I own a 2004 2500HD Silverado with the 6.0 gas engine. They must have run out of the correct instrument clusters while mine was on the line, so I was blessed with a transmission temperature dummy light instead of an analog gauge.I recently had to replace my cluster due to lighting and gauge problems, and the new OEM cluster (not rebuilt) came with the transmission temperature gauge. Everything on the new cluster works fine, but I don't know where the needle should rest at cold and where it should hover at normal temperature for the transmission. I've searched the web and read many opinions which vary from 160 to 180 degrees for normal temperature, but that 180 seems too high to me. My 2005 3500HD Duramax's transmission temperature always seems to be around 140 degrees. I just don't know what it should be. Can somebody please let me know?Thank you,Bruce

The temp is going to vary based on the ambient temps. My highest has been 180 going across Texas in 98* temps towing my 5th wheel. With that I've heard anywhere from ambient plus 80 to ambient plus 100, and then again it depends on the transmission and where it was designed to operate. Hopefully you get enough answers here to get a consensus from others who own a similar truck.v/rVince

Not the same powertrain but hopefully some numbers as general comparison. In my '09 Silverado (with tow package, tranny cooler), 150s to 160s around town and not towing. With the trailer (at 90% of GCWR), not uncommon to run in the 190s, bumping as high as 210 when coming off the interstate and into stop and go traffic until the extra heat load dissipates.I had a '14 Silverado LT / work truck configuration as a loaner when mine was in the shop a year ago. No tow package or tranny cooler and it ran 195 to 205 around town.You can find tables with reductions in tranny fluid life as temps increase, seems it didn't really start to fall off until upwards of 250 degrees. I'll have to search again, if i can find, will post a link.Hope this helps.

I don't know about the Chevy gauges,but the Ford gauges are little better than idiot lights,When I put on the scan gaugeI got a digital readout.from 180 to 205 the temp gauge never moved off of center.When I got a new 2015 F250,the first mod I made was to install the scan gauge.the 250 seems to run 196 vs 191 on the 150 and trans temps seem to be 175 vs 165.My point is that the stock gauges will show hot only after damage is done,but the scan gauge will show increase degree by degree before stock gauges even move

Obviously a different animal, but for comparison mine runs in the 160's empty and 170's-low 180's towing. Usually. If you really want to know what's going on in your engine, get an Edge Insight or Scangauge to monitor that temp, plus a lot more.

my 2012 F-350 6.7L normally runs around 110 when it 85 ambient temp

Normal Transmission Temperature? | Good Sam Community

23 Replies

RWDIII
Explorer
Dec 06, 2014
I don't know about the Chevy gauges,but the
Ford gauges are little better than idiot lights,When I put on the scan gauge
I got a digital readout.
from 180 to 205 the temp gauge never moved off of center.
When I got a new 2015 F250,the first mod I made was to install the scan gauge.

the 250 seems to run 196 vs 191 on the 150 and trans temps seem to be 175 vs 165.
My point is that the stock gauges will show hot only after damage is done,but the scan gauge will show increase degree by degree before stock gauges even move
TomHaycraft
Explorer
Dec 06, 2014
Not the same powertrain but hopefully some numbers as general comparison. In my '09 Silverado (with tow package, tranny cooler), 150s to 160s around town and not towing. With the trailer (at 90% of GCWR), not uncommon to run in the 190s, bumping as high as 210 when coming off the interstate and into stop and go traffic until the extra heat load dissipates.

I had a '14 Silverado LT / work truck configuration as a loaner when mine was in the shop a year ago. No tow package or tranny cooler and it ran 195 to 205 around town.

You can find tables with reductions in tranny fluid life as temps increase, seems it didn't really start to fall off until upwards of 250 degrees. I'll have to search again, if i can find, will post a link.

Hope this helps.
Tiger02
Explorer
Dec 06, 2014
The temp is going to vary based on the ambient temps. My highest has been 180 going across Texas in 98* temps towing my 5th wheel. With that I've heard anywhere from ambient plus 80 to ambient plus 100, and then again it depends on the transmission and where it was designed to operate.

Hopefully you get enough answers here to get a consensus from others who own a similar truck.

v/r
Vince

Forum Discussion

Normal Transmission Temperature?

23 Replies

About Travel Trailer Group

Related Content

Transmission temperature question

Transmission Fluid Temperature

Transmission temperature

Transmission temperature

Transmission temperature gauge