Towing with an 2019 auto questions.

[stevebison2000]

Hi guys,
I’m sure I’ll find some educated answers on here.
I’ve got a 2019 auto hilux, dpf delete and tune,
I’ve had manuals my whole life and this is my first auto.
Got a few questions regarding towing :
Mainly the transmission overheating, torque converter lockup etc
I tow a 2 ton boat and also a camper trailer which weights bout 1.5ton
I’m aware I should be towing in s and not drive,
Should I leave it in 4 or can I change it into 5 or even 6 at times.
Is it better for transmission temp if engine is Reving higher in a lower gear than low revs in the next gear?
I’d prefer simple answers if possible as I’m not really mechanically minded.
Thanks in advance

[HK1837]

If the engine feels like it is doing it easy the converter is working hard and vice versa.

My advice is to get a big transmission aux cooler and a proper transmission temperature gauge. Wholesale autos sell both. You’ll soon learn what driving elevates coolant temperatures as the gauge goes right in the coolant line where it exits the converter.

[hiluxxury]

If towing something heavy, I'd just leave it in the sport mode. Some US pickups have a tow mode which us much the same as sport mode - holds lower gears for longer.

When the load on the drivetrain is low it will select up a gear therefore protecting the overdrive gears from high load damage and reducing EGTs.

[Silverfox1111]

I've got the same car setup as you & tow a camper trailer weighing roughly 1.8T.
I use a scanguage to monitor torque converter temps. On mainly flattish ground I leave it in auto mode but monitor the temps continually. If I see the torque converter temp get to 90° I'll use manual mode to get the converter to lock up & the temps will drop back to around 70°. I never let the temps get to 100°.
I also have a cooler on the gearbox which keeps the temp to around 70°.
Silverfox

[grunf]

When I tow my camper trailer (approx 2 tonne), I always drive in "S" mode.
Never even attempt driving in 6th gear mate. Even without towing, driving longish distances on a freeway speed of 100 or 110 km/h will cause transmission fluid temperatures to climb in high 90s or over 100 degrees. (as monitored on my TorquePro app) because of the stupid gear ratio car is always hunting for that 6th gear around those legal speeds in Australia..
In saying that when I tow I try to stay around 105 km/h in 110 zones, and in "S" mode, if the road is just flat I will keep it in 5th gear, but any slight inclination or a hill, it take it down to 4th gear.
Granted mate, revs will be a bit up 2400 to 2800 range, but transmission fluid temperatures are under control, below 90 degrees and obviously engine is not under so much load.

[Allords]

When I tow my camper trailer (approx 2 tonne), I always drive in "S" mode.
Never even attempt driving in 6th gear mate. Even without towing, driving longish distances on a freeway speed of 100 or 110 km/h will cause transmission fluid temperatures to climb in high 90s or over 100 degrees. (as monitored on my TorquePro app) because of the stupid gear ratio car is always hunting for that 6th gear around those legal speeds in Australia..
In saying that when I tow I try to stay around 105 km/h in 110 zones, and in "S" mode, if the road is just flat I will keep it in 5th gear, but any slight inclination or a hill, it take it down to 4th gear.
Granted mate, revs will be a bit up 2400 to 2800 range, but transmission fluid temperatures are under control, below 90 degrees and obviously engine is not under so much load.

Exactly what I've found. "S" mode. Forget about 6th. On the flats 5th, anything that looks like an inclination, back to 4th.
I monitor the temps on Scanguage. If that Tq convertor isn't locked up, temps rise real quick.

[Bushwalker8]

Are you guys with scanguage using these parameters for the torque converter temp?
TXD 07E02182
RXF 046105820000
RXD 3808
MTH 00010001FFD8

[Silverfox1111]

Bushwalker
That's the code that works on my 2017 hilux. Just check that the "txd" code starts with the letter o & not zero.
Silverfox
Correction: the code starts with zero & NOT the letter "o".

[Bushwalker8]

Thanks, to clarify you have actually programmed the TXD to start letter with letter O and it works OK? They normally start with a numeric Zero so this would be quite different. Cheers

[Silverfox1111]

Bushwalker
Just checked & your right. It does start with zero.
Silverfox

[HK1837]

Check the Scanguage reported temps against what it actually is. I found them to be different, not sure if the newer style differs to an A750F in where temperatures are monitored.

[grunf]

Don't forget there are temperatures in the actual pan and there are temps of the fluid as well.

I have both of them set on TorquePro.

Fluid temps flactuate quite a bit, whilst reading from the pan is more stable.

I find if Im driving (not towing, just normal driving) on the freeway in S mode in 5th gear then and only then they both stay pretty much the same. So, I guess thats the sweet spot.

[HK1837]

What I meant was I have a sender in the union where the fluid exits the converter and heads to the cooler, it drives a gauge on the dash. This reads hotter than the scangauge temps. So I'd be cautious and add 20deg to what the scangauge is telling you, at least for the A750F, not sure where the temps come from with the newer Hilux.