The Unofficial "Ask a Stupid Question" Thread

[Kenz]

What moron thought it was a good idea to put metal trim on the shifter handle? That fucker gets hot in the summer

Black cue ball shift knobs on both my cars. They feel something like this after being parked out in the Florida sun....

 

[XR7-4.6]

My right palm has TSRUH branded into it

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

This sounds like a stupid question...

Why does my engine run cooler recently? Consider that the weather has been  warmer recently.

I may be splitting hairs, but here it goes:
This picture shows the gauge at 199.4°F per my OBD2 app. This is after a normal mixed town/highway drive. I see it alternate between this and the yellow marking while driving.



Thing is...I used to always see it alternate between the yellow and the red markings.

I realize I'm obsessing over a minuscule difference, but it is a difference. I can't exactly say when this started, but it must be fairly recent.

I'm wondering if there's an issue with my thermostat...

 

[MadMikeyL]

What does the OBD2 reader say is the temperature is at the higher gauge reading?

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

What does the OBD2 reader say is the temperature is at the higher gauge reading?

To the best of my recollection, the yellow marking would be about 204-208°F or so. The red marking would be 208-212°F.

Generally, when it comes to fan operation, I can hear it come on while idling at a stoplight when the gauge hits the red marking. Today I heard it come on while it was on the yellow marking.

I'm just surprised to see anything below 200°F.

 

[MadMikeyL]

Are you running the A/C? That will cause the fan to run all the time, and the added airflow might be more than enough to overcome the added heat from the AC system, and so the temperature drops some. Without the AC, the fan probably won’t come on at all until 205 or 210.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Are you running the A/C? That will cause the fan to run all the time, and the added airflow might be more than enough to overcome the added heat from the AC system, and so the temperature drops some. Without the AC, the fan probably won’t come on at all until 205 or 210.

I first noticed it with A/C on. But I mostly just drive with windows open, and the gauge reads the same.

 

[Grog6]

You should add a trans cooler. That's higher than I like.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

You should add a trans cooler. That's higher than I like.

That's on my wishlist...but not currently in my budget.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

@Grog6
What is your transmission temperature usually?

 

[theterminator93]

With my setup my TOT usually settles about 100F above ambient temps. I don't drive it when it's super cold out (tires get no grip) so that's roughly 160 in the fall and 180-185 in the summer. This is with the aux. cooler.

IMO an operating temperature that peaks in the 18x range is perfectly fine. You just don't want to be cooking at 200+ constantly; if you run that hot you really should be replacing the fluid every 10-15k instead of 30k. The heat breaks down all the additives and turns the fluid into varnish. On a stock setup though usually the TOT won't go that high until the fluid has already broken down and clutches start slipping.

 

[Grog6]

I prefer 160 over anything higher, if it hits 200, you can hear the coolant in the radiator boiling around the internal cooler. I use a BIG cooler. DirtyD0g sold me 3 of the 48kbtu tru cool coolers several years ago. No issues since.

tru cool 408kbtu I didn't pay that much.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

With my setup my TOT usually settles about 100F above ambient temps. I don't drive it when it's super cold out (tires get no grip) so that's roughly 160 in the fall and 180-185 in the summer. This is with the aux. cooler.

IMO an operating temperature that peaks in the 18x range is perfectly fine. You just don't want to be cooking at 200+ constantly; if you run that hot you really should be replacing the fluid every 10-15k instead of 30k. The heat breaks down all the additives and turns the fluid into varnish. On a stock setup though usually the TOT won't go that high until the fluid has already broken down and clutches start slipping.

My setup, i.e., stock = no auxiliary transmission cooler, generally produces temperatures a few degrees below or equal to engine temperature in hot weather and stop & go traffic, slightly lower at cruising speeds, and around 170 in cold weather.

The transmission warms up with a slight delay, and in that screen shot above it hadn't fully warmed up yet given the current hot climate.

I see temperatures in the 180s to 190s regularly. On one occasion, I saw temperatures in the 200-210 range; that was a long drive at high speed with very steep inclines, where it had to shift to 3rd gear to maintain 70 mph.

I completely drained and refilled the transmission several month ago using Valvoline MaxLife, and I find the process pretty easy actually. I have no problem changing transmission fluid once a year.

Back to my current concern though...I'm still questioning my engine temperature. I'll have to monitor. I haven't touched anything engine related recently. The only thing I've done was the installation of that DRL module, and I don't see how that could affect the powertrain.

 

[Grog6]

If it's cooler than it was, you probably dissolved some of the crap that settles out in the radiator. I used to see temps fall right after a fluid change.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

I used to see temps fall right after a fluid change.

No no... this phenomenon I described above is new this last week or so. I haven't changed any fluids anytime recently.

 

[Grog6]

Something deposited in the rad moved , most likely. Things usually don't improve.And there's a very limited number of things that can change, for the better.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Something deposited in the rad moved , most likely

That could be it!

 

[Grog6]

What do you say to the idiot that, with an mlps problem making it downshift to second, drives it so hard he blows out the freezeplug on the back of the engine? I seriously regret selling the tbird. I sold his family two of my cars, to pay pet bills. Both are trashed, less than two years after I sold them.

 

[Derphound01]

What moron thought it was a good idea to put metal trim on the shifter handle? That fucker gets hot in the summer

Put a thick sock over it when you get out of the car.

 

[Kidd-7]

Any thoughts on this cooler: 40k Transmission Cooler LPD47391 Low Pressure Drop Trans Oil Cooler Compatible with Heavy Duty 40,000 GVW Max including Mounting Hardware, Towing Applications and Advanced Cooling Protection 47391 https://a.co/d/8HRndv7

 

[89 TBIRD]

Put a thick sock over it when you get out of the car.

Yeah I thought of that a few days ago, don't know why it took me 35 years

 

[Irv]

Any thoughts on this cooler: 40k Transmission Cooler LPD47391 Low Pressure Drop Trans Oil Cooler Compatible with Heavy Duty 40,000 GVW Max including Mounting Hardware, Towing Applications and Advanced Cooling Protection 47391 https://a.co/d/8HRndv7

Great, now the Chinese are making knockoff trans coolers and flooding them on America's cat-walked-on-keyboard brand flea market Amazon too.

I've had the authentic version of that cooler by Long since 2006 or so based on Johnny Langton's recommendation. Fantastic cooler. Replaced a tube-and-fin style cooler that a transmission shop installed in 1999.

Tru-Cool Max Transmission Cooler 40,000 GVW Fluid Oil 40K True Long Brand 4739-1 LPD47391 Automatic

Check out the deal on Tru-Cool Max Transmission Cooler 40,000 GVW Fluid Oil 40K True Long Brand 4739-1 LPD47391 Automatic at Oregon Performance Transmission

www.oregonperformancetransmission.com

 

[Grog6]

The tru-cool version of that is what I have. Thinking bout it, I still have one in the box for the t-bird I sold.

 

[supergordo]

Any thoughts on this cooler: 40k Transmission Cooler LPD47391 Low Pressure Drop Trans Oil Cooler Compatible with Heavy Duty 40,000 GVW Max including Mounting Hardware, Towing Applications and Advanced Cooling Protection 47391 https://a.co/d/8HRndv7

I've installed a couple of the name brand Tru-cool units . Have one in my sons green tbird. Did a fluid swap at 90,000 miles... Fluid still nice and red. I did a tech article looong time ago on TSTSNBN installing one. Maybe I should move it over. I recommend. It's not s terrible job to install.

 

[1997ThunderbirdLXV6]

Maybe I should move it over.

Yes, please.

 

[Kidd-7]

The tru-cool version of that is what I have. Thinking bout it, I still have one in the box for the t-bird I sold.

Thinking of selling it??

 

[Grog6]

Let me see if I still have it, but sure. A bunch of my stuff got stolen.

 

[Kidd-7]

Stupid question: Is it normal for the AC moisture drain to drip onto the exhaust?
I’ve noticed a sizzle sound now that it’s become hot out. When I get to work I heard a drip n sizzle.

 

[Grog6]

Yes, the drain from the inside box comes thru the firewall, and drips on the pass side, iirc. There was a post long ago that showed a kooks header with a hole in it, from the drip. It fatigued a spot, that fell out.

 

[Kidd-7]

Cool, I don’t remember hearing the drip/ sizzle before, but I was pretty sure that it was just condensation and not other drippage. I cleaned the evaporator last year and the drain, maybe I have more drippage now.