05-21-2018, 10:18 AM
I merely relate my experience and guess at what was taking place. With the fan shut down during the 40 mile decent, the Jake was operating on all cylinders and the transmission downshifted to 4th gear. I am not aware of the transmission having a retarder. Of course the engine temperature was below 190 and the transmission, with synthetic oil, gradually got up to 250 degrees. I can only assume that there was not enough air across the transmission section of the radiator to keep it cool. I suspect that the transmission would have been cooler had the fan been operating, which a switch on the dash would allow. On many other occasions while traveling in the Western mountains, the transmission heated up on long downgrades.
2001 Newell #579
tow a Honda Odyssey
fun car: 1935 Mercedes 500K replica