What gear to tow in?

With the search bar and google, I found one other thread on this for the 8 speed auto, basically just copied what the manual says, S5.

My question for the experts is this, why S5? It looks like 6th is the actual 1:1 gear, but Toyota seems deliberate in recommending 5th.

Any insight?
Thanks, all…

 

Whichever one gets you what you need. Sometimes s5, sometimes s3, sometimes d. Try to get a feel for the power available and power required for what you’re doing.

 

The old adage is to avoid overdrive gears, so S6 seems right. That said, I usually tow in S5 with my 3rd gen when I can get away with it. If the torque converter is engaging/disengaging too much I go S4 and live with the rpm whine. The only time I touch the final overdrive gear is on a long descent. I never tow in Drive.

 

With 3.58 gears, 1:1 is still pretty tall, so my guess is that’s why they recommend 5th. I definitely would not go into S7 or S8 at all at least. Maybe experiment with S6 and see if works for where you drive.

 

I bet this is the answer, compared to the 3.73 and 1:1 in the previous gens.

OP, just follow the manual. Much fewer things will go wrong if you err on the conservative side while towing.

 

Bullshit. Put it in s1 and pin it.

Sheeet

 

Tow mode makes a big difference. That and useable torque at 1300. Gear isn’t as important as with 3rd gen.

 

I bet this is it, 100%. I didn’t even think about the tall diff gears.

Here in Louisiana it’s pretty flat, and 99% of what I tow is a single axle w/ a 17’ metal boat, pretty light.

I’ll start in S5, but I’ll use S6 if the truck likes it and TQ is staying locked.

 

Context is needed - how much weight, what are the circumstances, and how fast or what are the climbs? From 2 past Toyotas with V6 but 5 speed manual and 6 speed automatic, the 4th gen is a whole other world. Light work and a lot is just normal driving where you can watch boost and sense how hard it is working. It doesn't hunt for gears or scream in pain like the older models. Most manuals and advice state lower speeds for towing. In that context a lower gear can make sense.

 

The idea is to prevent gear hunting and let the revs climb higher.

The old concept of blocking overdrive is kind of gone now and simply staying in a lower gear and prevent hunting is all that is needed. You can tow 2000lbs in drive no issue, but for hills its best to keep revs up while ascending and descending.

I'd suggest just using sport mode and simply watching how it behaves. Especially with a simple boat trailer.

 

3rd gen, 3500 pounds, moderate elevation. 60-80 MPH. Goal is to stay at or above 3500 RPMs. Generally use S4 for cruising.

ditto. S4 is most common.

 

Thanks, folks