Cruise control while towing?
11-01-2015, 10:38 AM
#12
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Thanks for that info! I was under the impression it locked out 6th which is pretty much Overdrive. Our transmissions are the same. I have the 3.5L naturally aspirated V6. Kind of interested in how it is going to do pulling my trailer. Supposedly, the truck is rated for 7200 lbs. I only pull the trailer twice a year. Once to the trailer site in the spring and once back home in the fall. It is only a 60 mile one way drive on all New England highways. The trailer however, is 7K lbs. My other truck, 4.6L V8 pulled it OK. That truck did not have the tow capacity that my new one does. That being said, the V8 in my old truck puts out 40 less HP but, 30 ft. lbs. more torque than the new truck. Hopefully, the torque difference will not hurt me. I will not know until this spring when I bring the trailer back to our site. I think the transmission in my old truck locked out Overdrive.
11-01-2015, 12:27 PM
#15
I use it on the highway, love dropping the 5.0 into 5th with 6th locked out and plugging along at 70 or so. She does a real good job that way, dropping to 4th on big hills and holding speed easily. Plus the tow/ haul helps keep my speed lower on descent of the hills by engine braking as needed.
11-01-2015, 06:55 PM
#17
With the truck in tow/haul mode, use the toggle switch on the shift lever and toggle down one time to lock out sixth gear. The lighted number six will go out when you do, then the tranny will work normally but only in gears 1-5.
11-01-2015, 08:15 PM
#18
Locking out gears is independent of tow haul mode . . . .
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11-01-2015, 09:02 PM
#19
Senior Member
My gen 2 Sport Trac has the 4.6 3-Valve and the same 6R-80 transmission as the F150. I use the overdrive-off all the time when towing a larger camper and leave the overdrive on when towing a light boat or pop-up camper. Flat road means cruise control. In hills or mountains dictate the cruise control is off, so I can pick up a little speed on the declines and use momentum to delay or eliminate a downshift.
11-02-2015, 07:32 AM
#20
Senior Member
Like said, using cruise control is dependent on terrain and other driving conditions.
BTW, 5th and 6th gears are both overdrives. 5th is .86 and 6th is .69 . There is no 1:1 gear on the 6R80. 4th is 1.14 . I have found that, under certain conditions, mpg is of very little difference in 4th vs 5th while towing. The slight loss of mpg is worth the added torque. I saw only a drop of .1 mpg while bucking wind on my last trip and used 5th only when conditions made it favorable.
BTW, 5th and 6th gears are both overdrives. 5th is .86 and 6th is .69 . There is no 1:1 gear on the 6R80. 4th is 1.14 . I have found that, under certain conditions, mpg is of very little difference in 4th vs 5th while towing. The slight loss of mpg is worth the added torque. I saw only a drop of .1 mpg while bucking wind on my last trip and used 5th only when conditions made it favorable.