towing up hill...Advice

crackcrack30

Was towing on a long incline today.... if anyone knows it its the hill leaving castleisland to abbeyfeale.

I drive a 2.0 mondeo tdi towing approx 1400kg ......She usually drives like a train but noticed a smell on this long incline,,, 4th gear 2,200rvs.

3rd gear i felt would have being crawling and didn,t want to drop off in the rpm when achieved. There was no noticible drop in performance during or after i'm just wondering was i driving correctly.

There were other trucks cars vans ect climbing at the same time so smell may not have been my vehicle....

Any toughts?

crabbypaddy

Depends on the kind of smell was it oily, fishy, sooty etc. Clutch would be a likely culprit but at those revs on that hill with a big load you would have been at max injection for a long period engine, turbo, manifold, cat etc would have been very hot which will evaporate and burn all kinds of oil spills, wd40 and other contamination that may be around the engine bay.

Pat Dunne

crackcrack30 wrote: »

Was towing on a long incline today.... if anyone knows it its the hill leaving castleisland to abbeyfeale.

I drive a 2.0 mondeo tdi towing approx 1400kg ......She usually drives like a train but noticed a smell on this long incline,,, 4th gear 2,200rvs.

3rd gear i felt would have being crawling and didn,t want to drop off in the rpm when achieved. There was no noticible drop in performance during or after i'm just wondering was i driving correctly.

There were other trucks cars vans ect climbing at the same time so smell may not have been my vehicle....

Any toughts?

Where your windows open?

Trains are crap on inclines. :pac:

I keep an eye on the temp gauge on big hills. (In 2nd gear not towing :rolleyes:). If it's overheating turn on the blower full heat full fan and open a window to help engine cooling.

Could be brakes aren't full disengaged too perhaps.

crackcrack30

Pat Dunne wrote: »

Where your windows open?

probably down a little ....I looked at the temp gauge and there was no move...I don't think the smell was bad enough for the clutch. more like exhaust from truck....but that is a long incline of at least 3-4 km...

Anyone done it recently with a caravan?

_Brian

I tow a similar weight caravan and after a long journey towing (2-3hours non stop) I've sometimes gotten a slight burning oil smell.
As previous poster said its just everything heating up a bit More than it usually does and burning off dirt and oil residues.

If the coolant temp is steady I wouldn't worry.

Pat Dunne

crackcrack30 wrote: »

probably down a little ....I looked at the temp gauge and there was no move...I don't think the smell was bad enough for the clutch. more like exhaust from truck....but that is a long incline of at least 3-4 km...

Anyone done it recently with a caravan?

Chances are it was coming from another vehicle, then.

crackcrack30

ya, I completed another hill climb 20 minutes later with no smell....but just doubting my driving.... will know and keep an eye the next time...

Its a long climb and the only direct route to tralee killarney...

Betsy Og

I know the hill well and have towed up it a good few times. I was going to say clutch but if you know that smell then you know that smell.....

Incidentally the only clutch smell I tend to get is when reversing. Worst campsite for it is Versailles (Green Camping or something like that). You have to reverse up a tight hill and around a corner avoiding tree stumps - only time I ever saw smoke from the clutch.....:eek:

Betsy Og

Betsy Og wrote: »

... if you know that smell then you know that smell.....

Smells like angle grinder through steel to me.