There has been some discussion on other threads about the Tow/Haul mode of the transmission. I'll be playing with that mode a bit on an upcoming trip, so I thought I'd post what the owner's manual has to say about it as well as the Sport mode.

Perhaps those with experience with these modes can record their observations here?

Tow/Haul Mode
To activate tow/haul, press the button on the gearshift lever once. The TOW HAUL indicator light will illuminate in the instrument cluster. The tow/haul feature:

• Delays upshifts to reduce the frequency of transmission shifting.
• Provides engine braking in all forward gears, which will slow your vehicle and assist you in controlling your vehicle when descending a grade.
• Depending on driving conditions and load conditions, may downshift the transmission, slow your vehicle and control your vehicle speed when descending a hill, without pressing the accelerator pedal. The amount of downshift braking provided will vary based upon the amount the brake pedal is pressed.

The tow/haul feature improves transmission operation when towing a trailer or a heavy load. All transmission gear ranges are available when using tow/haul. To deactivate the tow/haul feature and return to normal driving mode, press the button on the gearshift lever twice. The TOW HAUL light will deactivate. Tow/haul will also deactivate when you power down your vehicle.

Sport Mode
To activate Sport Mode, press the button on the gearshift lever twice. The SPORT or S indicator light will illuminate in the instrument display. The sport mode feature:

• Provides additional grade (engine) braking and extends lower gear operation to enhance performance for uphill climbs, hilly terrain or mountainous areas. This will increase engine RPM during engine braking.
• Provides additional lower gear operation through the automatic transmission shift strategy.
• Selects gears more quickly and at higher engine speeds.

To deactivate the sport mode feature and return to normal driving mode, press the button on the gearshift lever once. The SPORT or S indicator light will deactivate. The sport mode feature will also deactivate when your vehicle is powered down.

 

I had not absorbed the details on either tow/haul or sport mode.

We had to come up a mountain road on Sunday. We were climbing from ~~ 500' elevation to ~~ 2400' elevation over about a 6 mile stretch. Speed limit is mostly 30 MPH with some curves as low as 15 MPH.

In standard mode, the transmission was hunting a lot, and when it did downshift, it was too late, so we ended up "surging" with a small application of the throttle.

What I ended up doing was switching to manual mode, and controlling the shifting myself. This was much more satisfying, as I was able to prevent an ill-timed upshift, and the trip was a lot smoother after that.

I may try the tow/haul and/or sport modes to see what difference that makes.

 

I'm going to be driving in some very hilly conditions, and that's why I was reading up on the modes. Let us know if it works for you.

 

I did drive on some very hilly roads today in MO and tested the Sport mode. Major difference! In the normal mode the engine was always down at 1500 or less RPM and it took a bit of throttle and usually a downshift to climb the next hill. And we flew downhill, which required lots of braking.

In the Sport mode the engine was usually at about 2000 RPM and it was ready for the next hill w/out much throttle and no downshifting. Very easy to drive. And, on downhill stretches it provided decent engine braking. But, when you touched the brake pedal the engine braking got serious. I'd been running at about 40 MPH and just let it build to 55 MPH going doing one hill - with some engine braking. But when I touched the brake pedal it downshifted and the R's went to 4000, and the truck slowed significantly.

I'm not sure I want that much engine braking, so need to try the Tow/Haul mode, but it is good to know how the various modes work. And, they do work!

 

Gary, I tow a boat like you do. I had to be bad, I towed my boat already before the 1000 miles on the OD. I kept out of it, kept the tack under 2500rpm for the most part. I would forget to use tow/haul then I would set it. It does make a difference, and it still uses 6th gear, which I was afraid it would not. I have not gone up the Rocky mountains yet, but a slight incline and the truck shifts down when I hit the brakes. I just hit 1000 miles, so I am pulling the boat to a Loveland lake tomorrow, and I won't baby it like I did before.

 

I had a similar experience with tow/haul going downhill. It had already shifted to 3rd, but we were still gaining speed. I tapped on the brakes, and Whoa! it shifts to 2nd! Rs went way up (maybe around 4K). It was much more aggressive than I expected.

For me, it's still a smoother ride if I shift manually. I think that's mainly because I know what's coming up, and the truck just can't know that. It's always late reacting.

 

I'm going to have to try manually shifting it. Sport kept the R's too high for me, so I could fix that in M. And the engine braking in Sport is too much, so manual would fix that as well. I'll try it.

 

This is related to this topic.... Anyone know how to get the dash to display the 1-6 transmission numbers? I thought I saw a thread on this topic but could not find it. My KR had it from day one, but now it is gone. When I turned on tow/haul it displays below where the 1-6 numbers are, but nothing else. Anyone know what I turned off to make the numbers disappear? I could not find it mentioned in the manual last evening.

 

My guess is that you locked out one or more of the upper gears by pressing the +/- button on the shifter. That will bring on the #'s on the display.

 

True, but it still should highlight the transmission # gear I was locked on. This 1-6 gear number display is now off. Weather I have a trailer connected or not. I think it has something to do with the various views the dash has, and I shut the trans selector number view off somehow.... Very weird.

 

Here's what the manual says on pages 178 & 179:

 

I wonder if it is that simple.... I have turned the truck on and off for small trips, it seems like it should default with the trans displaying those 1-6 gear numbers... My display is blank. I will give this a shot tonight to see if the + or _ turns the gear numbers back on, I might have bumped it turning on tow/haul Thanks for the pointers

 

It's off by default, but if you press the + button on the shifter, it will appear on the right side of the display screen. Current gear is shown in red.

 

And when you shut the truck off it goes out of Tow/Haul, Sport, or PRS back to "normal".

 

That did the trick, just clicking that + on the gear shift lever brought the gear numbers back. It is weird they were there in the first place, because I never hit the +. Oh well, at least I know how to get it displayed, it is really a great feature to know what gear you are in. Thanks much.