Overdrive for towing

I tow my 3200 lb bassboat in OD quite often on flat roads. If I hit some hills and the converter is locking up a lot I will drop to 4th. It seems to lock up a lot more around 60 mph. If I keep my speed up to about 70 it does not.

 

This right here.

If the truck cant stay locked in 5th drop it to 4th so the torque converter can lock up.

 

OP listen to this guy because he is 100% correct.

 

Put on 4th and enjoy the ride. Its cheaper than new transmission. Keep your speed up to 55MPH and you will be fine, so is Taco

 

This forum is going to be bad news for my wallet, which is already on a diet due to my motorcycle hobby

Already looking into scangauge and ultragauge as a monitoring device

 

I toy a 18.5' bass boat quite often. I tend to keep it in 4 more often than D.

 

I tow a snowmobile trailer all winter and one of 2 boats in the summer. The way I see it is the vehicle was designed by a cumulative -let's say- 100 million dollars worth of engineers or whatever. They write a manual that tells you when you tow, do not use overdrive and keep it in 4. I am a really smart cookie and a somewhat decent mechanic but I certainly haven't got the knowledge to equal 100 million dollars worth of engineering, so I have to trust what they say in the manual. And it says tow in 4.

Honestly the motor doesn't really wind out when it's going 70mph in 4, it's not like it's redlining so I just keep it in 4 even when I am towing the light boat and it's less than 1500lbs.

 

the only reason the manual states to tow in 4th instead of 5th (D) is to reduce the chance of someone not knowing what they are doing leaving it in D and driving a bunch with it hunting between 4th, 5th and 5th unlocked.

If you can hold 5th locked, its OK to tow in. But be conscious of what is going on (its VERY apparent when the torque converter unlocks, it almost feels like a down shift), and if its unlocked, simply tap the shifter to 4th and let it downshift a full gear and re lock the torque converter.

If you are on a grade and have to get down into 3rd, it will never lock the torque converter in 1st 2nd or 3rd gears. So if you are having to lug it in 3rd, downshift to 2nd, let the motor spin faster, less strain on the torque converter and trans temps will go down.

 

Another stupid question, I guess.... how do you look it in a particular gear? @nd4spdbh

 

Put the gear selector (automatic shift lever) into a number 4, 3 or 2 instead of "D", "R", or "N".

 

4,3,2, they are pretty much gear limiters right? I think the other person might think if he puts it into 2nd then it starts in 2nd, and if he puts into 3rd it starts in 3rd.

 

Yes, you still have to progress up through the gears, otherwise the engine would stall like a manual. 4 sets the max at 4th, 3 sets the max to 3, etc