Minivan Towing prep list

Hi guys,

A big Thank You to all the folks who post - I've been spending the last few weeks reading the old threads, and I've learned a tremendous amount.

Plan:

My wife and I are towing a 2720 with an 06 Quest 3.5L minivan. This summer we will put 10,000 on the odometer - the San Diego area through Flagtaff/Albuquerque to Georgia, up to NY and back - maybe through Colorado. We both teach, our kids are two and four yrs old, and we love the road.

Goal: TO NOT DESTROY THE TRANSMISSION!

Prep List:

1) 1000-10,000 pnd WDH
2) Synthetic oil.
3) Synthetic transmission fluid.
4) An auxiliary transmission cooler. (What's the biggest I should get? Any recommendations?)
5) Only drive with high-octane when towing.
6) Considering air bags for back to smooth out ride post-WDH adjustment, but doesn't sound like it's worth it according to others on the forum.
7) We will wake at 4:00 am to drive when in the mountains (I do that anyway - lets the kids sleep on the road) to take advantage of cooler air, denser oxygen layer near the ground.
8) Never drive UP a hill or mountain with overdrive engaged.

Is there anything else I can do to prepare and maintain the Quest when towing?


I've read all the warnings, weighed the options (can't afford a new TV when still paying for the Quest), and we know will be risking the transmission- just want to minimize the risk.

Thanks,

Jason

[Bill]

A transmission temp gauge will let you know when you are entering dangerous territory. Consider

an Aeroforce Interceptor
http://www.aeroforcetech.com/ - try to ignore the annoying homepage for this site. The gauge is great

or a Scan Gauge
http://www.scangauge.com/

Bill

I thought about it, but other people posted that many mechanics won't touch it because they didn't want to be held liable for transmission problems. That made me worry that the installation could cause leaks...

Originally Posted by jasongold

I thought about it, but other people posted that many mechanics won't touch it because they didn't want to be held liable for transmission problems. That made me worry that the installation could cause leaks...

,

The Scan Guage Will Plug Into Your OBD2 Port Under Your Dash, Easily Done At Home With No Mechanics Or Transmission Work Involved.

[Bill]

Neither of the gauges mentioned require mechanic work. As Gocntry points out, they both plug into the OBD connector under the dash. Every car sold has this connector - required by law. Takes less than a minute.

Bill

Thanks - that's about my speed (mechanically).

Does the gauge tell me the transmission is too hot, or do I need to know what temp ranges are acceptable?

[ShrimpBurrito]

You might also consider:

• an engine oil cooler -- the oil filter on my Jeep Cherokee (6 cyl, 4.0L) became severely blistered after towing 1500 pounds through the mountains between Oregon and California -- they are less steep than the Rockies. If you don't want to do that, at least consider an oversized oil filter.
  
• synthetic oil in your rear axle gearbox if you have one.
  
• clean your throttle body. Instructions here.
  
• add some 3M Fuel Injector Cleaner (a fuel additive) to a full tank of gas and burn as much of the gas as you can before towing (a week before even).
  
• be sure your brakes are in good shape. A cool engine and working transmission won't do you any good if you can't stop.
  
• change your oil every 3,000-5,000 miles during your trip.
  
• maybe overkill, and possibly a bit complicated if you are not mechanically inclined, but install a switch to manually activate the auxiliary fan that cools your radiator -- that way you'll be running with maximum cooling power all the time.
  
• keep an eye on your air filter, and replace as needed. You'll be going through some pretty dusty areas.
  
• pack some tools. The less you have to depend on other people to get you out of a jam, the less stressful and costly the jam will be, and the faster it will be resolved.

Dave

[Bill]

Originally Posted by jasongold

Does the gauge tell me the transmission is too hot, or do I need to know what temp ranges are acceptable?

Jason -

There are two ways to answer this question. The first is this. Install your gauge, then drive around some and note the tranny temp when you are not towing. Then hook up the TM and drive around some on the flatlands, so you are not stressing anything, and again note the tranny temp. The two readings so far shouldn't be very different, and they establish a "baseline" for you. (On my Explorer, the readings are around 175-180 degrees.) When you finally get the TM hooked up and start into the mountains, the temp will be higher, obviously, but the owner of a transmission shop told me that if the increase is no more than about 20 degrees, you're probably OK. Sure enough, when I load up the Explorer and connect the TM for one of our cross-country jaunts, the temp in the steep-and-high will hit 200, but has never exceeded 210. If it ever approaches 210, I will pull off and let it cool.

The second way is to try to take some guidance from this chart, originally posted here several years ago by our towing guru, Rocky Mtn Ray, I think. The chart doesn't supply a hard answer (especially since the X-axis is so non-linear), but it seems to tell me that somewhere around 200-210 degrees, bad things are starting to happen.

There is always a question about where the temperature is being measured. Is it in the transmission pan? At the inlet to the cooler? At the outlet from the cooler? Because of this variability, I think the first method is probably the better one.

Bill

Thanks.

If the temp increases more than 20 degrees, does slowing down help? Should I give it a 30 mn rest if it rises too much? Actually, should I drive in the early morning and not go over a certain speed when driving up a certain grade?

We don't mind taking our time, and most of the trip will be on shallow grades (0-7,000 feet over 2,000 miles).

I really appreciate all of the advice.

Jason

Avoid overdrive unless you really know you vehicle and can assure the converter stays locked and the motor isn't straining.

The Nissan 3.5l should be a really good motor.