Long-Term Cost Savings with Transmission Coolers

It’s a no-brainer that keeping your transmission full of clean fluid is necessary to guard against overheating.  But you can take protection a step further by getting a transmission cooler.

The Importance of Maintaining the Right Temperature on Your Automatic Transmission

When a vehicle is in operation, the transmission gets hotter—that’s natural.  But if it gets too hot or stays hot for too long, the transmission can fluid “burn” and eventually dries up. 

That’s when the trouble begins.  However, a transmission cooler help prevent it, and also save you some money in the process.

What is a Transmission Cooler?

A transmission cooler is an easily-installed device designed to keep your fluid temperature within a normal operating range.   Mounted near the radiator, the device operates on the heat transfer concept,  absorbing excess heat from the fluid and dispersing it.  

Resembling small radiators, coolers come in several types:

• Tube and fin coolers are comprised of horizontal piping that extracts heat emitted from the transmission and dissipates it, reducing fluid temperature.

• Plate and fin coolers contain a series of small, thin lateral flaps extending from the coils, giving it a larger area of heat exchange than tube and fin coolers do.

• Stacked plate coolers circulate the heated fluid around a “stack” of tubes, allowing for a more direct and efficient heat transfer than fin coolers.

Why Coolers?

In addition to the obvious benefit of keeping your engine at a safe temperature, transmission coolers pay other dividends: 

• They add to the lifespan of your transmission fluid, which is spared from extreme temperatures generated from your torque converter or other heat-producing transmission components.
• They extend the longevity of your transmission itself by maintaining proper fluid viscosity which, in turn, keeps all the working parts working efficiently.
• They help protect your transmission from the wear-and-tear that comes from pulling heavy loads or transversing steep inclines.
• They reduce the amount of heat that can be transferred to the engine itself, making car overheating less likely.