Top gear is basically an overdrive - and is definitely not recommended for load (towing) C&P from 4WD Action
the fact that for it to be an overdrive gear the manual gearbox has to run another couple of cogs on a lay shaft, and loading those cogs up with lots of torque forces the gear teeth apart, putting exponentially larger forces into the bearings carrying that layshaft - and that's usually what dies, if not the gear teeth themselves. It does actually happen just thru normal driving without a trailer, but the manufacturers design things and work it all out then make the gearing such that at hwy speeds, you can't hold the gear too long to put so much torque thru the box/gears for long enough to destroy the gearbox within whatever they've determined is a reasonable life for the gearbox or the term of their responsibility under warranty for most drivers - so it's all a numbers game. If you are a driver who manages to push somewhat more torque thru the gearbox than most do even without a trailer then you can be caught with a dead box - and some do get caught that way; so it really never pays to use whatever gear your overdrive is as anything less than a cruising gear, cos pushing to maintain speed in overdrive up hills or even on the flat is just not good for it and WILL be shortening the life of the box. Yeah, you might get away with it now, maybe even for a while, but that's a very short sighted and finite outlook, unless you plan on selling the vehicle very soon!

You can't avoid this sort of wear/damage if you tow, simply because of the EXTRA torque it takes to pull that extra set of wheels even if the trailer is empty!! And if it's that sort of damage, which every car manufacturer, dealer, & workshop can readily recognise, it is extremely unlikely that they'll replace it under warranty, even if you have never towed at all!

Sorry, but them's the facts about it - & unless you've got deep enough pockets to go up against a multi-national conglomerate car manufacturer, then you are ultimately going to lose any argument about who pays

It has a lot to do with the combiation ofrev,s and gears. Too high a gear combined with toò low rev.s leads to lugging a loaded engine No matter it,s size. And other way about. Towing. Normally. Around 2000ish rev.s and engine not lugging. You.ll be fine, speed. Commfort and economy wise With the AVERAGE liittle diesel donk most use here. Even that little v8 toyota use. Had operation, waiting for surgeon now. And breccy.

Only time I've needed to lock my Ranger XLT Dual Cab in gear was coming down the big hill into Wollongong from Sydney direction. 40kph truck limit was a bit of a hint. Van weighs approx 1600kg plus ute contents. Left Ranger in "D" going back up Macquarie Pass.

Hetho,

The owners manual should guide you.

To others with other vehicles - how does your situation help the OP? They asked for specific advice on an LC200.

The LC 200 only has an auto gearbox. When towing a heavy load in D it will continually hunt for the right gear usually up and down between 4th and 5th. Not easy to hear this going on or even to pick it up on the rev counter as it can be very quick. The "hunting" causes the transmittion fluid to heat up to over 100 degC towing on the flat. I am told (havent done this myself) if TFT goes ovef 130 degC the vehicle will go into lump home mode.
Towing in S mode prevents this hunting resulting in very little if any trans temp increase.
For my heavy van I find S4 towing with speed at 90kmh keeps the trans temp at same as if not towing (normal) rpm will be 2150 rpm providing loads of torgue and not overloading anything without having too high engine revs.
If towing smaller loads than me then S5 might be the go. A Toyota mechanic told me never tow in S6 or let it go into S6.
5th and 6th are the overdrive gears as stated by Toyota.
In any event fitting a TFT gauge or easier still plug in a Scangauge or similar at less than $200 set up on TFT you will soon see for your self. It will be the best $200 addition to you LC 200,

-- Edited by Moonraker on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 02:54:30 PM

-- Edited by Moonraker on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 02:55:57 PM

Yes Anthony thats why I tow in S mode. The LC 200 gearbox still has gears with the LC200 in S mode the gearbox will change down if needed automatically but not up. So it is necessary to select the correct S mode gear for the load being towed.

In any even as I said fit a scangauge and you will soon find out for your self what you are doing to your trans. fluid and will be the best guide to what mode and gear you should tow your load in.

-- Edited by Moonraker on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 03:12:36 PM

Hi Graeme,
I agree, my LC 200 has heaps of torque but the engine and transmittion has a lot less stress on it towing heavy load in S4 and at 90 kph. It might take me a few of minutes per hour longer to get to my destination but is does it comfortably. With less fuel even if the revs are just a little higher which probably proves the point.

Oh yes the head winds ! In my case in motorhome . But same thing . Can double fuel consumption . I've slowly learnt even at age !! Lol to slow down under 80kph or stop for the night . Hopefully next morning wind is more favourable .. Often is ..

Moonraker wrote:

---

The Nullabor heading west comes to mind. Going East can be great.
Also try to time the return trip from the south west WA to Perth up the forest freeway when the seabreeze is blowing early afternoon get a free push most of the way. Wish the fuel consumption could be that good all the time. Can also slip into S5 at times As Bill says. 
Sometimes I think wind has a greater affect than weight. But thats a bit off topic.

-- Edited by Moonraker on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 07:27:32 PM

---

 Something in the comment about 'wind effect' IMHO.

On a memorable trip south from Lightning Ridge with a roaring wind up the clacker, the Patrol got 16L/100 rather than the usual 22L/100.  Best ever.  I was disappointed to have to pull over for the night.  It was a beautiful drive.

I was tempted to put it into overdrive 5th but resisted. Never in 200,000km have I used 5th when towing.   That's what my family mechanic advised when I got the vehicle with 50,000km & a mechanic in Darwin showed me a couple of stripped gearbox shafts that he had replaced in Patrol boxes that had constantly been used in 5th for towing.

Don't know about Autos though.

S4 for reasons stated above , right up to 100 klicks and have had no probs with hills or whatever . Purchase of a scangauge for your LC200 will be one of the best investments made especially if you are towing :)..

Hi to All.

Thanks for all the reply`s, comments and suggestions.

Regards.

Hetho.

pretty hard to pedal up hill or into the wind in top gear on a pushbike.

In the past cars only had 4 or 5 manual gears. The 4th gear was usually a"straight through" gear ie front shaft from motor locked to rear output shaft and no cluster gear or layshafts used. Hence a very strong gear. So people were told tow in 4th for that reason. The issue now is with 6 to 8 speed gearboxes, most gears after 4th are all overdrive ie using a layshaft etc, so I cannot understand why we all dont drive in the straight through gear if we listen to all the experts.
As many of you ride a push bike with gears what is easier? Riding up a hill in top gear and struggle or select the best gear where your cadence ie pedal stroke per minute is at a comfortable level and you are not straining your self or the bike. I use the same philosophy for the car when towing. All car manuals tell you at what revs you car has the most power and torque. So when I come to a hill with towing I use my paddle to keep the auto in the rev range. On the flat I just select D and let the gearbox decide which gear is best.

I also use a simillar process for 4wding. I manually select the auto gear bix and rarely go beyond 5th gear in low range. To much strain on small gears will eventually cause excessive wear. The 4wd club I am in says for manual cars dont use high gears in low range, and in fact many auto boxes will not change up to high gears in low range. My 8 speed discovery only goes as far as 6th in low range which can be frustrating when you are on a main dirt road driving between tracks, and dont want to change to high range. Nothing is mentioned in the manual about this. I only discovoured it when I drive and told tge dealer there was something wrong with my gearbox in low range.

Toyota or any other. With auto boxes they ALL have torque converters and slippage. That,s how they work. Some have more advanced computers internally than others. Anybody towing LARGE loads without a full lock up box, will be doing both their vehicle And their back pocket a favouÅ by reading up a little, and possibly installing, A torque converter lock up switch. I have and it DOES make a difference.