Description
Is an aftermarket transmission cooler required?
New car manufactures make a car to a price and ensure it meets the expectations of most customers. If you aren’t towing are are running standard power then, quite rightly, you probably won’t be thinking of adding a transmission cooler. If you want to be more scientific, then measure the transmission temperature and decide if you are comfortable with the temperatures you are seeing. If you will be towing a caravan or camper trailer then it is sensible to install an external transmission cooler, to make the transmission last as long as possible by keeping the temperatures down.
The ideal operating temperature for automatic transmission fluid is somewhere between 80 and 110 degrees C. Here’s what can happen above this range:
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At approximately 115 degrees C, important additives begin to cook in the automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The result is the formation of varnish inside the transmission.
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At approximately 125 degrees C, internal transmission seals, which are often manufactured from a polyacrylate material, begin to harden. The end results are internal and external leaks as the the seals lose their elasticity.
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At approximately 145 degrees C, transmission clutch plates begin to slip because the oil is breaking down further.
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At approximately 160 degrees C, seals and clutches effectively burn out. Carbon forms in the oil and your effectively killed the transmission. Often, a transmission will die within a few thousand km after experiencing 150-plus degree heat.
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