Noted 7AT Transmission Temps. (Street Driving)
 

I got sick of waiting for ECUTEK to add the .pid for transmission temperature logging etc., it's been years. I want to know temps. primarily to assist in the refill procedure, the same reason I installed a transmission dipstick.

I installed a Prosport oil temp. gauge sender in the OE hot line from transmission to cooler. It's positioned where the line enters the OE cooler; however, my OE cooler is no longer in service. Instead, I'm using a Hayden 676 core which is the exact unit Z1 repackages in their cooler kit. Btw, I only paid $30 for it on ebay. I'm running Valvoline Maxlife Trans. Fluid.

The core is mounted midship vertically between my Setrab oil cooler and the OE PS cooler and fed hot fluid from the top.

I put 7 hrs. drive time on the car this past weekend in 90*-93* temps. with heat indices around 105* and high humidity. Equal time was spend on both surface streets and freeway driving with wifey and luggage onboard cruising 80 mph on the freeway.

On the freeway the highest temp. I saw was 145* and "normal" was 140*-143*. Surface street temps. got as hot as 165* during stop-go and sitting at a red light. The temps. quickly drop below 145* once clean air begins blowing over the core again.

While I was unable to find a normal temp. range in the FSM the torque converter will only lock between 122* and 176* and I'm within that range.

The transmission has already a temperature sensor that can be read with Torque/OBD fusion without having to install anything.

In this aspect placement of the temp gauge will also affect readings.
I take the OEM one would read the highest of temps being that is placed internally in the valve body.

I ranged from 150-200 in the South FL summer with a small oil cooler depending on how much city driving I do.

Good info to know the converter only locks between those temps!
And to know what IS considered normal.

Do you have pics of the sensor location?

Correct, pan temps will be hotter than hot line temps.

So the OP should be ranging in the same temps I probably was.
I utilized a small thermostatic cooler from a Lincoln truck.

Could use an upgrade however having one helped me stay in that range for longer time.

The hottest temp is the line going to the cooler. As the fluid has already did it's work and picked up the temperature. The coolest temp is the line coming from the cooler back into the tranny. It has lost it's temp. The pan temp is about an avenge temp of the whole tranny. On my Power Wagon. I had placed the temp sensor in different locations over the years. I'm happy with it sitting in the pan for now. I've seen temps over 300F coming out of the tranny.

I know it has a temp. sensor and is why I commented I'm tired of waiting on ECUTEK to install the .pid into their firmware. Rather have the gauge I can glance at than have to jump back and forth with a different OBD2 port bluetooth/wifi between Torque and ECUTEK just to get one parameter.

Exactly why I placed it in the hot line to the cooler. :tiphat:

From my research of the FSM, the trans. or other warning light won't come on until the temps. hit 356* in a 7AT! :eek:

The sensor is on the driver side frame rail adjacent to the OE transmission cooler inlet on the top of the radiator.