#2486280 - 10/08/08 06:11 PM
Question about towing
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JMR40
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Registered: 02/21/07
Posts: 387
Loc: Georgia
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I have an 07 Tacoma that is rated to tow 6500lbs. I just got back from a camping trip. First time pulling my 2500lb pop-up any real distance. We have used it several times for short trips, but this time we covered about 700 miles round trip. Most miles were in the Interstate.
I know I am not supposed to use overdrive when towing, but I was probably pulling less than 3500lbs after it was loaded, including my wife and I. Going to our destination I did not use overdrive. Coming home today I tried shifting up to overdrive on the level stretches of road and downshifting for long up-grades and other areas where I needed more acceleration. Only did this for a few miles and it seemed to work fine.
As long as I maintained at least 60 mph it seemed to do just fine in overdrive. If I let the speed drop below 60 while in overdrive it seemed to be hunting for the right gear.
For you guys who tow a lot, should I just leave it out of overdrive at all times, or would it be OK during certain circumstamces?
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#2487133 - 10/09/08 04:58 AM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: JMR40]
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Rock Chuck
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Registered: 01/05/06
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Loc: Filer, ID
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If the manual says don't use OD, then don't use it. It can overheat the tranny and that's death to an auto trans.
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#2487172 - 10/09/08 05:15 AM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: Rock Chuck]
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Crow hunter
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Registered: 03/27/01
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Loc: Mississippi
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With most modern trucks it's fine to tow in overdrive. The rule about not towing in overdrive was usually for the older trucks with less sophisticated transmissions As mentioned above, check the manual. If it doesn't say not to tow in overdrive then it should be fine.
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#2487497 - 10/09/08 07:41 AM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: Crow hunter]
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SeanD
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Registered: 03/16/01
Posts: 650
Loc: Tigard OR
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watch the rpm gage. If you see it changing (increasing rpm then going back down) while not downshifting, you are locking/unlocking your torque converter. Creating lots of heat. The tacoma trannies run hot anyway. I tow a 500lb boat and I dont use OD unless its flat on the freeway above 60 mph. Then, like yours, its seems to do fine. 2007 tacoma also. What will really kill your tranny is towing or hauling slow where the cooler is not working properly.
this is a good read.
http://www.ttora.com/forum/showthread.php?t=78433&highlight=heat+transmission
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Sean
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#2487621 - 10/09/08 08:29 AM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: SeanD]
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saddlesore
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Registered: 06/22/01
Posts: 4179
Loc: Colorado Springs, CO, USA
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If it's hunting for gears, it is working too hard whether your manual says not to pull in OD or not.
Is it really worth the few pennies you save on gas to take a chance on trashing your transmission. You areg oing to have to use a lot of extra gas to save enough to pay for a +$2k tranny.
Are you realy going to rely on someone on this forum for this advice who you don't know if they know what they are talking about or not.
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If God wanted you to walk and carry things on your back, He would not have invented stirrups and pack saddles
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#2487969 - 10/09/08 11:26 AM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: 458 Lott]
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LongRanger
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Registered: 04/08/05
Posts: 249
Loc: Innis, Louisiana
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You might want to see if adapters like this are available for your truck. These make mounting a transmission temp gauge easy, and people are reporting accurate results using them.
http://www.genosgarage.com/prodinfo.asp?number=ACUTEMP_ADAPTER
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#2489010 - 10/09/08 07:44 PM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: LongRanger]
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JMR40
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Registered: 02/21/07
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Loc: Georgia
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Thanks for the reply's. There does not seem to be a consensus. My gut feeling is that with a fairly light trailer on level ground it would be OK. But I'm not much of a gambler and will continue to stay out of OD unless I find some solid proof otherwise.
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#2489292 - 10/09/08 10:42 PM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: JMR40]
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AlaskaCub
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Registered: 01/12/06
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Loc: Interior Alaska
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If its hunting in and out of O/D then take it out of O/D. If its handling the load okay in O/D then leave it there. What you dont want is it going in and out and in and out thats what will burn it up. The tranny in that truck is pretty bulletproof and I would gather than your little camper isn't gonna break it! Its an Aisin Warner tranny and those are some of the most bulletproof transmissions made for compact to midsized vehicles, dont sweat it.
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#2490728 - 10/10/08 04:26 PM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: AlaskaCub]
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JMR40
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Loc: Georgia
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Just to follow up, I talked to an independent mechanic today who used to work in the service dept. for Toyota. His advice was basically the same as AlaskaCub's. He did go a bit farther by saying that all transmissions would probably last longer if people would not shift them into OD unless they were traveling at least 55-60mph.
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#2491129 - 10/10/08 07:38 PM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: JMR40]
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Rock Chuck
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Registered: 01/05/06
Posts: 4700
Loc: Filer, ID
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I always keep mine in D when around town. On at least some of them, the guy who did the overhaul on my truck tranny last year said that when you let up on the gas, they immediately shift to OD, at any speed. When you push the gas, they instantly shift down again. That's a lot of shifting. If you're in D (or 3d), they don't shift like that.
Edited by Rock Chuck (10/10/08 09:51 PM)
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#2491214 - 10/10/08 08:03 PM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: Rock Chuck]
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AlaskaCub
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If I recall correctly from my Dealership Service Dept days, its actually the locking and unlocking of the Torque Convertor that does the damage, and then when the torque converter starts coming apart it distributes debris into the front pump and the rest of the tranny. Torque convertor failure was the most common cause. I worked for Toyota for like 4 years and I can count on one hand how many transmissions were replaced, cant say the same for Dodge, Chrysler, GM, or Ford as I worked for each of them also.
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#2492235 - 10/11/08 10:42 AM
Re: Question about towing
[Re: AlaskaCub]
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SeanD
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Registered: 03/16/01
Posts: 650
Loc: Tigard OR
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If I recall correctly from my Dealership Service Dept days, its actually the locking and unlocking of the Torque Convertor that does the damage, and then when the torque converter starts coming apart it distributes debris into the front pump and the rest of the tranny. Torque convertor failure was the most common cause. I worked for Toyota for like 4 years and I can count on one hand how many transmissions were replaced, cant say the same for Dodge, Chrysler, GM, or Ford as I worked for each of them also.
Bingo.
Look at the tach when you are towing in D in the tacoma. You may see the rpms move up and down when the transmission is not downshifting. Thats bad.
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Sean
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