External Transmission Cooler -- Installed!

Wanderoo

I got my external transmission cooler installed this week on my 2013 Subaru Forester. I got it done at AAMCO for $239.50. So far so good -- no leaks. My Subaru dealer won't install anything that can't be done with an OEM Subaru part. That's a little frustrating, although I can see their point of view. At any rate, my plan is to keep my Forester for two years until I retire, at which point I will be pushing my horizons further with ClemenT@B and I'll get a truck. For now I feel my transmission is better protected and I'll be careful where I tow my T@B.

Bucket

Wanderoo I am considering a Subaru Outback.  I was thinking of an external transmission cooler as I live in the Nevada desert.  Am I foolish to buy an Outback?  Should I get a larger suv/truck to pull my new T@B with?  

Thanks for the advice.

Sheri

Wanderoo

Hi, Bucket -- If I could do it all over, I would get a slightly larger SUV (or truck) with a factory tow package to pull the T@B.  I don't think my Forester is BAD; however, I imagine I will be laboring up even small hills, and thus, my decision to get the transmission cooler to be on the safe side.  The high altitude is another reason for getting the transmission cooler here in Colorado. The higher the elevation, the harder your engine and transmission have to work (less oxygen). I think Nevada has a lower altitude, but the summertime brings more intense heat in Nevada, and you probably will be running the air conditioner (more strain on the engine).  I think the Outback is a better choice than the Forester, and the tow package would be the way to go.  The Tribeca with the tow package is even better.

Don't know if this rambling has helped you any, but I think the Outback with the factory tow package is a good choice for the money.   

:-@

[Deleted User]

Elevation, in itself doesn't make your engine and transmission "work harder". There is less oxygen available at the higher elevations and the computer in the engine will compensate for this by cutting back a bit on the amount of fuel the injectors put into the cylinders in order to keep the desired 14:1 fuel/air ratio. For every 1000 feet of elevation, you lose approximately 3% of the available power. So your engine has less power to do what it has to do, but the load on it is still a constant regardless. The altitude has no bearing on the performance of the transmission other than the higher speeds it reaches when it downshifts to climb hills. A flat road at 12,000 feet is no harder on your tranny than a flat road at sea level is. It's the climbing that works the tranny but not neccessarily the altitude at which it is done. Now isn't this a nice useless piece of information  #:-S

Wanderoo

Well, I wouldn't call it useless!!!!  I depend on you guys to give me the low down.  So, actually, this makes me feel better knowing that as long as I stay "flat" with my Subaru Forester I should be okay.  I plan to get a better TV in two years when I retire, but for now, this is an acceptable set-up.  

:(

T@Balong

Let me jump in here with another Subaru point of view, though I realize I'm in the minority of Subaru users.  We will pick up our new  2014 T@B S M@xx in less than two weeks.  The reason we expect to pull our new T@B with confidence is because our 2012 Subaru Forester, 2.5L, is a manual transmission.  In addition, using this vehicle, we successfully pulled a teardrop trailer (weighing just under 1500 pounds fully loaded) on a 13,000 mile road trip to Alaska and back from Michigan.   We will make sure that we stay at or under 2000 pounds when we hit the road with our new T@B, since the weight limit on the Forester is 2400 pounds.  We have added the electric brake controller on the Subaru to take advantage of the electric brakes.   Not wanting to add to the hitch weight, we've opted to put our bikes on the roof of the Subaru, which thankfully is something I'm tall enough to be able to do.   Having said all of this, I do appreciate the helpful comments here which are all intended to make everyone's T@B experience as safe and fun as it can be.

Wanderoo

Hi, Norm -- I LOVE my Subaru!!!  I'm putting my bikes on a bike roof rack, too.  One of the things that I am curious about is why the 2014 Forester is not tow-rated at all.  (I have a 2013 which is tow-rated for 2,400 lbs.)  I just looked up the specs on the '14 Forester, and it comes with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a CVT automatic transmission.  The CVT might be why it's no longer tow-rated.  Do you know?

Yes, I'll be very careful about staying below 2,000 lbs.  I have started an Excel spreadsheet of weights for everything I may or may not load in my T@B and I'll vary that depending on where I am going, whether I have shore power, etc.  I do not plan to tow with a full water tank, fresh or grey. 

I feel encouraged to hear about your successful 13,000 mile road trip with your Subaru.  It must have been AWESOME!   

=D>

[Deleted User]

You should also keep in mind that the T@B has a much higher profile and frontal area than a conventional Little Guy Teardrop which increases the aerodynamic drag going down the road as well. But since I really don't know any particulars of the trailer that you have experience with TABalong, I don't know if this is relevant or not.

joansie

I contacted my local Subaru dealer and they contacted the company and were told that the transmission has a temp sensor that alerts you if the temp gets to high so you can pull over and let it cool down. But if you don't want the hassle of that they could install a transmission cooler for me. I'm taking it in on Thursday to have them look at it and give me an estimate on installation do to routing. I don't want the hassle of stopping to let it cool down. We do live in a very hilly terrain here in Wisconsin.