Transmission Fluid HOT!!

stewcrow

Member
Dec 24, 2004
12
0
GA
Happy Fourth of July!! I've been trying to figure this issue out for a while but I need some help. 96 Disco I. When I'm doing in the city driving and on warm days, my transmission fluid light comes on indicating it is too hot. If I'm cruising down the highway at 55mph or higher, the light will go off until I start again with the stop/go driving.

My transmission fluid level is good, I recently replaced the transmission filter (not fun with the crossbeam on the DIs) and my engine coolant level is fine. Nothing is blocking/obstructing the flow of air into the radiator. What else should I check? My engine does not run hot, just the transmission. Anybody else had this issue? And I don't believe the sensor is bad b/c it does seem to turn on once I have been driving and when appropriate. Fan is turning as expected too.
 

helievacpilot

Well-known member
Mar 29, 2007
960
0
Denver CO
Do the D1's have an aux cooler? On my D2's, the trans. fluid lines to the aux cooler run right over the top of the left cat. My wife's still has the heat shield on it, mine is long gone, but I have never had a temp light come on. Not sure if this would apply to you.
- Bill
 

JSQ

Well-known member
Apr 21, 2004
3,259
1
44
San Diego, CA
Check the Transmission Temp Sensor. It frequently goes bad.
In the hard line near the steering box.
 

teledan

Well-known member
May 7, 2010
325
4
Utah
I've been having the same problem recently. Stewcrow, did yours end up being the sensor?
 

DISCODOWN

Well-known member
Dec 4, 2007
284
0
Phoenix, Arizona
Dont overlook checking your transfer case fluid condition and level as well... it transfers the heat to the tranny too and under your driving conditions described could be flipping the trans heat light ...
 

no694terry

Well-known member
Sep 29, 2009
989
0
pittsburgh, pa
JSQ said:
Check the Transmission Temp Sensor. It frequently goes bad.
In the hard line near the steering box.

ohhhhhh thats where its at, this hole time i been looking on the trans case and just dealing with the light because i never found it
 

n8thgr8

Well-known member
Dec 6, 2006
587
0
Colorado, Guam
the transmission temp light just came on for me yesterday.
I'm pretty sure the sensor is bad. My main clue was that the truck had been sitting over night and the light came on as soon as I started it. No way the fluid was actually that hot