Tranny Temp

[BigSxySS]

How hot or should i say what is the normal opperating temp for the tranny around town on an SSS? Mine is getting up around 200*?

[12'SROCK]

that is normal trans temp stock...mine runs at 125-130

Edited May 1, 2009 by WICKEDOWESIX (see edit history)

[RockHead]

200 is about right give or take ......... I run around 180 around town

[JF-03-SS]

Mine runs around 185*

[rocker21]

mine runs around 185 in that area depending on weahter and how im driving haha no but its 180 185 in that area

[Jaymz]

should run right along with your motor temp with no issues.. anything past 220 is pushing it though

[Barney]

That brings up an issue I have been wondering about also. All winter long I never saw my trans temp go over 113. I thought this was on the cool side not that cool is bad but I was curious. I only change the fluid, never changed out the cooler. I use the B&M Trick Shift (non snythetic)

[Jetcop20]

After reading this article I actually watched my guage...200 mile trip highway 80-85 mph and street traffic..mine ran under125 up close to maybe 140 outside temp 70plus

[T-Bag]

Freeway: 140-160*

Streets: up to 185* never hotter

 

Depends on weather, the above is from 70-80*degrees outside, when in 100's add about 10* to each accordingly

[8hnpSS]

Town driving like 160-170 highway like 140-150. When I had my stock trans cooler it would get up around 200

[misterp]

should run right along with your motor temp with no issues.. anything past 220 is pushing it though

According to General Motors - every 20-degrees over 175 will cut your transmission life in half - i.e. running your transmission at 195 it will only have 1/2 the expected life, at 215 it will only have 1/4 the expected life, at 235 only 1/8 the expected life... again, GM's numbers, not mine. If your transmission is running prolonged temps over 180 you should take a serious look at the issue.

 

...I never saw my trans temp go over 113. I thought this was on the cool side...

Two issues with cold ATF - #1 it will not get hot enough to boil the water [moisture] out of the fluid, this causes a couple problems but most critical is that your clutches may glaze over; #2 if you are using Dex-III, it is thick when cold, and the little valves in the valve body cannot move as fast as they should plus the fluid will not drain from the drum as fast either, both of these issues will cause slow shift engagement/disengagement and that means you will still be in one gear while the next gear is being applied, the transmission will be in two gears at once for a split second = severe clutch wear. These are the two big reasons the PCM will command the transmission to stay in lower gears and out of lockup until the ATF has reached at least 100+ degrees, it is critical during cold operation to drive in such a way that you are not doing a lot of shifting, or demanding fast shift behavior from the transmission, because it cannot do it with cold ATF. This is also why it is so important to keep your ATF cooling lines going into the engine radiator FIRST then an external cooler, to regulate transmission temps as well as promote quick warm-up. The sluggish shift behavior problem is largely gone with synthetic ATF because it is so watery when cold, but still you want some heat in it so that you boil off the water that condenses inside the transmission every night.

 

I run my trans at 165 - any warmer or colder it does not 'bite' as well. The three factors that will determine trans temp are (IN ORDER) clutch health (fried clutches will cause high trans temps no matter what you do or how you drive), choice of converter (poor converter designs are very inneficient), and last is ATF cooler design.

 

Mr. P.

Edited May 7, 2009 by Mr. P. (see edit history)