Jim,
  I put the sending unit in the pan on my Dodge. The bottom of the guage 
reads 140 degrees, and it seldom reachs that in normal non-towing 
operation. While towing, it'll go a bit above that, but never reaches 
160 degrees. The only time I've seen it climb rapidly was when 
manuvering in a tight spot, with several forward/back movements to turn 
the truck/trailer around. It was in grass, so I had to use a bit of 
throttle to get 'er to go.

As long as the TCC (torque converter clutch) is locked, you'll see very 
little heat. When it's unlocked, such as in reverse or the lower gears, 
you'll see very rapid heating, especially if you have to load it 
heavily. Backing your trailer up a hill will overheat your transmission 
in a big hurry!

I often force a downshift to 3rd (Direct) if I'm going 40-45 MPH, so the 
TCC will lock. If the transmission shifts on its own, or stays in 4th 
below 50 MPH, the TCC is unlocked and will cause transmission heating. 
Your transmission may well operate slightly differently, but if you have 
a tach, it's pretty easy to tell if the TCC is locked or unlocked. Just 
blip the trottle slightly and see if the RPM jumps. If so, the TCC is 
unlocked, when it's locked, the RPM will climb only with the road speed.

                             <<Jim>>