So I'll start by saying that I'm an asshat. Long story short, I decided to pick up a 3500lb travel trailer and drag it 500 miles from NC to NJ with my 2004 V6 T4R. No, I don't have an external transmission cooler. No, I didn't bother to get a transmission temp gauge. And yes, it just had to be a 96 degree day. The cherry on top is that I incorrectly checked my ATF level before leaving and found out after the fact that it was actually low. Like I said, I'm an asshat.
Anyway, I made it home, stopping several times along the way to check the trans temperature (infrared thermometer pointed at the trans oil pan). Each time I checked, it was 225-235 degrees. I knew that wasn't good, but hey, I had to get home. No weird smells or shifting issues along the way, but I think there is a very slight whine that developed which is mostly noticeable when coasting and letting off the gas pedal.
AFTER getting home, I decided to do some research and found out that getting real time trans temp readings was a matter of buying a $23 OBD dongle and a $5 Torque Pro app. Woulda been nice to have when towing the trailer
I also decided to check the ATF level and found out the truck needs to be running when checking the level
With hot ATF, on level ground, with the truck running, it was on the bottom of the COOL range on the dip stick. Did I mention I'm an asshat? Finally, I've been monitoring the trans temp with the Torque Pro app just driving around town and the temps seem high, which leads me to believe I may have an issue. For example, today it's 90 degrees out. With an empty truck, not towing anything, just driving around town, the temp was 205 degrees.
Sooo... given all of this, what are the odds my transmission is smoked? Are there any ways to find out before embarking on a camping trip out west and potentially getting stranded somewhere? I was planning to drain whatever comes out from the trans oil pan and send a sample to Blackstone for analysis. Maybe it's also worth dropping the pan to see what the magnets/filter look like? Any suggestions would be much appreciated