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Old 07-19-2019, 08:02 AM   #1
swj
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F150 DANGEROUS tow haul mode

F150 tow haul mode is going to get somebody killed. Going downhill on I25 in CO the tow haul mode downshifts engine and I’m slowed to 25 miles per hour on the interstate. Tach is 5800 and I can’t get out of the lower gear until slowed to 25 mph. F150 dealer says don’t use tow haul mode when towing a trailer. I contacted F150 mfg and told them my story and they ignored the problem. MFG contacted twice and I have a reference number. I have a 2018 F150 3.5 eco max tow 20 inch tires pulling a 6000 dry weight trailer. Loaded weight 7000
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:25 AM   #2
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F150 dealer says don’t use tow haul mode when towing a trailer.
That seems counter to what I would expect a Ford dealer to say.

I tow with a 2011 F250 which has the tow haul mode as yours and using it does concern me too. I haven’t had any issues while towing on the highway but there is one stretch of secondary road which is steep and I have experienced the same truck response that you speak of. I find that the tranny doesn’t downshift on it’s own, but only when I apply the brakes. I find that if I stay away from braking or just apply them lightly it won’t downshift any further.

I’m hoping others will chime in as I plan to do lots more towing with the 2011 than I have done in the past. While I have owned this truck since new I have only been using it for the last three years and have done very little towing with it. (I kept my 1997 F250 and it was my tow truck until recently) the 97 had tow/haul but it didn’t provide any engine braking that I recall.
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:34 AM   #3
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hmmm, what do you mean by 'it's going to get someone killed'? Isn't the tow/haul mode helping you brake, and not lose control?
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:48 AM   #4
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" (I kept my 1997 F250 and it was my tow truck until recently) the 97 had tow/haul but it didn’t provide any engine braking that I recall."

I have a 2000 F250. It has the same transmission as your 97. There is no tow/haul mode, just an overdrive off button that keeps it in 3rd gear.
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:50 AM   #5
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Sounds like a user problem to me. Read your manuals and learn your truck. Do a little research before pronouncing it's going to kill somebody.
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:50 AM   #6
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You need to feather the gas pedal to control your speed, you don’t just take your foot off the gas if that’s what your doing try using the gas pedal, when I use tow haul on my chev if I take my foot all the way off it will slow to idle speed but the rpms will be very high, throttle management will cure your problem. Most of us do that without thinking!
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:51 AM   #7
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25 mph

Going downhill at 25 mph on a interstate is dangerous. Trucks can’t slow down and the chance of getting rear ended are great and if the truck redlines...
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:54 AM   #8
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I have a 2009 and mine will downshift when it senses the truck facing downhill AND when i tap the brakes. it WILL let you downshift this way all the way to first gear if the engine speed will allow for it. tapping the gas cancels this out and you can start over again. staying on the brakes will keep it in the current gear and the brakes help slow down.
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Old 07-19-2019, 08:59 AM   #9
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Don't have a problem with mine and I always to in tow haul mode. If you don't like the gear that the transmission is selecting, put it in manual mode going down hills and select away! I do that often going up and down hills.
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:00 AM   #10
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I'm not disagreeing with you on the dangerous part of going 25 on a freeway. I do disagree with blaming it on the truck's tow/haul.
This feature catches everybody the first time it happens, but only if you haven't read your manual and learned your truck.
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Going downhill at 25 mph on a interstate is dangerous. Trucks can’t slow down and the chance of getting rear ended are great and if the truck redlines...
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:03 AM   #11
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Owners manual

Owners manual says nothing about this defect or how when to use tow haul mode. I am a class B professional driver. Slowing to 25 on an interstate is never acceptable. Slowing to 25 mph happened twice. Feathering, tapping the brakes accelerating had no effect. In my opinion this is mfg defect and the mfg knows of the danger.
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:11 AM   #12
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Owners manual says nothing about this defect or how when to use tow haul mode. I am a class B professional driver. Slowing to 25 on an interstate is never acceptable. Slowing to 25 mph happened twice. Feathering, tapping the brakes accelerating had no effect. In my opinion this is mfg defect and the mfg knows of the danger.
Apparently the only option is to sell your dangerous truck!
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:17 AM   #13
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i do not know this for fact, but i suspect there is a difference in how tow / haul works between a gas engine and a diesel engine. what caught my eye was the mention of 5800 rpm. i have a diesel and going down the steepest hill we have encountered the rpm only goes a little over 2000 rpm. i think the red line on the tach is around 2500 rpm. getting to 5800 rpm makes me suspect that the tow / haul is downshifting the transmission a lot in order to find a gear that will not allow acceleration on the downgrade. diesel and exhaust brake is a nice feature!
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:27 AM   #14
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Ok i dont own a ford and i know an 18 is new enough "not to have a problem " but they do circle the problem from the factory. All joking aside. My tow haul mode acted up somewhat similar to yours. If your brake light switch is malfunctioning it will send the incorrect information to the control module. Have you tried tour cruise control? Most of the time that function will be affected at the same time.
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:28 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GL1800Rider View Post
" (I kept my 1997 F250 and it was my tow truck until recently) the 97 had tow/haul but it didn’t provide any engine braking that I recall."

I have a 2000 F250. It has the same transmission as your 97. There is no tow/haul mode, just an overdrive off button that keeps it in 3rd gear.
That’s right, thanks for the reminder. Seems like it not only eliminated overdrive but would run to a higher rpm prior to upshifting.

The first time I experienced the engine braking in my 2011 it was quite the surprise. Fortunately I was on a 50mph secondary road without any traffic so was able to experiment with it. I tow on this road often so I know what to expect and act accordingly. It might get interesting when I am dropping down a steep pass on a 65mph hiway.
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:36 AM   #16
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It is designed to shift at a higher rpm. It is supposed it keep the engine in its torque band. No real engine brake for a gas truck. They just simulate it with the transmission keeping you in a certain gear/RPM.
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That’s right, thanks for the reminder. Seems like it not only eliminated overdrive but would run to a higher rpm prior to upshifting.

The first time I experienced the engine braking in my 2011 it was quite the surprise. Fortunately I was on a 50mph secondary road without any traffic so was able to experiment with it. I tow on this road often so I know what to expect and act accordingly. It might get interesting when I am dropping down a steep pass on a 65mph hiway.
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:42 AM   #17
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Well ain't this a First!


I sometimes have a keen sense of the obvious..........BUT..........if it slows down, why not hit the gas pedal???


Never heard of anyone else having this issue. Course, I don't own a Ford............
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:47 AM   #18
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Update

A F150 software update or a class action if there re others
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:54 AM   #19
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A F150 software update or a class action if there re others


Stop with the Chicken Little drama and learn how to operate your truck like has been suggested multiple times.

Don’t want it to slow down so much? Press the gas pedal! Don’t be afraid that the engine is going to overrev (redline isn’t overrevving), the computer won’t let the engine do that. So letting the truck slow down to 25 on the interstate is on you because you were afraid to give it throttle and don’t know how the truck operates.

No need for a class action lawsuit or software update.
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Old 07-19-2019, 09:54 AM   #20
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The transmission is downshifting to perform "engine braking" and slow your speed. The ecoboost is really bad at this. Don't expect Ford to change anything because you told them or complained on a message board. Be smarter than this, especially when you're life and family's life could be at risk.

I have a 2012 Eco and NEVER use the tow haul button when I tow. What I did is install higher performing brakes, because the factory ones are junk. On downhills I simply downshift into 5th or 4th and use my brakes to slow down.

I know that's not what you want to hear, but that's the reality of the situation. The engine braking on the eco simply does not work well. I agree with you, it can be dangerous and Ford should beef up the brakes and eliminate this feature on the motor. Sometimes the computer on the truck doesn't really know how to read the situation on the road and it's up to you to intervene.
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