Was towing a 3000 lb trailer up a nearby canyon today, and decided to monitor the auto transmission fluid temperature. It climbed steadily for the whole climb, reaching a peak of 208 degrees as I crested the summit. It was only 51 degrees outside, so I'm thinking the trans temp will be significantly higher later this summer when the outside temperatures are higher.

What is a safe transmission fluid temperature? What temperature are you seeing on your truck?

MOPWR2U

 

I could not quote you a number but the system will tell you if the trans is getting too hot. there is a warning light specifically for that.

 

Are you sure it is not one of those things left out before Dec. 08, I am pissed my truck built in Oct. I can't figure why it sat so long....it is loaded with everything everyone else has just no cool radio.

 

the "idiot lights", as they are referred to, are on all builds of the truck

 

Before I bought the Ram I had a Dakota hauled a trailer loaded to the maximum of what the Dak could take which is around 7k lbs hauled up steep hills in the Laurentiens (100 mile trip) and never had the idiot light go off a trans cooler will go a long way in helping things stay under control

 

i have a trans temp gauge in my truck. its usually around 150-175 under normal driving. in traffic and stop and go it gets around 200-210. also i read somewhere that the trans temp is 40 degrees higher than the outside temp on normal driving and 60 degrees when towing...

 

Mine reads about 120 Degree F without pulling trailer and during city drving.

 

You should probably be fine until 225 or so (maybe more?). Don't take that as a solid or proven number, just from what I've seen past trucks hit when towing or cars under hard driving. I've never had the idiot light go off at those temps.

 

Pulling my boat 1200 miles, I never saw it over 155. My weather was cooler where I was at.

 

The transmission over temp is at 275*F.

From the service manual.

Trans Over-Temp Indicator Lamp-On Message - Each time the cluster receives an electronic trans over-temp indicator lamp-ON message from the PCM indicating that the transmission fluid temperature is 135 °C (275 °F) or higher, the indicator will be illuminated and a single chime tone is sounded. The indicator remains illuminated until the cluster receives a lamp-OFF message from the PCM, or until the ignition switch is turned to the OFF position, whichever occurs first. The chime tone feature will only repeat during the same ignition cycle if the indicator is cycled OFF and then ON again by the appropriate lamp-ON and lamp-OFF messages from the PCM.