Towing van with 2016 D4 3.0 - which gear?
Good afternoon all, and especially the engineers among you:-)
Towing our nearly 3 ton caravan, I've noticed a curious thing - or at least curious to my non-engineer mind.
I've tended to tow the van in sport, but noticed even in sport, it would tend to want to change up to 8th gear once cruising. So I started using the flappy paddles to change gear manually. At highway speed of (indicated) 100kmh, in 7th at about 1800 revs, on flat ground, the dashboard fuel use indicator was showing about 15.5 litres per hundred. And the Gap tool was telling me the engine was making around 250nm.
Change up to 8th, revs dropped to 1500, but torque and fuel use both went UP, to about 350nm and 17 litres respectively.
Am I right in thinking that using 7th is putting less strain on the transmission, due to putting less torque through it?
Your analysis is appreciated in advance:-)
2016 Disco 4 SDV6 SE - LR tank, RWC, Gap IID, UHF, GOE compressor guard, Hema HX1.
2008 Mercedes E350
2012 Mercedes 250 CGI Estate (sold)
2012 L322 TDV8 Luxury (badly missed!)
2010 RRS 3.0 (sold)
2007 Audi TT Quattro 3.2 (sold)
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