After the demise of my 4l80e a couple months ago I would like to add a way to monitor transmission temp.

Would you:
Add a gauge
Use a scantool like a Scangauge II
Other method?

vanilla 03 6.0l/4l80e swapped into a 95 ecsb

 

Aeroforce IMO

 

Welcome to this site Walt!!! I don't hang out on The Turbo Forums much at all any more. You would know me as PONTIAC SLEEPER over there and on Yellow Bullet.

Your subject to error on any electronic Gauge but I would get a stand alone electronic set up.

I had a customer with a scan gauge2 set up and he thought the car was over heating. He asked to us to replace the Oem fan switch and no change. We changed the Temp sending unit and little to no change. He was convinced that the car was running a little to hot. I pulled out a harbor freight Infrared temp gun out and guess what. It was running the same as ever other similar make. Something about the way the scan gauge 2 was reading the data on his 03 CRV. Now on his 98 CRV he had the original scan gauge and it seems to read more accurate on the Temp but it's reading the data through the PCM and there could be any number of reasons why the data was off a little.

Best bet is to run a stand alone gauge and verify it's correct.

 

Scangauge II

 

That is a slick solution as it theoretically gives me other options I need such as an accurate tach... funny that the px-01 for the truck on their website shows Trans Temp and RPM in the advertising...

 

Hey Man! I've been around here for years. Just not much of a poster and more of a reader of the tech. And these days not as much browsing time.

I thought of just tossing a $60 gauge at it and the Aeroforce option is much more expensive but adds some functionality as would the scantechII. Things like CONFIRMING converter lockup adds quite a bit of value. Just my DD truck but with 3 kids 6,4,2 It'll be a while before this truck is replaced and I sure as he!! don't feel like lugging a couple hundred lb trans in/out again. Makes my chevelle infinitely easier to swap the 400. I even think the chevelle has more room everywhere compared to the 95/6.0l/4l80e swap we are talking about.

edit: one thing to note I cannot communicate to the PCM with my scanners UNTIL I start the vehicle. SWX power on the PCM is not accessed by cheap scantools even though power etc all check out. Once started it comes right on line.

 

With your swap do you have OBD 2 capability's??? Is there not a 12 volt power supply there??? you should be able to communicate with the Ignition on engine off.

 

If the Aero force suits your needs then go for it. The scan gauge 2 works but I have seen some issues with them not picking up DTC's properly and also having accuracy issues.

 

Ive been running the scangaugeii for awhile now on my 2000 silverado. It reads the same consistent numbers as my efi live stuff.

 

I have an ODBII connection.
Power is there and verifiable with engine off (even connected directly to battery for testing) will not connect my accton cheap scanner until I crank/fire engine and it connects right up.