Towing a 21 with the Tundra 4.6L V-8

[BCnomad]

My reading suggests there is still a "red warning" light on our Hemi's dash if the temps go critical. Not having seen it myself can't say....the factory does engineer them to get warm don't they? Not sure how that will play for longevity.

[cpaharley2008]

I have given thought to changing to synthetic in trans, engine, and rear. I know my oil gets the hottest of all 3 but then again my dealer reminded me that oil does not boil at 212. If I remember the oil was around 250 and trans was around 220. Both still smell good....that is the way we used to determine if an automobile was run hard, smell the fluids.

[gbaglo]

Toyota comes from the factory with synthetic. Do you know that you don't already have synthetic in your Ram?

[cpaharley2008]

I believe the dealer/manufacturer uses a blend, not full synthetic.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by War Eagle

I'm not sure what all years or models have it, but our 2016 F-150 XLT includes a transmission temperature gauge in the dashboard instrument cluster (far right of the four small gauges).

So does my Ford F53 (motorhome chassis), which has what I assume is an F-SuperDuty instrument cluster; however, a dedicated transmission temperature gauge is rare on a light-duty vehicle... and an F-150 is a light truck.

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The computer on my 2014 Ram has a readout showing transmission ,oil and coolant temperature .

I think we'll see that this is the replacement for physical gauges. With these displays, much more information is available than was on even the most complete instrument panel of the all-analog era. The driver can usually select which information is displayed. The aftermarket equivalent is the ScanGauge and similar OBD-based devices.

Originally Posted by steve dunham

The computer on my 2014 Ram has a readout showing transmission ,oil and coolant temperature . Without knowing the acceptable design temperatures for each renders those numbers meaning less. The transmission temperature in my 2014 Ram run much higher than the temps in my old 2000 GMC.
Is my Ram running too hot or is it running at where it is supposed to run ? I assume that Ram has figured this all out otherwise they wouldn't warranty the drive train for 100,000 miles.

Originally Posted by BCnomad

My reading suggests there is still a "red warning" light on our Hemi's dash if the temps go critical. Not having seen it myself can't say....the factory does engineer them to get warm don't they? Not sure how that will play for longevity.

Yes, transmission fluid needs to be warm for proper transmission operation. Ideally, the fluid temperature shoots up rapidly then levels off at a desired point, managed by a thermostat controlling flow through a cooler (which is exactly what my F53 does). I expect that newer vehicles get the fluid temperature up faster, and keep it warmer in normal use, due to better control of the temperature.

It would be nice if the displayed value were qualified by some indication, comparable to the "green range" or "red line" of analog gauges. The warning light may come on at a temperature which is too high, so earlier warning would be helpful, but that varies by vehicle.

[yxan]

After a 1300+ mile road trip back I can say that a WDH made for a very drama free drive home. I held avg speeds of 70+ Mph, gas mileage be damned. The setup rode like a dream, I guess I will never know the non wdh route.
Spending 30K on a trailer and cheaping out on a wdh seems silly, but not here to argue with anyone just sharing my experience.

Slightly modded Tundra with TRD pro suspension and rear TRD swaybar.

Cheers!

[War Eagle]

Originally Posted by yxan

After a 1300+ mile road trip back I can say that a WDH made for a very drama free drive home. I held avg speeds of 70+ Mph, gas mileage be damned. The setup rode like a dream, I guess I will never know the non wdh route. Spending 30K on a trailer and cheaping out on a wdh seems silly, but not here to argue with anyone just sharing my experience. Slightly modded Tundra with TRD pro suspension and rear TRD swaybar. Cheers!

Daniel, Sounds like it's time to update your profile!