Thread: Auto Trans. Operating Temperature under load

I recently had a temperature gauge fitted to track my transmission temperature. During a trip from Brisbane to Sydney I was finding the temperature was reaching up to 120 degrees when under load, such as hills. I'm towing a 2700kg caravan, have a D2 TD5 with a heavy duty transmission cooler kit fitted.

My question is at what point should I be concerned with in regards to the temperature? At the moment the alarm is set to go off at 115 degrees. Generally the temperature sits at around 70 degrees, but it doesn't take much to get it rising rapidly. I towed it up the Cunningham Gap and had to drop down to 1st gear in order to keep the temperature around the 110-115 mark.

My concern is also that I was driving in cool temperatures, so I am quite worried once I start driving in the high 30's or 40's

Details on adding an additional cooler - http://www.aulro.com/afvb/discovery-...-into-td5.html

There is a factory temperature sensor, but when that goes off, it's probably too late.

Read this thread for temperature details quoted from Ashcrofts (probably considered the leader in the ZF transmissions in Land Rovers) - Settings for the MadMan EMS alarms

Automatic transmission oil temperature:
According to Ashcrofts Transmissions, a well recognised expert in the ZF automatic transmission fitted in the Land Rovers - Transmission Oil
Absolute maximum temperature (can result in damage) - 149*C (300*F).
Maximum allowable temperature for short durations such as a hill climb - 135*C (275*F).
Normal operating temperature range - 80*C (175*F) - 94*C (200*F).
Minimum operating temperature - 66*C (once the vehicle has warmed up from a cold start).