towing with automatic transmission

Chezb

You haven't provided much detail here, but one piece of general advice is to read and heed your owner's manual.

Regards

Spliney

Depends on what you're towing, if you have a transmission oil cooler installed etc. I fried an auto in a Commodore by pulling with it in D over undulating terrain, with no oil cooler towing a massive furniture van loaded with magazines. The machanic that fixed it reckoned it was because it kept dropping into overdrive and was working too hard, and that if I had run it in 3 it wouldn't have caused an issue at all...

Note: Friend cooked her VS ute auto towing a loaded trailer. Should have read the manual which states that towing a load should be done in a lower gear or "power" mode. Speed not to ecxeed about 80kmh.
From what I have learned about auto trans and torque converters etc. when lockup occurs load is driven through a rather narrow band of friction material on the torque convertor faces.
This material will wear and slip if overloaded(by speed or towing) and will overheat and boil trans fliud causing damage to seals etc.
I would suggest first that you read th eowners manual re towing then I would NEVER tow a heavy load in top gear where the convertor can lockup. A large/better oil cooler should also be fitted. Its cheaper than a replacement auto trans.

I never had an issue with towing in D.
I used sports mode and always had the Holden Tow pack 2250kg H/D with Trans cooler and I towed a speedway car all over the place.About 2150kg all up.
Speedway season around these part's is in summer so some days were traveling in 40+ degree's.
I would fit a trans cooler and put your mind at ease.

Cheers Scoof. (SA)

Cobber
4th is too high for towing heavy vans, the motor will use as much fuel as if it was left in 3...the tranny will not break in 3, but will wear quicker and cause more heat buildup in 4....so it is up to you, tow in d with ecu set on power, and it wont go into 4th unless you get over 100 kms anyway, which will most probably be down hill....
I would keep it in 3rd

If you read the section on towing with a VE, it indicates to use the sports mode.

What this does is slow the changes so that you are not lugging in gears.

It is the towing in overdrive, at slow speeds which increases the temperature which is what kills the fluid.

Please note that your car, unlike earlier models uses Dextron 6, and you moust not use the older type.

At the moment it is not always available, but you can buy it at your Holden dealer.

Regards

Col

My VR V6 trans was been reco'd about 18 months ago. Towing my Jayco camper trailer home from last trip (up a fairly long hill) the trans oil got so hot it spewed out the breather tube and burnt on the exhaust.
I have an external cooler fitted but was towing in D, after i saw the smoke I rested the car to check problem then selected power mode and 3 for next hills with no further problems, am going away again tomorrow will only tow in 3rd this time to see if it makes a difference.
Philip

I tow a Jayco camper with an auto 3.0 Patrol. I use O/D once I reach 100 klm/h and swicth back to 3 when I get below 100 klm/h and I do not push the engine to stay above 100. If the car starts slowing down as i'm going up a hill, I back off the pedal and knock it back to 3 and quite happily sit on about 95 until over the other side.

Towed the Hawk this weekend (VR V6 Comm auto with pwr button pressed and air/cond running most of the time, no problems at all.
Trans held gears longer and didn't change into top till car reached 100k.
Philip