Towing 3023 with Tacoma in AZ

[T and C]

Originally Posted by T and C

In reading all these posts I am sooo glad I have a P/U truck. My truck has a transmission temp gauge on the dash, so I can say that although I have towed the TM all over the Sierra and the NM and COLO Rockies at high altitudes I have never had a problem.

The Odyssey is a fine vehicle. My SIL has one and has towed his speedboat over the 11,000 foot pass near Denver, and up to a place in the Rockies at 8000 feet several times. Once we went over the top of Rocky Mountain NP, about 12000 feet, with four adults, luggage, and an 85 pound dog with no sweat at all. Not towing anything though.

I just like not having to sweat the small stuff. The larger tow vehicle gives you a margin of safety in several areas.

Enjoy,

Tom

Sorry, but I have to amend the above post. My SIL has a Pilot, not an Odyssy.

Tom

pretty sure that tranny temp was unavail on obdII port of my 2009 tacoma..
Also the tranny had no way of locking the torque convertor by setting a tow haul mode or similar. Steep., long hills with an unlocked torque convrtor can over heat the tranny. You could manually select gears., and lock the TC that way..

On our F150 the tranny temp gauge is apparently behaves more like an idiot light.. Not sure how the computer responds to tranny over heat, but if the engine over heats., power is automatically reduced by the computer..

I have a ScanGuage on my '05 Tacoma (4x4 w/factory tow package). The ScanGuage can be programed to read trans temp which is very useful. I don't remember how I did it since it is a custom function, but someone on this forum told me how... It is amazing how fast the temp goes up as the hill steepens!

[Bill]

Originally Posted by brulaz

Also the tranny had no way of locking the torque convertor by setting a tow haul mode or similar. Steep., long hills with an unlocked torque convrtor can over heat the tranny. You could manually select gears., and lock the TC that way.

Sadly, you are right about this. In an effort to maintain a "smooth consumer-friendly" ride, torque converters are designed to unlock very easily on most vehicles. And they don't simply unlock and stay unlocked. Under computer control, they unlock-relock-unlock-relock very rapidly in an effort to keep the engine operating at the most fuel-efficient RPM. That's why you can see the engine RPM sort of drift up as you start up a hill, rather than snapping up. And each time they relock, there is extra friction and heat generated. On my Explorer, it is all so smooth that I can't even feel the transmission shift gears - I let my Aeroforce gauge tell me what gear I am in.

Our member PopBeavers has reported that his GMC has a tow-haul mode, and that one of the functions of this mode is to lock up the torque converter. I would pay extra for this feature - and probably will on my next tow vehicle.

On our F150 the tranny temp gauge is apparently behaves more like an idiot light..

Once gain you are quite right. On most cars, all of the "gauges" except the gas gauge are simply idiot lights in a nice package. When I hear someone brag that "My Belchmobile towed our trailer up and down steep hills and the temp gauge never budged!", I kind of shiver. All he is saying is that the idiot light never came on - but he has no idea what the temp was actually doing.

I really appreciate having real gauge on important functions.

Bill