Temps while towing

I have a 2013 short bed auto with towing package. Towing a uhaul trailer that prolly weighs 3k loaded up.

I am driving from Florida to Colorado and have already noticed coolant temps in the 200-206 range. Trans stays around 185 to 190.

Sound normal?

I recently got a little muddy and cleaned my radiator the best I could, just a little worried that it isn't cooling to full potential.

I am fully armored up front with winch and full skids.

First time towing with this truck

Thanks

Spencer

 

Those are a bit higher than mine when I tow but I do have a much larger tranny cooler than the stock cooler.

 

Are you towing in D or 4 as you should?

 

4

 

What have you noticed your coolant temps hang around?

 

Engine coolant runs about 184 to 190 which is what the T-stat should be.

 

Actually engine coolant runs from around 190 F to 220 F. depending on the vehicle. Some run hotter. The the temp rating of the thermostat is not indicative of what temp the engine should run at, it is simply the minimum temp at which the coolant starts circulating. That temp is the minimum temp for efficient operation. If the engine operates below the thermostat rating you will get more engine wear, more deposits, poor emissions and less efficiency. I do not know what temp various Tacoma’s are suppose to run at , and so far no one has been able to provide that information. I do not think 200 F to 206 F is too hot or is concerning.

 

Also keep in mind you are pulling 3000 lbs, that’s not a light load. When pulling a trailer it’s like driving on a continuous upward incline even when you are on a level highway. Your truck is working harder it’s going to run a little warmer.

 

Mine runs at almost a constant 185 when not towing. I towed a light load the other day (first time since I been monitoring temps) and it didn't get up past 195. But the load was probably like 1000-1200 lbs. Not a lot

 

Stupid question...why should you be in 4 when you tow vs. D? I ask because I rented a U-haul 5'x9' utility trailer yesterday to haul some of my daughter's furniture home from college. First time towing with my 2018 OR and I was stunned how it killed my gas mileage and how underpowered the truck felt with just a 600-700lb trailer behind it, and how much shifting the trans was doing.

 

Keeps it from locking the torque Converter up and smoking the trans. If you monitor trans temps with a scan gauge and it’s a light load you could use d. When I tow a light boat on the highway il use d, if the trans starts to hunt, or a hill is coming use 4. Using 4 you will notice the trans won’t shift as much and it will stay much cooler.

 

Just testing once, I put it in "D" and then in "4" (going up a mountain, not towing). Man, the temps went down a lot and fast. I was like at 200 and it went down to 160 in seconds. I drove in "D" last weekend towing about 1100 lbs on flat land and temps were fine and no gear hunting.

 

Thanks @Bowhuntercoop . Makes sense. Have to remember that next time.

 

Stupid question??? Your response shows your ignorance. Bowhuntercoop responded very nicely. Besides his response if you read your owners manual you will see it also states you should tow in 4!

 

Not following you @Sprig...

I admitted I was ignorant and was asking a stupid question. Yeah, probably should have read the manual before towing but never had an issue with my 2nd Gen towing in D so didn't think to check and see if it was different for a 3rd Gen. My bad.

 

IMO, there are never stupid questions. I find it easier to get complete answers from ppl here then trying to read a manual that gives only the rule, not the reason.

You should have towed in 4th in 2nd gens as well if you had a heavy load and/or the transmission was hunting.

 

Thanks @Cnasianfire. Fortunately I didn't tow often and never anything extremely heavy. After 263K the trans in my Gen 2 was still going strong.

 

Nice! Yeah, I have learned a lot here. Never towed anything until I got my taco about a year ago. Had no idea about this kind of stuff. Ppl generally have been really helpful here.

 

Sorry Cnasianfire, I misread or misunderstood your response, I thought you were calling me stupid for asking what gear towing in. That was the reason for my harsh response.

 

I've never seen engine temps above 195f when towing my 5,000lb trainer in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, even when the air temps are higher in the summer.

The transmission is another story though...even keeping it out of D I can get temps above 230F at the torque converter so I installed an aftermarket plate cooler last fall.