Which gear to tow in? VR 6 auto.

[nomad]

Hey guys.
I'm getting the auto trans serviced on the VR next week, & also fitting a trans cooler because I plan on towing a campervan (500-750kg range)reasonably reguarly.

Just before I left the workshop, the mechanic reccommended not using overdrive (4th) when towing the camper long distances & leaving the tranny in 3rd for this.

Is that right?

I know it's wise to do this for some of the earlier Toyota 4x4 5 speed manuals coz 5th gear runs on a brass bush & can bugger the box, but what about using overdrive on the commie auto.

 

[hako]

The mechanic is correct - tow in 3rd. If you tow in 4th (or D) you risk breaking the sunshell thing that 4th and reverse go thru. Mine broke recently and the mechanic who fixed it (full overhaul $1850) said dont tow in D. Our cars are getting on in years however I'll add this:
The owners manual says you can use 4th in 'power' setting but goes on to say that 'some drivers may prefer to select "3" position in "power" or "economy" modes when towing. Good Luck.

 

[nomad]

Thanks hako. It's not that I really doubted my mechanic as much as getting a second opinion or 5. It's more a case of this is the 1st 4 speed auto I've owned, in fact the 1st car I've owned with so many computerised functions. After having it for nearly just on 11 months, I still learning new things about it every week. :thumbsup:

 

[Harvs82]

Yeah definately 3rd. You won't get good economy at all, but better for the auto, and for the engine as it won't be labouring.

I would probably also use the power mode, if your auto has it, as it holds the gears just that bit longer, saves getting bogged down, especially if you are towing a van etc

 

[maginoodle]

3rd for sure,as explained above

 

[94 Stato V8]

Did a similar towing thing recently. Towed a 7x5 Tradesman trailer with water ski gear, esky, bags etc with the stato in econo mode. Was running it on the cruise control at 110. I started to notice the revs rise just slightly occasionly going up small rises in the road. Next I noticed white smoke coming from under the car and the revs rise a bit more. I dropped off the cruise and drove it manually for a bit and found the revs were still rising. I pulled over and found a bit of trans fluid was dripping on the pipes. Got back on the road again but only at 80 and got to destination, checked fluid and it was fine. On the return home trip I was only doing 80 till 3/4 way home then switched to power and up to 90 and no probs. My guess was with the extra load and wind resistance from the trailer top it was heating up the fluid too much and 'burped' a bit out. I'm thinking I'll fit the cooler I have on the shed wall to it before next time.

 

[TheForgotten]

if towing is to be a regular occurance, I'd also recommend a diff ratio change, to further stop it bogging down

 

[Clacker]

You want the auto to "lock up" so you get direct drive and so stops the fluid from boiling. I believe 3rd locks up at 55kms so providing you are over that for most of your travels you should be ok. Lockup in D is about 90 so I can see how the lack of lockup and higher ratio gear could destroy the transmission.

Clacks

 

[TheForgotten]

well that's subjective to throttle position as much as road speed, most of the time for me lockup is at a lower speed, but I never tow

 

[KB3800]

hmmm we've had a thread similar to this one before. i can only pass on what experience i've had with my setup, and hope its of some help to you.
first off, i wouldn't be too worried if you are only towing less than 1000kg, the VR should pull it fine, thou for any towing setup, a trannie cooler is a must.
i tow 1600kgs all over NSW, (see avatar above), about a dozen times each year since 1997, and the VP has pulled perfectly whether in top or overdrive, and often on suitable level roads in cruise control, thou occaisonal manual shifting is of course necessary at hills such as Mt Ousley and Mt Victoria. Yes, a couple of extra cylinders would be nice, but the V6 and auto has never shown any signs of failing, and the old girl's just rolled over 320,000 kms. Apart from changing engine oil more frequently, every 5000kms, and getting the auto serviced more frequently also, every 20,000kms, this otherwise daily driver gets the same care as an ordinary family wagon. hope this has been of some help, and happy towing!
regards Kev