P0218 Transmission overheat on a stock jeep
02-06-2009, 07:15 AM
#11
02-07-2009, 05:50 AM
#13
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If someone has the Workshop Manual the P0218 fault tree may list the temperature at which the code sets. Point is you do not have to lose fluid to go over temperature. With high revs, high load (up hill, 4 adults,..) there is a lot of energy going through the tranny fluid and it heats up more than usual. Heat rapidly degrades oil life - i believe jeep uses ATF+4 which is synthetic and hence better to survive over-heat, but not immune from breakdown. Hence good advice to fit a tranny cooler.
It is good that it doesn't smell burnt on the dip-stick, but you could do some cheap insurance of doing a proper transmission oil change. i.e. not a lazy dealership 'transmission flush' but a sump-off, check for debris around magnet in pan, replace the fluid/filter (if it has one?). Ok. this does not repalce all fluid, but does not force crap through the system lke the flush will.
Another source of burning under high load could be the catalyst - I would assume the dealer would have checked for damaged hoses near it etc. ?
It is good that it doesn't smell burnt on the dip-stick, but you could do some cheap insurance of doing a proper transmission oil change. i.e. not a lazy dealership 'transmission flush' but a sump-off, check for debris around magnet in pan, replace the fluid/filter (if it has one?). Ok. this does not repalce all fluid, but does not force crap through the system lke the flush will.
Another source of burning under high load could be the catalyst - I would assume the dealer would have checked for damaged hoses near it etc. ?
02-07-2009, 05:47 PM
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It was about 30~40km uphill road when it happened, the road was up and down, I put it to 2nd gear at times, kinda provide some engine brake when going down. when going back up, i either keep it in 2nd or put back to D, (can't remember which gear was it in when it overheat). the ambient temp is around 21'C, and it was raining too. wasn't going very fast, it's more like around 40 or 50KM-ish. I checked the rpm a few times when driving along, it was more like 3000ish.
Just a small correction, the burning smell lasted around 3 or 4 minutes, not 10 as mentioned above. but it was quite strong and distintive.
As for engine error light thing... The problem is my error light was constantly come on and off in the past 8 weeks, (it kept throwing error code P0032, 0038,0052,0058). it had been to the dealer pretty much on a bi-weekly based trying to get it fix. So IF there was a ding or a MIL light for P0218, I won't have noticed it. (the boy who crying wolf??)
Anyhow, I took the dipstick out to check the tranny fluid just now, the color still red and clear, have no burnt smell. Do you think I should make another trip to the dealer to do some sort of checking?
Just a small correction, the burning smell lasted around 3 or 4 minutes, not 10 as mentioned above. but it was quite strong and distintive.
As for engine error light thing... The problem is my error light was constantly come on and off in the past 8 weeks, (it kept throwing error code P0032, 0038,0052,0058). it had been to the dealer pretty much on a bi-weekly based trying to get it fix. So IF there was a ding or a MIL light for P0218, I won't have noticed it. (the boy who crying wolf??)
Anyhow, I took the dipstick out to check the tranny fluid just now, the color still red and clear, have no burnt smell. Do you think I should make another trip to the dealer to do some sort of checking?
You typically will not smell or see anything going on inside the transmission, it's enclosed.
02-08-2009, 10:10 AM
#16
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The ding occurs at 230°F.
These are the things that make the problem worse:
1. Large tires - decrease leverage of engine/trans over road
2. Hwy gears - lower gears will reduce temp as engine/trans has more leverage over road.
3. Heavy loads - basically the same as big tires.
4. High outside temps
To mitigate the problem without a cooler, keep the trans in a lower gear such as 2nd or 3rd to avoid shifts. Upshifts on a heavy grades cause the transmission clutch packs to slip longer than normal. You can observe this by watching the tach stay steady or increase slightly right after a shift. The slipping clutch generates lots of heat.
Regearing will help as well. The engine will see this as a less steep hill or mountain and it won't have to work as hard to go up. Think bicycle. If you're going up a hill in 10th gear, your legs are gonna burn, but if you shift down to first or second its much easier.
A properly sized cooler will go a long way towards dropping the temp, just dont go crazy on a giant cooler. There is already one in place and you only need a little help. I put on a medium sized cooler and a temp gage, and its really a little too much as the temps stay very low unless I'm on a grade for a long time, on a hot day, otherwise I think its too low.
These are the things that make the problem worse:
1. Large tires - decrease leverage of engine/trans over road
2. Hwy gears - lower gears will reduce temp as engine/trans has more leverage over road.
3. Heavy loads - basically the same as big tires.
4. High outside temps
To mitigate the problem without a cooler, keep the trans in a lower gear such as 2nd or 3rd to avoid shifts. Upshifts on a heavy grades cause the transmission clutch packs to slip longer than normal. You can observe this by watching the tach stay steady or increase slightly right after a shift. The slipping clutch generates lots of heat.
Regearing will help as well. The engine will see this as a less steep hill or mountain and it won't have to work as hard to go up. Think bicycle. If you're going up a hill in 10th gear, your legs are gonna burn, but if you shift down to first or second its much easier.
A properly sized cooler will go a long way towards dropping the temp, just dont go crazy on a giant cooler. There is already one in place and you only need a little help. I put on a medium sized cooler and a temp gage, and its really a little too much as the temps stay very low unless I'm on a grade for a long time, on a hot day, otherwise I think its too low.
Last edited by RCJeeper; 02-08-2009 at 10:14 AM.
02-08-2009, 09:08 PM
#19
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Auto tranny
I drove my jk about 180 miles today up and down some fair grades pulling a 8x16 trailer loaded up with my Polaris 500 sportsman with a plow attachment and guess whut??? No over heating problems, no dings. I did have my OD turned off (just like it sez in the owner's manual) I did kick down into passing gear on a couple of those hills. I am gonna install that aux tranny cooler one of these days. If I don't get that installed before summer, I ain't pulling that trailer loaded down with my ATV. U know it gets up to 105 in the shade around here in summer.
so now we can say that sometimes somefolks post in this forum when things go as expected. I wuz kinda skeered it might give me that dreaded ding but it did ok, nuff said
obtw i burned a full tank of fuel pulling that damn trailer about 180 miles.
so now we can say that sometimes somefolks post in this forum when things go as expected. I wuz kinda skeered it might give me that dreaded ding but it did ok, nuff said
obtw i burned a full tank of fuel pulling that damn trailer about 180 miles.
