As a truck driver, you must be well aware that hauling or towing heavy loads can be extremely taxing on you and the vehicle. With that said, you may find it surprising that your truck offers capabilities and features to provide you with a better, more controlled experience. The tow/ haul button can be a tremendous help, and it would be wise to know when and how you can use the feature on your pickup truck and what benefits it can offer you. But before we delve deeper into these details, let us first find out what this feature is all about.
What is the Tow/Haul Button?
If you drive a truck with an automatic transmission, then you may have spotted the tow haul button located on the dashboard, console, and near the shift levers. Pulling or carrying hundreds or even thousands of pounds of objects requires immense power, and you must ensure that your truck can do it safely without stretching the engine power beyond its limits.
Pushing the tow haul button enables you to activate a special mode specifically designed to help your vehicle handle heavier trailers or loads safely when hauling heavy loads up and down steep hills, climbs, or other kinds of uneven terrain. In its essence, it compensates for the extra weight by causing the transmission system to shift down a little sooner, giving you more pulling, stopping, and steering power. As mentioned at Chevy Colorado towing, it is helpful to go over your manufacturer’s manual to understand the specific weight threshold that requires you to push the tow haul button and to learn more about this driving mode.
What Does the Tow/ Haul Button Do?
While your bumper may be a top concern for you to consider when hauling heavy loads, another crucial factor that you must not overlook is the engine power. That is where the tow/ haul mode comes into the picture.
Activating the tow/ haul mode engages the electrical system, putting the truck in a lower gear, improving its stability when towing in uneven terrains, and ultimately providing you better performance. You do not have to keep changing the gear while ascending or descending hills with a heavy load, as is the case with a manual truck.
It helps maximize the vehicle’s capabilities, enabling it to tackle heavy-duty objects while protecting the transmission from the wear and tear that comes with the additional weight. It does that by changing the transmission’s shift patterns, boosting the torque, and engaging the engine braking system to help maintain maximum control while slowing down.
The tow-haul button also helps you save fuel as you spend less power while carrying large loads.
When To Engage the Tow Haul Button?
Whether you are towing a trailer, boat, a vehicle, or hauling any other object with your truck, using the tow/ haul mode as you drive can be a massive advantage as it gives an added boost of power. Activating the tow/ haul mode selects a lower gear and provides you balanced power while driving up an incline. That helps you maintain control over the vehicle while offering a secure driving experience. Likewise, it also helps when moving downhill. It slows down the truck earlier than usual as it descends the slope, eliminating the need to press hard on the brakes, protecting them from getting worn down.
Engaging the tow/haul button will ultimately depend upon the weight of the cargo and the area in which you are driving. The feature makes rural and off-road towing or hauling much easier as well as in cities. When you are more likely to come across lots of red lights, traffic jams, or residential streets, the tow/ haul helps you slow down and stop more smoothly when you need to.
With that said, if you are driving down the highway or a mostly flat area, tow/ haul is not necessary and may worsen your gas mileage. While towing heavy cargo will always result in poor mileage, engaging the mode for legs of the journey where the terrain is not difficult to navigate would be futile.
Conclusion
Your heavy-duty truck is a significant investment, and you must protect it from damage while towing or hauling heavy, bulky loads. While there is no substitute for the proper tow setup while carrying objects weighing several thousand pounds, the tow haul button is an excellent added feature that helps with power control while pulling a heavy load.
It enables you to maintain control of the truck and protects its engine and transmission by causing less stress to it over the long haul, helping you keep it in good condition for the time to come.
