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2013 LTZ Tranny Temp when Towing

C

Cmerkert

Full Member
Joined
Nov 9, 2013
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Just bought our new travel trailer, which is close to the max. Weight limit.  Towed it home yesterday 3 hrs, small hills and traffic.

Tranny got to 205 three times in traffic and was running 140-175 on highway, including on up hills.  Temp was 55 outside.  I know they run hot around town, traffic etc.  Are my temps anything to be concerned with?  It has the heavy duty tow pkg,with trans cooler and was in haul mode.

Thanks.
 
You're good, the outside temp has some variable on trans temp but you have to understand how the routing of the pluming is.  First it goes out to the trans cooler then to the radiator tank then back to the trans, this makes the fluid around the same temp or close as the engine. I would worry if it gets to 230  or higher and stays there.  R.  (y)
 
ronthehandymanga said:
You're good, the outside temp has some variable on trans temp but you have to understand how the routing of the pluming is.  First it goes out to the trans cooler then to the radiator tank then back to the trans, this makes the fluid around the same temp or close as the engine. I would worry if it gets to 230  or higher and stays there.   R.   (y)
Click to expand...



Unless they changed the routing the trans fluid goes to the bottom of the radiator first, then out the top to the aux cooler then back to the trans.. This is the way it has been done in the past.. 
 
anyone know which is the correct routing?

Either way, are those temps okay?  Maxing out at 210 for 5 mins 3x's  but otherwise 135-183 degrees.  Trans temps today, without towing was 120 or less.
 
I haven't looked up the spec, but I thought the norm op temp for the tranny fluid was up to 210F? Am I mis-informed?

I am curious too, bcs I was also towing a TT this past weekend that was probably about 5200lb & 600 tongue wt using a 5.7l mating it's standard 6-speed to exactly the tranny you don't want to tow with..the 3.08. I hit 205F three times on a 200mi trip, in stop 'n go traffic.  It felt like it was mostly the stop 'n go action that shot the temp up.  

Edit:  
I found this on a different forum:  
?General Motors? in-house towing team expert provided RV Clinic with this statement: The maximum allowable automatic transmission fluid temperature is dictated by the transmission oil itself. The oil begins to degrade significantly above 270 degrees Fahrenheit, so we design vehicles so that in all but the most extreme conditions, the fluid temperature in the transmission sump stays below 270 degrees F.

We allow for up to 285 degrees F in extreme conditions (i.e. towing a trailer with combination loaded at GCWR in Death Valley). But for customer usage anywhere else in the country, even at GCWR, transmission sump temperature should stay well below 270 degrees F. Above this point, certain internal components, such as seals, begin to disintegrate rather quickly. Although newer synthetic fluids can withstand higher temperatures we still recommend this (270F) as a maximum temperature. "
Click to expand...
http://www.forestriverforums.com/forums/f12/max-chevy-trans-temperature-9989.html

and:  
heatchrt.jpg

with some explanation on the TXchange site:
http://www.txchange.com/heatchrt.htm

Will be eager to get an aux cooler on this thing regardless, since it a pretty large trailer for the 3.08 setup.  
 
Automatic Transmission Fluids are DESIGNED to handle 230 degrees nowadays. Running 205 or 210 is FULLY ACCEPTABLE.

The Chart is misleading to a certain extent. First if I am reading 260+ on my trans temp gauge I am seriously overheating my trans and I am pulling over. Second if I run at 210 while towing my boat (11,000 lbs) I do not need to change my fluid every 50,000 miles. I look at color. My fluid was changed at 75,000 miles and looked pretty good, I just did it to take precuations. I routinely run 200-210 while towing on my 2500.

Avalon

 
210 deg trans temp while towing is normal. Your trans fluid is going to be higher than that as it comes out of the trans and into the into the cooler in the radiator and the best it is going to do is bring it down the the temp of the water. If you have an aux cooler in front of the radiator then it will bring it down further except in stop and go traffic where you don't have a lot of air flow.

Also the way the manual says (on a 2002 anyway) 50,000 miles for fluid and filter, it also says you can go 100,000 if you don't tow, drive in city traffic over 90 deg., drive hilly or mountainous terrain or uses as found in taxi, police or delivery service.

So everyone that thinks it's fine to change their trans fluid at 100,000 or more miles better look at how they drive and service their AV accordingly..
 
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