A HUGE THANK YOU to Kip from ProMasters Only for stopping by! If you have any questions or concerns about ProMasters, please check out his RUclips channel. youtube.com/@promastersonly1419?si=07GecoBwzLkgOydd Repair videos and highlights from the shop, located at 213 Snyder Ave. Barberton OH 44203. Feel free to call 234-571-0098, though email is best at Promastersonly@gmail.com. I respond personally. I can also respond impersonally, if you like..... Kip
Wanted to thank you both for posting this. The goal is to have the most people have the least problems with their vans, and this spreading of knowledge furthers that. Party on, people!
Kip, does the Promaster come with a sufficient trans cooler or should folks and an aftermarket cooler. Like you said, heat is your enemy. Also, can you drain the torque converter on a Promaster and do you recommend it when you service the trans?
@ Differentiating the 2022/up vans which have a different trans…the stock cooler is quite large and super robust. It’s also in the engine fan path so flow isnt a problem. The converter is sealed, and you cant drain it as such. You get something like 2/3rds of the fluid out on a normal pan drop. My feeling is that while you can do a double drain and fill if you like, its not really necessary. At 50k, the fluid is usually pretty clean on a healthy trans, so getting 100% out isnt really necessary. We had a trans in once with 600k+ on it that had NEVER been changed. I was impressed because the fluid was bad, but not horrible. A good working trans doesnt dirty it’s fluid much, is the takeaway.
Thank you so much for posting this. We had no idea about changing the transmission fluid in our van and ran it into the ground at just under 100k miles. Unfortunately we were between a rock and a hard place in Moab Utah and got a used transmission. It’s starting to act funny again after only 5k miles and of course the local transmission guy is trying to tell me I need a new one.
Good for you sharing the fact that a heavy build contributes to wear and tear on our vehicles, not to mention gas consumption. I watch these builds all the time and often see people trying to make them like a house. The weight adds up very quickly! If every decision in the build considers weight of materials, it can make a huge difference. Why put so much hard work into a build, only to find your vehicle will wear out prematurely? Especially since we all want our dream rig to be around for a long time. 😃
Kip is a hoot!! That was a lot of interesting info, from him and you guys both, even tho I don't have a Promaster. You two have accumulated such a wealth of knowledge, on so many things, since I've been watching your channel. I'll bet you were pretty smart before then too 😄!! Take care and see you next time. ☃️🌲♥️🌲☃️
Thanks for watching, and we appreciate the kind words! We dont feel very smart sometimes...LOL! We have done some dumb things and learned by our mistakes! NOTHING VENTURED~NOTHING GAINED!
Thanks for sharing! I got my ProMaster with 150k miles already on her and I already have that low transmission fluid pressure code now and then, so I know I'll be going through this eventually too. Loved that Kip was in your video too! He's so knowledgable and funny. Thanks again for sharing both the joys and the struggles - I love your channel!
Great advice from you and from Kip. Kip has helped me out twice with advice- he's the greatest. I recently had my window replaced and noticed the cowling had a gap, similar to yours in this video. I asked the tech who replaced the window about it and he said the gap was normal and nothing to worry about. Proves you Can't believe everything your told when you go to a shop to fix things. It's very frustrating!! Thanks for this info, I will fix it myself since I do live in the PNW!! I'll get some black gorilla tape to keep the cowling down, that should do the trick.
+@lorraineanderson149 yeah that is what we are using to fix ours. Water also gets in and sits on top of your motor. It can cause bolts to rust. Have you heard Kip talk about the nipples for this?
@oneadVANtureatatime yes, I saw Kips video on the nipples the day he posted and was one of the first ones to buy it. They really do keep the bolts dry. When I go in for service, I take them out so the mechanics don't mess with them.
I normally don't respond to RUclips videos that I watch but I wanted to let you know that I ordered one of your calendars and it arrived today. I love your pictures. I have been following you guys since what I think at least two and a half years and I love your videos and your travels. Hope you have a Merry Christmas
+@marleneruehr8859 awesome! Thank you for letting me know! I’ve had some anxiety about these calendars arriving this year because…..well a lot of oops happened all across the board and they are taking longer to arrive!
At about 7K miles, I switched our engine oil and transmission fluid to Amzoil. Amzoil claims your transmission will run around 30 degrees cooler. I don't know if it's true, but I drank the cool aid.
Had a sprinter based RV . Weak point was trans. Added trans fluid temp gauge and remote Derail trans cooler with its own fan. Toggle switch for fan on dash. When it got warm on a climb, just flip the switch and it cooled right down.
Great video! Been monitoring my transmission fluid temperature for years with my Scangauge 2 - along with lots of other important indicators. Just upgraded to the Scangauge 3 and absolutely love it! The audible alerts with customizable settings are worth the upgrade alone. You can't get audible alerts on the SG2. The larger display and colors make it much easier to read. Oh, had a cell phone based OBD2 device before that and was not happy with it. Too many other things are going on with my phone. Distracting, plus it kept disconnecting. IMHO, the wired OBD2 device like the Scangauge is a much, much better way to go. I have a 2016 Promaster with 120K miles on it.
Exactly why i won't tow more than recommended with my Ram truck. Thanks for the video. I have the 8 speed, and mine is a 2020. Loved this !!!!!!!! You guys are awesome, and so is Kip. Have a Merry Christmas
Tanks for the tip !!! I don't have a promaster but I'm thinking that any vehicle could have issues if water were to ingress that way. Thanks for sharing one ADVANture at a time !!
Many vehicles where a tow package is a factory option, an auxiliary transmission cooler is installed to lower the transmission fluid temp. This cooler is simply a small heat exchanger (ie a small radiator) and the trans fluid is routed through the trans cooler in addition to the radiator. These devices are fairly simple to add which could help with fluid heat. I also wonder if increasing fluid capacity could also help with fluid heat by cycling it through an expansion tank to lengthen throughput time….
I had to thumbs up this video mostly because of Kip, knowledgeable and funny. As Randy below said, heat is the enemy of transmissions and there are ways to mitigate this problem. Some auto makers have what they call “ lifetime transmission fluid “ (don’t know if Dodge does or not), but that’s a complete lie, all fluids break down over time. Their definition of “ lifetime “ is right before your tranny fails. Safe travels guys.
Great information, Thank you so much For sharing. I will be having my transmission serviced at 50000 miles. And I'm Going Out right now and checking the window gasket.
Perfect! I’ve been watching Kip since he started his RUclips channel. Thanks for the info, and yes, I believe the weight of our heavy builds does contribute to the wear of the transmissions of our Promasters.
Hey. I have been a subscriber for about 3 years. Great information today about the transmission in the ProMaster. I have a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan with the same transmission. I did the trans service at 70K. I'm now at 85K, next for me is at 100K trans service. I'm in sunny Tampa where we have excessive UV and hot days for weeks. The cowling at the windshield is a mess, cracked and crumbling. Tomorrow all that gets super cleaned and some gun medal gray, color match, duct tape is going to cover all of that to keep the rain atop the windshield. Thanks again.
OK, I was one of those people who owned a Promaster 2500 for about a year during Covid and had absolutely no problems. But, this was a very informative video, practical and very useful to anyone who might currently be driving a Promaster or considering getting one in the future. Nice job!
I work at a ski resort in Montana and had a 2014 Promaster. We had transmission problems from the start. I now have a 2024 Promaster 2500. So far, so good. I keep it out of the weather, but we go up and down the mountain to town twice a day. Thank you for doing g this video because I learned a few things and will pass that on to my employees.
I would do the 30.000 miles transmission service. Have you thougt of coverting to 80/20 aluminum framing? I would think that will help with the van weight.
So good to see Kip. He's great. We changed transmission fluid early and do it sooner as well because we too are heavy and close to our max weight. Ray bought a Scan Gauge III it gives trans temp, coolant temp, engine oil...Ray can give you more info.
You guys are pretty "on it" and have a relatively heavy build. What do you see as normal summertime flat cruise transmission temps? My guess is rarely above 180F.
We’re glad we could help! We wanted to share because there is so much negative about the promaster transmissions (they are weak spot for sure) but not much info on how to keep your transmission happy.
+@trishrobbins9942 I’m sorry to hear that! We knew going in that this was a weak spot in the vehicle and kept stashing money away to get it replaced when needed. For any van that is being built out….weight is very important to the health of the vehicle.
I have a 2016 Grand Caravan and I know better than to believe the owners manual, which says that the transmission fluid never needs service, so I changed it at 80k miles. But I had my windshield replaced a few months ago and noticed the big gap between the new windshield and the water seal, which I didn't know could be a problem. Thanks for the info, I'll see if I can get a replacement. Or maybe use Eternabond roof tape? Not so pretty. This is very helpful video.
Thanks for sharing that info Carrie and Dave. I'm not a car person at all, so I learned some things. I'm thankful that one of the very few things that were not wrong on my purchased new Ford chassis motorhome, is the Ford part! And that's a miracle as far as I'm concerned. I hope you are back in the warmer climate now and wishing you and Roodle Happy Holidays!
Thanks for the transmission lesson. I have a Chrysler Towne and country minivan-overloaded and getting close to 100,000 miles. The windshield was replaced & the rubber is all worn out (cracked) and I live on the PNW coast. 🙏🙏❣️
I think you’re in the danger zone! lol! The good news is that this is a rare occurrence and now you can take steps to avoid it. Glad we could share this info.
Thanks! we did a few trips while we were headed south but have been staying with family until after Christmas. I think we're both ready to hit the road! The southwest is calling us!
We have a class C and always monitor the transmission temp and water (engine) temp. Better to slow down or pull over than risk damage. We have pulled over on many mountain passes when we see things getting hot.
Well the water thing is weird but he’s correct. As a former Dodge mechanic I never worked on them but heat kills a transmission. My Rv is a Ford and I’m adding a huge cooler with an electric fan on it. A deep pan with a side port for a temperature gauge. The east coast mountains are small compared to the Rockies so that’s on my list to do. I did it on my old 2500 Suburban and it held 5 gallons of transmission fluid 😂. Never overheated 🥵. Great video
I’m an expert at overheating truck transmissions. haha….my story. I used to live at the beach in NC. Driving my truck on the beach multiple times a week in deep soft sand, in 90-95 degree summer heat. It would overheat the transmissions on nearly every truck I owned in the 80s and 90s. The sure fire tell tale sign I had smoked my transmission fluid, was when I drove off the beach onto pavement, and heard my engine RPMs being much higher than normal immediately. The transmission was slipping like an SOB. As I’d drive just one or two miles, the engine RPMs would return to normal as it began to cool from speed and lack of load being on pavement. I’d head to the transmission shop for a fluid flush soon afterwords. It would happen probably once each summer to me. I could sit on the beach on a 95 degree day and smell all the burned transmission driving by. I did install extra coolers on my transmission. I learned to always buy trucks with factory tow packages, to get the “secretly included bigger cooler” that comes with that option.
Advance auto parts sells a plug-in monitor that shows 18 different functions. Plugs into the OBD two port. It looks to be about inch and a half wide and approximately 4 inches long. It displays four functions at one time on the screen. One of them is transmission oil temperature. You guys might want to look into that.
I just sold my 2019 Promaster in October with over 200k miles. Didn't overbuild my rig and changed the transmission fluid every 40k miles. It was a very good van. Don't drive it hard and do the scheduled maintenance.
Not gearing down when under load. Letting transmission shift in and out of higher gears while climbing grades under load. Letting torque converter slip because of heat buildup. Main causes.
To moniter your trans temp simply buy a capillary style water temp guage from an auto parts store. Mount it under the dash, no power hookup needed. Run the capillary tube to the OUTPUT line on the trans that goes to the cooler and wire the bulb on the end of the capillary tight to the steel trans line. Id wrap a liitle aluminum foil around it and a couple wraps of stainless wire around that. Easy, simple, cheap, and its always staring you in the face. No OBD2 port or phone app needed. BTW I change ( spill and fill) my trans fluid every 20k. Never had an issue with a trans.
In a facebook group someone posted that they use a silicone draft stopper to span a windshield gap. I tried a cheap version and it came off so next Ill try the one they used (“TORRAMI Silicone Door Sweep Draft Stopper 2 inch Width 20 Feet Length,Seal Insulation for Door Under Bottom”)
When I wash my Suburban and am rinsing off the windshield, the water goes to the vent channel below it and drains directly down (on purpose, I guess). It seems like it's draining straight down the firewall. Now you have me wondering if that water is flowing over any vital transmission parts/areas that might be unprotected. I sure hope not. Lol. You'd think they would know that would be a problem, and build a shroud over the top of it...
In my field (expedited freight) we regularly max them right up to 10,000lbs gross and occassionally over. That sounds crazy heavy, but some of the more decked out motor homes will scale at 9000, and people will then load them with another 2000lbs of underwear and cheeze whiz and whatnot. But as a general rule, you wont even notice a difference till you get over 8000 gross. I would consider that moderate to moderately heavy. For reference, a 3500 extended as it comes new and empty is 5400. A 1500 SWB empty is about 4800.
50K on our 2018 Promaster at 8100lbs. Here are the things I'm doing based on nothing other than personal experience. I'm changing the fluid a lot. I added the Dorman pan with drain plug so it makes it easy. I am changing the transmission fluid at 10k intervals (lined up with engine oil changes) and the filter at 30k. Excessive? Absolutely. But considering the expense and downtime of a transmission failure I think it is worth it. When cruising above 60ish I will manually select 5th gear. I've noticed it will upshift to 6th and then be unable to hold that gear and downshift to 5th. This hunting between gears adds heat and I've seen it on my SGII. It's only a few degrees though. If a transmission's life is measured by the number of shifts....running 5th when it wants to hunt between 6 and 5 could be helpful. You will run a higher RPM sitting in 5th on the highway and likely burn a little more fuel but it could be worth it in the long run. Who ever picked the 6th gear ratio for the Promaster needs a good talking to. It is wildly inappropriate. I watch the temps with a SGII. My guess is folks have spiked their temps and had no clue. Apparently, the van's transmission overheat light comes on around 250F which is insane. I have been climbing steep grades manually shifted and holding either 3rd or 4th with steady transmission temps around 210F. Then out of nowhere it starts climbing rapidly. I've pulled over when it gets to 230F. I don't know what is changing in the transmission to cause this but the temp. climb is fast. The only time the transmission made a bad noise was when I didn't wait a few seconds between shifting from reverse to drive or drive to reverse. Give it a few seconds before you hit the go pedal.
Great video! Kip is entertaining! I have a temperature monitor on mine. It’s a Scan Gauge III, through the ODB port. The issue has always been, what is normal?? When I first installed it I usually ran about 90 degrees over ambient. My last transmission fluid change, running about 120 over ambient. Now i’m thinking I have too much or too little fluid in the trans?? I’m going to reach out to Kip and see what he thinks. If heat is the issue, why not add an auxiliary trans cooler? Years ago, an aux trans cooler was part of the tow package on trucks and cars. PS, I’m at 130k on my way to Q and a little worried.
we are looking at the scan Gauge III. We are wondering about installing an auxiliary trans cooler. The promaster has a dual core radiator that cools the transmission and the engine coolant. Not sure if we could add to this.
@@oneadVANtureatatimeI’m not sure where the sensors are, but water and trans read completely different. I think the scan gauge works great. You can set up alarms for the high temperature. I will text you a picture of mine. I think I have a number for you.
We live in the PNW. We’ll check our seal. We’ve been noticing our coolant is low intermittently but we don’t see a leak. Anyone have any ideas what’s causing it?
We have that problem too! We had the same problem in our jeep that had the same engine as the promaster. The word on the street is that there can be tiny cracks in the plastic that you cannot see. We still check ours weekly or at least every month. We did discover a leak one time by doing regular checks and had it fixed before it was a major problem!
Sad that we can't get the Promaster in the U.S. with a stick. Manual transmissions need no fluid changes, have no oil coolers, no electronic controls, and are thousands less on the sticker. The rest of the world is smarter than we are. My Promaster is the first automatic I've owned in over 50 years, i just bought it two weeks ago. A 2015, I drove it home from the dealer less than 10 miles. The transmission failed the next morning.
You can buy a transmission oil temp gauge from an auto parts. Get the old, mechanical kind. Put it in the transmission cooler line leading out to the radiator. That way it will tell the temperature of the oil that is leaving the transmission. Then you’ll know how hot your transmission is. I’ve done this many of times in my 34 years of building transmissions. I do agree with the once a year service policy. Fresh oil keeps these things alive. Whether it’s 20,000 or 100,000 miles.
@ anytime the engine is running the fluid is pumping through the cooler lines. The only exception is the very old Chrysler units which do not lubricate in park. And when you were pulling a hill, you will see the temperature rise. Excessive shifting creates heat. You’ll be able to see that on the gauge also.
I would caution against this for two reasons. One is that anytime you cut into existing lines you introduce the opportunity for a leak, not that it can't be done. But the transmission has a perfectly good temp sensor already onboard, it's just a matter of getting to that data. I'm working on an app for this due out in January, but the Scangauge will also do it, as will a few other devices. A mechanical gauge is foolproof, but if for some reason it leaks you are going to scrap an otherwise good transmission.
@ then let’s go the other way. Advanced auto parts sells a OBD2 plug in gauge that will monitor 18 different functions including Transmission oil temp. It is a small display screen so it doesn’t take up much room.
You can add an aux cooler, but the stock one is robust and pretty large. My feeling is it's enough. Also, I am uncertain if there is such a thing as too cold, or if colder is necessarily better. What you really want to know is what is a normal temp, and what then is excessive temp. In January I'm releasing a phone app to do just that.
Seems like the existing trans cooler is insufficient. If the trans fluid is burning up within 20-k miles either the cooler is plugged up or maybe the torque converter has an issue. The torque converter is the liquid coupling that allows the engine to run while the van is stopped and in gear. It can develop a tremendous amount of heat. Transmission coolers are around $100 on Amazon. The trans fluid temp runs around 165-f to 175-f on our Ram diesel pickup while towing a 14-k pound 5th wheel. It starts to go up while pulling steep hills but that is expected. I would put a secondary cooler in the trans return line but first I would have the existing cooler tested to make sure its flows properly and is not partially clogged up.
That’s some great advice, thanks for sharing! We suspected that the torque converter was bad by process of elimination. I hope that was it but it doesn't hurt to check for a clog and extra cooling seems like it would be a good thing to me. Dave just informed me that the lines were replaced with the new transmission install. Very helpful information... thank you!
Kip is the man!!! If you own a Promaster subscribe to his channel. His knowledge and expertise on all things Promaster is second to none. And he speaks in layman's terms , with the occasional Dad jokes.
He did! that's our story and we are sticking to it! Kip also said he didn't recommend slamming it into reverse...LOL The mechanic that replaced our transmission said it looked like it had been altered. Which had us thinking they might have known it was having issues because why would you trade in a van with only 29,000 miles on it. In that case we did good to get 7 years out of it! BUT WHO KNOWS, our total vehicle weight is defiantly a factor!
@ y’all will always have a special place for me in my life. It made me feel good to know that I was the first one that donated to your first live stream.
@ yeah I’ve been following Kippy for several years and I’ve even called him and talked to him before which I thought was pretty damn cool!! my Pro Master has been out of commission because I fried the wiring harness, overloading it with my house batteries with direct connect to the starter battery. Fortunately, I was parked where their security cameras and no one has hassle me for the past year and a half but there again I do have a 30 foot box truck parked in the same location which has allowed me to have something to drive and work out of so life is sweet!! but well it’s been out of commission. I’ve put the parts canon to the engine new coils, new plugs, new upgraded oil cooler new pulley sbelt plugs, water pump, starter alternator, oil, pressure sensor camshaft timing sensors, and this week, the grand finale, a new wiring harness
@ thank you! I think the timing was perfect though! They got us a new transmission flown into Alaska in one week and had it installed in two days! Plus there was no sales tax! I keep hearing these horror stories of it taking months!
You have stressed your van massively taking unsuitable off road adventures. It’s been great to watch but using my Promaster as a snow plow is not my style. I’ve driven South America with two people and a dog in a 2020 3500 with 106,000 miles on the clock. I’ve been up to 15,600 feet in the Andes and have driven up and down hairpins for hundreds of miles. I drive slowly. I don’t push and I don’t rush. We took a ferry two weeks ago and we weighed in at 9325 pounds in Puerto Montt in Chile . We are now 275 miles from the tip of South America and plan to drive home slowly over the next year or two. No pushing shoving or racing. No slamming of gears no submerging in rivers. Just gentle driving. We mostly drive below 2,000 rpm and never over 4,000. And when things break we will fix them. No drama. It’s just mechanical and it gets repaired. Just as you did in Alaska. I hope you keep enjoying life because allowing a transmission to ravage your thinking would be the saddest thing of all.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
A HUGE THANK YOU to Kip from ProMasters Only for stopping by! If you have any questions or concerns about ProMasters, please check out his RUclips channel.
youtube.com/@promastersonly1419?si=07GecoBwzLkgOydd
Repair videos and highlights from the shop, located at 213 Snyder Ave. Barberton OH 44203. Feel free to call 234-571-0098, though email is best at Promastersonly@gmail.com. I respond personally. I can also respond impersonally, if you like..... Kip
My world/YT channels collide! 🥰
Wanted to thank you both for posting this. The goal is to have the most people have the least problems with their vans, and this spreading of knowledge furthers that. Party on, people!
Kip, does the Promaster come with a sufficient trans cooler or should folks and an aftermarket cooler. Like you said, heat is your enemy. Also, can you drain the torque converter on a Promaster and do you recommend it when you service the trans?
@ Differentiating the 2022/up vans which have a different trans…the stock cooler is quite large and super robust. It’s also in the engine fan path so flow isnt a problem.
The converter is sealed, and you cant drain it as such. You get something like 2/3rds of the fluid out on a normal pan drop. My feeling is that while you can do a double drain and fill if you like, its not really necessary. At 50k, the fluid is usually pretty clean on a healthy trans, so getting 100% out isnt really necessary. We had a trans in once with 600k+ on it that had NEVER been changed. I was impressed because the fluid was bad, but not horrible. A good working trans doesnt dirty it’s fluid much, is the takeaway.
Thank you so much for posting this. We had no idea about changing the transmission fluid in our van and ran it into the ground at just under 100k miles. Unfortunately we were between a rock and a hard place in Moab Utah and got a used transmission. It’s starting to act funny again after only 5k miles and of course the local transmission guy is trying to tell me I need a new one.
Good for you sharing the fact that a heavy build contributes to wear and tear on our vehicles, not to mention gas consumption. I watch these builds all the time and often see people trying to make them like a house. The weight adds up very quickly! If every decision in the build considers weight of materials, it can make a huge difference. Why put so much hard work into a build, only to find your vehicle will wear out prematurely? Especially since we all want our dream rig to be around for a long time. 😃
Scangauge will let you track the temps.
Kip is a hoot!! That was a lot of interesting info, from him and you guys both, even tho I don't have a Promaster. You two have accumulated such a wealth of knowledge, on so many things, since I've been watching your channel. I'll bet you were pretty smart before then too 😄!!
Take care and see you next time.
☃️🌲♥️🌲☃️
Thanks for watching, and we appreciate the kind words! We dont feel very smart sometimes...LOL! We have done some dumb things and learned by our mistakes! NOTHING VENTURED~NOTHING GAINED!
Thanks for sharing! I got my ProMaster with 150k miles already on her and I already have that low transmission fluid pressure code now and then, so I know I'll be going through this eventually too. Loved that Kip was in your video too! He's so knowledgable and funny. Thanks again for sharing both the joys and the struggles - I love your channel!
Great advice from you and from Kip. Kip has helped me out twice with advice- he's the greatest. I recently had my window replaced and noticed the cowling had a gap, similar to yours in this video. I asked the tech who replaced the window about it and he said the gap was normal and nothing to worry about. Proves you Can't believe everything your told when you go to a shop to fix things. It's very frustrating!! Thanks for this info, I will fix it myself since I do live in the PNW!! I'll get some black gorilla tape to keep the cowling down, that should do the trick.
+@lorraineanderson149 yeah that is what we are using to fix ours. Water also gets in and sits on top of your motor. It can cause bolts to rust. Have you heard Kip talk about the nipples for this?
@oneadVANtureatatime yes, I saw Kips video on the nipples the day he posted and was one of the first ones to buy it. They really do keep the bolts dry. When I go in for service, I take them out so the mechanics don't mess with them.
I normally don't respond to RUclips videos that I watch but I wanted to let you know that I ordered one of your calendars and it arrived today. I love your pictures. I have been following you guys since what I think at least two and a half years and I love your videos and your travels. Hope you have a Merry Christmas
+@marleneruehr8859 awesome! Thank you for letting me know! I’ve had some anxiety about these calendars arriving this year because…..well a lot of oops happened all across the board and they are taking longer to arrive!
I'm bummed, I wanted to see what tape you used and how 😢
At about 7K miles, I switched our engine oil and transmission fluid to Amzoil. Amzoil claims your transmission will run around 30 degrees cooler. I don't know if it's true, but I drank the cool aid.
Had a sprinter based RV . Weak point was trans. Added trans fluid temp gauge and remote Derail trans cooler with its own fan. Toggle switch for fan on dash. When it got warm on a climb, just flip the switch and it cooled right down.
Great video! Been monitoring my transmission fluid temperature for years with my Scangauge 2 - along with lots of other important indicators. Just upgraded to the Scangauge 3 and absolutely love it! The audible alerts with customizable settings are worth the upgrade alone. You can't get audible alerts on the SG2. The larger display and colors make it much easier to read. Oh, had a cell phone based OBD2 device before that and was not happy with it. Too many other things are going on with my phone. Distracting, plus it kept disconnecting. IMHO, the wired OBD2 device like the Scangauge is a much, much better way to go. I have a 2016 Promaster with 120K miles on it.
Kip's videos are GREAT
Exactly why i won't tow more than recommended with my Ram truck. Thanks for the video. I have the 8 speed, and mine is a 2020. Loved this !!!!!!!! You guys are awesome, and so is Kip. Have a Merry Christmas
Tanks for the tip !!! I don't have a promaster but I'm thinking that any vehicle could have issues if water were to ingress that way. Thanks for sharing one ADVANture at a time !!
You're welcome! It's always a good idea to check for water leaks, even if it's not a Promaster.
This was very informative and Kip is a hoot!
Many vehicles where a tow package is a factory option, an auxiliary transmission cooler is installed to lower the transmission fluid temp. This cooler is simply a small heat exchanger (ie a small radiator) and the trans fluid is routed through the trans cooler in addition to the radiator. These devices are fairly simple to add which could help with fluid heat. I also wonder if increasing fluid capacity could also help with fluid heat by cycling it through an expansion tank to lengthen throughput time….
By adding a tranny cooler, it would increase fluid capacity by approximately 1 qt.
Promaster comes with a rather large external cooler already.
I had to thumbs up this video mostly because of Kip, knowledgeable and funny. As Randy below said, heat is the enemy of transmissions and there are ways to mitigate this problem. Some auto makers have what they call “ lifetime transmission fluid “ (don’t know if Dodge does or not), but that’s a complete lie, all fluids break down over time. Their definition of “ lifetime “ is right before your tranny fails. Safe travels guys.
Great information, Thank you so much For sharing. I will be having my transmission serviced at 50000 miles. And I'm Going Out right now and checking the window gasket.
Wonderful! Three of my favorite people. Fine, frank advice and comments.
Thank you guys for the info including Skip.
Thanks for watching! Kip is knowledgeable and entertaining!
Perfect! I’ve been watching Kip since he started his RUclips channel. Thanks for the info, and yes, I believe the weight of our heavy builds does contribute to the wear of the transmissions of our Promasters.
Hey. I have been a subscriber for about 3 years. Great information today about the transmission in the ProMaster. I have a 2014 Dodge Grand Caravan with the same transmission. I did the trans service at 70K. I'm now at 85K, next for me is at 100K trans service. I'm in sunny Tampa where we have excessive UV and hot days for weeks. The cowling at the windshield is a mess, cracked and crumbling. Tomorrow all that gets super cleaned and some gun medal gray, color match, duct tape is going to cover all of that to keep the rain atop the windshield. Thanks again.
OK, I was one of those people who owned a Promaster 2500 for about a year during Covid and had absolutely no problems. But, this was a very informative video, practical and very useful to anyone who might currently be driving a Promaster or considering getting one in the future. Nice job!
A whole year with no problems, that’s amazing for a Dodge.
Thanks, I live in Oregon, very wet. I will check my windshield strip for leaks
Real big thank you for the upload with Kip too ! Let us know when you get that temperature monitor. Thanks again and....
👍 Rock on 🙂.
We appreciate the 👍! We will for sure let everyone know when we have the temperature monitor installed.
This is a great video. thank you for this info. We are just around 58,000 miles and will get our transmission fluid serviced right away.
I work at a ski resort in Montana and had a 2014 Promaster. We had transmission problems from the start. I now have a 2024 Promaster 2500. So far, so good. I keep it out of the weather, but we go up and down the mountain to town twice a day. Thank you for doing g this video because I learned a few things and will pass that on to my employees.
With your weight I would definitely add an auxiliary transmission cooler no more worries very inexpensive…..Happy trails.
Thank you for sharing this valuable information for those of us who have a promaster! Safe travels
Kip is amazing
I would do the 30.000 miles transmission service. Have you thougt of coverting to 80/20 aluminum framing? I would think that will help with the van weight.
Very interesting. Glad he said not to feel guilty!
@@slowalaskan that was a bit of relief for sure! We still have some responsibility because of how heavy our build is.
So good to see Kip. He's great. We changed transmission fluid early and do it sooner as well because we too are heavy and close to our max weight. Ray bought a Scan Gauge III it gives trans temp, coolant temp, engine oil...Ray can give you more info.
@@CorndogCaravan awesome! We’ve been looking at the scan gauge III!
@oneadVANtureatatime auto zone does a monthly 20% off coupon with free shipping if that helps.
You guys are pretty "on it" and have a relatively heavy build. What do you see as normal summertime flat cruise transmission temps? My guess is rarely above 180F.
Awesome video great info thanks 🇨🇦🛠️🇨🇦🛠️
Learn something new! Thank you!
Thanks so much for the information! It brought a little peace of mind along with well appreciated knowledge! ❤
We’re glad we could help! We wanted to share because there is so much negative about the promaster transmissions (they are weak spot for sure) but not much info on how to keep your transmission happy.
I keep mine so it’s pink. But every 30-40,000 do the service. I have a drain plug on mine so can dump some of the fluid more frequently
Thank you for posting this information. I sold my Promaster and lost $40k because of my fear for transmission problems in the future.
+@trishrobbins9942 I’m sorry to hear that! We knew going in that this was a weak spot in the vehicle and kept stashing money away to get it replaced when needed. For any van that is being built out….weight is very important to the health of the vehicle.
Yeah repairing a transmission would be way more than 40k. 😂
Thanks guys!
I have a 2016 Grand Caravan and I know better than to believe the owners manual, which says that the transmission fluid never needs service, so I changed it at 80k miles. But I had my windshield replaced a few months ago and noticed the big gap between the new windshield and the water seal, which I didn't know could be a problem. Thanks for the info, I'll see if I can get a replacement. Or maybe use Eternabond roof tape? Not so pretty. This is very helpful video.
Thanks for sharing that info Carrie and Dave. I'm not a car person at all, so I learned some things. I'm thankful that one of the very few things that were not wrong on my purchased new Ford chassis motorhome, is the Ford part! And that's a miracle as far as I'm concerned. I hope you are back in the warmer climate now and wishing you and Roodle Happy Holidays!
Thanks for the transmission lesson. I have a Chrysler Towne and country minivan-overloaded and getting close to 100,000 miles. The windshield was replaced & the rubber is all worn out (cracked) and I live on the PNW coast. 🙏🙏❣️
I think you’re in the danger zone! lol! The good news is that this is a rare occurrence and now you can take steps to avoid it. Glad we could share this info.
Interesting. Glad you are ready to get advanturing again!😊
Thanks! we did a few trips while we were headed south but have been staying with family until after Christmas. I think we're both ready to hit the road! The southwest is calling us!
Excellent information, Thank you!
Kip rules.
I was waiting for this one! thanks guys!
We have a class C and always monitor the transmission temp and water (engine) temp. Better to slow down or pull over than risk damage. We have pulled over on many mountain passes when we see things getting hot.
Well the water thing is weird but he’s correct. As a former Dodge mechanic I never worked on them but heat kills a transmission. My Rv is a Ford and I’m adding a huge cooler with an electric fan on it. A deep pan with a side port for a temperature gauge. The east coast mountains are small compared to the Rockies so that’s on my list to do. I did it on my old 2500 Suburban and it held 5 gallons of transmission fluid 😂. Never overheated 🥵. Great video
I’m an expert at overheating truck transmissions. haha….my story. I used to live at the beach in NC. Driving my truck on the beach multiple times a week in deep soft sand, in 90-95 degree summer heat. It would overheat the transmissions on nearly every truck I owned in the 80s and 90s. The sure fire tell tale sign I had smoked my transmission fluid, was when I drove off the beach onto pavement, and heard my engine RPMs being much higher than normal immediately. The transmission was slipping like an SOB. As I’d drive just one or two miles, the engine RPMs would return to normal as it began to cool from speed and lack of load being on pavement. I’d head to the transmission shop for a fluid flush soon afterwords. It would happen probably once each summer to me. I could sit on the beach on a 95 degree day and smell all the burned transmission driving by. I did install extra coolers on my transmission. I learned to always buy trucks with factory tow packages, to get the “secretly included bigger cooler” that comes with that option.
Advance auto parts sells a plug-in monitor that shows 18 different functions. Plugs into the OBD two port. It looks to be about inch and a half wide and approximately 4 inches long. It displays four functions at one time on the screen. One of them is transmission oil temperature. You guys might want to look into that.
I just sold my 2019 Promaster in October with over 200k miles. Didn't overbuild my rig and changed the transmission fluid every 40k miles. It was a very good van. Don't drive it hard and do the scheduled maintenance.
Great info. So Roodle hitting the shifter didn't cause any issues🐕. Every time our Lab walks up between the seats I hold the shifter.. .happy Trails 🐕
@@michaelbecnel63 I don’t think it helped in Any way😂 but I don’t think he is the reason it all went to crap🤷♀️
Thank you.
You’re welcome!
Got my sticker. Looks good! Thank you!
We’re so glad you like it!
Love kip. I have a 2003 dayota and it's transmission isn't really happy anymore.
Im sorry to hear that! But WOW! it lasted over 20 years?
Merry Christmas wherever you are!!🎄🎁
Thank You! Merry Christmas to You as well! We will be spending it with family in California this year.
Not gearing down when under load. Letting transmission shift in and out of higher gears while climbing grades under load. Letting torque converter slip because of heat buildup. Main causes.
Can concur and recommend the ScanGauge II - very helpful device and WILL tell you the trans temp so you can monitor it routinely.
Good to know, thanks for the heads-up! We have been looking at that exact brand.
To moniter your trans temp simply buy a capillary style water temp guage from an auto parts store. Mount it under the dash, no power hookup needed. Run the capillary tube to the OUTPUT line on the trans that goes to the cooler and wire the bulb on the end of the capillary tight to the steel trans line. Id wrap a liitle aluminum foil around it and a couple wraps of stainless wire around that. Easy, simple, cheap, and its always staring you in the face. No OBD2 port or phone app needed. BTW I change ( spill and fill) my trans fluid every 20k. Never had an issue with a trans.
Agreed that build weight is a problem. What # are you at?
+@shabazan we are just below the gross vehicle weight of 8900….I’m embarrassed to tell you!
In a facebook group someone posted that they use a silicone draft stopper to span a windshield gap. I tried a cheap version and it came off so next Ill try the one they used (“TORRAMI Silicone Door Sweep Draft Stopper 2 inch Width 20 Feet Length,Seal Insulation for Door Under Bottom”)
When I wash my Suburban and am rinsing off the windshield, the water goes to the vent channel below it and drains directly down (on purpose, I guess). It seems like it's draining straight down the firewall. Now you have me wondering if that water is flowing over any vital transmission parts/areas that might be unprotected. I sure hope not. Lol. You'd think they would know that would be a problem, and build a shroud over the top of it...
Bonus episode!!! A good surprise.
@@grayandgrumpy a surprise bonus video!
How much does you van weigh and what is considered to heavy? Great video thanks for all thin info.
+@johnnyguerra3754 we will be doing a video about this next Wednesday
In my field (expedited freight) we regularly max them right up to 10,000lbs gross and occassionally over. That sounds crazy heavy, but some of the more decked out motor homes will scale at 9000, and people will then load them with another 2000lbs of underwear and cheeze whiz and whatnot. But as a general rule, you wont even notice a difference till you get over 8000 gross. I would consider that moderate to moderately heavy. For reference, a 3500 extended as it comes new and empty is 5400. A 1500 SWB empty is about 4800.
7 years is pretty impressive though!
It is! we are not ready to call it quits yet....BUT... a home base is seeming like a really nice idea about now.
Hi guys! I'm looking at the Scanguage 3 that plugs into the OBD II port; it has a lot of gauges and info, check it out
+@jamichael9386 yes! We here this is a good choice! We have ordered ourselves one!
50K on our 2018 Promaster at 8100lbs. Here are the things I'm doing based on nothing other than personal experience.
I'm changing the fluid a lot. I added the Dorman pan with drain plug so it makes it easy. I am changing the transmission fluid at 10k intervals (lined up with engine oil changes) and the filter at 30k. Excessive? Absolutely. But considering the expense and downtime of a transmission failure I think it is worth it.
When cruising above 60ish I will manually select 5th gear. I've noticed it will upshift to 6th and then be unable to hold that gear and downshift to 5th. This hunting between gears adds heat and I've seen it on my SGII. It's only a few degrees though. If a transmission's life is measured by the number of shifts....running 5th when it wants to hunt between 6 and 5 could be helpful. You will run a higher RPM sitting in 5th on the highway and likely burn a little more fuel but it could be worth it in the long run. Who ever picked the 6th gear ratio for the Promaster needs a good talking to. It is wildly inappropriate.
I watch the temps with a SGII. My guess is folks have spiked their temps and had no clue. Apparently, the van's transmission overheat light comes on around 250F which is insane. I have been climbing steep grades manually shifted and holding either 3rd or 4th with steady transmission temps around 210F. Then out of nowhere it starts climbing rapidly. I've pulled over when it gets to 230F. I don't know what is changing in the transmission to cause this but the temp. climb is fast.
The only time the transmission made a bad noise was when I didn't wait a few seconds between shifting from reverse to drive or drive to reverse. Give it a few seconds before you hit the go pedal.
Great info, thanks for sharing!
Great video! Kip is entertaining! I have a temperature monitor on mine. It’s a Scan Gauge III, through the ODB port. The issue has always been, what is normal?? When I first installed it I usually ran about 90 degrees over ambient. My last transmission fluid change, running about 120 over ambient. Now i’m thinking I have too much or too little fluid in the trans?? I’m going to reach out to Kip and see what he thinks. If heat is the issue, why not add an auxiliary trans cooler? Years ago, an aux trans cooler was part of the tow package on trucks and cars. PS, I’m at 130k on my way to Q and a little worried.
we are looking at the scan Gauge III. We are wondering about installing an auxiliary trans cooler. The promaster has a dual core radiator that cools the transmission and the engine coolant. Not sure if we could add to this.
@@oneadVANtureatatimeI’m not sure where the sensors are, but water and trans read completely different. I think the scan gauge works great. You can set up alarms for the high temperature. I will text you a picture of mine. I think I have a number for you.
@@oneadVANtureatatime The Promaster already has a large external air to fluid cooler. It does not use engine coolant to cool transmission fluid.
ScanGaugeII will let you select different gauges, or Bluetooth adapter and torque app.
Oh, that's a great tip, I'll have to look into that!
What do you do with trash
We live in the PNW. We’ll check our seal. We’ve been noticing our coolant is low intermittently but we don’t see a leak. Anyone have any ideas what’s causing it?
We have that problem too! We had the same problem in our jeep that had the same engine as the promaster. The word on the street is that there can be tiny cracks in the plastic that you cannot see. We still check ours weekly or at least every month. We did discover a leak one time by doing regular checks and had it fixed before it was a major problem!
Sad that we can't get the Promaster in the U.S. with a stick. Manual transmissions need no fluid changes, have no oil coolers, no electronic controls, and are thousands less on the sticker. The rest of the world is smarter than we are. My Promaster is the first automatic I've owned in over 50 years, i just bought it two weeks ago. A 2015, I drove it home from the dealer less than 10 miles. The transmission failed the next morning.
You can buy a transmission oil temp gauge from an auto parts. Get the old, mechanical kind. Put it in the transmission cooler line leading out to the radiator. That way it will tell the temperature of the oil that is leaving the transmission. Then you’ll know how hot your transmission is. I’ve done this many of times in my 34 years of building transmissions. I do agree with the once a year service policy. Fresh oil keeps these things alive. Whether it’s 20,000 or 100,000 miles.
+@Bumblingdesertdweller can we monitor that while driving?
@ anytime the engine is running the fluid is pumping through the cooler lines. The only exception is the very old Chrysler units which do not lubricate in park. And when you were pulling a hill, you will see the temperature rise. Excessive shifting creates heat. You’ll be able to see that on the gauge also.
I would caution against this for two reasons. One is that anytime you cut into existing lines you introduce the opportunity for a leak, not that it can't be done. But the transmission has a perfectly good temp sensor already onboard, it's just a matter of getting to that data. I'm working on an app for this due out in January, but the Scangauge will also do it, as will a few other devices. A mechanical gauge is foolproof, but if for some reason it leaks you are going to scrap an otherwise good transmission.
@ then let’s go the other way. Advanced auto parts sells a OBD2 plug in gauge that will monitor 18 different functions including Transmission oil temp. It is a small display screen so it doesn’t take up much room.
Can’t you install a transmission cooler?
+@davidnoel1750 that is a good question to ask Kip!
You can add an aux cooler, but the stock one is robust and pretty large. My feeling is it's enough. Also, I am uncertain if there is such a thing as too cold, or if colder is necessarily better. What you really want to know is what is a normal temp, and what then is excessive temp. In January I'm releasing a phone app to do just that.
Never mind the transmission.
I want whatever Kip is on! Lol.
+@GATORADDAM lol!!!
I was smoking estrogen patches all morning!
KipNip?
The problem with most automatic transmission they fail but a standard transmission would be great, so I avoid van they are over priced and fail bad
Seems like the existing trans cooler is insufficient. If the trans fluid is burning up within 20-k miles either the cooler is plugged up or maybe the torque converter has an issue. The torque converter is the liquid coupling that allows the engine to run while the van is stopped and in gear. It can develop a tremendous amount of heat. Transmission coolers are around $100 on Amazon. The trans fluid temp runs around 165-f to 175-f on our Ram diesel pickup while towing a 14-k pound 5th wheel. It starts to go up while pulling steep hills but that is expected. I would put a secondary cooler in the trans return line but first I would have the existing cooler tested to make sure its flows properly and is not partially clogged up.
That’s some great advice, thanks for sharing! We suspected that the torque converter was bad by process of elimination. I hope that was it but it doesn't hurt to check for a clog and extra cooling seems like it would be a good thing to me. Dave just informed me that the lines were replaced with the new transmission install. Very helpful information... thank you!
Kip is the man!!! If you own a Promaster subscribe to his channel. His knowledge and expertise on all things Promaster is second to none. And he speaks in layman's terms , with the occasional Dad jokes.
Kippy busted y’all, Carrie and Dave. Y’all said roodle hit the shifter while you were driving.
He did! that's our story and we are sticking to it! Kip also said he didn't recommend slamming it into reverse...LOL The mechanic that replaced our transmission said it looked like it had been altered. Which had us thinking they might have known it was having issues because why would you trade in a van with only 29,000 miles on it. In that case we did good to get 7 years out of it! BUT WHO KNOWS, our total vehicle weight is defiantly a factor!
@ yeah I was sad to hear that y’all‘s transmission went out and it was sad that happened on one of the most epic trips y’all have ever taken!!!
@ y’all will always have a special place for me in my life. It made me feel good to know that I was the first one that donated to your first live stream.
@ yeah I’ve been following Kippy for several years and I’ve even called him and talked to him before which I thought was pretty damn cool!! my Pro Master has been out of commission because I fried the wiring harness, overloading it with my house batteries with direct connect to the starter battery. Fortunately, I was parked where their security cameras and no one has hassle me for the past year and a half but there again I do have a 30 foot box truck parked in the same location which has allowed me to have something to drive and work out of so life is sweet!! but well it’s been out of commission. I’ve put the parts canon to the engine new coils, new plugs, new upgraded oil cooler new pulley sbelt plugs, water pump, starter alternator, oil, pressure sensor camshaft timing sensors, and this week, the grand finale, a new wiring harness
@ thank you! I think the timing was perfect though! They got us a new transmission flown into Alaska in one week and had it installed in two days! Plus there was no sales tax! I keep hearing these horror stories of it taking months!
You have stressed your van massively taking unsuitable off road adventures. It’s been great to watch but using my Promaster as a snow plow is not my style.
I’ve driven South America with two people and a dog in a 2020 3500 with 106,000 miles on the clock. I’ve been up to 15,600 feet in the Andes and have driven up and down hairpins for hundreds of miles. I drive slowly. I don’t push and I don’t rush. We took a ferry two weeks ago and we weighed in at 9325 pounds in Puerto Montt in Chile . We are now 275 miles from the tip of South America and plan to drive home slowly over the next year or two. No pushing shoving or racing. No slamming of gears no submerging in rivers. Just gentle driving. We mostly drive below 2,000 rpm and never over 4,000. And when things break we will fix them. No drama. It’s just mechanical and it gets repaired. Just as you did in Alaska. I hope you keep enjoying life because allowing a transmission to ravage your thinking would be the saddest thing of all.