transmission Oil Cooler
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m0nkeyprince
- Posts: 329
- Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:03 am
- Car: 1998 Qx4
- Location: Bay Area, CA
transmission Oil Cooler
I have my case of RP Max ATF fluid and my wix filter ready. I was thinking, since there is a "clogging" issue for ATF coolers on older pathys, would it be a good investment to get a B&M or Hayden oil cooler and use that instead, completely bypassing the stock cooler? i mean, its not awfully expensive and it would really be nice if it could extend the life of my transmission (my r50 qx is approaching 100k now). Any ideas on what BTU rating i should get? the $60 dollar one is rated at 13000 BTU from B&M, any ideas?
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Towncivilian
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Re: transmission Oil Cooler
Reading this post I am led to believe that R50 and newer Pathfinders are not affected by a bad transmission cooler.
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m0nkeyprince
- Posts: 329
- Joined: Sat Jul 10, 2010 7:03 am
- Car: 1998 Qx4
- Location: Bay Area, CA
Re: transmission Oil Cooler
yeah, but will an aux one make it even cooler? heat kills trannies so if it does indeed cool better, its worth a try aint it?
Re: transmission Oil Cooler
Heat exchangers liquid to air stacked as in installing another heat exchanger in parallel or in series won't do much good at extending the life of the oil cooled or the transmission because the oil itself will not get cooler than with the original exchanger.
The ambient air that is used to cool is from -40 to +100 F give or take and is depending upon your location on earth. The transmission oil and the transmission have a working temperature much higher than the cooling capabilities of any heat exchanger built for that job.
Transmission fluid is a high cleaning agent for varnish. The best thing you could do for your QX4 is spend money exchanging the actual transmission fluid instead of exchanging your lower rad.
Your QX4 has a high temperature warning light that comes on every time you start up, turn the key and look for it on the dash. Has that light ever come on during operation and does it come on during initial start up?
If it comes on during initial start up but never comes on during operation, the high temperatures to cause that light ignition is not taking place and if the sensor is good your operating temperature is normal. By the way that operating temperature is very hot to humans.
If things are running correctly there is no need to add an other oil cooler, even if you by pass the OEM cooler with another external cooler, if the original is good there is little no no benefit.
But if you decide to tow more than the QX4 is designed to tow you would definitely need better cooling and you would need a better designed car than the QX4. IMO the QX4 is a well built car for moving itself but as a tow car or a plow car its lacking many things.
The ambient air that is used to cool is from -40 to +100 F give or take and is depending upon your location on earth. The transmission oil and the transmission have a working temperature much higher than the cooling capabilities of any heat exchanger built for that job.
Transmission fluid is a high cleaning agent for varnish. The best thing you could do for your QX4 is spend money exchanging the actual transmission fluid instead of exchanging your lower rad.
Your QX4 has a high temperature warning light that comes on every time you start up, turn the key and look for it on the dash. Has that light ever come on during operation and does it come on during initial start up?
If it comes on during initial start up but never comes on during operation, the high temperatures to cause that light ignition is not taking place and if the sensor is good your operating temperature is normal. By the way that operating temperature is very hot to humans.
If things are running correctly there is no need to add an other oil cooler, even if you by pass the OEM cooler with another external cooler, if the original is good there is little no no benefit.
But if you decide to tow more than the QX4 is designed to tow you would definitely need better cooling and you would need a better designed car than the QX4. IMO the QX4 is a well built car for moving itself but as a tow car or a plow car its lacking many things.