Transmission Cooler - Anyone installed one?

johnygfunk

Member
:
Car
I love my CX-5 and it has been great for the 3 years I've owned it but there is a potential for a long move (1800 miles) for us and we'll be in a more mountainous region when we settle. Wondering if anyone has installed an aftermarket additional transmission cooler on the CX-5 and if so, how has it worked? This obviously can apply to both but I'm specifically thinking about the AT. Anyone ever installed one on another vehicle or Mazda? Seems straight forward.

Thoughts, concerns, ideas? Thanks
 
Well, they are often added when using a vehicle for towing. Towing a small trailer/sports trailer (below towing capacity of course) up and down steep grades is tolling on any transmission. I was thinking it would be a smart idea to add an extra bit of cooling to ensure proper operating temps for the transmission.

It's not uncommon on the CX-7 to add one, there are a number of users that have. I don't understand the need for a snarky reply - my question was if anyone had.
 
I am unaware, but I am interested myself as I may be going boosted soon. There is a very small cooler built into the trans.
 
I don't understand the need for a snarky reply - my question was if anyone had.

Gosh, I hope MikeM (or magic Mike as I like to think of him) doesn't see this.
He knows all about them though, I bet! Lol

I can't answer your question though. I'm sorry but I hope someone can. Good luck.
 
I actually quite like MikeM - he is consistent and very much in tune with his car. Based on my readings of his we both have the same goals in mind - longevity and economy. He has his opinions but each time I've read them they've been well supported. I'd love to see his ideas on this but I doubt he'd frame it as a 2 cent snark but rather a list of reasons why it is or isn't a good idea/what Mazda has already done about it.
 
I didn't say I didn't like him. He just tends to give snarky replies. You seem to perhaps be sensitive to that. Just sayin'. :)
 
Not a cooler but I haven't seen any temp sensors in AT area that were readable by my OBD software. I was curious about this while towing my cargo trailer.
 
The on line 2013 service manual showed transmission coolers on some models, perhaps it was the diesel which also has larger clutch packs to handle the diesel torque.
 
Not knowing actual operating temperatures can hurt you on this, and I think someone mentioned on here the current setup doesn’t report this out. That being said, I know from past experience on other vehicles I’ve installed coolers on, these things are helpful in hot weather, in other words they get damn hot, especially on hilly terrain. But the downside on this is in winter where they can over cool or keep the trans from reaching normal operating temperature, and I know the current stock setup is designed to bring it up to normal operating temperature quickly for efficiency.
 
I actually quite like MikeM - he is consistent and very much in tune with his car. Based on my readings of his we both have the same goals in mind - longevity and economy. He has his opinions but each time I've read them they've been well supported. I'd love to see his ideas on this but I doubt he'd frame it as a 2 cent snark but rather a list of reasons why it is or isn't a good idea/what Mazda has already done about it.

I don't always agree with Mike M(eyers), but I do know that he usually has an idea of what he is talking about or at least researched it and he gives good info.
just don't get on his bad side
1379673424_michael_myers_vs_freddy_krueger.jpg
 
Anyone ever installed one on another vehicle or Mazda? Seems straight forward.

Thoughts, concerns, ideas? Thanks

I've installed one in a Jeep Grand Cherokee (V8 AT 4wd), and it did wonders for the transmission. Not only did it lower the transmission temps, but it extended the life of the transmission by a lot. I actually had a transmission failure on the jeep, and when I had it rebuilt I added the cooler based on the recommendation of the transmission shop. They were spot on! It's not very difficult at all. All you're really doing is intercepting the fluid and running it through the cooler and then continuing along the same route after the cooler. The things to consider are cooler placement (for optimum airflow) and cooler size. You want the transmission temp's within a specific range (specified by Mazda somewhere?) and if you put in a cooler that is too large, you could drop the temps below the optimum operating range.

I once installed a similar oil cooler on an air cooled honda Xr, and that brought the oil temps down so low that I had to tape off the cooler in ...umm...cooler weather in order to keep my oil temps in the desired range. Just some food for thought.

This type of mod is done all the time, it shouldn't be hard to source the right materials or find a shop to do it for you.
 
Last edited:
I think it is a demographic thing. People who own CX-5s are maybe older and are past their modding days, or they just want to keep their CX-5s as stock as possible. Those who are still into modding, would have most likely purchased a Mazda3 or Mazda6.

Anyway, going back to the topic, I also agree that you want to be able to read the transmission temps first before deciding to really put on an extra cooler. I don't know if the Ultragauage or Scangauge can read the AT temps out of the box, but the Scangauge has a feature where if you are able to get the PID for the AT temp sensor, then you will be able to read that data from the ECU.
 
The cold temps thing is actually what I was going to bring up next. We are likely to move to an area with pretty big extremes on both ends of the scale. I'd read about too cold of transmission because of the cooler too.

If anyone manages to get a reading on trans temps that please post them up.
 
I don't always agree with Mike M(eyers), but I do know that he usually has an idea of what he is talking about or at least researched it and he gives good info.
just don't get on his bad side
1379673424_michael_myers_vs_freddy_krueger.jpg
I always pictured him in a cape with a big "M" stapled to his chest (for Mazda)...just kidding Mikey...
 
The cold temps thing is actually what I was going to bring up next. We are likely to move to an area with pretty big extremes on both ends of the scale. I'd read about too cold of transmission because of the cooler too.

If anyone manages to get a reading on trans temps that please post them up.

Looks like there is a TFT (Transmission Fluid Temperature) sensor but it seems to be Parameter Identification code you can only obtain with the Mazda M-MDS or some other expensive auto diagnostic equipment.
 
All Skyactiv automatics have a transmission oil temperature regulator/heat exchanger near the dipstick. It feeds coolant to the transmission and back from the radiator to both preheat and help cool the fluid to allow for long service life. I believe you will be fine and adding a fluid cooler to the transmission is not needed on these cars.
 
I'd love to see his ideas on this but I doubt he'd frame it as a 2 cent snark but rather a list of reasons why it is or isn't a good idea/what Mazda has already done about it.

Hey, when snarky is called for, snark is good! Sometimes I think we live in a world where too many people are afraid to speak up and be critical of ideas that are forwarded without any supporting evidence, without anything to back them up.

As to a CX-5 oil cooler, I haven't seen any evidence that the transmission fluid gets too hot. This is not your grandfather's Chevy. It's a good idea to monitor the temperatures first because cooler is not always better.
 
Hey, when snarky is called for, snark is good! Sometimes I think we live in a world where too many people are afraid to speak up and be critical of ideas that are forwarded without any supporting evidence, without anything to back them up.

As to a CX-5 oil cooler, I haven't seen any evidence that the transmission fluid gets too hot. This is not your grandfather's Chevy. It's a good idea to monitor the temperatures first because cooler is not always better.

I agree. What evidence is there to support the need? Even grandpa necessitated supplemental cooling, because he was hauling a trailer or using it for heavy duty.

Not many CX-5s are seeing heavy duty use, nor do they typically pull trailers...

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk
 
Back