Sounds like normal behavior to me.
transmission temperature
- Thread starter halaweh
- Start date
- Thread starter
- #42
update:- went the same road just now, Temperature stayed at the middle for most of the road, it went slightly up at the edge of the gear sign almost at the end after 4mins of driving.. I observed the transmission temp is connected somehow to the engine temperature and obviously influenced by the ambient temp..it goes slightly up with load/temperature and goes back to the middle when on higher gears/speeds
Q:- is this normal behavior or this transmission?
Q:- is the cooling system for the transmission linked to the same cooling system of the engine? or they are separated ? if its the same system then I guess it make sense the Temp is influenced by the overall engine /weather conditions not just the towing or gear loads (does this make sense ??)
Q:- is this normal behavior or this transmission?
Q:- is the cooling system for the transmission linked to the same cooling system of the engine? or they are separated ? if its the same system then I guess it make sense the Temp is influenced by the overall engine /weather conditions not just the towing or gear loads (does this make sense ??)
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Yep - sounds normal. See #37.
Still sounds like normal operating to me.
I would turn PDA off, especially when off-road. I found it bogs down the engine. When I was driving home from the dealership the first day with my LC, I noticed the engine was not performing as well as it should. I remembered reading about disabling PDA for this reason. It was a night and day difference once I disabled it.
My driving experience massively improved after I disabled PDA.
WookieBait
Active member
It's not normal, but it's a known flaw/issue with these drivetrains that some people have experienced across multiple vehicles (4runner, Tacoma, land cruiser).
Correct it is not normal. After all this time and all the vehicles Toyota has made throughout the decades, why now did they decide to make a transmission temperature gauge so sensitive in its readings. I’ve never seen a gauge go above center position under normal on road or normal off road conditions. Now for gauges that actually give a temp readout I have seen them fluctuate as high as 235 degrees but that still would equate to the center position of a temp gauge. Toyota has a design flaw and many people are pointing it out across several models and I won’t make excuses for Toyota.
Audi actually started hiding the trans temp gauge in the lap time screen (numerical readout, not analog representation), because customers were constantly harassing dealers when they saw trans temp fluctuate over mid point. Wouldnt surprise me if toyota does the same with all these forum discussions.
Really. New driveline with FULL-TIME 4WD, a KO clutch, hybrid motor, torque converter & 8 speed transmission. I think most of us have never had that system before, unless you already have a hybrid Tundra or Sequoia - & even they don’t even have Full Time 4x4. I’m very glad the gauge logic isn’t to create a static bar like many vehicles, & it actually fluctuates. Ask current F150 owners about their OD AT failing & their gauge never moved.
So rear tires are slipping traversing off road - what do you do?
Drive it in 4Hi?
Slow down?
Shift to manual mode to hold a gear?
Lock rear diff?
What about center diff?
Switch to 4Lo?
Answer is probably whatever is necessary for the conditions. Transmission gauge fluctuations are telling you what stress your transmission fluid is under, so that you can change your driving behavior.
We go out & change tires, ride height, etc. to go off road. Why not add a BT device to your OBDII & get an app to monitor your actual transmission & engine temps if you’re concerned? Or buy a supplemental transmission cooler?
In the name of off roading LC owners are proud of their mods - taking air dams off, adding lights, winches, tires, rims, springs, lowering diffs, correcting track bars. Seems like adding gauges or improving cooling isn’t the strangest idea. Pretty sure the Jeepsters in the audience are familiar with those mods.
I haven’t seen any actual transmission temperature readings when they’re having high gauge readings. Love to see Toyota do a digital reading above the bar on all gauges. If you’re having cooling issues under how you drive, add a cooler.
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Hard data helps makes better decisions than how an unspecified unit bar graph gauge looks or opinions (baggage?). "Known issue" as established where? How about we start with, "I used this instrument and recorded this temperature under these conditions"...
It wouldn’t surprise me if Toyota simply removed the gauge and put an idiot light in place of the gauge.
The trouble is there are some people having legitimate transmission cooling issues (seemingly few), which is making others a bit hysterical when they see the gauge move during spirited use (e.g., this thread).
- Thread starter
- #54
today similar drive but with PDA disabled.. temperature stayed mid center and not moved at all.. the engine felt more open!! looks like this PDA is the culprit.. I will repeat same drive tomorrow with PDA disabled and report back!
The hard part will be turning PDA back on to "really make sure"
I cannot remember what PDA stands for…
Pedestrian Avoidance?
WookieBait
Active member
At least in my case PDA has nothing to do with it. Disabled that day 1. Hope it fixed it for you though.
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