Allison tranny selector mode....Economy??

[Paramedic 1]

Ok....be gentle with me....my 2000 Allegro Bus has selector buttons with an "economy" mode....what does this mean and when should I use it....

[MaverickBBD]

Alison economy mode will work to get you in a higher gear faster and keep you there longer.

If you have an exhaust or engine brake it could be programmed with the transmission to get you into a lower gear faster.

I take it out of economy when I use the engine brake.

[FlyingDiver]

It supposed to upshift earlier and downshift later, so you run the engine at lower RPM. You loose acceleration. I never bother to use it on mine. If you're going for best MPG and have rolling hills then give it a try. It doesn't do a darn thing on flat routes.

[1ciderdog]

I've driven mine over 100K miles and used the economy button a gazillion times. I track mileage at every fill up and I can not tell you economy saves fuel. It might but not for me so I just run it in the normal position.

[Cat320]

Originally Posted by MaverickBBD

...Alison economy mode will work to get you in a higher gear faster and keep you there longer...

...

Yep, I use it almost all the time.

[Mr_D]

Our rig has so much torque that the economy mode doesn't seem to make much, if any, difference on acceleration.

[roadster27]

i find mine makes no difference on economy , but slowing down sometimes the trans downshift is kind of harsh so i dont bother to use it

[Randyman1]

I find myself using it because my engine has enough torque that it doesn't need to shift down on most rolling hills. If I don't use it and am using the cruise it will shift down when it really didn't need to because of the throttle position that the cruise has put it in. I think it is is easier on these big engines to let them lug a little first and then if you see you are losing speed to fast you can let it shift down and rpm its way up the hill. JMO Randy

[Treeman47]

Be gentle with me as well. When is economy mode engaged - when the red light is on or off? Thx.

[Treeman47]

Another question; I have noticed that my transyd level has been down on a couple of trips. I have not noticed any hard or slow shifting. My mechanic assures me that there are no leaks on the chassis-undercarriage-drive train. Any suggestions?

[FlyingDiver]

Eco mode is on when the red light is on.

[Randyman1]

Treeman, I believe the red light is on when in economy mode. I have trouble seeing it. Once you have your transmission topped off, you should not see a need to add unless you have a leak. If you just had yours serviced, then it is normal to add a little to top it off if the mechanic didn't drive it and then double check it. If you are adding on a regular basis, then you have fluid leaking somewhere and will need to crawl under the coach with a flashlight and see if you can spot the leak. Also put down a piece of cardboard under the tranny when parked to help find a drip.

[Treeman47]

Thanks, just seems that rpms do not change much.

[Treeman47]

Randyman - thanks. Have not noticed any splotches on the floor of building where I keep it during winter. I'll just have to keep watching.