Economy mode on an Allison Transmission

[holstein13]

Does anyone know if there is any benefit to turning on Economy mode while using cruise control on a highway? If I've got the cruise control turned on at 64 miles per hour, will economy mode help?

What about after I've had to slow down for a vehicle in front of me? Will economy mode make a difference vs. the cruise controls acceleration?

Is economy mode better for city driving?

[RayChez]

blewtr49 is exactly correct on his post. The transmission will not down shift as easy going up hills.

[Peralko]

GlennLever wrote:

Peralko wrote:
When you put the tranny in mode it will indicate so on the display. We do not have a separate light indicating the tranny is in mode.
Excellent explanation from Wolfe10. As mentioned all the mode switch does is delay downshifts and accelerate upshifts. Lower RPM gives best mileage. Mode makes no difference if you are on flat ground in high gear.

So the Economy does not light up?

It does not on ours. We just get a message on the shift panel that mode is on.

[wolfe10]

Glenn,

A good question for Allison-- they have had several shift pads over the years:

Allison help line 800 252 5283

But, if pushing "Mode" illuminates an indicator, I suspect that says you are in economy mode.

Want to test it:

From a standing start (ya, traffic permitting) put your foot to the floor and accelerate to 50 MPH. Note the max RPM in each gear (call it out to your co-pilot). At the next stop, hit the mode button and repeat. In economy mode, shifts will be at lower RPM.

[GlennLever]

Peralko wrote:
When you put the tranny in mode it will indicate so on the display. We do not have a separate light indicating the tranny is in mode.
Excellent explanation from Wolfe10. As mentioned all the mode switch does is delay downshifts and accelerate upshifts. Lower RPM gives best mileage. Mode makes no difference if you are on flat ground in high gear.

So the Economy does not light up?

[Peralko]

When you put the tranny in mode it will indicate so on the display. We do not have a separate light indicating the tranny is in mode.
Excellent explanation from Wolfe10. As mentioned all the mode switch does is delay downshifts and accelerate upshifts. Lower RPM gives best mileage. Mode makes no difference if you are on flat ground in high gear.

[GlennLever]

jorbill2or wrote:

GlennLever wrote:
I have an Allison World transmission. The shift panel has an economy display in the upper right position.



This is in a 1997 American Dream.

I have no idea how to active or deactive that mode.

Any ideas?

yes push the mode button just below the Economy word you circled .. the light should come on. You must do this ea time you start .. it resets to "normal " mode ea time Or pushing mode again turns it off.

Picked up the Motor Home from Cummins today from a "chassis service" pressed the mode button, and between the to indicated gears, the display added "in mode" but the Economy light did not light up.

[wolfe10]

MrWizard wrote:
so your saying shifting up sooner and down later is economy mode ?

Correct.

[MrWizard]

yes i know lower RPM is more economy

some how we are not on the same wave length

and i know the final gearing is not affected...only shift points

so your saying shifting up sooner and down later is economy mode ?

[wolfe10]

MrWizard wrote:

It CAN be reset (Allison shop) so that the default is Economy instead of Power. That is an easy one.

I believe that is the way is in our safari
If I use the mode button..it up shifts sooner and down shifts later
That would be performance mode ?

NO, operating the engine at lower RPM= better MPG= economy mode.

So, in economy mode, the transmission upshifts earlier and downshifts later than in power mode.

I am not aware of a single RV manufacturer/chassis manufacturer who speced the ECM's with economy mode as the default. Said another way, power mode is the default, so every time you turn on the key it starts in power mode. Pushing the mode button takes it to economy mode. Pushing the mode button again, cycles it back to power mode, etc.

[MrWizard]

It CAN be reset (Allison shop) so that the default is Economy instead of Power. That is an easy one.

I believe that is the way is in our safari
If I use the mode button..it up shifts sooner and down shifts later
That would be performance mode ?

If I do not use the mode button..Then it is slower to up shift and faster to down shift

I use mode on surface streets..because I am not nailing it to the floor accelerating up the freeway on ramp

[wolfe10]

gemert wrote:

wolfe10 wrote:
I am not so sure the Mode Button can be "programmed to do different things"-- at least in the RV application. But if someone finds out there is, would be very interested in what other things it can be programmed to do.

It CAN be reset (Allison shop) so that the default is Economy instead of Power. That is an easy one.

Sorry I wasn't clear. What he was referring to was reprogramming so shift points were more custom to what each person wanted. I'm sure there are limits but as a "pull out of my ...butt... kind of example, they could program it to perform better in a 1/4 mile drag race if you wanted it. My wife complains all the time about my unrealistic examples, sorry!

Indeed shift RPM's can be changed-- but the change would affect all shift points/all gears. And it would not involve the mode feature.

Said another way, you can not change JUST the 5-6 shift. Attempting to do so would affect all shifts. Basically one of the perimeters tell the Allison ECM the correct operating RPM range of the engine.

[holstein13]

OP here. I did some careful observations today with my 1,950 Ft. lbs. of torque ISX15 today going from Carlsbad, NM to El Paso and never once noticed the engine downshift from 6th to anything lower. It did slow down a bit going up hills, but never downshifted.

I'll play around with the eco mode, but if I'm always in 6th anyway, I can't imagine what the eco mode will do for me.

[gemert]

wolfe10 wrote:
I am not so sure the Mode Button can be "programmed to do different things"-- at least in the RV application. But if someone finds out there is, would be very interested in what other things it can be programmed to do.

It CAN be reset (Allison shop) so that the default is Economy instead of Power. That is an easy one.

Sorry I wasn't clear. What he was referring to was reprogramming so shift points were more custom to what each person wanted. I'm sure there are limits but as a "pull out of my ...butt... kind of example, they could program it to perform better in a 1/4 mile drag race if you wanted it. My wife complains all the time about my unrealistic examples, sorry!

[wolfe10]

I am not so sure the Mode Button can be "programmed to do different things"-- at least in the RV application. But if someone finds out there is, would be very interested in what other things it can be programmed to do.

It CAN be reset (Allison shop) so that the default is Economy instead of Power. That is an easy one.