driving in tow/haul mode

sausec17 · Sep 10, 2013

any disadvantages from driving in tow/haul mode all the time?

Maybe I'm weird, but my truck drives SO much smoother with it on, and doesn't shift ALL the time like it does with it off. Its probably because of MDS, which I plan to disable once I purchase a tuner.

Any thoughts?

Hemi Joe · Sep 10, 2013

sausec17 said:
any disadvantages from driving in tow/haul mode all the time?

Maybe I'm weird, but my truck drives SO much smoother with it on, and doesn't shift ALL the time like it does with it off. Its probably because of MDS, which I plan to disable once I purchase a tuner.

Any thoughts?

Only disadvantage is worse fuel mileage.

ss12108 · Sep 10, 2013

Hemi Joe said:
Only disadvantage is worse fuel mileage.

It may be in my head, but I've been driving in tow/haul mode on side roads (45 mph and under), and seem to be getting better gas mileage. I don't have to hit the skinny pedal as much to get up hills which seems to be making a difference.

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Hemi Joe · Sep 10, 2013

ss12108 said:
It may be in my head, but I've been driving in tow/haul mode on side roads (45 mph and under), and seem to be getting better gas mileage. I don't have to hit the skinny pedal as much to get up hills which seems to be making a difference.

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Actually, if you read the manual they recommend it when driving hilly roads.

ss12108 · Sep 10, 2013

Hemi Joe said:
Actually, if you read the manual they recommend it when driving hilly roads.

Haha well look at that...maybe I should have read a bit more of the manual!

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sausec17 · Sep 10, 2013

yea, I just filled up after work and decided to drive home in tow/haul mode. I got 16mpg when I usually get 14mpg on the same trip home. hmmm. theres a few hills/inclined roads, but nothing crazy at all. ill see how how the rest of the tank compares.

TheRudeDog · Sep 11, 2013

I'm using it to break-in my engine

WhiteExpress · Sep 11, 2013

I saw better mileage here in town when I'd drop mine down into 4th.
Disabled MDS and the frequent shifts. I live in a super hilly high elevation town.
I can't have the truck running at 800 RPM locked in 6th gear, damnit.

audio1der · Sep 11, 2013

Agreed. Any time I'm not on the highway it's in tow-haul.
If I ever get a tuner, turning off MDS will be #1.

Chewy · Sep 11, 2013

Man, I LOVE MDS... Maybe it's better with the A8's but I can pretty much drive around town in "ECO" mode all the time. I think my 3.92's really help with that though.

One complaint of the A8 is where they put the shift buttons. I hate them on the steering wheel. It seems like I always need to shift out of first while turning the wheel and it's a PITA to push the button when the wheel is turned.

WhiteExpress · Sep 11, 2013

Chewy said:
Man, I LOVE MDS... Maybe it's better with the A8's but I can pretty much drive around town in "ECO" mode all the time. I think my 3.92's really help with that though.

One complaint of the A8 is where they put the shift buttons. I hate them on the steering wheel. It seems like I always need to shift out of first while turning the wheel and it's a PITA to push the button when the wheel is turned.

Yaaay! 2000th post! :rofl:

MDS would be nice living at a low elevation in a flat urban sprawl situation.

cajun87 · Sep 11, 2013

I have two rams, In my 2012 with the 4.7 and the 6 speed i drive with tow/haul all the time. That motor/trans combo is terrible imo, that motor doesn't have the ass to push the truck, keeping it in tow/haul keeps the rpms up and the truck is more responsive. On my 2013 with the 5.7 and the 8 speed i never touch the tow haul, that motor/trans combo is magical. It is always in the right gear at the right time.

ss12108 · Sep 11, 2013

Chewy said:
Man, I LOVE MDS... Maybe it's better with the A8's but I can pretty much drive around town in "ECO" mode all the time. I think my 3.92's really help with that though.

One complaint of the A8 is where they put the shift buttons. I hate them on the steering wheel. It seems like I always need to shift out of first while turning the wheel and it's a PITA to push the button when the wheel is turned.

Yea it's a give and take. My 3.21s are great for the highway, but frankly it takes forever to downshift going up a hill if I don't just tap the skinny pedal to the floor quickly to do it myself. The tow/haul mode has helped quite a bit with that the passed couple of days I've been trying it out.

I don't understand why they didn't just go with paddles instead of those poorly placed buttons. I think it may be because it's not technically a shiftronic type thing but rather just a way to set the max gear. On my Lexus, if I used the paddles and put it in 6th, it would stay in 6th even if I'm going 15 mph. On the truck, it still goes through its normal shifting patterns up to the gear you are set at, so I'll set it to 8th to coast but it'll still be in 5th or 6th. The paddles would still be more convenient either way though I guess.

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Etroze86 · Sep 11, 2013

Your lexus does that have a DSG where it is a dual clutch setup that doesn't have a clutch pedal? That would make it hold gears like that.

WhiteExpress · Sep 11, 2013

Ram will always be known for ****** transmissions. Even if they get a gem like the A8, they'll ruin it with ****** programing.

Chewy · Sep 11, 2013

WhiteExpress said:
Ram will always be known for ****** transmissions. Even if they get a gem like the A8, they'll ruin it with ****** programing.

Nah... I've never heard anything but good things about the original torque flights!

I don't think the A8 is tuned crappy. Could it be better? Sure, but the people who want that are in the minority. This is what's great about tuning.

LB3711 · Sep 11, 2013

just as reference its ram with the range thing. I had a 2001 dodge stratus with autostick and the gear i put it in it would be in. Put it in 4th it would start in 4th. No power but it was there. It was a true autostick. It would only shift when I told it to. Not even at redline. I wish the rams had the same setup. Kinda makes the ram setup useless

loveracing1988 · Sep 11, 2013

LB3711 said:
just as reference its ram with the range thing. I had a 2001 dodge stratus with autostick and the gear i put it in it would be in. Put it in 4th it would start in 4th. No power but it was there. It was a true autostick. It would only shift when I told it to. Not even at redline. I wish the rams had the same setup. Kinda makes the ram setup useless

Thats how my wifes grand cherokee is with the 8 speed and paddles.

Criscone · Sep 11, 2013

I was curious as to what that number meant in tow haul. I know it's the gear, but still lost as to what it truly does?

argray90 · Sep 11, 2013

I keep mine in tow/haul mode always I need to turn mds off on my tuner just haven't had time to reprogram it.

driving in tow/haul mode

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