# transmission Temp



## operator (Jan 2, 2015)

What are your tranny temps running at.

My temps when the car is heated are over 200 with the highest ive seen at 225. i feel that this is incredibly hot for such a little car. ambient air temp is generally in the high 80's low 90's in south Florida.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

Those temperatures don't alarm me.


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## operator (Jan 2, 2015)

They alarm me. my truck towing a boat doesnt get that hot


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

operator said:


> They alarm me. my truck towing a boat doesnt get that hot


You're comparing a transmission that has far more space around it to be cooled by moving air to a transmission which is crammed into the engine bay with little to no airflow. A FWD transaxle will run much warmer than a RWD transmission. The transmission itself is also much tighter packaging internally to fit in said cramped space.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

With what method are you measuring transmission temperature?


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## operator (Jan 2, 2015)

scanguage tool.


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## cdb09007 (Aug 7, 2013)

my coolant, tranny, oil, pretty much all the bay is around or over 200 normally.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

you could always add a bar and plate oil to air tranny cooler. take the fluid leaving the radiator cooler and run it through the cooler and watch the temps drop. or better yet bypass the tranny heater/ point of falure


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Never have seen above 190F with my 1.4T automatic.


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## Classy56 (Jul 16, 2014)

Your truck could be taking the reading at a different place then the Cruze. 220 is ideal for both the trans fluid and engine oil, probably better then staying below say 170.


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## au201 (May 18, 2013)

I've never seen it that high. But I am slightly alarmed that on long road trips with cruise set at 78 my trans stays around 197-200 which is a little too hot for my liking. Around my house and stuff it's usually 180 which is about normal. Idk why it gets so hot, but I know I'll be changing the fluid frequently. Transmissions aren't supposed to be much over 190


Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App


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## Robby (Mar 1, 2013)

Because the oil lubricates (and cools) the trans and final drive gear set, the operating temperatures are somewhat higher on any front driver.

The trans on your pickup does not have to contend with the final drive……thats why there is little comparison.

Rob


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## BlueTopaz (Aug 25, 2012)

The highest I have seem mine get is 212°F. That is on a 80 degree morning driving back from town about 25 miles away.


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## 1877 iris ave (Sep 23, 2011)

driving 200 miles yesterday in 65 degree temp mine was between 212-215 degrees. I think this excessive especially since the trans fluid from the factory is petroleum oil not synthetic. It's my understanding that for every 10 degrees F over 180 you halve the life of the trans fluid


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

I was under the impression that the factory ATF is synthetic. Have you come across any documentation otherwise?


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

Tomko said:


> I was under the impression that the factory ATF is synthetic. Have you come across any documentation otherwise?


Semi-synthetic. Says so on the bottle I think. I don't recall where I saw it though.


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

Factory is dino oil all the way. Glad I have amsoil in my tranny. No worries here.


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## operator (Jan 2, 2015)

Here


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## XtremeRevolution (Jan 19, 2012)

By the way, that trans temp is nothing out of the ordinary. It is totally normal. Hot is when you get above the 250F range. If you are concerned with the heat and longevity of fluid, switch to a true synthetic ATF that meets AW-1 specifications.


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## Classy56 (Jul 16, 2014)

If anyone does add a ATF cooler please document it. Being in SoCal I don't see much cold weather but do see lots of >100*. A Trip on Saturday produced 235* TFT while climbing a Mtn in SB, it was only 80-90*s ambient. Can only imagine how hot it got on my last Havasu trip when it was 117* out


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

I think the hardest part would be making the brackets for the cooler in a spot where there is ample air. if I keep mine in the long run and warranty is up I will bypass my tranny radiator heater and go oil to air cooler


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## Classy56 (Jul 16, 2014)

Most coolers i've used have some barbed plastic ties that go right through the radiator fins to hold the trans cooler. looking straight thru the grill there seems to be lots of open radiator real-estate to place one.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

I could do that but in all honesty I strongly oppose that method of mounting. the tubes are so thin in the rad that with enough vibration it could snap one.


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## DECruzer (Jul 19, 2015)

Classy56 said:


> Most coolers i've used have some barbed plastic ties that go right through the radiator fins to hold the trans cooler. looking straight thru the grill there seems to be lots of open radiator real-estate to place one.


That's a terrible way to mount a cooler. I've seen the results of those plastic ties saw their way through the fins on the radiator due to vibration. Result was a new radiator. Dedicated brackets mounted solidly to something is the way to go. I'm sure some inventive soul will come up with something.


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## Tomko (Jun 1, 2013)

For inspiration, why not look at the mounting brackets Chevrolet uses on its factory-built police cars: Impala 9C1, Caprice 9C1 and Tahoe PPV. 

In particular I'd look at the Impala 9C1 as it is also a FWD configuration.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

ill look it up and see. then again some flat steel a drill and a card board template is all I need plus a welder.


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## joeroark1981 (Jun 26, 2016)

operator said:


> What are your tranny temps running at.
> 
> My temps when the car is heated are over 200 with the highest ive seen at 225. i feel that this is incredibly hot for such a little car. ambient air temp is generally in the high 80's low 90's in south Florida.


What OBD2 program are you using to moo motor the transmission fluid temperature?


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Early on he said he was using a ScanGauge, not an app. I imagine though Torque or more probably Torque Pro will work.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

will not allow deletion for some reason - was a duplicate


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## otacon122 (Sep 2, 2015)

I am using the Innova 3170 to measure my car, and the Transmission Fluid Temperature on mine is right around 151 degrees after driving around for a bit. Engine coolant temperature shows 210 when driving.


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## BDCCruze (Jul 12, 2017)

otacon122 said:


> I am using the Innova 3170 to measure my car, and the Transmission Fluid Temperature on mine is right around 151 degrees after driving around for a bit. Engine coolant temperature shows 210 when driving.


It takes about 30 minutes to get up to full temperature. It should level out around 210 for these transmission. Poking around online a bit and apparently running over 200 degrees in the tranny is now pretty normal for newer vehicles.


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