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question about tow/haul activation ?

3K views 28 replies 10 participants last post by  Evil Eye 
#1 ·
Hello people , I'm curious about using the t/h button to unlock the torque converter at highway
speeds . The truck is a 04' f250 and rite now I have it tuned with PHP 80hp tow . The tow/haul
will not come on at anytime . Fuse is good ( #24-2amp ). Before I tear in and change the
switch , is this something that would be turned of in a custom tow tune ? Is it even a good
idea to use the function to unlock the TC ?
If I remember rite , when it worked before , I had to be in park to turn it on . My son drives our
06' and he can flick it on and off at will while driving . Does this sound normal /
I'm running a KCs2 and when driving up a grade it will not unlock (above 40mph ) and keeps
pulling down farther and farther to the point the egt's climb up and finally it will down shift
and "barf " out a big cloud . It's actually the only issue I have with the set up .
I would like to just touch the button and unlock to up the rpm and re engage after the climb.
Any suggestions ?:nerd:
 
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#3 ·
tow haul won't lock out the OD it just modifies some characteristics

...
^^on stock tuning.
It basically just raises shift RPM and pressures.

Pretty sure Jay or Bill can set the tow tune up to lock out O/D or at least set the shift point so high it's not likely to get there.
 
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#4 ·
This is good info , I've been calling out the wrong symptom . I've been calling the TC the culprit , not OD . Also if the tow tune already
has high line pressures would the tow/haul add that much more causing issues ?
I'm going to get a suggestion from them , but I like checking on here first so I have some background on a subject that I'm not up on .
Basically the way it drives above 50 mph is when I start a grade I keep applying more and more throttle pos'n and it keeps taking it
and then finally it downshifts and POOF , a cloud comes out . It feels really gutless as this happens.
Maybe it's my driving habits that are wrong , as I'm trying to drive the turbo and at that particular rpm and speed it's not very responsive .
Man , once that turbo starts to lite from there on up it's a hoot , but your really starting to move .
My wife thinks I'm a complete @##$%$#$ because I say "Yee haw Charlie " as we approach many MPH - lol .
 
#5 ·
My Tow/Haul works great with my PHP 60 and 80 tow, and my 85 street tune. It raises shift points, and down shifts quicker. Also locks TC later I believe.
 
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#7 ·
My truck does basically the same thing. Drives me nuts. I have to keep fiddling the throttle to get it to downshift, dropping my egts and getting out from under the turbo. Then it wants to lock back up, and we repeat the process, all the way up the hill. I just attribute it to my bigger wheel/tire combo with the 37s and 3.73s. Tow haul helps but isn't a cure, I have 4.56s that I Need to get in desperately
 
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#16 ·
Yeh, you really need to regear. You will enjoy driving your truck once again. I have 295/65/20 toyo MTs and 4.11s. This puts me right at 2000 rpm at 70 mph. Has a nice power band and doesn't lug when towing at 60-65 mph.
 
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#8 ·
My spd written for the stage 2 turns off o/d with the tow button.
 
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#10 ·
So I went and loaded PHP 80 DD and it shifts a little higher in the rpm band but the shifts are the same intensity ( butt kick ) . Now it's really nice to drive . Climbing grades , a little throttle change and it downshifts perfect . I still have no tow / haul function .
I have to say it again " Charlie " I love this turbo . I actually let out a few nasty words of pleasure while driving it with this tune .
It is flippin' awesome . I can't get over how well it works on a ported intake .
( I'll have to check and see if I mixed the tunes up when labeling and loading them on my SCT ) .
 
#12 ·
All you guys need to do is tap the brake pedal quick and it will downshift.

For example, driving on flat ground 6th gear, come to a grade and it starts to bog down, you give it more throttle and you're just going to get under the turbo, start having smoke, EGTs come up, and it doesn't accelerate much. Instead, quick tap the brake pedal, it downshifts, back on the throttle, good to go.
 
#13 · (Edited)
Yeah, but that kicks the cruse control off too. :look:
 
#14 ·
Yeah, but that kicks the cruse control of too. :look:
Damn you and your logic! :hehe: Actually, I can't remember experiencing it bogging down on the highway on a hill with the cruise on. Of course I'm at 2000rpm at 63mph (4.10 gears) so it just pulls at that rpm. But I rarely drive on the highway.
 
#19 ·
As far as CC . I hate it ( on all the vehicles I've owned ) . They don't have enough logic built in . On this Ford when you come to a hill
it downshifts and lays on the power to maintain speed . It's like it's asleep and then realizes it's time to go to work .
I've had the rear end step out on damp pavement using cruise .
 
#22 ·
I run the SPD with the tow/haul button used to toggle out Overdrive, I love it, it is a real lifesaver in traffic around here. It is actually kinda fun running with OD off too... I used to tap the brake all the time unlock OD and to build RPMs, but this is way much better.
 
#23 ·
I'll have to try that with my SPD tune because it will definetly get under the turbo to. Is a great tune.
 
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#24 ·
What's the shifting like on SPD ? I see that many people like nice firm shifting , but what is ? My truck with most tunes actually shifts
fast and it "snaps" in each gear . You can feel it through the whole truck and in your (my) seat . Does this seem normal ? I question whether this is good for the drive train in the long run .
 
#26 · (Edited)
Yes, all my tunes shift at least a bit more firm than stock, and you will feel it. SPD and PHP 140x have pretty firm shifts. Less slip, less heat, getting the power to the rear wheels faster/more efficiently. Depending on your power level and driving style, I could see this, over time, being hard on some parts. That's just my guess.

SPD shifting is good for me, firm and quick, except for my previously stated issue.

But I love how Jay has the trans shifting in the 140x/200x. Basically depending on how much throttle you give it changes how it shifts. You get the best of both worlds, more stock like for "daily" driving and more race like shifting the more throttle you give it.

Obviously he can tweak that to your liking. I don't know if any other tunes do this.
 
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#27 ·
Yeah, but have you figured out why your T/H button isn't working properly? LOL You should be able to switch it on and off while driving.
 
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#29 ·
If you can figure this out, then you will make a WHOLE BUNCH of 6.0 owners very happy! I've been considering the BD Diesel manual shifter, which seems like an AWESOME idea but have heard of some grenading their transmissions, so have held off.
 
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