Can anyone tell me how to get my Torque app to read transmission fluid temp?

[D Hook]

On my '02, it did it just fine. Can't get a reading on the torque app from my '06. Does anyone know what I need to do to get the trans temp to show up on the Torque App? We want to do some boat towing but I'd really like to be able to monitor the trans temp.

I've done some searching on this sight but haven't come across any instructions for setting it up.

Thanks!

 

[naiku]

When you go into the settings to add a new dial, does the trans temp show up in there as an option with a green background? As long as it shows up there in green, you just need to make the selections on what type of gauge you want it to be.

 

[D Hook]

Thanks! That is what I was missing.

I got it to read a temperature finally. But I think it's using the same sensor as the coolant because the two readouts are identical and change up and down in sync.

Here's what I did:
Boot up Torque app.
Select "Settings" on the torque app.
Scroll down to "Manage extra PIDs/Sensors".
Click on that.
Scroll down and find:
"Transmission Fluid Temp"
PID: 221674 Unit: °F Max/Min: 100/0.0
Equation: ((A+256)+B)/8
Select that.
Click on "Edit".
Scroll down to "Test".
When you click on "Test", it will see if the sensor is present to read the transmission temp. If it isn't, it will give you a message saying "No Response". I got a "No Response" to this so tried another one.

Back out of that and go back to the PID screen and scroll down until you see "Transmission Temperature (Method 3). Do the same as earlier and test to see if the sensor responds. If it does, you'll have to use that PID. So after testing, hit "OK".

Now go back to the front page of the Torque app. Click on "Realtime Information". Page over to an empty screen if you want the trans temp to be on its' own screen and hit the menu to add a gauge. Select which size and style of gauge you want and click on it. This should bring you a new screen that has several options of which sensor you want. If they have a green background, they're active. (Though sitting here looking at my phone, I see the "Method 3" has no green background but that may be because I'm not connected to the vehicle right now.) Find "Transmission Temperature (Method 3)" and select it. You should now see a temp readout on the new gauge.

Still working on trying to find a different sensor, if there is one, that will actually read the temp of the fluid inside the transmission rather than just mimicking the coolant temp. Next is to try selecting "Method 1" and "Method 2" on the list of choices when adding a gauge.

BTW, temp was running about 195° on the highway with an ambient temp of 85° and high humidity. Going to try it again in the morning and see what we get since that temp reading was after idling in the driveway for 45 minutes with the A/C running.


EDIT* So today I tried "Method 1" and "Method 2", both of which gave no reading at all so I assume the sensor is not present for reading Transmission Temperature.

I think I might have the thermostat changed to a lower range thermostat. That 195° seems pretty high. Probably a winter range. And maybe add a transmission cooler.

 

[MNgopher]

If 195 was the coolant temp, that seems just fine for cruising on the highway at the temps you described. Both my F150 with the 5.4 and my Explorer with the 4.6 generally settle in at 193-195 at speeds of 70+ in temps above 85 and high humidity with the a/c on. Factory Stat is a 190.

Can't help on the torque app - but I did get a temp reading on the transmission using my scanguage. It does not move in sync with coolant temp.

 

[2lungking]

tag

 

[D Hook]

If 195 was the coolant temp, that seems just fine for cruising on the highway at the temps you described. Both my F150 with the 5.4 and my Explorer with the 4.6 generally settle in at 193-195 at speeds of 70+ in temps above 85 and high humidity with the a/c on. Factory Stat is a 190.

Can't help on the torque app - but I did get a temp reading on the transmission using my scanguage. It does not move in sync with coolant temp.

When I used the torque app on my '02, the transmission temp also did NOT move in sync with the coolant temp. Stayed around 165-169° when around town. So not sure why this one doesn't work the same way.

What transmission temperature are you seeing on your scan gauge readout? And what coolant temp are you seeing at the same time? Just curious. I might have to switch to a scanguage instead.

Thanks!

 

[MNgopher]

To be honest, the scanguage resides in my F150 90+% of the time. My Explorer doesn't see a lot of towing since the F150 is availible.

I don't recall the trans temps off the top of my head - I just recall they were independent of oil and coolant temps. I will be moving the scanguage over for a trip soon, will report what I see.

For reference the shop manual for the 6R60/80 will tell you that checking the tranmission fluid should be done at normal temp, reported to be 193-215 degrees. Hotter than older units, but these are supposedly designed for the higher temps.

 

[Bill MacLeod]

I also have a scangauge II, trans temp will be in the 180 to 190 in normal summer heat at highway speed. Probably would go higher if you were to really work the vehicle.

I have seen trans temps of 205 to 207 in traffic jams. Water temp was around 210 or so. Both quickly dropped 10 or 15* once up to speed.

6R60/6R80 trans have a one way check valve that does not allow fluid flow through the cooler until the trans fluid temp is above 175.

 

[D Hook]

Great info guys. Thanks!

 

[D Hook]

To be honest, the scanguage resides in my F150 90+% of the time. My Explorer doesn't see a lot of towing since the F150 is availible.

I don't recall the trans temps off the top of my head - I just recall they were independent of oil and coolant temps. I will be moving the scanguage over for a trip soon, will report what I see.

For reference the shop manual for the 6R60/80 will tell you that checking the tranmission fluid should be done at normal temp, reported to be 193-215 degrees. Hotter than older units, but these are supposedly designed for the higher temps.

Good to know that the temps I was seeing weren't abnormal then. Be interested to hear back what you find when you switch over you scanguage.

 

[D Hook]

Towed the boat today and highest temp was 204°. Lowest was 195° Mostly on city streets. Sound safe?

 

[Explorer75]

Towed the boat today and highest temp was 204°. Lowest was 195° Mostly on city streets. Sound safe?

Doesn' sound too high however if you tow often I suggest an extra trans cooler for added protection.

 

[D Hook]

Yes, that's what I'm thinking too.

Took the boat to the lake today, about a twenty mile trip, some interstate, some side streets. Kept OD off except for a couple flat stretches on the interstate. Early morning, about 70° ambient temp, low humidity. No A/C running. Highest temp was 197°, except when idling where it climbed to 204°, which was to be expected. Explorer pulled the boat fine. Even managed to hit 11 MPG while pulling. I don't think I would want to pull much further than that without an add'l cooler. Longer distances we'll use the wife's Expedition.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

my t-stat opens around 192f so that fluctuates around 188-205f.... my app tells me that my 5r55 temps are around anything between 165-180f after driving steady speed 70mph for hours Ive never towed anything with this explorer.... temps over 200f are while towing and anything over 210f starts to break down the fluid pretty quick.... 220f's lead to eminent trans failures ... when I got that app working for my temps I did it on my 1998 so when I bought the 2007 I renamed the profile and all the gauges still worked... the 1998 would read as high as 210 but I already knew that trans was nearing its end when it started slipping and sometimes engaging into drive slow... I drove it for 30,000 miles after the band for reverse broke... OD light started to blink at 175k and started slipping around 190k.... engine started pouring coolant from somewhere in the back at 205k... and retired it and bought the 4th gen

 

[D Hook]

What app are you using?

I don't think I'm seeing the actual transmission temp. I think it's using the same sensor as the coolant, since the readouts are identical. My '02 showed the trans temps you're seeing but I never tried towing with it. And I don't recall exactly what the coolant temps were but I know they were higher than the trans temp. Just can't get the torque app to respond to the trans fluid temp sensor.

 

[MotorCityFats13]

What app are you using?

the android torque app

 

[MNgopher]

Since the transmissions are different behind the V6 and the V8, I wouldn't expect the same sensor readings to work between the two. The sensor readings that worked on my old '97 Explorer with the 5R55 were different than those used by my 4R75 in the F150, and different again for the 6R60 behind my '07 V8.

Anyways, been on the road a lot lately. My measurements match up with those reported by some others. 180 average on the interstate pulling 80-85 mph (Don't freak out - 80 mph is the speed limit on I-90 in South Dakota) in 85 degree weather / AC running / and a decent load (no towing though). In mountain (Black Hills - Colorado will be coming soon) I've seen as high as 195 while working up some grades and dropping gears. The 200 something while towing doesn't surprise me a bit.

Coolant temps were a pretty steady 197 while running 80+ as described. Oil Temps were 210ish. The 4.6 in the explorer seems to run a touch hotter than the 5.4 in my F150. The F150 has a bigger oil sump anyways... Intake air temps almost always matched ambient air temps while underway - much better in that regard than my F150.

 

[D Hook]

the android torque app

Do you happen to recall which method (1, 2 or 3) the app is set for?

 

[MotorCityFats13]

Ill create a new profile and see what i did... But it was pretty buried if i remember... Had to toy around with those special pid choices and it just started working... I wish oil pressure would work

 

[D Hook]

Thanks. Much appreciated.

If you go up to my second post of this thread (third down from the top) it might help. The settings ARE pretty buried!