When towing, is it better to run the gearbox in fourth or fifth gear?
Asked by Ken
When towing in my 2015 Isuzu MU-X is it better to run the gearbox in fourth or fifth gear?
Answered by CarsGuide
22 Mar 2022Conventional wisdom is that an over-drive gearbox (such as your five-speed) shouldn’t tow anything heavy in top gear. The loads placed on the transmission via the over-driven fifth ratio can cause internal transmission damage.
Also, by leaving the engine in fourth gear (locking out over-drive in the automatic version) you stand to have the engine operating squarely in its comfort and torque zone, rather than lugging along in a too-tall ratio.
So that’s the nutshell answer: Save fifth gear for downhills and tail-winds and keep the load off the transmission.
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