[Akkiwi]

Hi,
I just towed my 7000lb trailer about 100 miles in my first Titan. I noticed that climbing up long hills the trany temp would climb to a mark just shy of the hot mark on the gauge, then after 10 to 20 seconds would fall rapidy back too half way. I had it in tow mode.
Is this normal or do i have a problem??

I did have an overload sign across the front so less air was passing though. The trailer is 9' wide.

Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

 

[Cuban11182]

What gear did you tow in?

If you need to you can always downshift to help keep it cool

 

[Akkiwi]

What gear did you tow in?

If you need to you can always downshift to help keep it cool

I had it in drive and had the tow switch on....yes i guess it did cool down when it down shifted....so better to maually down shift to 3rd for big hills??

 

[schmidtmike76]

Don't be afraid of 3rd gear take her out of 5th always keep it in 4th for towing even on the highway. 4000 rpm for less than 5 minutes straight won't hurt this engine. Keep that tranny temp down if your still second guessing, do what I did add another tranny cooler to run in series with the stock one. No more cooling issues.

 

[HRTKD]

Yep, gear down. With my Titan I find that if I'm in 3rd gear and don't exceed 45 MPH I can tow uphill all day long. The higher engine RPM allows the transmission to pump more fluid through the transmission, thereby keeping it cooler.

I would make sure to keep the front of the Titan free of obstructions so that the maximum amount of airflow can go across the coolers.

 

[AZPRO4X]

That thing should of been lockouted in 4th the whole time then down to 3rd as son as hit the hills.

 

[gemyrae75]

I would agree with the others. I have had two Titans. One '05 XE 2wd with .243 rear gear and now a '11 SV 4wd with .336 gear. Both had the same problem when I pulled my travel trailer, which camping ready is right at 7200#. I have done the radiator bypas as well as added a TruCool extra trans cooler. It has helped, by not solved the issue. When the trans goes in to the "slip" and out of lock up it allows for the clutches to gather more friction causing the heat build up. There is no way around it. Keeping it in 4th guarantees that the trans will not go into the "slip" but your mpg suffer. Currently I get 6-8mpg when towing.

 

[Akkiwi]

Thanks guys...learning heaps on this forum....awesome!

 

[Lee-the-Impaler]

just don't forget to go manual long before you need it. If you're running 45MPH or less, even second is a good option

-If your tranny gets to cook mode, it will NOT let you manually shift
-I found that even in 2nd at 40mph, the tranny will still heat up rapidly if you try to use cruise
-Descending hills using primarily gears rather than brakes not only gives better control, but cools the tranny for some reason.


*This is with the 2.94 gears and a column shifter

 

[LUBECAKES]

I agree!

Lower gears will keep the torque converter from generating too much heat.
BTW, 7000 lbs is pushing the limit, even on a "big tow" Titan.

 

[Lee-the-Impaler]

I agree!

Lower gears will keep the torque converter from generating too much heat.
BTW, 7000 lbs is pushing the limit, even on a "big tow" Titan.

^ Semi floating rear end. Even within those limits, it's hell on the rear bearings and seals over time. And the Titan Tranny and suspension just aren't made for heavy duty dragging, but will get the job done if you drive smart and take it slow and easy. On the flipside, the motor and frame are MORE than capable of tackling excessive duty.

 

[schmidtmike76]

Nailed it...they don't like towing that much they just weren't designed for heavy hauling. I've had two and neither we're pulling champs but like you said if you go low and slow this truck will do it all day long no problem. Neither of my Titans were older than 2009 but I don't think that makes a difference the design never changed.

Low and slow add a cooler to run in series and you won't have a problem. You may not win the race but she'll very rarely let you down. I've never seen a vehicle that can literally have the snot driven out of it and always walk away purring time and time again. Mine has 190,000 KM on it and purrs like new yet and I've towed with it for years

 

[Akkiwi]

I agree!

Lower gears will keep the torque converter from generating too much heat.
BTW, 7000 lbs is pushing the limit, even on a "big tow" Titan.

So much for the 9200lb ive read in the specs then?!

 

[Akkiwi]

Ok i guess its slow and easy for the 2500 miles to home...lol..
Thanks for all the comments. I know the rear end was resealed and modified about 20000 mile ago, so hoping that will last.
Also if anyone need a ride share to alaska from Wa on the 21st of april drop me a note..... i have adds on craigslist and rideboard.com

 

[LUBECAKES]

So much for the 9200lb ive read in the specs then?!

I only said "pushing" the limit. 7000 is a lot of weight for any half ton truck.

 

[dubyam]

Based on the limited heavy towing I've done with my Titan (3.36 geared 2011 Pro4X CC) I wouldn't feel bad about towing 8000lbs just about anywhere. I'd be pretty comfortable with 8500, but that would be a confirmed 8500 on a scale, and just me or me plus one in the cab of the T. I wouldn't go on a guesstimated 8500. Anything over about 5k needs to roll across a scale if only to be sure you set it up correctly.

For reference, my heaviest tow was short range, just three miles or so, weighing about 6500lbs, all told. It was a buddy's tractor and tandem lowboy. The T had zero issues getting it moving, and I was super careful about stopping because I don't have a brake controller. If we hadn't had a pretty isolated route through the country (literally saw no other vehicle except my friend ahead of me the whole time) I'd have balked due to the weight. But for that short tow, I compromised. Stopping was interesting, and of course my rollouts were super long, but it worked okay. With brakes, 6t00lbs would be a piece of cake across the country, and like I said, 8000 or maybe even a perfect 8500 wouldn't be too scary. You just can't get in a hurry with it at all.

 

[HRTKD]

I've pulled 8k with my Titan. Braking was never an issue, but I had a brake controller and good brakes on the trailer. I would have no problem with that weight for short stuff. But even around town, which admittedly has some good sized hills, my transmission wasn't happy. I don't know how guys that have 8k trailers are doing it on the highway. I got up to 55 mph on the OEM BFG Rugged Trail tires and I wasn't at all comfortable. My pucker factor when way down when I switched to the LT tires, that's for sure.

 

[dubyam]

Tires make a huge difference, as does proper inflation.