Transmission cooler

[perimeterists]

-----just be sure to check and double check them for the first few months. I don't want anyone to experience a total and complete breakdown!-----

No kidding! We bought our Eurovan last summer and two weeks ago (end of April) the ATF all spilled out on the freeway and in the parking lot where we limped to. Towed it to a VW dealer and got the bad news that the transmission was locked up, due to the hoses coming loose and spilling it all out. I wasn't the one doing the work, but the work order says it's the cooler hose that disconnected.

Then we got the news that you can't get the parts to rebuild it (not sure if that's true).

Anyway, we are now sending it to a shop that specializes in Eurovans and they say they rebuild these frequently. So fingers crossed!

[eurovanpilot]

Did your trans get fixed? With all the good info, once I fix my van and get to doing the oil cooler. I'm going to ask go west for a larger cooler and see if they will do it or sell me everything without the smaller cooler. If not I'll make my own cooler kit and make it the best way I can. Brained hoses and threaded connections. Nice mounting and all. The issue is how to add a fan seems like?

[eurovanpilot]

https://www.haydenauto.com/en/products/transmissio...ss-coolers


Here is a cooler that states to be more reliable with a bypass built in then the thermostat based by pass. It would eliminate 2 hoses from the existing external by pass method which is good and simplify things.

[Endopotential]

I actually stopped by the GoWesty store outside of San Luis Obispo. They said they don't do any more repair work themselves.

The Covid situation has gotten so bad they don't even let people come into the shop. I was told to order anything I needed via the website, and they would deliver it to me in the parking lot while I was waiting.

[VolksVelo]

I'm still on the fence about this cooler deal. People having their trannies destroyed AFTER the coolers installed for one reason or another. Guess I'm just gonna drive my van as gently as possible, as I always do. Perhaps someday, someone could come up with a better idea.

[Endopotential]

Do consider putting in some dash gauge / ScanGauge to monitor your trans temp though. Not too big of a project, and there's even a conveniently available empty port on the transmission into which you screw in the temp probe.

Glad I just finished that project. I took the van to Joshua Tree last week and did some minor unpaved roads. Even with that, the temp shot up to 230 (and I have a cooler). I can't validate if the gauge was reading true temp, but it was at least enough warning to pull over and let things cool down a bit.

If you are to believe that Hayden video, transmissions seem to suffer after sustained temps above 175F.

[VolksVelo]

[Abscate]

[Endopotential]

Something like this? Do I need to do anything to the transmission to monitor temperature? Thanks

https://www.busdepot.com/scangauge[/quote]

Despite Abscate's protests, if you should foolishly want to add a transmission cooler here's a good thread that goes over all the details.

https://www.vwvortex.com/threads/eurovan-adding-a-...-115346926

[VolksVelo]

[VolksVelo]

[Abscate]

You can monitor trans temp with a decent scanner right from your OBD port if you want to get a sense of how it is behaving. I put some e data up in mine while towing a Volvo here in this forum
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.ssS!

[matics]

m curious about the conflicting advise on whether to add an auxiliary transmission cooler or not. I recently purchased a 2003 EV weekender, added a Scangauge to monitor the transmission fluid temperature and was alarmed that the temperature reached 250 while going through a drive thru in 65 degree weather. That seems way high and I've scheduled to have a transmission cooler installed because every time it goes north of 230, I start to freak out. Is there anything else I could do to keep the temperatures cooler besides installing a cooler?

[streamr]

I was on the fence over this decision. I had an '02 that I sold with 325K, never had a cooler, never had a problem. I picked up an '03 cheap because their cooler hose blew and then, of course, the trans. The German rebuilder said if VW wanted an auxiliary cooler, they would have put one in, so I sourced an OEM and he pulled the other one and installed the original. That was about a year ago. The temps were always at or a tad above 230 which I felt was a little too hot, so I decided to install the GoWesty kit. That was about a month ago and the temps haven't gone over 200 yet, usually around 190ish.

I will re-check connections periodically but so far so good.
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'03 MV

[VolksVelo]

[Abscate]

I had to flip through the VAG channels to find it, but I think the info is google able too.

Data block 5 in this thread…

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=743796&highlight=t4+atf+temperature
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.ssS!

[samba415]

[MrPulldown]

Most of the trans cooler kits have a thermostat that opens up at 180. So no chance of the ATF being too cold. We use to overheat our trans and it would get stuck down in 1st gear until it cooled. Then the trans blew at 40kish. Alot of mountain driving with a fully loaded EVC. With all the built in camper stuff you only have about 800lbs of payload. So easy to overload the van on trips with a family of 4.

After the new trans it would occasionally overheat and get stuck in low gear. I would change the ATF regularly. After an ATF cooler install we have yet to over heat the van driving the same roads with the same loads.

I think an external ATF cooler is a must for the camper driven in mt conditions.
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2002 EVC

[matics]

Does anyone have any experience with the cooler kit from German Transaxle (https://www.germantransaxle.com/Automatic-Eurovan-Aftermarket-Cooler-Kit.htm?m=97%26s=698%26id=1377)? My Eurovan came with this cooler uninstalled (still in the box) from German Transaxle and I wanted to better understand how important the use of threaded connections in the Gowesty kit is. Does someone have the German Transaxle cooler installed in their vans? The box I received says Tru-Cool Max. Their site states the following:

This kit comes with, the adaptors for the transmission, all necessary hardware and brackets to install, thermal bypass, and cooler lines. All lines and fittings are rated for 400psi or better (when shifting to reverse, line pressure will reach 300+ psi).

[Zeitgeist 13]

I can't comment on that particular kit, but it's the same Tru Cool heat exchanger and Sonnax adapters I used in my cooler install. I still need to install the thermal bypass.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?