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Big Tow trans temp gauge high?

45K views 34 replies 19 participants last post by  JasonB 
#1 ·
Anyone have their trans temp gauge peg high while pulling a travel trailer up a grade while maintaining at least 50MPH? If so have you tried adding another tranny cooler or getting a bigger one? I am looking for some solutions to offer customers at my dealership. I've told them they should drop their speed some, just because these Titans can kick some 3/4 ton diesels butt towing uphills doesn't mean they should do it lol.
 
#3 ·
also heard if 4th is straining a little to put it in 3rd and let the engine do more of the work. that would help cool it down a bit
 
#4 ·
Just leaving it in 4th, although yeah..3rd can be used if you're bored, is a direct gear where D uses the TC and it's the slippage that causes it to heat up. So just stopping the tranny from shifting into 5th will keep it cool and cool it off pretty fast if D was used by mistake.
They changed how the tranny temp guage works from my 04 to my 08. My 04 would heat right up if left in D then cool down when moved to 4th. The 08s and newer though...the temp guage only seems to move if it's REALLY hot. I believe I read they were getting too many complaints of the trannys getting hot from people who didn't tow in 4th like the manual states. I've towed our 8500 LB TT thousands of miles with both trucks and have never had a tranny overheating issue.
 
#5 ·
Tons of people are complaining they want to put it in d position and go the don't want to be hassled with manual shifting. I've told them to leave it in manual 4th and the would stay much cooler. I am well aware of Titan having 2 coolers. I have a guy that insists on upgrading to a larger external cooler. He won't listen to what I've said. I was just wondering if anyone noticed a difference in upgrading to a bigger cooler. I know its a waste, but I plan on showing these posts to my manager and after editing to the customer. I am a Nissan Master Tech, I am not doing the towing I know how to do it properly, and do not own a Titan but a Frontier.
 
#8 ·
Being a Nissan tech, you can only do so much..lol. You can't fix stupid! These people who insist on extra coolers obviously have no idea how an automatic transmission with a torque converter works. It's the TC slipping...as it's supposed to...while in Drive. Using 4th stops this. If they insist on using D, they can add 6 coolers, and it's going to heat up and/or wear our the TC causing the need for some expensive tranny work. So it sounds like you've done your job and explained it to him. Let him now do what he wants and blow his tranny. Watch...then he'll want Nissan to warranty it! lol. Dopes. I don't understand why the adversion to using 4th. There's no "manual shifting" needed. Just drop it on 4th and leave it alone.
 
#6 ·
browsing forums like this keeps me sharp on what you guys are running into and I can get even better at what I do by understanding what you guys are doing to get the most out of the Titans. This allows me to offer realworld suggestions for my customers. Remember I see only the Titans from my area and not a community of Titans across the country. I can't drive every model daily but this is the next best thing reading all your posts.
 
#7 ·
Many Titan owners on this site, like myself, have a third external transmission cooler, or a PML deep tranny pan for added safety. It works great and like hudsonvalleytitan said, leave it in 3rd or 4th gear when towing up hill with a heavy load. Tell your customers to maintain a constant 2600-3000rpm (or higher if need be) because it helps cool the tranny quicker.

This is what we use: "Tru-Cool LPD heavy duty transmission oil cooler kit 4588" or "PML Nissan RE5-R05A deep transmission pan P/N 11037".

Hope it helps.
 
#9 ·
lazy....lol

got a question for someone on that though, since the TC doesnt lock out in 3rd, if you hold in 3rd for a long time wouldnt that wear the TC out quickly? also, will shifting from 4th to 5th or 5th to 4th(on the console shifter) with the TC locked out cause any damage being that it is fully mechanically driven at that point?
 
#11 ·
I don't believe that's the case. Again, if you leave it in 4th though, you don't have to worry. If you do that and it chooses 3rd for a steep hill, you can climb all day with no heating problems. I'm not saying that though from a technical standpoint..lol..but from personal experience. Like Baseballfanz said, read the owners manual and all will be good in the world!...and your transmission.
 
#12 ·
Trans temp

I had an 06 armada off rode with tow package and had the same issue, I was told that even in 4th gear on steep hill with heavy load it would do this, tempature would rise up quickly, I was told to down shift into 3rd gear and keep RPMS up to and above 2200-2500 and this would cool it write off, It did, after that I put on the PML pan and like they said kept it in 4th gear and had no problems, I now have a 2010 titan pro 4 x and i put the pan on off my Armada, the extra 3 1/2 qts of fluid seems to help, and I tow a race trailer at over 7500 lbs, again keep in 4th, drop to 3rd if lugging up a hill were RPMS are below 2200 :thumbsup-big:
 
#14 ·
Unfortunately, customers don't like to be told RTFM, even when they really need to be told that in raw, impolite terms.

I have the standard coolers on my transmission with the OEM fluid. I tow a dual axle trailer up to 11,000' elevation, keeping it in 4th gear and sometimes manually shifting to 3rd gear but only to maintain speed, not because the transmission temperature is an issue.

My understanding on keeping the RPMs high is that it allows the transmission to pump more fluid through the cooling system. At low RPMs it doesn't pump enough through to keep things cool.
 
#15 ·
The converter action makes a lot of heat when it is unlocked under load. Keeping the transmission in 4th can keep the converter locked when it would unlock in 5th under the same conditions.
 
#16 ·
^^^^Correct.^^^^ The ECM actually decides when the Torque Converter Clutch locks up or unlocks. It looks at many things (inputs) in order to make its decision, but mainly the "load" (a boolean algabra equation using engine vacuum verses RPM) on the engine. Using lower gears will keep engine vacuum up during hill climbs and "load" down, and the ECM will then keep (allow) the TCC (to stay) locked up. Once the ECM see's an increase in "load" beyond a preset value, it unlocks the torque converter by disengaging the clutch, the normal slipage starts in the TC and heat is generated.

edit; You must go faster than 45 mph with light throttle to get the TCC to lock up, then stay above 35 mph or it will unlock. The original idea behind the locking converter was to increase MPG's by eliminating the 400 RPM or so of slipage inherent to a TC.
 
#20 ·
finned deep tranny pan

where is a good place to get one of these and whats involved in swapping them out. Any idea how many quarts of oil overall you would have to add when doing this? Thanks


Any one have a link to one of these pans, I tow a boat and a jeep so i could use one like yesterday!
 
#21 ·
Look in our sponsor section for burtmanindustries.com. You can get the PML pan there. It is a very good item, and will add 3.5 quarts to the transmission capacity. After draining and removing the old pan you will need 7-8 quarts to refill the PML pan.
 
#22 ·
Trans Pan

Like he said Burtman or Google PML pans, Note when doing this Nissan J fluid is not available so you will need Nissan S fluid and it isnt cheap, Also you will need a cork pan gasket, they do not want you to use a rubber type reusable gasket!! what I did was order a filter and pan gasket kit like 13.00 and told them I need the cork gasket and no problem, another note I used 9 1/2 qts of fluid, to top it off, so make sure that you have that, But this does work, mine used to get hot going up long steep grades threw the Poconos put this on and again followed the towing procedures and no trouble at all:thumbsup-big:
 
#23 ·
My previous truck, a 97 Dodge had the same instruction in the manual, "don't tow in overdrive" as it overheats the torque converter, trans and trans fluid. I think the problem with the T is the "tow mode" button that fools people into thinking they don't need to shift to 4th gear. Maybe Nissan should have made the trans shift into 4th when the tow mode button is depressed.
 
#24 ·
A larger tranny pan is only going to help cover up an underlying problem if you're tranny is overheating. Pulling a heavy load within the trucks limits, in ANY conditions should NOT cause the tranny to heat up if using tow mode and leaving it in 4th gear. I've been towing with 2 Titans and neither heat up.
I'd look to make sure your tranny cooler lines aren't leaking where they connect to the radiator. Low tranny fluid will cause this.
I'd also be interested to know if new Titans W/O the electric fans may be the bulk of the ones with this problem. That could help explain it too.
 
#26 ·
Titan LE

I have to disagree with what you people are saying about the extra tran cooler. I installed a 3rd cooler and dropped my trans temps as much as 30 degrees just in town and in drive. I pull a 22 foot TH that would heat up before I would get out of town. Now i dont have any issues.
 
#27 ·
Trans Pan

I agree with Titan LE, When you add the PML pan you add 3 qts extra fluid and the pans has fins to help cool it, whether you add another cooler or a pan or what ever, you help cool the fluid!

When I had the problem I did all the write stuff, Down shift, tow mode etc, and it still did it if I let the truck lug up the grade, if I:love-sick-big::feuerkopf2-big: would keep the RPM above 2500 it would cool down, Talking to a trans builder he claims that when it is above 2500 it pumps more fluid cooling it down, SO anyway you help cool the fluid I belive it helps, HEAT is your enemy
 
#29 ·
Near the half way point is normal.
 
#30 ·
nissan bullshitting us...

I have an 05 titan le cc 4x4 big tow with 130,000 miles on it. I don't understand how everyone says that towing in 4th gear keeps you out of trouble as far as heat goes. I tow a 30 ft camper with mine, and yes towing in 4th keeps the temp guage down but in 4th tow mode doesn't seem to do its job. The torque converter locks up and then the rpms are too low to be in the power band, and it doesn't unlock until the truck downshifts to 3rd and revs really high to make the hills. Also when in 4th the tow mode doesn't automatically downshift the truck going down a long steep grade like it should. When towing in D the rpms stay in the range of the power band all the time to make the hills with out reving the engine really high and the truck will automatically downshift when braking down long steep grades...BUT the tranny starts to get hot. It seems to me that nissan saying that towing in 4th is the correct way is just a way of bullshitting the consumer into brushing off a real underlying problem with the transmission in our trucks!
 
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