Despite the fact that automatic transmissions are more complicated to deal with than manual ones, they are still the transmission of choice in America due to their ease of use and wide availability. Part of the reason for this increased level of complexity comes from the cooler needed for automatics to run effectively. If you aren’t very knowledgeable about this car part, our guide on what you need to know about automatic transmission coolers is here to better explain things for you.
Why You Need One
Let’s start by going over why you need one in the first place. Most manual transmissions don’t need a cooler, whereas automatic ones do. This is due to the previously mentioned complexity of the part. Automatic transmissions have many more moving parts, which means that they heat up significantly faster than manuals. The hotter yours runs, the sooner it will give out on you. The cooler is there to help keep your transmission at safer temperatures during prolonged use.
How It Functions
Typically, the next question people have is, “How does the cooler keep the transmission’s overall temperature low?” It primarily does this through a fluid cooling system. A liquid system flows through the transmission, absorbing as much heat as it can. The now warmed fluids travel to the cooler metal fins. These are cooled by a constant airflow, which helps release the heat that comes from the transmission. Now that the cold metal has removed the heat from the fluid, it travels back to the transmission, and the cycle starts anew.
Which Kind You Should Get
Fortunately, the most important thing you need to know about automatic transmission coolers is that your automatic vehicle already has one. However, the day will come when you’ll need to replace it. When that happens, you’ll want to know which kind to get to replace it. There are three primary types:
- Tube and Fin – Not very efficient but quite cheap
- Plate and Fin – Much more efficient but more costly
- Stacked Plate – Most expensive but highly efficient
Tube and Fin coolers are usable for older vehicles, but if you have something more recent, it would be better to spring for one of the other two types. Regardless of the type of automatic transmission cooler you need, Transparts Warehouse has you covered. We specialize in this area of your vehicle and have just the coolers you need to keep your transmission running at safe temperature levels.
