Temperature Gauge / Scan Gauge
Don’t Let Overheating Catch You Out!
Excessive heat will damage the internal oil seals, causing the clutches to slip and burn up. This in return will present transmission problems.
One of the major causes of transmission failure is overheating.
A transmission specific temperature gauge is the best way to monitor the running temperature of your automatic transmission. You can rely on the easy to spot, highly accurate readouts rather than the warning light on your dash coming on once the transmission fluid has already overheated.
This simple device alone can save your transmission from costly overheating damage
The addition of a temperature gauge to your vehicle is extremely helpful and can offer peace of mind while towing your caravan or trailer, particularly on hilly terrains.
If the gauge climbs to an uncomfortable high, say in excess of 150°C, you can select a lower gear to bring the temperature down to a more manageable level, ideally around 85-100°C. Monitoring is vitally important as it can prevent the overheating of internal seals, which often fail prematurely under excess heat.
If the temperature continues to climb despite your efforts, then you should look for a safe place to pull off the road, stop the vehicle and keep the engine running. This will eliminate the heat source by removing the load while maintaining the transmission fluid circulation through the cooling system.
Automatic transmissions are typically cooled by the means of a heat exchanger in the engine radiator, which enables the engine and transmission to operate at the same temperature. As manufacturers won’t know where their vehicles might end up in the world, this arrangement allows the transmission to operate under a wide range of climate conditions.
The best place to monitor the temp is near where the cooler line leaves the transmission housing and heads for the radiator. A good temperature gauge kit for the transmission would contain specific fittings to facilitate this. Drilling holes in the oil pan and fitting the sensor there gives a much-delayed signal, by the time a warning is sent the transmission might already be extremely overheated. This is why we recommend our expert services to take care of the selection and fitting for you for complete peace of mind.
Finally, if the transmission overheating light does come on, we strongly suggest you change the transmission fluid at the earliest opportunity as it is very likely already compromised. Give us a call to access any possible damages and arrange a service as soon as possible.