[Squidget Guy]

I have a 24' travel trailer that should run around 5000-5200 lbs loaded with gear and dry tanks. When I bought this trailer, I read that my 06 Frontier with 4.0 V6 and 6-spd manual trans had a tow capacity of 6800 lbs, so I thought I could tow 5000 lbs. WRONG. Wind resistance wasn't figured in when they came up with the tow rating. To maintain highway speeds I had to burn 93 octane gas. I could hold 65 and do it in 6th gear, IF there were NO hills or even slight grades. AND I put a wind deflector on top of my truck topper. Hence, the Titan I am buying that will tow it. I'm selling the Frontier.

I am buying a 2004 Titan LE in another town and it will be ready for me to pick up tomorrow. I was told that it has the "tow package", but when I looked at it, I hadn't done enough research to know where to look for the obvious signs of having the package. I have been reading posts trying to learn all I can about towing with the Titan.

Now for some nubie questions. (and I'm 78 years old…too old for a nubie) I read that the 3.36 should hold at 2000 rpms at 70 mph. What rpms will the 2.94 hold at 70 mph?

2nd question: Where on the dash is the tow mode switch located?

3rd question. What locks out overdrive so the truck stays in 4th gear? Is it the tow mode switch?

4th question: I read that towing should be done in 4th gear, not 5th. Is there a max trailer weight that can be safely towed in 5th gear (assuming flat terrain, level roads)? I'll probably get more opinions than facts on this answer.

Thanks for bearing with me.

 

[dubyam]

All good questions.

You'll be fine either way with your existing trailer, tow package or not, since the rating for the 2.94 gears runs 7200lbs, which exceeds your Frontier. You won't notice any issues maintaining speed with the T, trust me.

The 2.94 gears will hold about 1750rpm at 70mph.

The tow mode switch is usually at the bottom of the dash, under the stereo and climate control.

Locking out OD is done by using the shifter. If it's a console shifter, it's obvious how to do it. If it's a column shifter there's a button and some manipulation involved. Read the manual (or download one if it's not included) on that.

I've towed a fair amount through the mountains and such. Mostly a Scout Troop trailer, usually loaded up for a long weekend or a week of summer camp, and weighing in around 3500-3800lbs. I've towed in Drive with tow mode on, no problem. I have occasionally bumped down to 4th to avoid the trans hunting between 4 and 5, but usually just let my throttle control it uphill, and brake down, since braking in tow mode will cause it to downshift.

These trucks are great for towing as long as you expect towing mpgs to be towing mpgs.

 

[Squidget Guy]

Thanks for the answers and advice. As I don't have the truck yet, i don't have the owners manual. I managed to download a manual for the 2013 (as early as I could find) and finally saw how the console shifter works. I remembered seeing 2-1, 3 and 4-D but didn't understand that you could move the shifter left and right in the lower and upper settings. When i test drove the truck, I must have had it locked in 4th because the RPMs were above 2000 at 65 mph. Ahhhh grasshopper...it all becomes clear now.

So, OK. I guess I know all i need to know to drive it home, over an hour away. That trip will tell me if i like the tires or not and near the end of the trip, i can get it up to 70 to see what the RPMs are reading. Speaking of tires, i have Firestone Destination LE2s on my Frontier and they are the best truck tires I've ever used (quiet, smooth riding, excellent in rain) and I've tried some of the good ones (Yokohaman and Bridgestone i liked).

 

[HRTKD]

Squidget Guy, welcome to Titan Talk! Like dubyam, I've been hauling a Boy Scout trailer (dual axle, 12' enclosed) with my Titan. I'm guessing that it is around 6k lbs. But in my case, almost every time has been into the Rocky Mountains (home of the Ike Gauntlet). On the flats (non-mountain areas) you'll be fine even if your Titan doesn't have the tow package. I think the lowest rated Titan can pull 6,500 lbs. I'm going off of 2007 specs, the 2004 may be slightly lower.

I towed for a while with the OEM BFG Rugged Trail P-metric tires. But going through canyons wasn't much fun. The trailer was pushing me around and the tires seemed really squishy side-to-side. I now tow only with a set of load range "D" tires. As long as you're on a set of LT tires you'll be fine. At your weight I don't think load range "E" is necessary.

For what it's worth, I pulled my toy hauler around town a few times. It is way, way more than my Titan is rated for. The trailer has an 11k gross, but when I pulled it the weight was closer to 8,400 lbs and the tongue weight was close to 1,400 lbs (rated max for my Titan is 920). The Titan wasn't real happy with me. At the weight of your trailer you may want to consider using a weight distributing hitch. It takes a good bit of weight off the rear end and ensures that your front end isn't too light.

Regarding your question of 4th versus 5th, I pull in 5th gear when I tow my ATV (1,400 lbs, on a single axle trailer) as long as I'm on the flats. I think you'll be in 4th. It's going to burn a bit more fuel that way, but it is better for the transmission to have the higher RPM so more fluid is pumped through it. Should your transmission temperature start to climb up do this:
1. Slow down
2. Gear down

I can tow up the mountain all day long in 3rd gear at 45 MPH. If I try to go faster and things start to heat up. The transmission really likes to have the engine RPM up higher, but you run the engine too at too high RPM for too long and the engine may start to heat up. Your mileage may vary as you're at sea level and not going through the mountains.

 

[Squidget Guy]

Thank you HRTKD for that additional info. According to the charts I've found, the Titan LE is rated to tow 7100 lbs without the tow package. Hopefully, my truck will have the two package. If not, i'm sill OK with this trailer and my two boats. A WDH came with my trailer and the 350 lb tongue weight barely drops the bumper on the Frontier 1-2 inches. I never had any sway or other handling issues towing with the Frontier, the few times that I did tow it.

 

[Squidget Guy]

I paid for and picked up my 04 Titan today. I drove it home and confirmed that it has the tow package even though it doesn't have the tranny temp gauge. At 70 mph it held at 2000 rpms. It rode a little rough as the tires are about shot. I'm getting a new set this weekend then i can tell if the front end needs any work. The engine and transmission both are smooth and quiet and it has good acceleration (but I'm not sure it would beat my 06 Frontier in a drag race). The truck has a few rough spots (cracked console cover, missing console pocket padding, etc.) but nothing that can't be fixed with a visit to a "recycled parts" place (e.g. junk yard).

 

[Steamguy]

Hi, and welcome.

I can answer your questions since I'm the original owner of an early 2004 SE, and I tow a 7000# travel trailer with mine. Have done so for 100,000 miles. Mine does not have the 'Big Tow' (BT) package as they called it then. In '04, the #1 indicator that you had BT was the transmission temp gauge on the dash. The dash systems on the early trucks are not interchangeable, so this is the telltale.

In 2005, I had a long, productive conversation with a Nissan Powertrain Engineer. Nice guy, and he gave me several valuable insights that pertain to these early trucks, and these early trucks ONLY:

• First thing is that all the powertrain weight-carrying ratings (things like axle wight capacities, spring capacities, bearing loadings and such are exactly the same between the BT and non-BT trucks. The ONLY thing that is different are the gear ratios in the differentials. The only thing. This means that ANY Titan of these early years can be rated for the full towing load on the BT trucks. The BT trucks (and I still remember him saying this) "have a lower ratio to spin the engine and transmission faster for better cooling".
• Second thing is that it's recommended at all times to tow in Drive in Tow Mode and let the transmission's grade logic sort things out. The only time you click it out of Drive is if the transmission starts to 'hunt'.
• Third thing is that if you take the truck out of Drive (Manual Mode) with Tow Mode engaged, the transmission's torque converter will unlock, and will stay unlocked. This is different from subsequent years, where the TC will go back into lockup when in Manual (not Drive).
• Fourth thing is to realize from the above that the firmware for the transmission is much different from that used in full production in mid-2005, and on some trucks as line-testing in early 2005. We may have some folks chime in on this thread saying that "My early 2005 doesn't work like that". This is the explanation.
• Fifth thing is an 'easter egg': On some early trucks (like mine) the gear indicator will go out when the transmission is crossing the border into overheating; however the firmware for the transmission will NOT let it overheat. Instead it will enter a routine where it will shift down and really rev up the engine to get itself cooled off. This 'harm prevention routine' is different in later years.

I've owned mine for this 13 years, and it's been a good, solid truck. Far less problems than I've had with others. Hope this answers some questions in advance.

 

[Squidget Guy]

Steamguy, That is some welcome information. It will be invaluable to me when I begin towing. The main thing that I see that I was looking for is that I WON'T have to put it in 4th and lock it there. Is that what I read in your post? As my Titan has no trtans temp gauge, I am seriously considering buying and installing one just to be on the safe side by watching the tranny temp.

 

[HRTKD]

If you have the Off-Road package (not just 4x4) then that may be how your truck came to have the 3.36 gears. From the factory, 3.36 only came with the Tow Package or the Off-Road Package.

Some 4x2 '04 Titans could have the Off-Road Package. Subsequent years required 4x4 to get the Off-Road Package.

The transmission temperature gauge was one clear indicator that you had the Tow Package.

 

[Squidget Guy]

I keep learning... I just checked again. I have 18" wheels and no skid plate, so i don't have the OR package. how i came to have the 3.36 gearing and no tranny temp gauge is still a mystery. I came up with another question. Crawling under the truck, I looked for the port where one would connect the sensor for a temp gauge and found one possiblity, on the rear of the transmission (not the pan), a bolt head pointing back and downward...and one on the passenger side just in front of the in/out fluid line connections. Is the one on the side the sensor port? If i remove the bolt to install a temp sensor, will fluid run out?

 

[Squidget Guy]

Photo of what i think is the port for the temp sensor.

 

[Steamguy]

I WON'T have to put it in 4th and lock it there. Is that what I read in your post?

That is correct, and is also in my 04 Driver's Manual, in a very, very obscure fashion. This was one of the reasons I got in touch with the Factory, so long ago. The instruction for these early trucks, and I say again, ONLY these early trucks, is to put it in Drive and turn on Tow Mode. Only go to Manual and toggle down a gear or two if the transmission starts to 'hunt', like on a long grade. Then when you hit the top, go back to Drive.

The overall philosophy then was that they wanted to make it really hard to hurt the transmission in these early trucks. They changed the firmware later when they realized they could do a number of things differently - like allow the torque converter to lock in Manual Mode with Tow Mode on. But the transmission control units are not compatible between early and later years.

As my Titan has no trans temp gauge, I am seriously considering buying and installing one just to be on the safe side by watching the tranny temp.

This reminds me of one of the other things the Powertrain Engineer told me: instead of sampling pan temperature like everybody else does, Nissan samples the temperature of the fluid on the output port as it's heading to the radiator to be cooled. They felt this was much more accurate than sampling oil pan temperature, and provides a fairly instantaneous reading of how hot the transmission is running. I have some fairly advanced arthritis, and can't do wrenching anymore, so haven't been under the truck to look; but I would bet there is a temperature sampling point at that output port that you can tap.

I saw your question about transmission coolers in another thread, and can answer it here. All Titans come stock with external transmission coolers. At the time it was felt to be one of the amenities of the Nissan over everyone else making pickup trucks, just like the factory bed liner. The fan in front of it is controlled by the engine control unit. Very early BT trucks actually got two fans; a second could be ordered and retrofitted by the dealer, but the second fan was discontinued during the crossover to 2005 production.

 

[RobKar]

Not sure where Steam is getting his information, but I have seen my 2005 transmission out of my truck and rebuilt it. <--this was right at 200,000 miles.

Tow anything over 2,000lbs in 4th not OD. I tow an 8,000lbs trailer, a 5000lbs+ boat, and a few other toys around. If you are climbing a hill, drop the truck in 3rd, the truck likes to rev

You may want to get an OBD II guage device that will tell you the temperature, to check your transmission instead of installing one. Also helpful if you are towing all the time is adding a deep transmission pan.

Enjoy

 

[Squidget Guy]

It seems that every answer I get helps, but poses new questions. I have no clue how an OBD II guage works. Does it plug into the OBD port and display information? Where can i find a detailed explanation? I have an OBD computer (Superchips Cortex) that programs my computer for different driving modes and reads and resets diag codes, but that doesn't give me any temp data.

I just need the easiest install method of a device to tell me if my tranny is overheating. I have to resolve these questions and come up with solutions before making a test trip with my TT. I really do apreciate the time you guys spend sharing your experiences and the advice you have to give. I look forward to the time when I can be the giver of advice...should i live that long...lol.

 

[HRTKD]

I'm looking at the '07 Service Manual for the transmission. There are two temperature sensors in our transmission. One has Green and Orange colored wires and the other has White/Red and White/Yellow wires. The first plugs into ports 18 and 19 of the TCM (Transmission Control module) and the second plugs into ports 5 and 3 in the TCM.

I've looked in the diagrams in the past to figure out where these two sensors are located and I've come up empty. It does appear that they are inside the transmission and that you would - at the very least - need to remove the transmission pan to access them.

The manual indicates that these sensors report to the TCM and if I understand past posts we do not have access to the TCM through third party tools such as Uprev Cipher. I could be wrong on this as I have never pursued this.

Update: see the attached image for the sensor 2 location, which is indeed inside the transmission. Still looking for sensor 1...

 

[Carbeaux]

You aren't wrong. Uprev never put any time into the TCM.

 

[HRTKD]

I give up. I can't find sensor 1. Strange that they reference two sensors and explicitly call out "sensor 2" but nothing on "sensor 1".

 

[RobKar]

You aren't wrong. Uprev never put any time into the TCM.

However, You can increase the transmission line pressure using UpRev...:devil:


To the Op, you are going to need to check into the OBD II guage and maybe the Torq app to see if they can get the Transmission temp.
Bully Dog can do it, just FYI ...

 

[Squidget Guy]

It appears that accessing either temp sensor and using it for a gauge isn't possible. As for using my ODB port, my insurance company is sending me a device to plug into the port to monitor driving habits for premium discounts. I still need to make sure i know where on the case i can remove the plug and insert a sensor for the temp gauge. I still think it is the one pictured in my post above. I'm hoping someone can either verify that or tell me if I am wrong. I may start another post dealing directly with that question.

 

[Pale Rider]

It appears that accessing either temp sensor and using it for a gauge isn't possible. As for using my ODB port, my insurance company is sending me a device to plug into the port to monitor driving habits for premium discounts. I still need to make sure i know where on the case i can remove the plug and insert a sensor for the temp gauge. I still think it is the one pictured in my post above. I'm hoping someone can either verify that or tell me if I am wrong. I may start another post dealing directly with that question.

oof, insurance company watching your driving habits, take off to fast, fail, stop short to fast, fail...

anyway, you can get an OBDII splitter and run both. IF Bully dog supports your 2004 Titan, IMHO that would be the route to go and you can monitor several functions. Also the Tune in the BD is a nice feature and that`s its primary function.

or

you can also tap into the transmission hose/hard line and install a gauge manifold for a sender. Look Up Autometer for those. I believe B&M also makes a transmission gauge kit.


or, another huge benefit, is to purchase a PML deep pan with the threaded port for the temp sensor. which I also recommend.

another item to keep an eye on is the rear diff if your 2wd, install a PML deep rear cover for more fluid capacity and as a bonus, there is a threaded bung for a temp sensor as well...

a properly set up Titan will have you feeling comfortable towing down the road...

Post up the area where you live and maybe some of these guys can point you to a decent shop for this work...

enjoy the new ride!:smile: