TOW/HAUL and OVERDRIVE Explained!!

[smiley]

Canada speak no clue how fast 90 km/hr is haha. Well I know how the manual mode works and I understand it locks out gears higher than the number I wonder why new trucks can tow in overdrive but old ones melted transmissions like a crayon in a fire. I guess had I known that I was towing in OD I would have felt bad but too late now 72k fluid looks good I think I'll change the trans filters again so far I have done it every 25k and hope for the best long term.


$miley

 

[naturecannon]

What I really want to figure out is why sometimes I can nail it and she takes off like a bat out of hell and sometimes, not so much lol.

Tell me about it. Been driving to same jobsite for months. The other day I Hit gas leaving stop sign to turn left and she rips off sideways on me burning rubber. Holy **** where did that come from. Had traction control off (and 3.92) but still, never had that happen before. I looked like a 20 year old maniac with daddys truck LOL.

Maybe I got a little too aggressive but been driving her for a year and have her felt out pretty well. Still wondering WTF about that day. If wife was there she would never believe me and say I did that on purpose.

 

[Birddog]

In the 2012 I had (1500) and the 2013 I have now (2500) the tow /haul mode is as easy as pushing a button on the dash. I've never done anything with the rig in manual mode. It feels like the rig takes itself out of any Overdrive capability on its own by putting it in tow /haul mode. I've never experienced lugging in tow /haul mode. In fact if I feel the lugging I immediately know that I forgot to put it into tow /haul.

Great write up!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Noved]

In the 2012 I had (1500) and the 2013 I have now (2500) the tow /haul mode is as easy as pushing a button on the dash. I've never done anything with the rig in manual mode. It feels like the rig takes itself out of any Overdrive capability on its own by putting it in tow /haul mode. I've never experienced lugging in tow /haul mode. In fact if I feel the lugging I immediately know that I forgot to put it into tow /haul.

Great write up!

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

I have noticed this as well with my 1500 and I am very pleased with Dodge's tow/haul setup because of it.

 

[Chewy]

I was playing a little with this yesterday with my A8 and I'm surprised how long it holds the gears when your really pushing on the pedal, but if you're not on it, it seems to shift fairly normal. Perfect for towing!


Sent from my miniaturizer via tap dancing...

 

[wes_unruh]

2014 Tow/haul

When I was with the 2014 CAF airshow we had a 2014 rental. It was a 2500 diesel (stupid DEF) and when we put it tow haul mode we did not notice the trailer behind us, at least until it started kicking our ass end side to side. The only thing that I noticed with tow/haul is that it changed the shift points depending on timing. if we needed to pick up speed it would leave us in that gear to allow for pickup. if we hit the brakes it would downshift to give use engine braking. this may be due to it being a diesel, but the gas job cannot be that much different as my 13 outdoorsman will keep my speed downhill with a '72 23 ft camper with no brakes. not sure if these points help at all but food for thought.

Wes

 

[TRCM]

Hello folks. I was just looking up this Tow/Haul info in our Owners Manual. Here is some good info:

"Use of ERS (or TOW/HAUL mode) also enables an
additional underdrive gear which is not normally used
during through-gear accelerations. This additional gear
can improve vehicle performance and cooling capability
when towing a trailer on certain grades. In ERS mode,
gears 1 though 3 are underdrive gears, and ERS 4 is direct
drive. ERS 5 and 6 (Overdrive gears) are the same as the
normal fourth and fifth gears.

NOTE: TOW/HAUL mode locks out Overdrive."

So, even though we have a 6 speed tranny we are only using 5 gears, 3rd is not used when in drive. 3rd is only used in Tow/Haul mode (but then you lose 5th and 6th gears) or if you manually put it in 3rd. But then you lose 4th, 5th and 6th gears. Thought it was really interesting that we have an unused gear the would help move this truck at lower speeds. Just thought I'd share that with you all.

That 'NOTE' you copied is for the 4 speed auto trans behind the 3.7l engine (see page 387 of the 2012 owners manual), not the 6 speed.

What does prevent it is :

Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically controlled Overdrive (fifth and sixth gears). The transmission will automatically shift into the Overdrive gear if
the following conditions are present:
• the shift lever is in the DRIVE position,
• the transmission fluid has reached an adequate temperature,
• the engine coolant (antifreeze) has reached an adequate
temperature,
• vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and
• the TOW/HAUL switch has not been activated.


So the effect is the same, but the cut & pasted sections of the owners manual are for different transmissions

 

[Andy578]

Canada speak no clue how fast 90 km/hr is haha.

$miley

90km/h = 56mph

 

[HemiPower36]

For me. I only towed once. I figured, since I was towing/ hauling..... I enabled tow/ haul mode because..... Well, I was towing and hauling. Plus, I had to justify the max tow package!!! Lmao! Get er' done!!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Old Dominion Ram]

Informative write up. Thank You!

I know this about mashing the gas and it just sitting there. Sometimes the hill assist seems to lurch it, and disregard the pedal input for a second. I turned it off and haven't noticed the problem since. Funny part is I learned that the truck had started programming my driving without me realizing it. When I turned off the hill assist I found myself double pumping a little bit. Broke that newly formed habit. I never drive with traction control on in any vehicle I own or use at work. It gets turned off in my wifes Caravan when I drive it too....much to her hatred.

As for Tow/Haul.....short of a few bags of pellets in the back I never pull a trailer or haul the 4 wheeler without it on.

 

[RidgeRunner907]

Is there a way to set up so the tow mode is automatically turned on st start up. I live on a smaller island in Alaska and don’t ever get to actual cruising speeds.

 

[69GWC]

Not that I know of.

 

[Openclasspro]

Also the tow haul button will NOT lock out 8th gear on a 17! Nor will it turn off mds.always make sure to never leave it in drive but to hit down button and hit up
Till “7” appears and will also lock out mds

 

[grizzstang]

Also the tow haul button will NOT lock out 8th gear on a 17! Nor will it turn off mds.always make sure to never leave it in drive but to hit down button and hit up
Till “7” appears and will also lock out mds

Tow haul does lock out 8th gear on mine.

If you do the MDS lockout trick in tow haul and go to 8 you can see what gear the truck is in at all times and mine will not shift to 8th gear in tow haul.

 

[loveracing1988]

Also the tow haul button will NOT lock out 8th gear on a 17! Nor will it turn off mds.always make sure to never leave it in drive but to hit down button and hit up
Till “7” appears and will also lock out mds [emoji106]

Tow haul does lock out 8th gear on mine.

If you do the MDS lockout trick in tow haul and go to 8 you can see what gear the truck is in at all times and mine will not shift to 8th gear in tow haul.

My 13 would only go into 8th at freeway speed in tow haul but mds stayed on no matter what.

Sent from my LG-H918 using Tapatalk

 

[HvyDuty]

My '16 6.4L with Tow/Haul on MDS will still activate, however when using the column shift button, MDS is disabled tow/haul on or off.

 

[Openclasspro]

No it doesn’t

Tow Haul also turns off the cylinder cut out in our trucks.

It doesn’t turn off mds in my 17 express...

 

[Openclasspro]

Yes. Must due the trick to lock out 7/8 as well as disable mds

 

[Openclasspro]

Interesting , if. Flat, mine will go into 8th w 8th selected as top gear. ( mds) will stay off , but I’d think. Even though I selected 8 th as top gear ( logic in tow / haul) wouldn’t allow it into 8th

 

[loveracing1988]

Interesting , if. Flat, mine will go into 8th w 8th selected as top gear. ( mds) will stay off , but I’d think. Even though I selected 8 th as top gear ( logic in tow / haul) wouldn’t allow it into 8th

Logic wants you to get the best fuel economy, so if empty why run around in 6th or 7th?