Anyone using economy mode on B500/World transmissions?

[belfert]

Is anyone actually using economy mode on the Allison B500/World transmissions?  Is it helping MPG?

I've seen posts on other forums of folks driving diesel push motorhomes actually losing .1 MPG when using economy.  I've also read it isn't a good idea to use iin the mountains, which is half my trip in the fall.  I used economy for part of one trip, but not long enough to see any MPG difference.  I didn't use it on my Florida trip after seeing the posts on losing MPG.

When I do want to use economy mode I often forget to turn it on after turning off the engine.  It can be defaulted to economy through programming, but there goes a lot of fuel savings.

[TomC]

I know on the newer Allisons, the power mode will shift at 2,000rpm and the economy mode will be at around 1700rpm.  When in hills, I agree to keep it in the power mode-possibly shifting manually also (remember-even if you're shifting manually in the hills, and you over speed the engine-it will up shift to the next gear to save the engine-kind of disturbing if you're coming down a long hill. Hopefully you have a tachometer).

On a recent truck delivery with a Allison 2500 (small truck), in economy mode, it shifted at 2100rpm, in power mode it shifted at 2600rpm-big difference.  Good Luck, TomC

[buswarrior]

In the seated coaches I've driven that had the "power" function, B500 type, I didn't like how early in a climb the tranny would give up and downshift.

A rise in the road would kick down to 5th, for no good reason.

Held the gears more to my liking in whatever the "normal" program was.

I am active in choosing my gears in a B500, so, economy suits me, as I will hold a lower gear myself to get higher RPM, and want it to default to a higher gear early, so I can make those choices.

If that makes any sence at all...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[belfert]

I have a fairly early B500 in my rig.  I don't have 6th gear (2nd overdrive) enabled due to the way Dina engineered things.  It takes a fairly steep incline to drop out of 5th gear.

I have no experience with other buses.  I pretty much push the drive button and go after doing a walk around.  The only time I generally manually shift is going down a steep grade to make the Jake more effective.  I haven't seen a big need to manually shift.  The shifts don't seem to be jarring to passengers so I don't worry about it.  I spend a lot of time as a passenger too and I'm not bothered by the automatic shifting.

My understanding is I have "normal" mode and "economy" mode.  I'm not aware of a power mode.  If I push the mode button a light comes on that says economy if I remember right.

[RoyJ]

My understanding is I have "normal" mode and "economy" mode.  I'm not aware of a power mode.

That's because only marketing dictionary spells "normal" as p-o-w-e-r 

[RichardEntrekin]

On flat ground, it makes no difference. In very hilly country, it doesn't seem to make much difference, unless you feather the throttle going up hill.

It does shift differently in rolling hills. Putting it in Econ mode makes it hold 6th longer going up the hill. I also think my 60 is one of the ones programmed with higher HP if in Cruise mode. In rolling hills, cruise mode and econ work well. It will roll over a reasonable hill while holding speed and not dropping into 5th when I use the two together.

You have to turn on the Econ every time in my rig. It defaults to the power mode with every ignition off.

I can't tell any difference in the mileage, certainly not to the one tenth as you suggested.