landcruiser gears

[toast 26412]

hello.

i recently purchased a landcruiser prado 2.4tdi auto to tow my trophy 21ft twin axle 6birth,but am a little unsure of the gears when towing,what is best for uphill,leave it in drive,use overdrive,or use my other shift gears,as i dont want to put uneccessary pressure on the engine,i also dont want to experiment with gears until i know what i am doing,can any one help?

thanks geoff

 

[Rod_5041370]

Whilst mine is a 4.2 VX Turbo diesel, I do the following.

I leave the auto in drive with overdrive selected for all normal driving.

On long uphill drags I try to keep the turbo engaged which on the 4.2 is above 2200 RPM.

To achieve this I first switch the overdrive off and then if it falls under 2200 RPM, I use the kick down to drop a gear.

I also have a 3.0L Surf automatic which I treat exactly the same.

Don't worry about it, you won't do any damage unless, for instance, you select, say, Low or 2 and absolutely over rev the engine. This is why it is best to keep it in Drive and use overdrive and kick down as you will not damage the engine.

I do not know the 2.4 Prado but initially keep an eye on the temperature of the radiator or the transmission fluid (ATF warning light, if it has one) as you may need an additional oil cooler for the auto transmission for towing.

 

[toast 26412]

many thanks for your comments rod,iwill bear everything in mind when i go out again with van.

geoff.