Can a Supplemental Transmission Cooler be Installed on a 2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 4.3L

Published 11/17/2017

Question:

Dealership says the transmission will not except the additional fluid. This additional fluid will damage the transmission. Is this true. I would like to add the cooler as my transmission temp is spiking up to 220 without towing. At this temp the transmission is sloppy

asked by: Hal

Helpful Expert Reply:

Considering that the transmission itself holds a finite amount of fluid but the overall capacity of the system is dependent on numerous components it is absolutely NOT true. Maybe if you used a lot of extra hose for some reason the system may not have the pressure to circulate the fluid properly but I have never heard of that happening. You can install a supplemental transmission cooler on your 2016 Chevy Silverado 1500 with the 4.3 liter if you want to.

The most popular cooler for your truck is # D13503. This cooler isn't overly large so it isn't going to add much as far as fluid capacity but you will likely still need to add some fluid. After installation you would just check the fluid level like normal and fill as needed with the GM approved formula. I have linked a video showing an example installation of this cooler for you.

If they also try to tell you it will void the vehicle warranty that is also not true. There is a law called the Magnussen-Moss warranty act that states, in part, that if you install an aftermarket part on your vehicle then it will not void the warranty unless that part caused the problem.

expert reply by: Michael H