GeoffM
X-TRAIL ENTHUSIAST
Date Registered: 07-2004
Location: Sydney
TOTAL POSTS: 258
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Re: Towing
I am think of getting one of the pop-top camper trailer to tow behind the xtrail, so have been looking at what it could tow.
(Bare in mind that this is all theortical on my part, and just my rule of thumb).
- Trailers up to 1000kg (Camper trailers, Pop-up campers, most other general trailers), and Xtrail should handle these fine.
- Trailers between 1000kg and 1500kg - Xtrail will handle them ok, but long term use or long trip use is not advisable
- Trailers between 1500kg and 2000kg - Xtrail can legally haul these, but you are pushing it if this is a regular occurance.
The camper trailer I'm looking at is around 750kg unladen, increasing up over 1000kg once we get all our stuff in there. I think the 'trail will be ok for weekends away, but probably not for a round-australia trip.
So I guess in your case, if the 200Km is not a regular event, the xtrail can do it.
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29/Nov/2004, 2:04 pm
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GeoffM
X-TRAIL ENTHUSIAST
Date Registered: 07-2004
Location: Sydney
TOTAL POSTS: 258
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Re: Towing
For those interested in towing. Here is an interesting article for automatic transmissions:
http://www.drwtransmission.com/info.htm#Trucks%20or%20Cars%20Towing%20with%20Automatic%20Overdrive%20Transmissions
Trucks or Cars Towing with Automatic Overdrive Transmissions
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An interesting job came in this week that made me want to write this tip for those who tow with automatic overdrive transmissions. A year 2000 Ford F-350 Powerstroke diesel 4 X 4 truck with Ford's top of the line 4R100 transmission came in with a TCC slip code stored in the computer. This is usually an indication that the torque converter clutch has started to slip and in most instances only requires a torque converter change. The client indicated that after he had towed this one particular time, the transmission temperature has been rising higher than usual when climbing hills, whether towing or not. We were worried that a burned clutch pack may be helping to generate this added heat, so we pulled the trans down for inspection. The overdrive clutch pack was burned. Not completely, but well enough to ruin the friction coefficient (holding capacity) of the clutch pack. Looking into the unit further to try and find the cause for the failure turned up nothing. Next question, "Were you towing in overdrive?". The client answered yes. Problem solved. The following will describe why the overdrive clutch failed and what you should do to keep it from happening to you. Because the manufacturers are always trying to do what the consumer wants, many have put into the owner's manuals that it is OK to tow in overdrive with some particular models. That may be fine for most driving situations, but let me tell you when it's definitely not OK to tow in overdrive. Your towing a heavy load and you hit an uphill grade. It's steep enough to cause you to press on the accelerator quite a bit. Remember we're pulling a heavy load. The trans decides to drop out of OD and it allows you to gain some speed up the hill. You reach a situation when the trans shifts back into OD and this causes you to lose a little speed. When enough speed is lost the trans downshifts out of OD again, and back and forth it goes as you climb the hill. Some of the more mechanically inclined fellows reading this are saying to themselves, "I know what happened to that OD clutch pack!" For those that haven't figured it out yet, I will clarify. Every time a band or clutch pack in an automatic transmission applies or is turned on, heat is created. Add to the fact that you are towing, and the heat that is generated during an application of a friction element is even higher. The friction element needs time to cool after an application. If it hasn't cooled enough before the next time it is applied, the heat builds up to a level where the friction material starts to burn. Once the material is burned it is down hill from there. The trans will have to come out. What can be done to combat this? Number one, make sure you have adequate cooling capacity of the transmission fluid. Any towing will require that you install an auxiliary cooler for the transmission. Do not bypass the extremely efficient trans cooler that is already in the radiator. I also recommend installing a trans temperature gauge, especially if your towing heavy loads. Nothing beats knowing exactly what your trans temp is. The client that owns this particular truck was able to tell he had a problem by just watching his trans temperature and relating it to past temperature levels experienced. Smart guy. The other thing you can do to prevent this type of damage is to drop to the next lower gear if you experience shift cycling. If your in OD and the trans is shifting back and forth from 3rd to OD, drop the shifter into 3 to save wear and tear on the fiction elements involved. It's that simple.
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6/Jan/2005, 11:34 am
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