C
CX5_Pete
According to my Scangauge, there is a command for tranny temperature. I have a manual so it doesnt work for me. Useful for those that tow with the automatic.
Transmission Cooler - Anyone installed one?
- Thread starter johnygfunk
- Start date
All true. A liquid to liquid heat exchanger is much more efficient then a liquid to air cooler so it can be much smaller. The transmission heat exchanger does two things. When the car is cold the radiator thermostat is closed so the engine, engine coolant, and thus the transmission fluid heat up to operating temperature quickly (That's good) a external transmission cooler could defeat this. Once up to temperature the engine coolant thermostat and electric fan keep the coolant for both the engine and transmission at the proper temperature. I tow a trailer so I installed a scan gauge to watch coolant temp. I figured if I saw it going up I could adjust my driving before it got to hot. So far it has never gone above normal.
fdew: Can your ScanGauge read transmission temps as well? I can see coolant temp with my current OBD software.
No, but if you read one you almost read the other. The heat exchanger between the two works both ways. If the transmission overheats it will raise the coolant tempature.
True.. I need to keep that in mind. Ratcheting up towing with CX-5 so thinking about it more.
C
CX5_Pete
Which Scanguage do you have? If you have the recent Scangauge, the ATF Temp has to be entered in manually with X-Gauge Commands. The Scangauge website doesnt list the CX-5, but I am hoping maybe its just an outdated chart since it does include the Mazda3 and 6 for 2003+.
http://www.scangauge.com/support/x-gauge/mazda-specific/
Rats. I have the e otherwise I would try it.
This guy has it right. It is a liquid-to-liquid heat exchanger and is very efficient.
Also unlike many conventional automatics, the Sky 6AT locks the torque converter for 90% of the time, which halts fluid shear within the torque converter; the primary source of heat in an AT thus bringing heat generation down similar to a manual trans. Also some advice, if you have to tow big trailers and heavy loads, don't cruise in 6th gear.
Anyone even know where you would connect the transmission cooler? I've got a Hayden Auto 678 and I'm having difficulty finding where to even connect to cool the ATF since the oem cooler only has lines for antifreeze/coolant.
MoistMazdas
Banned
- :
- 2015 Mazda 6
let me just excuse myself and interrupt this snarky ball-tugging session. Mazda's transmission does not have oil cooler lines to hook up a transmission cooler or to do a full fluid flush. you cannot install a transmission cooler on one of these units.
Thanks for this. I kind of figured this, but I didn't know if there was a creative work around or a place to tap into the transmission since all the parts stores show this as being compatible. It was worth it to get in there though and check the ATF dipstick. That stuff is darker than it should be and my wife has complained about it shifting oddly between 5th and 6th gear.
- :
- RDX Aspec Adv.
Yep. I believe it uses a cooler similar to the oil cooler in my 370z, which frankly is a ton better for a transmission.
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
After 49 posts including "Wikipedia Mike's" nobody actually answered OP's question until yours almost 3 years later! Where were you when I made the same claim in the other thread?
Here's "ATF / coolant heat exchanger" from Chris_Top_Her's failed SkyActiv-Drive transmission. It's a part of transmission hence there isn't an external ATF line to tap for an external ATF cooler.
⋯
here is the cooler, water-oil
bottom right
yugrus came up with an idea modifying an OEM ATF / coolant heat exchanger with 2 AFT ports so that the transmission flush is possible. The best is some aftermarket manufactures can come up with a modified ATF / coolant heat exchanger added 2 ATF posts like they have done to many others.
Yeah I know your modified ATF heat exchanger would have no coolant flowing as you're going to leave the original cooler hanging with the coolant hoses.
Actually it'd be the best to find some enhanced aftermarket Mazda SkyActiv-Drive ATF/coolant heat exchanger such as this modified 4-port cooler for Nissan's CVT from China. This enhanced heat exchanger has 2 additional CVT fluid ports for an external fluid cooler. For our SkyActiv-Drive a transmission flush is now possible with these 2 additional ATF ports!
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
Did you remove the air box when you checked the ATF? If the mileage of your CX-5 isn't too high, I'd do an ATF drain-and-fill, may be twice or three times with one week interval.
MoistMazdas
Banned
- :
- 2015 Mazda 6
well... somebody had to break up the hissy fight and actually come in with some useful information. I was just very surprised that nobody mentioned it sooner, because It was this very forum that I learned this information from.
I was just very surprised that nobody mentioned it sooner, because It was this very forum that I learned this information from.After 49 posts including "Wikipedia Mike's" nobody actually answered OP's question until yours almost 3 years later! Where were you when I made the same claim in the other thread?
Here's "ATF / coolant heat exchanger" from Chris_Top_Her's failed SkyActiv-Drive transmission. It's a part of transmission hence there isn't an external ATF line to tap for an external ATF cooler.
yugrus came up with an idea modifying an OEM ATF / coolant heat exchanger with 2 AFT ports so that the transmission flush is possible. The best is some aftermarket manufactures can come up with a modified ATF / coolant heat exchanger added 2 ATF posts like they have done to many others.
I appreciate the help guys! I also saw those modified ones that add the two ports, it's still under warranty so I won't be adding that and she mentioned she wants a bigger suv anyways. I did take the air filter housing out to check this and I noticed the tranny fluid was a little dirty, so I'll flush that out. Thanks!
- :
- Plano, Texas, USA
Those "enhanced" ATF / coolant heat exchangers shown are not available for our SkyActiv-Drive transmission. Make sure don't buy into dealer's recommendation of "flushing" your transmission with a "special machine". That can't be done, only drain-and-fill is doable. If your mileage is higher you may consider to replace ATF filter cartridge inside which requires some experience of applying the sealant gasket.
- :
- 2014 CX-5 GT AWD
Auxiliary Transmission Cooler for CX-5
The original question is still a legitimate one for those of us who would like to keep our CX5 a long time and over a long haul, who may live in areas with very hot weather, and do occasionally tow something within limits, too. Changing the fluid is vitally important of course, but nothing beats an additional cooler to keep the fluid cool and avoid it from breaking down under heat load, proven to those of us who have found it worthwhile on our other cars. I've seen the difference in the longevity and color of the fluid in many other cars and trucks, even in my light-duty FWD Lexus RX300, infamous for it's overburdened poor transmission design from a Camry, and I'm sure there are others have in their cars, too. I haven't had a car yet that it wasn't actually possible to add with a little workaround, but they all have had hydraulic cooler lines to a heat exchanger in the radiator. So this internal cooler was a little surprising.
That Nissan design aftermarket cooler outlet still catches my eye. I don't know if there might be enough of a market for a company to design and build one for us that fits other modern applications. If someone finds one that fits ours, please post something here!
Thanks for all of your posts.
The original question is still a legitimate one for those of us who would like to keep our CX5 a long time and over a long haul, who may live in areas with very hot weather, and do occasionally tow something within limits, too. Changing the fluid is vitally important of course, but nothing beats an additional cooler to keep the fluid cool and avoid it from breaking down under heat load, proven to those of us who have found it worthwhile on our other cars. I've seen the difference in the longevity and color of the fluid in many other cars and trucks, even in my light-duty FWD Lexus RX300, infamous for it's overburdened poor transmission design from a Camry, and I'm sure there are others have in their cars, too. I haven't had a car yet that it wasn't actually possible to add with a little workaround, but they all have had hydraulic cooler lines to a heat exchanger in the radiator. So this internal cooler was a little surprising.
That Nissan design aftermarket cooler outlet still catches my eye. I don't know if there might be enough of a market for a company to design and build one for us that fits other modern applications. If someone finds one that fits ours, please post something here!
Thanks for all of your posts.
Good points on cooling. Cooler is better as long in the design parameters. I believe step one would be to verify what temps the tranny sees at various conditions. Regardless if you want a cooler a relative simple approach would be to tap two fittings into the pan.
Say one low on the pan and another a little higher on the other side of the pan. Use hard line to pull off the bottom of pan and run to the cooler.
Return line to other side of pan. Place a check valve in both fiitngs so the cooler and lines will not drain back into pan and change levels. A small pump to move coolant through controlled by a temp switch. Seems simple enough. Might have to experiment to get the flow rate right
Say one low on the pan and another a little higher on the other side of the pan. Use hard line to pull off the bottom of pan and run to the cooler.
Return line to other side of pan. Place a check valve in both fiitngs so the cooler and lines will not drain back into pan and change levels. A small pump to move coolant through controlled by a temp switch. Seems simple enough. Might have to experiment to get the flow rate right
