Recommended Transmission Cooler

[Knighted_Expy]

Hello There - Long time viewer, first time poster.

Quick question for the experts out there - Proud owner of a 2017 EL XLT and my family and I have started to do a lot of camping pulling our 26' travel trailer/Rockwood Ultra Lite (~5300lbs). Living in FL it get hot as hades here, especially if you're pulling down in the keys during the summer. My tranny is a 6-speed and I worry cooler temp when I tow. I'm pretty conservative, I don't drive more than 60'ish and noticed my temp had gotten up to 225 (I had accidentally gotten up to 70'ish) and it started slipping. I panicked and dropped my speed down to 50 and I got it back around 210. I later got on I75 and went up an overpass doing about 60 and it started to briefly slip/shutter again. I dropped it back to around 50 and it did finally go away; actually I got off the highway and took the back roads to my destination. Not under tow, it runs fine and don't observe the slip as mentioned. That said, is is there a chance I may have damaged my tranny? Perhaps it was a one-off? I looked in my manual and did not see a "safe" tranny temp operating spec. Does anyone have a reference?

Also, I do not believe I have a tranny cooler. I looked through my manual and didn't see any specific and I have not had a chance to get under and follow out hoses to see if I have one to confirm. Is there one in particular that is recommended. My thought is to buy the one Ford offers in the tow package and just install that one.

Thoughts?

 

[mr_dave]

Do you have the HD towing package? If so, you have a factory trans cooler.

Also, 225 is not hot enough to do damage short term. I'd be more concerned around 250. The 6r80 is designed to run on the hotter side for efficiency. See this info from an actual transmission engineer: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1440814-is-it-ok-for-my-trans-to-run-cool.html#post16370603

You can run the trans as high as 220F all day long with NO ill effects. You can go as high as 250F for no more than a half hour at a time.

 

[Knighted_Expy]

Do you have the HD towing package? If so, you have a factory trans cooler.

Also, 225 is not hot enough to do damage short term. I'd be more concerned around 250. The 6r80 is designed to run on the hotter side for efficiency. See this info from an actual transmission engineer: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1440814-is-it-ok-for-my-trans-to-run-cool.html#post16370603

Looking at the original sticker, it's showing I have the "Class IV trailer tow package." It also says I have the "Trailer sway control" as well. I had to install my own brake controller, and I paid a trailer guy to integrate it w/the pre-wired plug on the back. To my knowledge, I do NOT have the heavy duty towing package. You'd think typing my VIN into the ford site would tell me this.

I have yet to understand the differences and have found little information delineating the options. I found a document states Class IV is the standard class which focuses on weight carrying capacities of the hitch receiver. My gut still says I need to add the cooler. Not sure if anyone had any recommendations.

 

[rwmorrisonjr]

Look at the bottom center of your radiator. There should be two lines running under it from the transmission to the cooler. Class IV comes with the HD towing package IIRC.

 

[Viper74656]

Looking at the original sticker, it's showing I have the "Class IV trailer tow package." It also says I have the "Trailer sway control" as well. I had to install my own brake controller, and I paid a trailer guy to integrate it w/the pre-wired plug on the back. To my knowledge, I do NOT have the heavy duty towing package. You'd think typing my VIN into the ford site would tell me this.

I have yet to understand the differences and have found little information delineating the options. I found a document states Class IV is the standard class which focuses on weight carrying capacities of the hitch receiver. My gut still says I need to add the cooler. Not sure if anyone had any recommendations.

If you have the remote starter, heated and cooled seats, and the factory brake controller to the left of the center display screen then you have the HD tow package. They all came with the 202a option package. The 8" center stack screen is part of this too.

Check the 2017 official Ford brochure for the Expedition and you can see the option package breakdown. http://www.auto-brochures.com/makes/Ford/Expedition/Ford_US Expedition_2017.pdf

 

[Viper74656]

Other things you can do to help with temps are to keep it in 4th gear on the highway. More RPMs, but easier on the transmission to not be in overdrive gears.

Also, if you haven't changed your transmission fluid, you should. Could be your fluid is starting to give up (causing slippage) and needs to be changed.

 

[Andy Rubalcaba]

what i'm curious on, is if you know the history on the transmission? when has the trans had a fluid and filter change, has it had one at all? if it hasn't had fluid/filter change, i'd probably start there.

I can't really speak on adding friction modifier or not, I used a bottle for my land rover when I changed the fluid on it but I already knew that the rover would be pretty lenient with adding some in there. If you don't know the history on it, as long as you don't experience any shift problems on a normal day then you're probably safe to just do a fluid/filter change, but i'm no professional

now if you've already done all that, and the trans is still heating up with clean-ish ATF, then get under and see if you have cooler lines going from trans to the front ( two hard lines ), and follow them to a physical mini-radiator which would be your trans cooler. these can be upgraded if you already have one, but I know very little about the benefits of going with an aftermarket one.

and lastly, i'm sure you've already done things such as use OD when towing and switching into lower gears when able? make sure tire pressures are good on vehicle/towed as well?

 

[Knighted_Expy]

what i'm curious on, is if you know the history on the transmission? when has the trans had a fluid and filter change, has it had one at all? if it hasn't had fluid/filter change, i'd probably start there. - I changed it about 62K and again at 85K. Screen was changed and Motorcraft fluid was pumped in.

I can't really speak on adding friction modifier or not, I used a bottle for my land rover when I changed the fluid on it but I already knew that the rover would be pretty lenient with adding some in there. If you don't know the history on it, as long as you don't experience any shift problems on a normal day then you're probably safe to just do a fluid/filter change, but i'm no professional - Normal day is fine, no observed issues at all.

now if you've already done all that, and the trans is still heating up with clean-ish ATF, then get under and see if you have cooler lines going from trans to the front ( two hard lines ), and follow them to a physical mini-radiator which would be your trans cooler. these can be upgraded if you already have one, but I know very little about the benefits of going with an aftermarket one. - I will check this weekend and keep everyone posted! Thanks for all the info everyone!

and lastly, i'm sure you've already done things such as use OD when towing and switching into lower gears when able? make sure tire pressures are good on vehicle/towed as well? -

 

[chuck s]

You sure your trailer only weighs 5300 pounds? I'd guess closer to 7000.

The smallest Rockwood Ultra Lite I can find weighs over 6000 pounds empty; the smallest Mini Lite weighs 5300 pounds empty and 6869 pounds loaded -- which is pretty typical once your "stuff" including propane, drinking water, food, bedding, etc. is in there. That's more weight than you should be towing without HD Tow. Standard tow is limited to 6000 pounds.

Did the trailer dealer have to wire the brake controller all the way to the back of the truck? That is was there no 7 pin connector to the right of the hitch receiver there from the factory? Lack of a factory fitted 7-pole connector is a sure sign you do not have HD Tow.

You can get the "as built" data off one of the Ford websites (someone will post the link) using your VIN. Mine shows HD Tow which includes the 7 pin connector on the back, HD radiator and oil cooler, and the Ford integrated brake controller (which you probably could have just plugged into the dash).

Page 16 of the 2017 Towing Guide (<--- that's a link) shows what's in the HD Tow package -- Option 536.

-- Chuck