Forum Discussion

allen8106's avatar
allen8106
Explorer
Mar 29, 2014

To Cruise or Not To Cruise

For all you Durmax guys out there.....

1) Do use use the cruise control when towing?

2) When you tow do you put the tranny in manual shift mode and keep it out of over drive or leave it in drive and let the tranny shift all the way up to overdrive? When I had my 2009 with the 6L gas engine I always had to run it in manual shift mode and only shift it up to 5th gear. With this diesel seems like it would be ok to leave it in auto mode and let shift into over drive.


Thoughts appreciated...
  • mustangglp's avatar
    mustangglp
    Explorer
    Mar 29, 2014
    I think this depends a lot on gear ratios and how many hills there are and speed limit my truck (2001) is really happy at 65 in over drive and will climb most hills without down shifting. Of course living in California the speed limit is 55 so this makes the gearing fine for flat in overdrive or most grades at 65 or with the overdrive off at 55.
    Dose anyone see any changes in mileage in overdrive or not?
  • Sluggo54's avatar
    Sluggo54
    Explorer
    Mar 29, 2014
    I paid around $9k for the engine, the transmission, and the smart box to run it. I read the manual. It goes in D, Tow/Haul on, and it does what it thinks best. Granted, only been doing it this way for 9 year and 149,000 miles, but so far, so good.
  • Old-Biscuit's avatar
    Old-Biscuit
    Explorer III
    Mar 29, 2014
    2oldman wrote:
    larry barnhart wrote:
    I cannot understand not using tow mode when towing.
    If you have a 4.00+ rear end you would.


    4:10 Rear End and use Tow/Haul all the time towing my 5vr.
    I use cruise control when not on a hilly, mtn, curvy road.

    Heck I even use Tow/Haul mode when not towing.....city traffic.
    Tranny not up shifting/downshifting with the slow traffic flow.
  • KD4UPL's avatar
    KD4UPL
    Explorer
    Mar 29, 2014
    Put the Allison in T/H. Set the cruise. End of story. I'm pretty sure that's what the manual will tell you also.
    I also don't understand why you wouldn't use the T/H mode when towing. And by the way, nobody with a D/A is going to have anything but 3.73 gears.
    I don't claim to be smarter than the computer in my truck or the engineers who built it. So far it's been the most reliable vehicle I've ever owned and it's got 178,000 miles on it.
  • 2oldman's avatar
    2oldman
    Explorer II
    Mar 29, 2014
    Old-Biscuit wrote:
    4:10 Rear End and use Tow/Haul all the time towing my 5vr.
    I assumed tow/haul meant it would never be in OD.
  • AH64ID's avatar
    AH64ID
    Explorer
    Mar 30, 2014
    I don't tow a 5er, and have a manual transmission, but I live in cruise control while towing.

    I have found cruise to be smoother with throttle inputs and changes on grades, so I use it to speed up and slow down.

    Cruise control also works in conjunction with my exhaust brake so my speed is fairly constant up and down hill.

    As far as TH mode I know several people who use TH around town and to get up to speed and then shut it off at highway speeds.
  • okiejoe's avatar
    okiejoe
    Explorer
    Mar 30, 2014
    I use my cruise control all the time, I have a 6 speed Manual tranny in a 06 Dodge Cummins and a 34 ft Everest 5er. I have no problems with it.
  • larry_barnhart's avatar
    larry_barnhart
    Explorer
    Mar 30, 2014
    Old-Biscuit wrote:
    2oldman wrote:
    larry barnhart wrote:
    I cannot understand not using tow mode when towing.
    If you have a 4.00+ rear end you would.


    4:10 Rear End and use Tow/Haul all the time towing my 5vr.
    I use cruise control when not on a hilly, mtn, curvy road.

    Heck I even use Tow/Haul mode when not towing.....city traffic.
    Tranny not up shifting/downshifting with the slow traffic flow.


    Dodge was not in the original post so it doesn't matter and I understand weight and gears but just giving my thoughts on the subject. 3.73 is the rear gear of a duramax.

    chevman

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