Towing with a Honda

 

I agree that on a 5 gear transmission 3rd is unlikely to be a good selection for the pod, except on big hills.  Usually "tow mode" buttons on light trucks are for heavy loads.  If you were towing near your limit then 3rd is probably the right choice.

 

I agree on speed, too.  I experimented with 60 mph (95 kph), 65 and 70+ speeds on my recent trip.  I already expected the best speed to be between 60 and 65 based on what I've found during daily driving.  60 appears to be the best when towing (10-11 mpg), with a drop to 9-10 mpg at 65, and a drop off a cliff above 70 to around 6-7 mpg.

 

Edit:  The last 2 long-range trips I've experimented with the gearing, too.  Tow-haul mode seems to drop about a half mpg off, mostly because it holds gears longer than I wanted, which is necessary for 4000+ pound loads but not the pod.  It also engaged the automatic engine braking (like the Ridgeline) which at first was nice but I felt like it dropped way down to 2nd too often, but again this would be appropriate for a heavy load.  This trip I left it in drive on the plains so it would hit 6th, and left it in 5th max the rest of the time, not using tow-haul mode.  I downshifted manually on the bigger grades only rarely going as low as 2nd.  I did use tow-haul for a few of the biggest climbs and 1 or two up-down-up-down climbs, since it also boosts transmission oil pressure.  This makes the gear changes a bit smoother when the tranny is under stress, and gets the heat to the tranny cooler faster so it keeps the temps down a bit.

Yes... I stand corrected on the overdrive issue.  I just found a listing of RL transmission ratios.  The final drive is actually 4.533.  In the Honda Manual, by the way, it very clearly states not to tow regularly in D3, or transmission overheating will develop.  

Thanks again.

They hook into the On Board Diagnostic (OBD) unit in your Odyssey.  They will basically display whatever you car's sensors are capable of giving information on, plus information on fuel consumption, temperatures, and so on.  You can also shut off check-engine-warning lights with it.