Transmission care when towing
01-30-2016, 07:41 PM
#1
Transmission care when towing
Hi
Based on reading the post, transmission temp is a killer of, well transmissions.
Curious of thoughts or experiences.
When towing up hill in the mountains, does it help keep transmission temps down by running with the OD off?
Also, is there a certain point where transmission's overheat based on the ambient temperature? 70, 80, 90?
Based on reading the post, transmission temp is a killer of, well transmissions.
Curious of thoughts or experiences.
When towing up hill in the mountains, does it help keep transmission temps down by running with the OD off?
Also, is there a certain point where transmission's overheat based on the ambient temperature? 70, 80, 90?
01-30-2016, 09:45 PM
#2
Cycle For Fun and Health
Hi
Based on reading the post, transmission temp is a killer of, well transmissions.
Curious of thoughts or experiences.
When towing up hill in the mountains, does it help keep transmission temps down by running with the OD off?
Also, is there a certain point where transmission's overheat based on the ambient temperature? 70, 80, 90?
Based on reading the post, transmission temp is a killer of, well transmissions.
Curious of thoughts or experiences.
When towing up hill in the mountains, does it help keep transmission temps down by running with the OD off?
Also, is there a certain point where transmission's overheat based on the ambient temperature? 70, 80, 90?
When towing a trailer it is better to select your gear so the trans does not continue to search for what gear to be in. OD is usually fine if traveling flat ground and the truck is not gear searching.
Some tuners provide a tow mode. Some also provide trans temps. These are very good features that will help you with better shifts and trans monitoirng.
get your tuner and monitor your trans temps. Towing you will see the temps increase and more as you are climbing in lower gears.
Do a search on this forum and you will fine trans temps along with what is acceptable.
Higher ambient temps will increase trans operating temps.
02-03-2016, 11:37 AM
#4
Cycle For Fun and Health
If you have a trailer towing package from the factory, the truck will have a trans cooler. If no package, there may or may not be a trans cooler.
Your 4,000 pound trailer is not that heavy but will still tax the trans pulling up hills.
If you have no cooler, get one.
If you have no tuner, consider one as it can not only read the trans temps, it has tow tune and performance tunes. The Edge Evo is very popular and you can find them new or used for under $300. The tuner enhance the engine and trans performance, reads codes, etc.
Your 4,000 pound trailer is not that heavy but will still tax the trans pulling up hills.
If you have no cooler, get one.
If you have no tuner, consider one as it can not only read the trans temps, it has tow tune and performance tunes. The Edge Evo is very popular and you can find them new or used for under $300. The tuner enhance the engine and trans performance, reads codes, etc.
02-03-2016, 12:19 PM
#5
My '05 F150 liked to run about 160. On a really hot, all-day pull, I sometimes saw 180. Sometimes it can be hard to manage the trans temp. Go too slow and the tranny cooler struggles. Go too fast you run up the temp; especially on climbs. I found that the best thing to do was to make sure the tranny torque converter stayed locked. You are better off in 3rd gear lock than 4th gear unlocked. If you see a temp over 200, time to pull over and continue to idle the engines until the temp drops. Then get your tranny fluid changed at the end of the trip. I changed tranny fluid every 30K on my '05; but we tow a lot.
If you have no monitor for your tranny temp, consider a ScanGaugeII. It monitors anything monitored by the truck's OBDII. It can display 4 different parameters simultaneously. I found it to be very helpful and much better than "no information" from the idiot gauges that Ford provides.
If you have no monitor for your tranny temp, consider a ScanGaugeII. It monitors anything monitored by the truck's OBDII. It can display 4 different parameters simultaneously. I found it to be very helpful and much better than "no information" from the idiot gauges that Ford provides.
02-04-2016, 08:26 AM
#6
My '05 F150 liked to run about 160. On a really hot, all-day pull, I sometimes saw 180. Sometimes it can be hard to manage the trans temp. Go too slow and the tranny cooler struggles. Go too fast you run up the temp; especially on climbs. I found that the best thing to do was to make sure the tranny torque converter stayed locked. You are better off in 3rd gear lock than 4th gear unlocked. If you see a temp over 200, time to pull over and continue to idle the engines until the temp drops. Then get your tranny fluid changed at the end of the trip. I changed tranny fluid every 30K on my '05; but we tow a lot.
If you have no monitor for your tranny temp, consider a ScanGaugeII. It monitors anything monitored by the truck's OBDII. It can display 4 different parameters simultaneously. I found it to be very helpful and much better than "no information" from the idiot gauges that Ford provides.
If you have no monitor for your tranny temp, consider a ScanGaugeII. It monitors anything monitored by the truck's OBDII. It can display 4 different parameters simultaneously. I found it to be very helpful and much better than "no information" from the idiot gauges that Ford provides.
Trending Topics
02-07-2016, 12:28 AM
#8
Senior Member
I drive with overdrive off when towing, (will use the tow/haul mode if my new truck ever gets built), and drive like a grandpa. While I have a tow package with the factory transmission cooler, I considered a scan guage or transmission temp gauge; but never did get one. 185,000+ miles so far on my present Sport Trac transmission (same as in the F150's). Serviced transmission as recommended by Ford at 100,000 miles.
