Transmission Temperature Chart

[leefl]

Originally Posted by 05CrewDually

Where are you getting those readings? I'm at 160 empty and a high of 185 towing.
2016 trucks may be better regulated now and may never get much higher than 208. I wouldn't be concerned. You should be changing the ATF @ 30,000 miles at the most. If primarily towing change it in shorter intervals.

The readings are displayed by the in-dash computer display (it's an option on the menu accessed via the steering wheel controls).
mid-190's is normal for when starting from cold (Florida summer "cold" that is)
highest it got was 207, when towing only a couple of hours along I-4, averaging 60-65 along mostly flat (except a few bridges) terrain.

Probably < 20% of my mileage will be towing ... until next summer when I'm expecting to do over 8000 miles towing in 7 weeks.

[ChooChooMan74]

I get mine from my dash, too. 192 to 194 when lite. My short test tow was in the 190's, too. As noted with the ZF transmissions in the EcoD, they pass through a valve and heat exchanger to raise the temps for better efficiency. I will take a pic of my EVIC today.

[ChooChooMan74]

New ZF 8 speed.

[Blackhat6mike]

I use the Bullydog Diesel GT tuner that gives the temps and all pressures that come out of the OBD plug. Way too much info!
I also had questions as to max tranny temp on my Allison, so I went to an Allison website to find out since I saw 210* towing up 14% grades on The Blue Ridge Parkway. The Allison site said I will see the "red light" come on at 265*, but 220*-230* will not hurt anything. Honestly, I had no clue!
Normally, I see 165*-175* while towing 11,000 lbs on flat ground and 150*-155* without the trailer. I have the 2013 LML Duramax/Allison.

[ChooChooMan74]

For the ZF, 248 degrees is critical temp. 240 degrees, it will start it's defueling of the engine and put the light on.

[deebarjay]

"...I know this thread is a little old, but thought I'd chime in.
My brand new 2016 F-250 transmission temps are 192-197 when not towing "......
totally normal...zero to worry about. 208* towing also normal... over 240* caution.
I run the same tranny as you.

[leefl]

Thanks for feedback/reassurance. Seems things have changed somewhat in last few years, and higher is normal on these newer transmissions

[Learjet]

Thats normal temp for the 6r140. Syn fluid. No worries.

[comfun1]

I have been traveling back and forth across the Rocky Mountains in Colorado for years pulling a fifth wheel and now a toyhauler with a rzr in the garage. I towed with an f150 and now with a gmc. When I go over the passes the trans temp always goes over 200 and on Monarch and Loveland Pass the temp goes up to about 225. They are long climbs in low gear and about 4500 rpms. The f150 didn't have a trans temp gauge but once heading west up to the Eisenhower Tunnel it got hot enough I could smell the transmission. I pulled over a bit and let it cool down. When I got rid of the f150 it had close to 200,000 miles and never any trans issues. Call me "Lucky".

[gpwooden]

Originally Posted by Learjet

... Syn fluid. ...

I think that is the keyword here; synthetic fluids. They have a much higher temp threshold before breakdown.

[ResQfrog]

If you follow the transmission lines on the Ford from the radiator back to the transmission you will find a thermostat in the transmission lines. It is roughly the size of a pack of cigarettes, this thermostat is made to bypass the fluid back to the transmission till the temperature of the fluid hits roughly 180-190 degrees. It then opens and allows the fluid to flow to the radiator and auxiliary cooler. temps of up to 210-220 on a long hill can be had.

[elchilero53]

I pull my SolAire 20RBS with a Tahoe with the Heavy-Duty Towing Package and a 3.42 rear end. It has the seperate tranny cooler and an engine oil cooler. Not towing, I'm getting about 160-170 on the tranny. Towing across Texas, the tranny temp was 180. Pulling a steep grade it went to 195. The engine temp started climbing until I killed the A/C and kicked the blower fan in the passenger compartment up to high. The temp dropped. I have the tranny fluid checked regularly and when it starts to get darker red instead of light red, it gets changed.

[Thelegend]

65-70mph, No hills. 2010 Silverado 5.3l 6 speed.

[elchilero53]

Originally Posted by Thelegend

Attachment 92089

65-70mph, No hills. 2010 Silverado 5.3l 6 speed.

You probably have the 3.73 ratio axle. Those should pull a little cooler than the 3.43 axle.

[Thelegend]

No, 3.08. That's the Joy of the 6 speed. It's like having a 4 speed with a 373. My wife has an 07 Tahoe with a 5.3, 4 speed 373 gear non hd towing. It pulls about the same as my truck but the short wheelbase and the lack of an aux trans cooler are the limiting factors.

[elchilero53]

Interesting. I have the HD trailer package in my Tahoe and a 6-speed, with the 3.43 rear axle. In Tow-Haul mode, you only have a 4-speed tranny. What were you towing?

Also, I see the outside temperature was 57 degrees so you will run a bit cooler.

[Thelegend]

07-08's got the 4 speeds. 09 up got the six. I've never tried to tow the camper with the Tahoe, because of the tall hitch height vs my Silverado. But I do tow the boat with it.

[Thelegend]

Dashboard pic is my Silverado. Was towing our Cherokee 274dbh.

[The Big Toe]

Originally Posted by Thelegend

No, 3.08. That's the Joy of the 6 speed. It's like having a 4 speed with a 373. My wife has an 07 Tahoe with a 5.3, 4 speed 373 gear non hd towing. It pulls about the same as my truck but the short wheelbase and the lack of an aux trans cooler are the limiting factors.

It's easy to get taken by surprise with the new Transmissions and less aggressive rear ends.

In some of the old 4 speed Auto Trannies, you might get a 1st gear with a 2.48 ratio, a 2nd gear with a 1.48 and a 1 to 1 3rd gear with a weenie overdrive.

THEN, the rear end REALLY made a difference. Big time.

Nowadays with the new high tech 6 speeds, you can get a 1st gear ratio of 4.17, a 2nd gear ratio of 2.34 (nearly as high as the old GM 1st gear!!) with TWO Overdrives. So with a 3:31 rear end, I'm not gonna worry a bit.

I might not see 6th gear very much, if at all, but I don't care. I don't want the Torque Converter to lock up anyway.

[Learjet]

Why would you not want the converter to lock up? That is a good way to overheat your transmission.