Overheating is like kryptonite for your transmission. Transmissions work best when they can stay cool. (“Cool”, not cold. In winter, transmissions can take time to warm up.) But the engine block gets hot and this can heat the transmission. Furthermore, there are transmission problems that can interrupt your transmission’s normal cooling mechanisms and cause it to overheat. All of this begs the question: do you need a transmission cooler?
Transmission fluid is tasked with regulating your transmission’s temperature as well as lubricating parts of it. The healthy range of temperature for transmission fluid is about 71 to 93 degrees Celsius. If your transmission fluid exceeds this temperature, it will begin to burn. This is bad. Not only can burnt fluid not effectively cool your transmission, it can actively damage it, even after is has cooled down.
Clearly, overheating your transmission and thus your transmission fluid is something to be avoided. But how can you avoid it? Well, most transmissions when operating under normal conditions will not exceed this range, even on long drives. But a malfunctioning transmission? There’s no telling. This is why you must get your transmission inspected at the first sight of trouble. Don’t let leaks, whirring noises, or grinding go ignored. Bring your vehicle into a Mister Transmission repair shop as soon as you notice any problems. Furthermore, don’t put any undue stress on your transmission. Drive responsibly and easy.
If you drive a truck or other form of vehicle for work that involves towing, then you’re in danger of overheating your transmission. Just like walking back from the grocery store with all your shopping will make you hot and sweaty on an otherwise temperate day, towing heavy loads will overheat your transmission. Likewise, if you’re planning on a long road trip with a lot of stuff in your car, you could also be at risk of overheating your transmission.
In such instances as described above, you should consider installing a transmission cooler. A transmission cooler is a component that you can add on to your transmission that, big shock here, cools your transmission. It does so by cooling heated fluid that is sent through it by using the air flowing over the fins of the cooler. The cooled liquid is then sent back to the transmission in a continuous loop.
Transmission coolers are not standard issue. There are different types and sizes of transmission coolers for different types of transmissions and different sizes of vehicle. Your vehicle’s gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is key to determining what kind of transmission cooler you need. As is the type of terrain over which you usually drive. Hilly and rocky terrain might require more of a heavy-duty transmission cooler.
The choice of where to install your transmission cooler is also tricky. You could put it just about anywhere you find space. But airflow is key; you want to install it where it will experience the most airflow and thus be the most effective.
The experts at Mister Transmission can recommend whether or not your vehicle needs a transmission cooler, what kind of transmission cooler, and can install it for you. To learn more about transmission coolers, please contact us.
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