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Old 01-04-2013, 12:14 PM   #1
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I have a dumb question about towing on long mountain grades. Is it to better to stay in one gear from the bottom or manually shift up to keep in the torque curve?
2008 Ford F250 CC auto five speed w/od and 6.8l V10 10,500 lbs 5th wheel.
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Old 01-04-2013, 01:57 PM   #2
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You will want to downshift as needed going up the mountain. I used to notice a direct correlation between engine temp and gear. Higher gear the hotter the engine got and the harder it worked to try to maintain speed. Down shift, temp dropped and I had more power. Rule of thumb going down is to use the gear you needed to get up the mountain and then use the engine gearing to help hold your speeds down. The more you use your engine the less you use your brakes. If you have to use your brakes stab them to do a quick drop of 10 mph then try to stay off them. The last thing you want is for brakes to overheat from using them too muchEdited by: anaro
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Old 01-04-2013, 02:51 PM   #3
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Being an automatic and probably hasFords Tow Haul, just put it in the normal drive mode and tow haul and go. The truck will determine when to shift and the tow haul will help withtransmission braking going down the other side. The tow haul mode also changes the shift program from normal drive mode.
Should be no reason to manually shift it.
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Old 01-04-2013, 07:31 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LeBo
I have a dumb question about towing on long mountain grades. Is it to better to stay in one gear from the bottom or manually shift up to keep in the torque curve?
2008 Ford F250 CC auto five speed w/od and 6.8l V10 10,500 lbs 5th wheel.
Lebo

Disregard, I reread your post and see you have the gas engine, mine is a diesel.

My truck is basically the same as yours and I noticed one thing interesting. I always run in tow/haul when pulling the trailer, abt 500 lbs lighter than yours. When going down a hill the engine brake doesn't do much, maybe I don't know how to activate it. But I found out if the cruise control is set at 60 the engine brake works real well and the speed will not increase with no braking. I found that out on a 6% grade on I10. If going down the hill you tap the brakes it will release the cruise control and the speed will increase??? It's like it turned the engine brake off as well as the cruise.

I probably should read more in the manual but now when going down a grade I slow down at the top to ~55 and set the cruise if it wasn't already and it will hold it.Edited by: avvidclif
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Old 01-04-2013, 11:28 PM   #5
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the exhaust brake works with rpms. the higher the rpms the more effective the exhaust brake. My truck has a feature when in tow/haul if you tap the brake it will downshift one gear to make the exhaust brake more effective.
we went up some hills in norther PA last summer, I found it couldn't quite find the right gear. I also started at the bottom of the hill doing 60/65mph. As I climbed I manually downshifted to keep in the torque range. I kept an eye on the temps- they climbed a little but not enough to worry about.



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Old 01-05-2013, 12:20 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cruzr4-2

Being an automatic and probably hasÂ*Fords Tow Haul, just put it in the normal drive mode and tow haul and go.Â* The truck will determine when to shift and the tow haul will help withÂ*transmission braking going down the other side.Â* The tow haul mode also changes the shift program from normal drive mode.
Should be no reason to manually shift it.
Dennis

While this is true for the diesel, the advice I have was from my old gasser. The gassers don't seem to do as good with automatic engine shifting vs manual shifting as the diesels.
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Old 01-05-2013, 09:56 AM   #7
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Clif,
If you tap the brake again after your cruise control is off it should down shift and engine brake be functional. The harder you tap the brake the more effective it will be. Your wheel brake usage will be minimal. That's the way my 2005 F250 is anyway. The system is great.
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Old 01-05-2013, 10:25 AM   #8
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Thanks every buddy for your input on this dumb question. I"m glad I asked! The young will learn from others.
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Old 01-05-2013, 02:18 PM   #9
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Quote:
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Thanks every buddy for your input on this dumb question. I"m glad I asked! The young will learn from others.
Lebo




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The only dumb question is the question not asked.
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Old 01-05-2013, 04:58 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by cruzr4-2

Clif,
If you tap the brake again after your cruise control is off it should down shift and engine brake be functional.Â* The harder you tap the brake the more effective it will be.Â* Your wheel brake usage will be minimal.Â* That's the way my 2005 F250 is anyway.Â* The system is great.
Dennis
I guess I need to read the book. I have a totally different transmission than you do, 2009 model. I'll see what it says.
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Old 01-05-2013, 11:36 PM   #11
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I think Ford changed their tow/haul mode as my 08 does not perform the same as the former 04 as far as braking action! The 08 is not nearly as much braking! Engines are both diesel but one 6.0l & other 6.4l.
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Old 01-06-2013, 02:32 AM   #12
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Sorry, I didn't mean to lead anyone astray. I figured they probably functioned the same.
I would be interested how the newer ones dooperate. I am completely satisfied how mine works.
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Old 01-06-2013, 08:32 AM   #13
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Cruz, I believe the new and old operate the same but the new just don't have as much brake effect.
I'm comparing 04 with 08 as am unfamiliar with newer Fords and hope to never need one.
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Old 01-06-2013, 12:44 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by carl

I think Ford changed their tow/haul mode as my 08 does not perform the same as the former 04 as far as braking action! The 08 is not nearly as much braking! Engines are both diesel but one 6.0l & other 6.4l.
This is my first Ford diesel so have no basis of comparison but next time you start down a hill and the speed starts picking up tap the brakes back to your comfortable speed and set the cruise control. Mine has very little braking until the cruise is set. Then it will hold whatever it's set to.
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