Towing van with a 2000 V6 Auto Advice needed please?

[Steevo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steevo]

Hi I have a 2000 V6 auto and am about to tow an 18ft poptop caravan weighing around 1.5t. My questions are do I have the power button on while towing and do I have the overdrive off or on while towing. I will be doing a trip of 7000 to 8000km's and as I haven't towed with autos a hell of a lot I'm wondering which way is best as I don't want to do the wrong thing and damage the auto. Sorry if been done I'm not very good with searching for and finding exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks Steve

[croozza Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close croozza]

Hey Steve, just leave it in normal mode, when you get to hilly areas just press the PWR button, all this does is hold onto the gears higher in the rev range, just remember to knock it down a gear or two when you go back down the big hills. The Auto in the 90 is very strong (out of an 80 series), and has good cooling so will not have a problem there.

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Just leave in drive and let it do its thing. You may want to pull it back a gear or two if going down steep hills so it doesn't get away from you and saves the brakes a bit. As croozza said box is out of an 80 series so super strong, you wont even need a cooler fitted BUT in saying that when we had our 90 and towing I asked my mate who owns an auto trans shop and he did say if I was doing huge amounts of towing he would add one but mainly when its a stinking hot day just to help it out but he has never had any one complaining about transmission oil temp light coming on in a 90 due to heat. I had mine on Stockton a few times and been working pretty hard in the soft sand and never had an issue with the light coming on. I would add electric brakes if you don't have them, (off subject a bit) makes a massive difference and more controllable if she starts to get the sways up a bit..............Cheers Steve

[Steevo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steevo]

Thanks Crooza and Steve for the info, Yeah I have electric brakes on the van. So leave in normal economy and leave in overdrive?. So basically drive it, but put power button on, on hills if labouring etc?

I didn't know the auto's were out of an 80 series

Thanks Steve

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Yeah as croozza said you can push the power on when climbing hills stops it hunting between gears and puts it more in the torque range but to be honest wont hurt if you don't. You will get used to the performance of what you sort of need to do, eg personally I use to drop it out of overdrive just as it was starting to climb to keep in the rev range instead waiting for the transmission to do it but again either way will not hurt the transmission in any way. And going down steep hills I would in some cases pull it back to second gear (as long as you aren't doing 100k) but you know what I mean, but I didn't have electric brakes so I would save the brakes if needed so I didn't over heat them (boat pushing me in some cases) but again this is where you can hit the electric brake controller to pull the van brakes on first etc. But your answer to your question is no you don't have to both questions. One thing I wouldn't use in hilly terrain is the cruise control, I found it a pain in the arse, on the flats its ok but climbing hills etc it will use more fuel and if you had the cruise at say 100k then come to a steep hill to climb it will rev the shitter out of it to maintain the speed and probably drop back a cog or two to do it and will be revving the shitter out it, this is where you may drop it out of overdrive and drop back to say 80/90k till over the hill (depending on grade of hill) then once over gently back on the throttle and resume cruise control........I find Toyota cruise to be honest pretty shitty in all Toyota's Ive had including the 120 I have now.........Cheers Steve

[Steevo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steevo]

Hi Steve thanks mate yeah that all makes sense. Mainly wanted to know as some vehicles they must be in power or overdrive off to avoid frying the trans. Yeah good to know these are pretty good autos (I hope). I know what you mean about using cruise to tow up hills it flogs the guts out of the vehicle trying to maintain speed and for this reason I don't use it and rarely use it towing anyway.

Thanks heaps mate
Steve

[westy90 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close westy90]

My van weighs about the same. Follow the advice above and you will have no problems. On flat roads certainly turn power off, as with it on you will need a higher speed to get to the very top gear. Therefore you will use a lot more fuel on the flat surfaces with the button on. So only using it in hilly areas is good advice.

also expect it to drink fuel. Offset this with 40psi in the tyres and a nice new air filter.

[kav Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close kav]

Just stick it in D and have blatant disregard for anyone else on the road . Well that's how it usually goes .

[Steevo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steevo]

Thanks for that Westy will do.
Kav I SINCERELY HOPE YOUR MUCKING AROUND WITH THAT POST!

[Steevo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steevo]

Sorry double posted