The engine and transmission act like the heart and chest of your vehicle; anything wrong with them may cause problems. Transmission overheating is the most common cause of failure, accounting for 90% of all automatic transmission failures.
There are several reasons for the transmission over-temp warning on the Jeep dashboard. Low fluid level, burnt or old fluid, solenoid problems, excessive load or heavy towing, start-stop traffic, a problem with the cooling system, or a hot climate.
We explore more about the Jeep transmission over temp warning. Let’s scroll down.
What is Transmission over temp Jeep
A Jeep transmission over temp means the transmission is overheated. Transmission in your vehicle delivers power to the driveshaft to move the wheel. It consists of gears, and you can accelerate your Jeep by changing gears using the gear shifter. Sometimes transmission over temperature messages pops up on your dashboard because of excessive transmission heat. If you have this problem, pull it off and wait two to three hours for it to cool down and go to an expert transmission mechanic.
There are several reasons, but the most common reason for transmission over temperature is burnt, old, or low fluid level. For better maintenance of the transmission, check the fluid level with a dipstick and change it every 20,000 to 30,000 miles or once a year.
The ideal operating temperature for transmission fluid is 175 to 200 degrees. Every 20 degrees beyond this will double the failure rate. The higher temperature in the transmission will cause transmission bands to slip, damage to clutches and the torque converter, crack gears, and cause problems with the solenoid and bearings.
what causes transmission over temp Jeep
We listed below the common causes for Jeep transmission overheating.
Transmission Fluid Problems – The transmission fluid lubricated the parts and absorbed the heat. In transmission, the spinning gears and other moving parts generate the fraction, which causes heat. The transmission fluid carries the heat to the radiator.
The transmission fluid becomes darker and thinner, and its ability to carry heat reduces over time. It is essential to change transmission fluid once a year to get a smoother gear shift and to prevent transmission from overheating.
Start-Stop City Traffic – When you are moving in the city, constantly accelerating and stopping your Jeep and changing gears more frequently, you will put more strain on the transmission system, resulting in transmission over temp.
Solenoid Problems – The electro-hydraulic valve control, or solenoid, controls the transmission fluid. Because the transmission fluid lubricates and cools the moving parts, if there is a problem with the solenoid, it will not send the right amount of fluid to the transmission, causing it to overheat.
Towing Heavy Loads – Each vehicle has a towing capacity. If you exceed the towing capacity mentioned in the vehicle owner’s manual, you will put the transmission under high strain, which will cause transmission overheating. For example, the Jeep Commander has a maximum towing capacity of 7,400 pounds. If you exceed the towing load by more than that, it will cause more stress to the transmission, causing trans over temp warning.
Hot Climate – When driving in hot weather, the transmission gets overheated, which is obvious because of the high inside and outside temperatures.
Problem with Cooling System – The trans fluid caries the heat from transmission to radiator where the cooling system extract the heat from hot fuild and the cooled fuild piped back to transmission for next cycle. If there is problem cooling system it will not extract the heat form fluid which gradully increase the transmission temperature and transmission over temp massage appear.
Worn Transmission Bands and Clutches – The worn or broken bands and clutches cause fraction, resulting in transmission over temp massage.
transmission over temp Jeep symptoms
Transmission Slipping – It means when the gear does not shift when you want and shifts on its own without you wanting.
Transmission slipping is because of low transmission fluid levels, burnt or old transmission fluid, worn transmission bands, and problems with clutches, torque converters, or electro-hydraulic valve controls (solenoids), which control the flow of transmission fluid.
When your Jeep transmission slips, you may notice such as high RPM, a delay in acceleration, reverse gear not working, difficulty shifting gears, a burning smell due to burnt transmission fluid, noises coming from the transmission, or a check engine light on your Jeep dashboard.
Transmission slipping will cause overheating, so contact an expert transmission mechanic, inspect the fluid, and see if it is dirty or burned.
Burning Smell – When the Jeep transmission overheats, the fluid inside burns, producing a burnt smell that indicates overheating. The high temperature will make the fluid thinner and reduce its ability to carry out the heat from moving parts of the transmission.
Strange Noise – When the transmission overheats, you may hear strange noises like humming, whining, clunking, or buzzing. If you have these noises, it’s time to inspect your Jeep’s transmission.
Fluid Leak – When the transmission fluid temperature reaches 260 F, the seal begins to harden, which will cause fluid leaks and pressure loss. It will cause transmission problems.
How to prevent Transmission Over temp jeep
Check transmission fluid level – we know most of the time, the transmission overheats because of a low level of fluid. If you have this problem, check the trans fluid level first with a dipstick.
Change transmission fluid regularly – With time, fluid gets thinner and turns a darker red or black. Change your Jeep’s transmission fluid every 20,000 to 30,000 miles or once a year. This will help maintain your transmission health.
Add an external cooling system – cooling systems play an important role. Maintain your cooling system, and if you are a seasoned off-roader or towing heavy loads, then it is wise to add an external cooling system because a radiator alone will not provide enough cooling.
how to cool down transmission fast
Tip #1: If your transmission fluid temperature is higher than the operating temperature of 175 degrees, pull it off and wait 2 to 3 hours to cool it down.
Tip #2: Use the hand brake in the park so that there is no stress on the transmission and it cools down.
Tip #3: Use the four-wheel drive to reduce stress on the driveline; it can help when the transmission overheats.
Tip #4: Doing transmission thermostat mode, basically what that does is make sure to open your thermostat all the time so the fluid is flowing constantly and you may not have transmission overheated.
Tip #5: Put your Jeep in neutral after some distance so the transmission will breathe and never overheat.
Tip #6: Avoid bad habits while driving by not constantly accelerating and stopping.
transmission fluid temperature chart
| Transmission Fluid Temperature | Approximate Fluid Life Expectancy | |
| 175° to 195° F | 100,000 miles | |
| 215° F | 50,000 miles | |
| 235° F | 25,000 miles | Fluid additives start to boil. |
| 255° F | 12,500 miles | Start fluid leak and pressure loss |
| 275° F | 6,250 miles | |
| 295° F | 3,125 miles | No lubrication, and clutch plates burn up and slip badly. |
| 315° F | 1600 miles | Seals and clutches are fired, and disastrous transmission failure occurs. |
| 335° F | 800 miles | |
| 355° F | 400 miles | |
| 375° F | 200 miles | |
| 395° F | 100 miles |
normal transmission temperature when towing
When towing something with your Jeep, you put the transmission under stress. Because of this, the temperature rises. The normal, or operating, temperature with towing is about 175 to 200 degrees. Temperatures greater than 200 degrees will cause severe problems with your Jeep’s transmission.
Every 20 degrees beyond this temperature will cut the transmission life in half. Do not exceed the temperature above 200 degrees. Keep an eye on the transmission temperature. And when you notice the transmission overheating, get out of your Jeep. One method for keeping the temperature within limits is to put it into neutral after a short distance so the transmission can breathe and not overheat.
transmission over temp jeep commander
Your Jeep Commander transmission over temp warning light comes on for the reasons we discussed above, such as low fluid level, burnt fluid, a problem with the solenoid, heavy traffic or load towing, worn bands, or slippage.
There are other uncommon reasons for transmission overheating, such as a failed sensor, an electrical problem, or an issue with the thermostat, which measures the temperature of the transmission pan. So if there is a problem, it will not give the correct temperature.
In Jeep Commander v8s, the transmission control module (TCM) is incorporated with the power control module (PCM). If you are sure there is no problem with TCM, then it may be a problem with PCM, so it will give you a false reading and the trans-over-temp message will pop up.
Sometimes an excessive amount of transmission fluid also causes high temperatures.
To prevent your Jeep Commander’s transmission from overheating, check the transmission fluid level regularly, change it every 20 to 30 thousand miles, and maintain the cooling system.
how to cool transmission while driving
Tip #1: After some distance, put your vehicle into neutral.
Tip #2: Use four-wheel drive.
Tip #3: When you are stopping on signals, use the hand brake so the transmission will breathe.