Firstly I'm in the Auto repair industry and I still receive conflicting info,
Are there any Dmax (2014) drivers towing around a 2.2 tonne van that can advise on the need for a transmission cooler ,ring a transmission centre and they all need it, ask some tactical questions and you soon realise
that they have never fitted one to a Dmax so don't really know.
Hopefully there are Dmax drivers with out and with coolers that can advise on how they are going.
Secondly ,variable speed alternators ,what type of dual charge systems are you using to satisfy the problem with the ecu controlled smart alternator ,incidentally I have rung 3 places including Isuzu (didn't know the answer)and have reccieved conflicting info re the Dmax having a smart alternator or not.
Dmax hasn't got a Smart alternator , I have a AGM battery under the Tray with a Redarc Isolator , it works fine .
Trans cooler , I'm going to get one fitted to my Dmax , December 14 builds. I have a ScanGauge 2 , to monitor auto trans temps , I only tow a Tvan , temps are ok at highway speeds but as soon as speed drops on slower winding roads at 40-70kph or in the bush in 4WD , I have seen temps of 118c , it will rise to over 100c very quickly even in cold weather .
I have a Bar and Winch but no extra lights to block airflow .
I had the oil changed just a week ago , it was very a very dark colour .
I will be getting a cooler fitted probably next week , I wanted on with a fan but there is not really enough room .
Go back o to Transm place you had it done at. And ask for a Transm "FLUSH". OR do it yourself.
All the service does is change filter. check visible things and top up a 18ish ltr volume with the 5ish ltrs they drained out of pan.
A flush will use around 16 to 18 ltrs of fluid and transm red again. I use a 20ltr drum and usually have a ltr or 2 left for spares at end of it.
Go on NET there are plenty of video's on doing such.
Coolers. There are two types. both do the job as long as they have sufficient volume folw.
The Radiator type. with and without fans. Both work. And the ones they use on Drag. Rally cars.
A solid Cylindrical alloy. Fully Full length finned cooler. 12in and 18 in.
That's the one I use 18inch.. Very efficient. And very little chance of being holed with flying stones in dirt.corrugations. Mine is mounted along chassis rail with room for another if ever needed.
If having temp rises when towing in hills etc.
A VERY good addition. Is a Torque Converter Lock up valve/sw.
There are several on market. at varying prices. I bought the one from Wholesale Auto's. $475 and an hr to fit if you can use a soldering iron/Crimper and shrink wrap.
It locks ALL the gears as required. and stops the plate slippage that causes the overheating of the red stuff.
Just remember to turn off b4 your wheels stop turning, or you'll mostly stall the motor. They THAT efficient.
I got a Scan Gauge too but unfortunately neither I nor suppliers in US can figure out the settings for transm readings for prev 4 spd model Grrrr. We've tried a mix of Toyota/Chevvy and hybrids of both supplied by their tech's.
Which is a bummer. as that was the main reason for buying gauge in first place. Ah well. Ce-La-vis.
Alternator fine for 99% of usage.
if you camping. a panel or two with spare battery and smart reg the better way to go. ALONG with a small genny if you not requiring Air.Cond usage. a Briefcase, 1\2-3\4 kw unit ain't much cost wise. Fits in most corners. A man can carry in one hand with top handle and quietest of all. I had a YAMAHA for 15 yrs. never missed a beat.
-- Edited by macka17 on Tuesday 4th of October 2016 02:09:59 PM
Ive got a 2014 DMax and haven't done anything extra to the motor. It now has 74K on the clock and I get it serviced every 10K. Every mechanic I have spoken to (including 2 very experienced diesel guys) say that the high compression motors will always turn your engine oil black very quickly - within a 100km, but that doesn't signal anything adverse). One diesel mechanic is a friend and only does large trucks and utes - he has a newish HiLux himself.
We've probably done about 40K km towing our 2.2T van all over Aust including that very steep mountain range between Batemans Bay in central NSW and Canberra.
Just be aware that any modifications you make to your ute while under warranty will void it - that's usually the motor and suspension. The vehicle manufacturers will walk away from the warranty as soon as one of their Dealers see any mods to the area you are making a warranty claim for
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Transmission Coolers - All auto transmissions have coolers, they are built in to the bottom of the radiator. They do two things, they warm the transmission oil in the first few minutes of driving and they rid the oil of excessive heat later on whilst driving. It is important to get the transmission warmed up early to prevent damage to the transmission, in fact many transmissions will not let the converter clutch operate until the oil is hot enough.
More important than adding an extra cooler is to learn to operate the transmission correctly. It's not just a case of put it in drive and forget it. In mountainous country you can easily overheat your transmission with low engine revs. At engine revs below 3,000 rpm your torque converter works a lot (some call this slip.) This causes great amounts of heat to be generated. Above 3,000 rpm your converter is fairly locked up and very little heat is generated. When climbing hills where you are limited in speed because of corners it is possible to be mooching along with your transmission in too high a gear causing the torque converter to do a lot of work. When that happens you should pull the box down into a lower gear and get the engine revs above 3,000 rpm. I first became aware of this with my Discovery D2, it was notorious for holding 2nd gear instead of dropping to first and allowing the motor to spin up. I had the transmission temperature light come on a couple of times, pulling the selector back to first gear quickly extinguished the light as the oil temperature dropped. Since then I have been vigilant to keep the motor spinning above 3,000 rpm in any tug I have been driving, I have not had temperature problems since.
I believe it is more important to use the correct technique than add an extra cooler.
Smart Alternators - To see how your alternator performs get yourself one of those cheapie volt meters that plug into your cigarette lighter. Some alternators will hold a fairly steady voltage. Some alternators will drop their voltage to around 13.8 V as the motor heats up, these alternators have good temperature compensation and your batteries will last longer than wit the steady voltage models. If your alternator is one of the new smart types the voltage will sometimes drop to the low 13.x or high 12.x voltages.
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PeterD Nissan Navara D23 diesel auto, Spaceland pop-top Retired radio and electronics technician. NSW Central Coast.
