Calaber
Nil Bastardo Carborundum
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2007
- Messages
- 4,334
- Reaction score
- 1,357
- Points
- 113
- Location
- Lower Hunter Region NSW
- Members Ride
- CG Captiva 5 Series 2
I'd like some info from members of the forum who have fitted transmission oil coolers to their cars.
My Captiva has a five speed auto which works well under most conditions but has a nasty little habit when you are required to shift from forward to reverse and back again once the trans gets hot.
If you have been driving for a while and need to park, which involves a number of shifts between forward and reverse, the trans will not immediately pick up the chosen gear. The engine will idle for a second or two then the trans thumps into the chosen ratio. I'm assuming it's partly because the trans is worn (165k) and also because the oil has heated up and is thinned out due to heat. I'm considering an external oil cooler for the trans to see if that reduces this annoying habit. The car is only occasionally used to tow a box trailer to the dump - no heavy towing is involved.
My questions are:
1. Has anybody else experienced similar behaviour to my auto when the transmission oil cooling system only involves the standard heat exchanger in the radiator?
2. Did fitting an external cooler reduce or eliminate this behaviour?
3. Are there any other benefits you can think of that you have found after fitting one of these coolers?
4. Is there any particular brand you would recommend, and what is the approx. cost?
5. Does an external cooler completely replace the heat exchanger or is it fitted in sequence, so that the oil passes through both the cooler and the heat exchanger?
6. Finally, any problems encountered with an external cooler?
My Captiva has a five speed auto which works well under most conditions but has a nasty little habit when you are required to shift from forward to reverse and back again once the trans gets hot.
If you have been driving for a while and need to park, which involves a number of shifts between forward and reverse, the trans will not immediately pick up the chosen gear. The engine will idle for a second or two then the trans thumps into the chosen ratio. I'm assuming it's partly because the trans is worn (165k) and also because the oil has heated up and is thinned out due to heat. I'm considering an external oil cooler for the trans to see if that reduces this annoying habit. The car is only occasionally used to tow a box trailer to the dump - no heavy towing is involved.
My questions are:
1. Has anybody else experienced similar behaviour to my auto when the transmission oil cooling system only involves the standard heat exchanger in the radiator?
2. Did fitting an external cooler reduce or eliminate this behaviour?
3. Are there any other benefits you can think of that you have found after fitting one of these coolers?
4. Is there any particular brand you would recommend, and what is the approx. cost?
5. Does an external cooler completely replace the heat exchanger or is it fitted in sequence, so that the oil passes through both the cooler and the heat exchanger?
6. Finally, any problems encountered with an external cooler?