what does tow/haul mode do?

[wide body]

on my dodge, the tow/haul mode would change the shift points and actually change the "gearing" on the trans. it would not let the truck shift into overdrive and ran a considerably higher rpm than when tow/haul mode was not being used. if i was driving down the road in "normal" and would press the tow/haul mode it would shift into a different gear, increasing the rpm.

what does the tow/haul mode do on this truck. i have not used it yet with the exception of just a few minutes yesterday. it seems to increase the shift points. but other than that, does the trans operate normally? will it still use overdrive? i pressed the tow/haul mode yesterday driving down a city street at roughly 45mph and nothing happened. i expected it to shift to a different gear. i've also heard of an engine brake that these trucks have. how does that work?

my boat/trailer weigh roughly 6000lbs. would i need to run the tow/haul mode for that set up?

[dhanna6powerstroke]

It does delay your shift points by letting the engine get to a higher RPM before shifting. It doesn't have an engine brake, but the tow/haul mode provides braking assistance by selecting a lower gear to help maintain speed.

[wide body]

does the trans select the lower gear or do i need to down shift the trans manually?

[dhanna6powerstroke]

Originally Posted by wide body

does the trans select the lower gear or do i need to down shift the trans manually?

It will select it when it gets to a certain speed and/or when the brake pedal is touched.

[strokinpower]

I use tow/haul sometimes if I'm coming off a highway ramp and need to slow down for a stop light I push the button to get the down shift affect so I don't wear out my breaks. I don't know if this is good for the trans but id does help the brakes. I also use it towing anything with some real weight to it. Say for instance I wouldn't use it on a 5x8 utility trailer with a lawn mower on it but I do use it with my 16' with a big zturn mower and a walk behind and gas tangs and blowers and trimmers and whatnot.

[KTM300]

I have often wondered if using Tow/Haul was at all detrimental to the trans. Like you, I like to use it on off-ramps and such to save on the brakes. Any trans experts want to chime in?

[Barry Smith]

Actually the Tow/Haul locks up the TC in 4th and 5th gear instead of just 5th.