Auto Vs Manual

[MrBell]

The powershift is not a torque converter gearbox. I believe it uses double clutches. Volvo offer it in some V70s as Ford went for commonality when they owned Volvo. Looking at my V70/XC70 handbook the variants that use powershift autos have less capability than torque converter autos and more restrictions seem to be mentioned. Fords tech dept are very good and should be able to advise you. Also can you download Owners Manual from Ford website as you can for Volvo?

So if you where going to buy an automatic go for a torque converter as they are better?? So if the ford has two clutches does that mean more expense if the clutch did go? when you tow iv been advised you dont get the same amount of millage out of a clutch as if driving solo, which i would understand as you are making the car work harder. So when it comes to replacing clutches having a manual would be better (not expecting to go through clutches lots)

 

[otherclive]

I have had manual cars and used them for towing without any clutch problems, although you are very conscious to minimise clutch wear/overheat when pitching up and manuoevring on site, especially CL/Cs, so a motor mover does come in handy. The modern twin clutch powershift/DSG type of gearbox uses twin clutches internally and is drive mechanically transmitted through the clutches. During normal driving either a manual or powershift gearbox experiences no wear as the clutches are fully engaged or change very quickly when you or the gearbox change gear. Clutch slip tends to occur during heavy traffic congestion and moving very slowly or manuoevring a caravan. For the Volvo powershift the handbook advises you when towing to try and avoid slow creeping in heavy traffic and especially when towing up hill. In effect what it is advising is let the vehicle in front move a distance before you make up the space just has you would in a manual. One other issue with diesel manuals is the dual mass flywheel(DMF) designed to reduce engine vibration into the car. These are fine and mine in the last Mondeo did over 100K miles without trouble ( and I towed too), but they can fail early if the clutch is let out too slowly whether towing or solo. The flexible elements overheat and fail. Providing you are aware of this the DMF should not give any probllems. In reality its only how we should be driving manuals anyway to ensure good clutch life.

 

[MrBell]

I have had manual cars and used them for towing without any clutch problems, although you are very conscious to minimise clutch wear/overheat when pitching up and manuoevring on site, especially CL/Cs, so a motor mover does come in handy. The modern twin clutch powershift/DSG type of gearbox uses twin clutches internally and is drive mechanically transmitted through the clutches. During normal driving either a manual or powershift gearbox experiences no wear as the clutches are fully engaged or change very quickly when you or the gearbox change gear. Clutch slip tends to occur during heavy traffic congestion and moving very slowly or manuoevring a caravan. For the Volvo powershift the handbook advises you when towing to try and avoid slow creeping in heavy traffic and especially when towing up hill. In effect what it is advising is let the vehicle in front move a distance before you make up the space just has you would in a manual. One other issue with diesel manuals is the dual mass flywheel(DMF) designed to reduce engine vibration into the car. These are fine and mine in the last Mondeo did over 100K miles without trouble ( and I towed too), but they can fail early if the clutch is let out too slowly whether towing or solo. The flexible elements overheat and fail. Providing you are aware of this the DMF should not give any probllems. In reality its only how we should be driving manuals anyway to ensure good clutch life.

I know all about DMF as i had to get one changed on my last Mondeo, it cost £900 to change!!! bluming expensive part. I thought the new mondeo's did not have DMF due to the high risk of them failing!?? I thought the new ones are better tuned to allow less vibrations.
I do like the Idea of the powershift auto as does sound like it could make towing a bit easier. I have had manuals for a while and i dont mind them, i suppose it depends on what deal i get when i buy my car!

 

[colin-yorkshire1]

hi all,
while it is true that most of my 40 years of towing have been with manuals exept for the granny, and therefore the wrong person to advise on towing with auto boxes, I do feel there is a misconseption of the reliability of any clutch while towing the modern triptonic and DMF type clutches "rather than the torque converter types" should not give any trouble if the correct driving tecnique is adopted while towing, it really is that simple to me, the thing that wears out any clutch is slipping the less of it you do the longer the clutch will last,
many times on this and other forums you read post where the writer complains of a smoking burining clutch while revesing in my view this down to either incorrectly adjusted over run brakes on the van or the slipping of the clutch while doing a slow reverse manouver, after all the clutch does not burn in 1st gear going forwards so it has to be something else not the clutches fault.
even on some outfits that may be deemed close to the edge like my old Megane that towed at 97% clutch problems never occured even though it had done 122k on it's original equipment,

the choice of wether to tow with a manual or automatic should be based on personel perference only and not the type of mechanical devices fitted to the towcar. the phrase "abuse it and lose it"springs to mind but that can be said of everything us caravanners use.

 

[Martin24]

1. Both of our's are auto & have had cruise control fitted to my Isuzu Rodeo, brilliant when towing

2. The other thing I like is that when I go for a chinese I can sit the bag just behind the gear leaver & know it wont move about or spill all over the place

now who wants to change gear whilst trying not to spill anything.

My series II disco had a dedicated curry hook for the chinese to hang on. Just about the only thing that worked on it!!!!

 

[RayS]

I was one of the 'nothing but manual' brigade for many years but now firmly converted to auto - with the reservation that the auto be of the tiptronic type which you can override at will. Although diesels have improved vastly from the Discovery 200 tdi days there is still some turbo lag at lower revs, and this can be very annoying when faced with a 'necklace' of successive roundabouts common on many town bypasses. Auto smooths all this out and enables you to concentrate on positioning the outfit correctly, watching for the idiots who will persist in trying to overtake in the roundabout, and is generally far more relaxing.
The other great feature of the tiptronic type box is the ability to select a lower ratio for engine braking on long downhills - particularly in Europe.
As someone has already mentioned you should keep an eye on the transmission oil level (if a dipstick is fitted) and also on the oil change intervals which are probably calculated for mainly solo driving. I would be cautious of the 'sealed for life' type boxes as fitted to some early MB 270cdi and others with the MB 2.7lt 5 cylinder engine.