Towing with a 4th gen V6. Brake controller, what else?

[RonJR]

And, if one was to follow the recommendations to not tow in overdrive, then with the torque converter not in a 'locked' mode, it will also generate much higher trans temps than normal.

Just one comment on an otherwise great post. The torque converter will lock up in 4th as well as in overdrive. That's why the owner's manual recommends towing in 4th or OD, and not in 3rd or below. In the lower gears the torque converter will not lock, and excess heat will be generated.

 

[TechWrench]

Just one comment on an otherwise great post. The torque converter will lock up in 4th as well as in overdrive. That's why the owner's manual recommends towing in 4th or OD, and not in 3rd or below. In the lower gears the torque converter will not lock, and excess heat will be generated.

I agree that it can lock in 4th, but if the engine load gets too high (like climbing an incline) it will un-lock until the high load condition lessens. If the towed load is heavy enough, the amount of time the converter stays locked might not be much at all. I see it quite often when I tow, just have to watch/listen to the RPM change.

 

[Jixxer6]

Another thing a friend of mine ran into recently was his 2003 did not have large enough mirrors to see around his camper trailer. It's not huge but is fairly wide. Anyone have a fix for this?

I towed using a tow bar from Phoenix to Chicago without issue. I had to put it in 4th through the mountains but it could use overdrive on level ground with ease.


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[xxaarraa]

I got a bluetooth OBDII module, and downloaded the Torque Pro app on my phone. I looked up a thread on the forum here on how to add PIDs to show the transmission temperature. Supposedly, the two temps represent the temp in the tranny itself, and the temp at the radiator cooler. They are usually only a few degrees apart.

Here's a screenshot after one hour of normal highway and a bit of in-town driving. I will use this as a baseline and compare with temperatures when pulling the trailer.