For the same reason, the addition of an auxiliary transmission fluid cooler isn’t just necessary for those who tow trailers anymore. By placing the fluid cooler inside the radiator, the engine’s coolant helps bring the transmission up to temp faster and maintains a consistent temperature better than a stand-alone. Transmission oil can reach extremely high temperatures during operation, and this fluid can be cooled down with an external oil radiator. Transmission coolers are typically square-shaped and thin, so they can easily attach in between other components. Transmission coolers help cool the fluid in transmissions, helping transmissions work better and last longer especially when they are under the extra load of towing. These are the transmission cooler lines. If a cooler is mounted in front of the radiator, then an a/c condenser is added, there will be excessive heat ( more than one would like )and a reduction in air flow. Warm fluid from the transmission is forced under pressure through one line to the radiator for cooling. This allows the fluids to cycle through the heat exchanger and cool down quickly before returning to the transmission. Once you have both transmission cooler lines removed and in the bucket remove the transmission dipstick and place the long funnel into the tube. If you do not have a transmission cooler on your truck and you plan to tow or haul heavy loads or you are ... if you installed it before the radiator it would add more heat from the radiator and actually warm it up again going through the hot radiator rather then cool it. This cooler has plates that feel like a radiator. Yesterday, I was stuck in traffic (didnt move one foot) for 45 minutes, 110F air temp, A/C one notch from max and I watched the temp slowly climb up to 200F. Good news: based on what I've seen on various OEM vehicles, a PS cooler can be very, very small. Transmission coolers have one job, keeping your car’s transmission fluid cool. Water cools 32 times better (faster) than air always, period. transmission fluid cooler B&M recommends the following guidelines for a successful and efficient installation: Route the transmission fluid through the stock radiator cooler, then through the supplemental B&M SuperCooler and then back to the transmission. keakar, Oct 11, 2014 #12. The most common way is to have the cooler attached with rods and fasteners. The radiator will cool the bulk of the oil, then it runs through the new auxiliary cooler to further reduce the temp before it returns to the transmission. Automatic transmissions generate heat in operation. The rods, usually plastic, go through the transmission cooler and the radiator and secured with the fasteners. But, for higher air movement they have bigger turbulators. So, as soon as the transmission cooler lines at the radiator of your car are starting to leak, you should immediately take necessary steps to prevent a further issue from arising. This way, cooling load on the engine is reduced in warm or hot temps and the radiator mounted cooler can warm the transmission oil in cold weather. NEVER bypass the radiator cooler if the vehicle will be operated in cold weather areas. Stacked plate transmission cooler: The least common form of transmission cooler is heat sink coolers or frame mounted transmission coolers. This coolant is also cooled within the radiator because heat is also generated through an automatic transmission. The hoses used for oil transfer are usually very stiff and tough, which means they can withstand high pressure. The hoses traveling from the transmission to the radiator are called transmission cooler lines. ATF flows through this cooler every time your car is running. They typically resemble brake lines and are made of metal. You'll of course need to add additional tubing so the lines reach the aux cooler One article says that tranny's for the 3.6 have a stand alone cooler with variable speed fan. A good radiator, with an adequate built in cooler works well. Warm fluid from the transmission is forced under pressure through one line to the radiator for cooling. I do not have an electric fan. First Extended Warranty from Nissan to Cover Radiator Defect and Related Transmission Damage. In 2007, Nissan issued a warranty extension for the transmission oil cooler / radiator assembly for these vehicles to 8 years, 80000 miles – up from the standard 3 year, 36000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty. If you follow their path, they will lead you to the fittings in the lower radiator tank at the front of the vehicle. They channel hot transmission fluid to the radiator, where it is cooled, then return it back to the transmission. These are the transmission cooler lines. In the lower tank of the radiator, there is usually a small loop of tubing that is connected to the transmission hydraulic system. The oil cooler receives the transmission oil through a number of hoses which are connected between the transmission output and the oil cooler in the radiator. You could use a stand-alone transmission cooler, but your vehicle’s transmission actually operates better at around 160-200 degrees than it does when cold. Like many vehicles, the transmission cooler is part of the radiator. To help eliminate the heat, Nissan has an automatic transmission cooler. This will provide the most efficient transmission fluid cooling system for your vehicle. In cold weather the in tank radiator TOC acts as an oil warmer so it very important that the flow direction has the fluid going through the radiator first before traveling to the external cooler. Use both if you want. The transmission cooler is like a radiator within a radiator, except instead of exchanging heat with the air, the oil exchanges heat with the coolant in the radiator. Transmission cooler lines leaking at the radiator puts car owners in a distressing situation. 3. Another way to install a transmission cooler is to use a mounting kit that includes flexible brackets for easy installation. You could either go to AutoZone/O'Reilly/etc and buy the smallest generic trans fluid cooler they have, or perhaps go to a wrecking yard and remove one from whatever random vehicle you find. The O-ring is held in place by pressure from the the connection that was just breached. Position the auxiliary transmission oil cooler so its inlet and outlet tubes face the existing transmission oil cooler lines. Hope this info helps. Radiators usually have a tank on each side, and inside the tank is a transmission cooler. To maintain stable engine temperatures, transmission fluid passes through a heat exchanger utilizing engine antifreeze in some fashion, depending on engine design. Typical designs draw transmission fluid from the transmission and route fluid into the radiator or the coolant overflow tanks through steel tubing. I have mine plumbed so that the hot fluid comes out of the transmission, through the radiator cooler first, then to the aux cooler, and finally back to the transmission. The cooler fitting connection is inside of the transmission cooler which is inside of the radiator bottom tank. Some vehicles manufactured after 1975 will have transmission coolers built into the car's radiator, as will most trucks designed for towing. Inlet is the line closest to the engine. In other words, they are not easily damaged. Once the transmission fluid has breached the thread connection, it only has to get past the large O-ring in (Pic #3) to enter the coolant. Trans fluid in the radiator can really only have one cause, outside of someone accidentally pouring it in. Most kits offer adhesive mounting pads that allow you stick the cooler right onto the radiator, but there are also usually extra mounting rods that you can insert between the radiator and the cooler's mounting flanges. If your cooling sys is marginal, the internal cooler isn't going to help by adding more heat. In the transmission system, the fluid passes through a steel pipe to ensure the coolant circulation. With the mounting hardware provided with your oil cooler kit, mount the cooler 1/2 to 1 inch in front of the radiator or A/C condenser. "Transmission Cooling: You must have a transmission cooler in your radiator regardless of what someone has told you for the transmission to last. Aside from adding a deeper-sump transmission oil pan to hold additional fluid, installing an external transmission oil cooler will also help by offering a greater amount of surface area. Auxiliary coolers are just that, in addition to. Michael, my 3 core radiator, police fan clutch, and 180 tstat will keep the car cool almost 95% of the time. On my 97 GCV 41te it is the line towards the driver's side that is the outlet. Unlike other vehicles, the 2005 through 2010 Nissan Pathfinder, X-Terra and Frontier radiators have a problem. Many manufacturers are now also recommending the addition of a transmission cooler if you carry extra passengers or cargo (ie – vacation, car-pool), drive in stop-and-go traffic, drive in hot or very cold weather, or climb steep inclines. These radiators have a coil in them that allows the transmission oil to run through the same fins that the engine cooling system uses. In the picture above, you can see the inlet and outlet where the oil from the transmission enters the cooler. Some cars use the same cooler as the engine transmission cooler. 4. transmission oil flows. Warm fluid from the transmission is forced under pressure through one line to the radiator for cooling. The transmission cooler is a small radiator that cools the automatic transmission fluid that circulates through the transmission.It can be a separate unit, or it may be integrated into the engine radiator. This cooler allows the fluid to warm up to a … Through the internal cooler for faster warm ups and consistent trans temp, and then through an external cooler to make sure it getting fluid back that is a little cooler than the engine in case the engine runs hot. All automatic transmission equipped vehicles come with a transmission cooler built into the radiator. If you follow their path, they will lead you to the fittings in the lower radiator tank at the front of the vehicle. Adding a transmission cooler … Water is also forced to lower temperatures by cooling pipes. Install the cooler between the transmission and the radiator, so the fluid goes through the cooler before it goes through the radiator mounted cooler. Did a test this afternoon to determine the 'return' or 'cool' line for fluid from the factory transmission cooler system housed inside of the radiator. If you follow their path, they will lead you to the fittings in the lower radiator tank at the front of the vehicle. Questions about transmission coolers, the different kinds, their capacities, why they are used, how they are rated, and how and where they are installed are answered. The new transmissions ran hotter than previous designs, so several manufacturers built “twin-core” or “multi-core” radiators to cool down the transmission fluid. If you live in a very warm area, it may be better to bypass the factory Hold the transmission cooler line where it goes into the radiator and pull them off. These are the transmission cooler lines. 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