Maintaining a transmission that’s at the right temperature is crucial for your vehicle to remain functioning. If you’ve seen that the transmission warning light is showing on the dashboard, then you’ll need to stop your vehicle and allow the transmission to cool down. The most common reason why the transmission will fail is because of overheating so it’s best that you try and minimize it in every way possible. Another common reason why the transmission will fail is low transmission fluid. When the transmission gets too hot, it can cause a lot of damage to the vehicle internally – it can also lead to clutch burn out.
This is why it’s important that you constantly monitor the transmission so that you know it’s at a normal temperature – this will preserve it’s lifespan so you won’t have to visit the mechanic anytime soon. The transmission overheats due to too much friction with the gears. If you don’t take the effort to make sure that the transmission overheats, each time it does, then the light span is cut rapidly.
Normal Temperature For the Transmission
The normal temp is 175F but the temperature could rise up to 240F when overheating. It’s important that you keep the transmission’s temperature maintained at 175F – this will indicate that it’s in a healthy condition and it’ll continue to work for a longer mileage. If the temperature does climb to 175 often, the transmission will start to wear down quickly and the lifespan will be shortened. The coolant for the engine also works for the transmission fluid so the temperature of the coolant will also reflect the temperature of the transmission fluid.
If you notice that the transmission feels heavy or it’s skipping a lot, then it’s an issue that the coolant won’t be able to fix. If the coolant can cool down the temperature, then it could rise drastically to 240F and over. If you have an old vehicle with an automatic transmission, then the transmission’s temperature is more likely to rise because it’s likely that it doesn’t use coolant to cool it down so it can easily increase in temperature.
If you have a temperature gauge on the dashboard that lets you know the temperature of the transmission fluid, then you’re in luck. If you don’t have a transmission fluid temperature light, then the check engine light will be the indicator for this. The check engine light will come on when it notices that the transmission is overheating. If the transmission overheats, it can cause the engine to go into limp mode – this is when power is lost and the engine can’t be revved past a certain point.
Fluid Temperature and Damage
Since the fluid’s temperature is a reflection of the temperature of the transmission, as the fluid temperature increases, you’ll notice signs in the vehicle. At 220F, vanish forms on the metal surfaces.
- At 240-degrees, seals harden in the transmission.
- At 260 degrees, the transmission bands and clutch starts to slip.
- At 295F, the seals and clutch start to burn and this is when they’re damaged. At this point, the vehicle needs to be towed as it won’t be able to be driven anymore.
Each time you manage to bring the fluid temperature down by 20F, the transmission’s lifespan will double. If there isn’t enough fluid in there, it can also cause the transmission to overheat. There needs to be enough fluid in there so that the temperature doesn’t go past 260F. As soon as the temperature goes past 260F, this can cause clutch burn out and this can also damage the torque converter.
Making Sure the Transmission Never Overheats
Your job is to make sure that the transmission never overheats. The main reason why the transmission will overheat is that there isn’t enough transmission fluid, or the transmission fluid is worn down. There are other reasons why the transmission will overheat such as an old transmission but to make sure this doesn’t happen; you’ll need to change the transmission fluid often. There are other components that can affect the transmission’s temperature, and this includes the shift solenoid. If you don’t do routine maintenance, then you won’t be able to know what’s wrong with your vehicle. If you miss problems in your vehicle and they later turn serious, this will lead to you having to visit the dealership.
If you want to avoid an overheating transmission or problems related and save $100s of dollars that you’ll spend at the auto repair shop, you’ll need to service your vehicle often – you can use our mechanic-rated Auto Maintenance and Repair Manual to do this. It’s basically what mechanics use to go through your vehicle to check if there are any problems that need fixing. As soon as they notice the most minor problem, they’ll ask you to fork out some money even though it’s a problem you can fix yourself in minutes – the manual will teach you how to maintain your vehicle every few thousand miles and it’ll teach you how to fix minor problems that mechanics will ask you to pay for; saving you money in the long run.
A lot of our readers have the Auto Maintenance and Repair Manual printed on their garage wall and 92% of them haven’t visited the auto repair shop in the last year because they know what to do to avoid problems. All it takes is giving your vehicle a little attention every few thousand miles and you’ll never spend money at the workshop again.
Why the Transmission Will Overheat
The transmission will overheat due to many different problems so it’s important that you use out maintenance manual to keep on top of this. This will allow you to check components often in your vehicle so that you never have to worry about repairing a damaged transmission.
Old Transmission Fluid – if the transmission fluid is old or it’s worn out, then the transmission can easily slip. To check this, you’ll need to drain the fluid and inspect it – our manual will show you how. If you notice that the fluid is dark in color and it no longer has a thick consistency to it, then you’ll need to replace it. Overtime, the fluid can get contaminated and it’ll start to lose its quality. If you’ve noticed that the fluid has been in there for too long, you’ll need to drain it and replace it.
Damage Solenoid – the shift solenoid controls the flow of transmission fluid and it decides the rate the transmission fluid is transferred at. If the shift solenoid becomes defective, then less fluid will be transferred to the transmission and this can cause it to overheat. You’ll need to make sure that you’re checking the solenoid often to make sure that it isn’t defective.
Not enough Fluid – as mentioned earlier, you need to make sure that you’re checking there’s enough fluid by using the dipstick. If the levels are low, then you need to increase the amount of fluid in there making sure not to use a low-quality transmission fluid. A good quality transmission fluid (View on Amazon) will make sure that the transmission stays at the correct temperature and doesn’t overheat. If the fluid is low, then you’ll notice that the converter will start to slip a lot, the gears will start to wear down and the transmission will be damaged. Make sure that you stay on top of the fluid levels, so you prevent ever having a low amount of fluid.
Stress on Engine – if there’s too much stress on the engine, then this can cause the transmission to overheat. The engine can get stressed by too much load – if there’s something heavy in the vehicle, then you should remove it to make sure that the engine doesn’t have to work harder just to give the same performance.
Faulty Converter – if the converter is faulty, this can cause the transmission to slip more. If the transmission slips more, this can create more heat to the transmission fluid.
Hot Weather – another reason why you’ll find the transmission overheating is because the of a hot climate. If the climate is too hot, this can cause the fluid temperature to rise which can lead to the transmission overheating. Since third world countries usually travel short distances and they tend to accelerate a lot over short distances and this can cause the transmission’s temperature to rise.
Stopping the Transmission Fluid from Getting Hot
Deeper Pan – if you want the transmission to be more efficient, then you should consider adding a deeper pan. A deeper pan (View on Amazon) means that you’ll be able to keep more transmission fluid in the tank. This means that you won’t have to change the transmission fluid as much therefore you won’t have low fluid often. If you live in a hotter climate, then you should consider getting a deeper pan because you’ll need more transmission fluid. You should aim to get an aluminum deep pan because it’ll dissipate heat faster than pans made from steel.
Cooling System – you’ll need to make sure that the radiator is working optimally to make sure that the coolant is running smoothly. If the radiator isn’t working properly or the hosepipe is leaking, then this can indicate that there’s a problem with the cooling system which will cause the transmission to overheat. To make sure this doesn’t happen, you need to avoid putting the engine under too much stress by carrying heavy loads or towing other vehicles. You’ll need to check if there’s enough coolant and if not, you’ll need to make sure the correct levels are in.
How the Transmission Fluid Cools Down the Transmission
The transmission fluid contains a chemical that allows the gears to lubricate and change the gear – the main job of the fluid is to remove heat from the transmission. There are a lot of components in the transmission that work together that could easily overheat due to too much friction. This includes the turbines, spinning gears, and expanding springs. The heat can cause a lot of stress fractures, varnishing, and other internal damage as well as damage to the components. The transmission fluid is made so that it’ll absorb heats as it flows through the moving parts of the transmission system. The heat is moved from the transmission to the radiator so that it can be transferred to the cooling chamber where the heat is extracted out.
When air goes through the radiator, the heat is taken out and cooled fluid then goes back into the transmission, so the process starts again. If the cooling system isn’t able to remove heat from the transmission cooler, then the transmission can overheat and damage each time it does.