How do transmission coolers work

How much cargo will you be carrying? How much is the trailer weight? Is that the most weight that you expect to carry? Matching a transmission cooler to your vehicle's gross vehicle weight rating GVWR is critical to allow this add-on cooler to operate properly. You can investigate all of this yourself online, or you could consult a professional for some hopefully solid advice.

Another point to consider is the terrain where you will be doing most of your towing. Will you be towing across long, flat stretches of highway or will you be towing in an urban environment where stop-and-go traffic is the daily routine?

What about hilly or even mountainous terrains? Pulling a heavy load up a steep grade can generate a lot of heat in an engine and transmission. Will the transmission cooler be able to cool it down? There's actually quite a bit more to consider than that, but at least now you're thinking of some of the variables that you need to consider when you're choosing a transmission cooler. After you've chosen your transmission cooler, it's time to install it. Transmission cooler kits usually come with all the necessary tools, hardware and directions to install it yourself.

First, you'll want to consider exactly where you want to mount your transmission cooler -- there's not exactly a specific spot inside your engine compartment where you're required to place it, so you're given a little room to be creative; however it's still important to place it somewhere where you'll get the most efficiency out of the cooler. If you mount your transmission cooler behind your bumper, for example, there's little chance of it being very efficient since it relies heavily on airflow.

Mounting the cooler in front of the radiator and the air conditioning condenser is typically considered the best place. Here, they'll receive a sufficient amount of airflow, yet stay somewhat clear of road debris like rocks. A transmission cooler will just help to prolong the life of the transmission by keeping the fluid cooler. While all automatic transmission equipped vehicles have a transmission cooler in their radiator, this might sometimes not be enough to properly cool your transmission fluid.

Transmission coolers help to protect your transmission when you turn up the heat. Too big could be a concern if mounted in the front of the rad creating a loss of air flow to keep the engine cooled. Transmission fluid would actually turn to somewhat of a gel. Heat is a huge cause of transmission failures but running too cool is bad also. Just as an engine has to run hot enough the trans has to run hot enough to get rid of any condensation that builds up inside and to keep the viscosity at the correct level for best operation.

Open freeway below 80 dregrees it runs around Above 80 and it runs around Towing a lb trailer around it stays around On long grades it will climb to or so. Most standard transmissions do not make as much heat and therefore do not have a cooler. The cooler for the automatic transmissions are placed inside the radiator, the reason behind this is the antifreeze provides the perfect environment.

An auxiliary cooler is a completely separate transmission cooler that is typically mounted somewhere in the front of the AC condenser. Another reason a transmission cooler stays cool is because it is independent of the cooler in the radiator. While this is fine for most situations, the transmission fluid will often run hotter. The hot coolant in the radiator can sometimes increase transmission temperatures, and almost act like a heater.

It is not uncommon to see temperature drops of degrees after installing an transmission cooler. Transmission coolers are able to stay cool because they utilize air flow that passes through the cooler, which is colder than the fluid running though the cooler.