tow mode & o/d lockout---both all the time

Hi everyone,
First: We have a BH 3670 and tow with a 2005 chev 3500 dually. We weigh in about 1000 lbs light (verified twice on scales). We went up the east coast this past summer and when towing I used BOTH the tow mode and the o/d lockout. Everything worked fine. We are now in FL in very flat areas and wondering if I should only be using the tow mode since it is so flat??---Anyone have experience with this---appreciate your comments
al

I have a 3500 dually Dodge and mostly tow my trailer in central and south Louisiana (flat & flater ground). I only use my tow/haul button going down the road (and of course my exhaust brake at the ready). The gross weight on my RW 305 is 14,000 lbs but I never load up that high on the weight.

Hello Aaatauses, as you can see we have a 05 3500. This past year we did a coast to coast trip. I used the tow mode with the o/d on for most of the trip. When we would hit a lond steep grade I would kick the o/d off. I kept the o/d set at 60 mph. I found the trans handled this very well ans the mpg were good. I would have liked a exhaust brake like the Dodge & Ford's have. I see the new chevy's will have it, but I only have 75000 on mine and don't have a loose 60 grand laying around. The trans temp and water temps stayed good using this method. I sure you will hear more about this.

I don't know about others, but if I am in hilly or mountainous country I use the Tow/Haul. If I am in a city or crowded highway I have it in Tow/Haul. This helps me come to a quicker stop if some idiot pulls right in front of me or a stop light comes on at the last minute. If I am on easy pulling flat interstate or such I use the O/D and will sometimes use the cruise control. I do not have my truck chipped so I don't use the cruise control when pulling my trailer.

Your transmission is built to tow. It will shift out of OD when it needs to.The time to worry is when It tries to hunt from direct to OD and visa-versa. That is the time to lockout OD.I tow with Tow-Haul all the time and only turn it off when my speed is too low for it to shift into OD. WFM JON

Someone tell me about using the cruise control while towing. Never heard that before ... newbee

Iver said:

Someone tell me about using the cruise control while towing. Never heard that before ... newbee

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Just turn it on and press set. I use it on the open road all the time

Someone in an earlier post (#4) indicated it was not a good idea.

TXBobcat said:

If I am on easy pulling flat interstate or such I use the O/D and will sometimes use the cruise control. I do not have my truck chipped so I don't use the cruise control when pulling my trailer.

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You'll have to ask Bob about that. It looks like he uses cruise sometimes. But why not because, it is not chipped ??? I use the cruise any place I feel safe in using it.

I generally use tow/haul all the timewhen towing in the mountains, or when starting and stopping everywhere else. One I get up to speed on level ground, I turn t/h off so I can get into 6th and save some fuel.

I use cruise on the flats when the road is dry. Never use cruise with slippery conditions!

I have always used my cruise control when towing. Even when climbling a hill I use it. If it kicks off when climbing then I don't re-engage it.

I use cruise all the time when towing, on OD I cruise at 60-65 MPH, and in hilly terrain that the truck will not keep 60MPH on OD, i will drive in High on cruise at 55MPH.
It takes long 4-5% hills to keep me on high. Short hills never slows me down so I just leave it on cruise and speedup to pass with the accelerator.
By driving a bit under the speed limits permits me to never need any slowing down or braking for traffic in front and allowing proper spacing. I always allow traffic to move on ahead.
My best fuel mileage has been while using cruise.

I have always done it with the 05 Ford and the Previous 98 GM 6.5L.
The 6.5L GM had much more power on cruise then on the accelerator. Much better for the hills.

I use tow/haul any time I'm towing the trailer. I also use cruise control on the highway when I reach my cruising speed of 62-63. I figure the computer in the Allison is smarter than I am, so I just let it do its thing.

so how do you lock out od?and use tow haul?

buckeyebob said:

so how do you lock out od?and use tow haul?

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Well with a Ford torque-shift you have to pull the shift lever back 1 gear to stay out of OD. And to use Tow-Haul just push the button on the end of the shift lever, a light will come on either on the dash or the end of the shift lever, saying tow-haul I'm not positive but I think the allisson tranny is the same, the torque- shift is pretty much a copy of the allisson

i have park,reverse,drive,manual, with a + or _ for manual shift 1 thru 6 on shift lever along with tow haul mode.this is a new style 07 2500 d/a

In my 2006 F250 Ford, if your in Drive (5 speed Transmission which included O/D) when I am driving about 63 mph and in Drive but not in Tow/Haul I am in Over Drive. If I go up a grade the transmission will shift down (higher RPM) and when I level out it will go back into O/D. I never pull my gear lever down into 3rd gear. To keep the transmission out of O/D I shift into Tow/Haul. However if my speed increases to about 65 mph it shifts back into O/D even tho I have Tow/Haul engaged. As I read about the Ford transmission, they said put it in D and the transmission will know what to do. However I find that Tow/Haul (which locks in the converter) will maintain a higher RPM and will slow me down much faster than just using the brake on hills and in town.

With Cruise Control while pulling the trailer I find the transmission down shifts more often than I like . When approaching a hill it will not increase speed before it gets to the point of pulling. I can feather the throttle as I need to keep the transmission from down shifting much of the time. If the transmission keeps down shifting it decreases the fuel mileage and makes the truck work harder. Many times if I see a long hill coming up I will increase my speed to give me an advantage in pulling the hill. I was raised in Wyoming and when driving in the hills and mountains this is one of the things that I learned from my parents and others that lived in the mountainous areas. Each of us have our own way of driving with and with out a load.

BC

All of the Ford transmissions that are Torque Lock will lock up when the RPM is stable and the load is constant. It does this hydraulically and work well. I agree with Bob that is the best way to maximize the fuel economy and ride as well. I like the tow haul setting when towing due to not lugging the engine and transmission. Works very well with the lighter Augusta and heavier trailers also.

Ok, so someone here must know this. If I understand correctly, tow/haul mode locks up my truck's torque converter. What is that, and what benefit is there for it to be locked?

Chris

Tow- haul in the Torque-shift Ford just changes the shift points in the tranny to a higher rpm to help stay in the torque band of the motor. It also helps in slowing down by using engine compression and lower gearing to slow down.

When the torque converter is locked up you get a direct conection to the drive line similar to a manual transmission.

I agree with Bob Curry and lwmcguir if you learn to play with tow-haul and cruise control you can improve engine performance,mileage,and ride comfort. You need to learn what your truck will do and each is a little different. Just my nickels worth JON