Krause wrote: Would you recommend using tow/haul even on flat ground? Is there a time where you wouldn't use it?
It is your truck, and you can do what you want. The folks who built your truck have recommendations on when to use it and when not to.
Bottom line, if you are hauling heavy the Tow/Haul is designned to help reduce transmission heat. Anyone who claim they can regulate it better by deciding when they want to use T/H are probably right about everything they have observed. Bottom line, you have to decide what you want to do. Follow the book or follow somebody who can get back into 6th 20 seconds faster by turning T/H off then back on.
I vote for relax and set Tow Haul if the trailer is on the hook. And frankly I have taken off many times and forgot Tow/Haul and never noticed a thing.
Much todo over nothing, lol
Ken
08 Ford F250 SuperCab Lariet LB 4x4 6.4L Powerstroke
04 299RLS Sprinter
07 Ultra Glide Harley
00 BMW 540I Maroon
Friend of Bill Wilson
"Follow the book or follow somebody who can get back into 6th 20 seconds faster by turning T/H off then back on".
Well we're really talking like 20 miles not seconds, but still a small issue I think part of my problem is I don't pull fast, I average 60 mph, so I may be in the area where shifting from 5th to 6th I'm not hitting the higher RPM's that TH is looking for. Besides that I'm anal and can't just sit and do nothing I need to be in control!
Having lost a transmission in my previous truck before tow/haul due to overheating I always use it with my new truck anytime I am hitched. Even on flat ground I appreciate the increased braking effects and the reduced wear on the truck and trailer brakes.
USN Retired
2007 Cedar Creek 30 RLSTS
2008 F350, DRW, V-10, B&W hitch,
Pressure Pro, JT Strongarms
My T/H is always on when I tow and I let the truck figure it out.
Fox and Angel (Vinnie and Brenda) fuzz ball cats
Don't call me on the weekend, Im out camping.
2004 Chevy Silverado LS 2500HD 4x4 DA 4dr
2003 Jayco Eagle 263 29'Super Slide
Dell Inspiron 1520/WIFI
Go Blue, US Air Force(retired)25 years
chadsalt wrote: ..........but you dont know better than Ford.
I'll buy in to the argument that "it's there for a reason", and that it should be used for towing something significant...
BUT The tranny does not have eyes or a brain, nor know better than the driver whether you have 500 more miles of perfectly flat ground or are 1/10 of a mile from cresting the hill, or whether you want to accelerate to 65 or are willing to slow to 55.
We have a brain, and the transmission is a stupid mechanical machine. There are times when it may not make the best choice for the situation, and I do not fault folks who second guess it.
However, yes, it may generally not be in the best interest of the transmission and engine to haul heavy stuff "in overdrive"
Tow/Haul was invented for folks who don't know HOW2 manage & shift an automatic
transmission. OR don't want to manually shift their automatic tranny.
so if you think you know enough of the HOW2's, then switch it off when tow/hauling
and shift it yourself.
Since you have to ask, do you really know enough about it to shift it yourself?
These computerized intelligent systems are incredibly dumb outside of their
design parameters. OR when their eyes/ears/feet/hands/etc are not in good order.
Those eyes/ears/etc are the various sensors of that system. Sensing ATF temps,
coolant temps, rev's per mile the tires are going, what size tire, what diff
gear ratio, what gear the tranny is in, how many rev's the engine is going, how
much torque is being pumped out, etc, etc, etc, etc.
When the tow/haul system is turned on, the computer software is changed so
that it will know that you are towing/hauling something. That means it now
uses a different look up table, which tells it when to shift up/down after
checking it's sensors and making calculations. Mainly to not destroy
the automatic tranny by staying in lower gears longer, or shifting
down into a lower gear sooner and staying there longer.
Again, the computer is constantly calculating and making decisions based on
it's sensor inputs. If you know more than it does, or know enough about the HOW2s
to shift it manually, then sure thing, take it out of Tow/Haul mode.
-Ben Picture of my rig
1996 GMC SLT Suburban 3/4 ton K3500/7.4L/4:1/+150Kmiles orig owner...
1980 Chevy Silverado C10/long bed/"BUILT" 5.7L/3:73/1 ton helper springs/+329Kmiles, bought it from dad...
1998 Mazda B2500 (1/2 ton) pickup, 2nd owner...
Praise Dyno Brake equiped and all have "nose bleed" braking!
Previous trucks/offroaders: 40's Jeep restored in mid 60's / 69 DuneBuggy (approx +1K lb: VW pan/200hpCorvair: eng, cam, dual carb'w velocity stacks'n 18" runners, 4spd transaxle) made myself from ground up / 1970 Toyota FJ40 / 1973 K5 Blazer (2dr Tahoe, 1 ton axles front/rear, +255K miles when sold it)...
Sold the boat (looking for another): Trophy with twin 150's...
51 cylinders in household, what's yours?...
Them that do not use tow haul mode when towing change there transmissions at 90 to 100K miles. Them that do use tow haul mode when towing change there transmissions much later. If you trade it at 80K or less, and haven't used tow haul, then just lie to the new owner when you sell it.
Yugster wrote: I travel on flat land and never use TH. It changes the feel of the truck so much I feel like I'm driving a tractor. Also, it doesn't shift gears until 2300-2400 rpm, which is over the point where the diesel has developed it's max torque. When I leave the trans in standard mode, I can make it shift at 2000 rpm. I can also manage to keep it in overdrive with my foot on most small hills.
this is a trick, and sure works for them, many hotshoters/commercial haulers use to help save a dab of fuel costs when they can hauling those big loads. I use my wifes little 1500 5.3 4x4 crew cab auto tranny on occasion towing my tractor/box blade and I have found it uses more fuel in tow/haul mode on flat land just as it does when not towing. On flat land T/H mode just holds the tranny in each gear longer to attain a higher rpm which burns more fuel. If your tranny has a grade braking feature then T/H mode is needed.
Jim
'03 2500 Dodge/Cummins HO 3.73 6 speed manual Jacobs
'97 Park Avanue 28' with two slides
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I think part of my problem is I don't pull fast, I average 60 mph, so I may be in the area where shifting from 5th to 6th I'm not hitting the higher RPM's that TH is looking for. Besides that I'm anal and can't just sit and do nothing 
I need to be in control!
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