Normal engine temperatures?

[silver billet]

Towing the 25’ Airstream, up long hills, often 5-6% grades, I’ll see the oil temp hit 250 easily. Up at North Cascades National Park, it touched 260. I thought that miles long steep climb old never end. I shut the A/C off when the coolant hits 230, and it usually goes back down.

the transmission rarely goes over 205, at least with the A/C off.

This truck has the 3.92 gears.

That is too high in my opinion. Things you can do to minimize that, remove the active grill shutters (debatable whether it helps but certainly doesn't hurt), replace stock tstat with a 180, and if that isn't enough go with an aftermarket cooler. The 180 tstat will give you more breathing room, so while climbing a hill you will still notice your temps increasing but generally it runs cooler all around so you start from a cooler temp and end at the top of the grade with a cooler temp.

I used to hit 250 towing, now after running a 180 tstat I hit about 230 max and quite often it sits at 220 to 225 while towing which is wear it sat unloaded with the stock stat.

Also if I were you I'd be running a very high quality synthetic 5w-30, Redline, HPL (several different products there), Mobil 1 FS 0w-40 are all good candidates.

 

[Quint]

Like clockwork, my t-stat opens at 210 every time. The coolant drops to about 196-198 and then stabilizes at 206 degrees. I've seen it rise to 220 sitting inside the carwash, but it usually stays at 206 even when I'm towing my boat or snowmobile trailer.

 

[silver billet]

Like clockwork, my t-stat opens at 210 every time. The coolant drops to about 196-198 and then stabilizes at 206 degrees. I've seen it rise to 220 sitting inside the carwash, but it usually stays at 206 even when I'm towing my boat or snowmobile trailer.

Those temps look very wrong if you're running stock.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Those temps look very wrong if you're running stock.

Look pretty accurate to me

 

[SD Rebel]

Those temps look very wrong if you're running stock.

A little too cool?

 

[Scram1500]

206 coolant temp is same, oil usually mirrors that or a couple degrees more

 

[spyder]

Mine will go up to mid 220s when slow rolling uphill in dirt/rocks in 4wd. Fan turns on high and it drops back down to two hundred teens. Made me nervous the first time I saw it, but it's been fine and consistent.

 

[silver billet]

A little too cool?

So I looked again, he's talking coolant and not oil temps. That makes more sense, I read his post wrong initially.

 

[HSKR R/T]

That is too high in my opinion. Things you can do to minimize that, remove the active grill shutters (debatable whether it helps but certainly doesn't hurt), replace stock tstat with a 180, and if that isn't enough go with an aftermarket cooler. The 180 tstat will give you more breathing room, so while climbing a hill you will still notice your temps increasing but generally it runs cooler all around so you start from a cooler temp and end at the top of the grade with a cooler temp.

I used to hit 250 towing, now after running a 180 tstat I hit about 230 max and quite often it sits at 220 to 225 while towing which is wear it sat unloaded with the stock stat.

Also if I were you I'd be running a very high quality synthetic 5w-30, Redline, HPL (several different products there), Mobil 1 FS 0w-40 are all good candidates.

If you dont have a custom tune for the 180 tstat, it doesn't offer much benefit. Your cooling fans still won't come on until 220-225, and driving down the road, not towing, it should run close to 190 degrees, but your PCM is optimized for 205 degrees. So will get worse fuel mileage.

And if you were running at 220 on the freeway with stock thermostat, there was something wrong with your cooling system.

 

[User_3336]

Those temps look very wrong if you're running stock.

Those temps are pretty on-spot and exactly what I see.

 

[silver billet]

Those temps are pretty on-spot and exactly what I see.

Yes I mentioned that above already. My coolant runs much lower now though after the 180 tstat. There is no need for the 200+ that is installed by the factory unless you live in really really cold climates but even then we survived for years with 180s.

 

[HSKR R/T]

Yes I mentioned that above already. My coolant runs much lower now though after the 180 tstat. There is no need for the 200+ that is installed by the factory unless you live in really really cold climates but even then we survived for years with 180s.

Engine runs much more efficient at higher temperatures. And burns cleaner. 30 years ago if your engine temps hit 220, you'd be pulling over and shutting the engine off to let it cool down. Modern engines, 220 is a pretty normal running temp.

 

[Darksteel165]

Like clockwork, my t-stat opens at 210 every time. The coolant drops to about 196-198 and then stabilizes at 206 degrees. I've seen it rise to 220 sitting inside the carwash, but it usually stays at 206 even when I'm towing my boat or snowmobile trailer.

It actually opens at 203, unless you changed it.

 

[Quint]

It actually opens at 203, unless you changed it.

My 2015 Bighorn opened earlier, but my 2021 doesn't open until 210 (maybe 10% of the time at 208). Everything is bone stock. It's no concern as this is all well within normal parameters.

 

[Darksteel165]

My 2015 Bighorn opened earlier, but my 2021 doesn't open until 210 (maybe 10% of the time at 208). Everything is bone stock. It's no concern as this is all well within normal parameters.

Your 2021 has a 203 degree thermostat from the factory unless you or someone else changed it.
It is also possible although unlikely yours is broken\stuck.

If you arent pushing it to the limit and or tuning it, shouldn't really matter as WOT it will go far above 210.

 

[Airstreamin]

So, question for y’all. Had my trans serviced at the local Ram dealer. I’ve towed that 7,200 lb Airstream over 37,000 miles, and as I noted earlier, I’ve seen trans temps over 205 deg. It seemed prudent at 97,000 miles to change the trans fluid. I’ve changed the rear differential oil a couple of times, transfer case and front differential once.

today I noticed trans temp at 225 on the freeway at 70mph. WTF? I’m calling that dealer service first thing in the AM. Thoughts?

Also, I noticed 30psi oil pressure at idle. About 49 or 50 at speed. After 97K mi I don’t think I’ve seen that before. Normal? I tend not to pay attention when not towing, and rarely at idle. Anyone else?
thanks!

 

[SD Rebel]

So, question for y’all. Had my trans serviced at the local Ram dealer. I’ve towed that 7,200 lb Airstream over 37,000 miles, and as I noted earlier, I’ve seen trans temps over 205 deg. It seemed prudent at 97,000 miles to change the trans fluid. I’ve changed the rear differential oil a couple of times, transfer case and front differential once.

today I noticed trans temp at 225 on the freeway at 70mph. WTF? I’m calling that dealer service first thing in the AM. Thoughts?

Also, I noticed 30psi oil pressure at idle. About 49 or 50 at speed. After 97K mi I don’t think I’ve seen that before. Normal? I tend not to pay attention when not towing, and rarely at idle. Anyone else?
thanks!

The 225 is alarming for sure, hopefully they figure that out for you.

The idle PSI is normal, 30 psi at hot idle, even down to 28 psi is pretty normal on these trucks, I personally seen 29-30 at my hottest idle. About 31-34 psi while warm but not fully hot idle.

 

[Airstreamin]

Well, the dealer found ”nothing wrong” and couldn’t duplicate the high transmission temps. Driving home, the temp peaked at 194, then cooled down and has been normal since. When home and cooled down, I noted the coolant reservoir was down to the last level indicator hole on the dip stick. I added a bit of distilled water. I don’t think that made any difference however. The only thing I can think of is perhaps a bubble in the cooling circuit that finally worked its way out. Regardles, my advice is to keep an eye on trans temps after servicing and drive gently for a while. As a side note, the high temp I experienced did not trip a service code, but the fan was running full speed to try to cool it down. The fan is pretty noisy- can’t miss it at idle.

 

[SD Rebel]

Well, the dealer found ”nothing wrong” and couldn’t duplicate the high transmission temps. Driving home, the temp peaked at 194, then cooled down and has been normal since. When home and cooled down, I noted the coolant reservoir was down to the last level indicator hole on the dip stick. I added a bit of distilled water. I don’t think that made any difference however. The only thing I can think of is perhaps a bubble in the cooling circuit that finally worked its way out. Regardles, my advice is to keep an eye on trans temps after servicing and drive gently for a while. As a side note, the high temp I experienced did not trip a service code, but the fan was running full speed to try to cool it down. The fan is pretty noisy- can’t miss it at idle.

Maybe an erroneous reading from the sensor?

 

[Airstreamin]

Maybe, but for the past few hundred miles, the trans temps seem normal. We’re heading out in the Airstream again this weekend so we’ll see what happens under a 7200 lb load.