Reading tranny temp with scanner

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I've got to admit that I'm an old carburetor guy, but everything I own is new with no carb in sight. With that said, since I've got to get something that reads tranny temp in my 2010 F150 for checking fluid level, and want to get a decent scanner as a diagnostic tool moving forward. What I want to know is will any scanner work for reading PID values like transmission fluid temp?

One of the ones I was looking at was this one:

http://www.equus.com/Product/3160/ABS_CanOBD2-Scan-Tool

Your input would be greatly appreciated.
 
^ What he said.

Tons of vehicles won't have it computer-reported (only internally to the trans computer), some will to the CAN bus or OBD bus, all depends on the vehicle. Newer ones are probably much more likely to have a PID for it somewhere.
 
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I have a Scanguage II and it has a cool X-Guage feature where you can program the scantool to read certain vehicle parameters. I've programmed it to read ATF temps on my Chevy and Toyota trucks.
 
The service manuals says:

Using the scan tool, verify that the Transmission Fluid Temperature (TFT) is between 80ºC-85ºC (176ºF-185ºF)

So I assume this means that there is a temp sensor and it is computer reported
 
Virtually any auto trans equipped newer car uses trans temp in the PCM to decide many things. It will alter shift points, lock/unlock the converter, etc., based on temps.

It's almost always in there, the only question is can you see it!
 
You could do it old school and ohm the sensor, if that's all you want to do.

I have the 3160 (they now make a 3160N) and while I think it's awesome I don't think it reads trans temps. If I wanted the most of my truck I'd get one of those $35 ebay dongles and appropriate software to hack the stream. 3160 is more of a utility infielder, doing a lot for a lot of vehicles.

It did save my bacon on an ABS code for a cavalier... but, for example, couldn't tell me wheel speeds for each sensor. Honestly didn't look for trans temp in that car.
 
Originally Posted By: wirelessF
I have a Scanguage II and it has a cool X-Guage feature where you can program the scantool to read certain vehicle parameters. I've programmed it to read ATF temps on my Chevy and Toyota trucks.


Any good how to in order to do this? I assume you need some kind of hex codes to program in the addresses of the sensors?
 
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