Figure This One Out!

[svxcess]

I have been in southern California since August 4. I did not see one SVX anywhere in San Diego/La Jolla. Last weekend I went to Palm Springs, California and saw my first one.

I was in my Outback VDC when I spotted a pearlie on the outskirts of town. He was letting his passenger out and that gave me time to catch up to him, park the car and go over to him.


Here are the stats: 1992 pearlie LS-L, 132,000 miles. Second transmission, 1 wheel bearing, paint was slightly faded, fair to good condition. Wheels on correctly. Aftermarket stereo.

Here is the amazing thing: The day I stopped him it was 119 degrees, being just about average for this time of year (115-117) He is the second owner of the car, buying it from someone who lived in Palm Springs also.

This car has spent its entire life in extreme temperatures like these without an aftermarket tranny cooler! I checked it out thoroughly and confirmed this.

He says he uses the normal Dextron II tranny fluid he gets from the dealer and has it changed every 30K. He drives the SVX in the desert area every day and up into the mountains every couple weeks (elevation 5,000 ft) where temps drop about 15 degrees and said he hasn't had any problems, such as slipping, flare. etc.

I gave him the network website (no cards with me) and told him to check us out. With heat being our tranny's number one enemy how does something like this scenario make any sense?

[mattski]

If he does not do any stop and go driving, perhaps the 115 degree air provides enough cooling to keep the oil temperature at acceptable levels?

Hmm... the second tranny was properly updated on rebuild, he dosen't beat it and he changes the oil regularly?

[vkykam]

If he's cruising in the desert and up and down the mountains, there's no stop-and-go traffic.

It's one thing that the tranny generates a lot of heat, and when you're cruising, you've enough speed to cool it down. It's another when you're in bumper to bumper traffic, and all the heat is trapped under the hood.

Those that have a tranny temp gauge have verified that cruising won't cause the temperature of the tranny to go up. It's when you get off the highway that the problem starts...

VK

[dromano]

In the Palm Springs area the majority of the surface streets have 45 to 55 speed limits. I've learned to stay off the congested streets and use the ones with the highest speed limits.