Tow/Haul Mode (is it needed in my case)

My very uneducated opinion is if you are towing and you have it, use it.

I always recommend it. It keeps you out of overdrive so it wont want to search for gears as much in the hills and it will keep the power more available putting you in a more responsive rpm range

Experience: ive owned a diesel truck and drive one for work daily

malechi wrote:
How do I know if I should use that mode or not? Please help.

On the flat or nearly flat you probably don't need it.
Big hills and mountains then maybe.

If your truck seems to be struggling to get up to speed, then you need to turn it on. It will stay in the lower gears a bit longer and rev a bit higher.

Once you are up to highway speed and the transmission is locked into high gear it makes no difference; well that is until it starts pulling hard in which case it might downshift a bit sooner.

Golfcart wrote:
It keeps you out of overdrive so it wont want to search for gears as much in the hills

Since when is being IN overdrive a bad thing ?

The other side of that coin is: If it does NOT downshift in moderate hills or hunt for gears, then you don't need it ON.....and staying in OD is a good thing.

Enabling tow mode does NOT lock it out of OD completely.

Note: If you are having trouble with unexpected downshifting, first try running without cruise control on. My E450 pulls good.....except when the cruise is ON; then it drops down 2 gears when nearing the crest of most little hills. Tow ON or OFF makes no difference. It is very easy to keep it from doing that with cruise OFF.

Gas mileage probably won't be noticeably different either way as the "tow" settings really only come into play when starting and stopping and pulling real hard.

IMO It depends on how you drive and where.

On flats use it unless the truck down shifts often. On grades use it for up & down.

On my little truck the manual states that the tow mode won't use 6th and the shift points are changed (trany stays in a lower gear longer). That's why your mpg is lower.

Warch the trany temp.

I don't live near mountains (you guys say our mountains are mohills).

Sam, my cruise control down shifts 2 gears also, very annoying, even on slight grades with or without the trailer.

IMO use it, you'll see much better hold back from the transmission on downhills so it'll help save your brakes. when going downhill a quick tap on the brake will cause it to downshift and hold that gear.

With that transmission it doesn't disable any of the gears it just changes the shift points and enhances braking.

malechi wrote:
I have a 2008 Ford F-350 6.4L V8 diesel (my first diesel truck). With it, I tow a Starcraft Autumn Ridge 197FBH which had a GVWR of 6200 lbs. I also live in Colorado. My question is should I use the tow/haul mode on the truck? I ask because my MPG reading on the truck is about 9MPG on average with I use it. I'm still pretty new to towing too. How do I know if I should use that mode or not? Please help.

I just traded a 2010 F450 with the same engine. I hauled the camper in my sig which weighs about 5500 lbs. I never noticed any significant difference in the MPG using tow/haul or not. 9.0-9.5 is what they get when working them. Of course, mine had the 4.30 rear end, so I would occasionally even see lower than 9.0 if it was working really hard.

I wouldn't consider MPG when deciding to use tow/haul or not. It really doesn't matter whether it's on or off when cruising at hiway speeds on level ground. It changes the way the tranny shifts when you are on hilly roads, starting from a dead stop, and assists with braking when going downhill. Those are all good things when towing or hauling.

It does NOT lock out OD. It just changes (for the better) when it goes into, and out of OD.

:):)

Sam Spade wrote:

Golfcart wrote:
It keeps you out of overdrive so it wont want to search for gears as much in the hills

Since when is being IN overdrive a bad thing ?

The other side of that coin is: If it does NOT downshift in moderate hills or hunt for gears, then you don't need it ON.....and staying in OD is a good thing.

Enabling tow mode does NOT lock it out of OD completely.

Note: If you are having trouble with unexpected downshifting, first try running without cruise control on. My E450 pulls good.....except when the cruise is ON; then it drops down 2 gears when nearing the crest of most little hills. Tow ON or OFF makes no difference. It is very easy to keep it from doing that with cruise OFF.

Gas mileage probably won't be noticeably different either way as the "tow" settings really only come into play when starting and stopping and pulling real hard.

To each their own I suppose. I liked using tow haul so i could cruise at the right rpm without the motor having to work when the wind gusts or you start up a hill. The boost seemed noticeably lower when cruising at the higher rpm

Tow haul is also good for engine braking going down the other side of the hills. In my old PSD, using tow haul was the only way it would work

Doubt tow/haul being on is the reason for your 9MPG towing. The 6.4s have always been known to be one of the more thirsty diesel motor. Bout the only way you'll ever see significantly better MPG is to delete the emissions on that truck.

Okay thanks for all the replies. Sounds like I should continue to use it. Especially if it does not turn off overdrive.