Factory Transmission Temperature Gauge

[powerram250c]

My factory tranny temp gauge is acting funny, starting up in the morning it's already to normal. Where is the sending unit on the transmission? Might price one and throw one on it. Thanks. -Kevin

[ToMang07]

The factory gauge is garbage, anyway. (just an idiot light.) Your best bet is an aftermarket gauge.

[Austinj427]

^^^ that.

If I compare my gauges, the factory one gets to operating temp a few minutes after start up and stays there, even if my aftermarket one hasn't moved, or is reading around 190..

[ToMang07]

Originally Posted by Austinj427

^^^ that.

If I compare my gauges, the factory one gets to operating temp a few minutes after start up and stays there, even if my aftermarket one hasn't moved, or is reading around 190..

Exactly....cant tell if it's 90 or 190.

[Dietoremain]

Yup get an autometer and plug it in and get a real temp.. factory pos is sure a pos... I think it reads normal until like 220-230* way higher than you should be lol.

[rufushusky]

Originally Posted by powerram250c

My factory tranny temp gauge is acting funny, starting up in the morning it's already to normal. Where is the sending unit on the transmission? Might price one and throw one on it. Thanks. -Kevin

Good read on the factory trans gauge:

dieselmann's editorial

It is not the greatest gauge, Ford knows most drivers of these vehicles have no clue about the operating conditions of a 4R100 and wanted to keep the gauge as simple and vague as possible. It leaves a lot to be desire as far as far as information.

[NCHornet]

There is no way to make the factory gauge work correctly. Best bet is get a aftermarket gauge and know for sure what your temps are. The fact that it comes up to temp so fast tells you something. There is almost 5 gal of ATF, it takes 20 min plus of driving to even get mine to move off the 100 degree mark. But the factory gauge will jump as soon as it is started.

[NoRalPh]

As stated by all above, it's close to useless as a gauge, really just an "active" idiot light.

But this now applies to All your gauges (with the exception of the Fuel Level). In an effort to limit unnecessary service concerns, by todays "average" owner (with little mechanical insight and the sense of entitlement for every service issue), they make everything look as it should by parking all the needles smack-dab in the middle (until something's gone Really wrong)

The sensor output readings are all now "interpreted" by the computer before being sent to the gauge. Keeps every Housewife & CPA comfortable.... It Sucks

Years ago, I bought a Kawasaki Ninja new (before I became a Harley guy ) and noticed as the summer approached it seemed to be running hotter on the gauge. I took it in and was told "Yea, there's a recall for that, we can fix it...

I dropped it off and when I drove it back home, saw the reading was staying much lower. Great! I thought, I wonder what they did... THEN, I found the resistor added to the sensor wire Some fix - huh???

That's what it all come to, fix your impression to keep you happy.

[powerram250c]

Okay, sounds like aftermarket it is. Wrong area but where does a Edge Evolution get it's reading for the transmission from? That's what I was thinking about getting for it.

[rufushusky]

Originally Posted by powerram250c

Okay, sounds like aftermarket it is. Wrong area but where does a Edge Evolution get it's reading for the transmission from? That's what I was thinking about getting for it.

It reads off the OBD2 port so where ever the stock gauge reads from I would imagine that is where the edge would read from....which I think is the pan...but I am not 100% certain.

By the by, the edge tuning is nothing to write home about IMHO and doesn't do much for your trans.