Towing in Overdrive?
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Brentwood, TN
Towing in Overdrive?
Apologies if this has been beat to death, but I haven't quite found the info I'm looking for in my search of previous posts…
I've come across some conflicting info from Ford regarding towing and overdrive usage. I have a '11 E-350 12 passenger with the 5.4l V-8 and 3.73 limited slip rear end. I'm pulling a Forest River TT that fully loaded is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5300-5600lbs. My van is usually loaded with my wife and I, plus our 6 kids ages 13 and under. So, the van itself is not loaded down that much, and I realize this trailer is not a monster either. All of this is well within spec.
The conflict comes in my reading of the official 2011 Ford Owner's manual for the van and the 2011 Ford Towing guide. The owner's manual says you should NOT use overdrive when towing. The Ford Towing guide says for a van equipped with my specs, you SHOULD use overdrive except on steep or long grades.
Which guide should I believe? I've taken two trips not using overdrive, and the fuel mileage is around 8.5-9mpg. I've taken one trip using overdrive, and I get 9.5-10.5mpg.
So, naturally, I'd love to use overdrive, but I really don't want to tear up the transmission prematurely.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
TimR><>
I've come across some conflicting info from Ford regarding towing and overdrive usage. I have a '11 E-350 12 passenger with the 5.4l V-8 and 3.73 limited slip rear end. I'm pulling a Forest River TT that fully loaded is somewhere in the neighborhood of 5300-5600lbs. My van is usually loaded with my wife and I, plus our 6 kids ages 13 and under. So, the van itself is not loaded down that much, and I realize this trailer is not a monster either. All of this is well within spec.
The conflict comes in my reading of the official 2011 Ford Owner's manual for the van and the 2011 Ford Towing guide. The owner's manual says you should NOT use overdrive when towing. The Ford Towing guide says for a van equipped with my specs, you SHOULD use overdrive except on steep or long grades.
Which guide should I believe? I've taken two trips not using overdrive, and the fuel mileage is around 8.5-9mpg. I've taken one trip using overdrive, and I get 9.5-10.5mpg.
So, naturally, I'd love to use overdrive, but I really don't want to tear up the transmission prematurely.
Thoughts?
Thanks,
TimR><>
Postmaster
Joined: Feb 2011
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even as you should do in a heavily loaded truck that isn't towing, you should shift out of overdrive for the long hills so you get more torque to the wheels, but should use overdrive when you can. they write the warnings for people who don't understand how to take care of their vehicle, so we have to consider that.
i would read the towing guide for this one
i would read the towing guide for this one
Junior User
Joined: Dec 2011
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If it were me, I would use overdrive on the flats and down hills. When towing up a hill I would shift out of OD. I would watch my rpms and listen to the engine when towing up light grades and make a judgement call on whether it would be better to "downshift" in order to put the engine into the best situation by which to handle the load I'm putting on it. Good luck.
Elder User
Joined: May 2010
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From: infraction
First, which transmission?
Second, do you have a trans temp guage? (really needed for towing)
This is how I would go about your situation.
with a guage to watch the temps, try both methods. if the temps in either don't go past 210 then you're fine.
Second, do you have a trans temp guage? (really needed for towing)
This is how I would go about your situation.
with a guage to watch the temps, try both methods. if the temps in either don't go past 210 then you're fine.
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 29
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From: Brentwood, TN
Page 183 in the 2011 (3rd Printing) guide says:
Consider turning overdrive off (4–speed transmissions) or using the tow/haul feature (5–speed transmissions) to eliminate excessive shifting and assist in transmission cooling. For additional information, refer to Automatic transmission operation in the Driving chapter.
I suppose that's not a specific prohibition, but it is a direct recommendation.
It boils down to this: is the transmission designed to tow in overdrive - except in certain situations (steep or long grades, etc)?
Thanks,
TimR><>
Thread Starter
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Freshman User
Joined: Aug 2002
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From: Brentwood, TN
It's a 4R75E transmission. Regrettably, I do not have a transmission temp gauge.
Thanks,
TimR><>
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For me the key here is "to eliminate excessive shifting" also called hunting. IMO "steep or long grades" should reliably cause tranny to automatically shift down & stay shifted down out of OD.
It's the gently rolling hills & buffeting headwinds which can cause tranny to constantly hunt, in & out of OD, that you want to try to avoid. Excessive shifting around the level of torque the computer program runs in OD accelerates wear. If it hunts the switch allows you to manually select out of OD.
If it's not hunting & tows steadily in OD there's not a problem.
If you're doing a lot of hill climbing or stop & go, at your maximum weight, adding an auxillary tranny cooler is something to look into.
Also if you want to run in OD, but suffer from hunting, look into chips/tuners that reprogram shift points.
It's the gently rolling hills & buffeting headwinds which can cause tranny to constantly hunt, in & out of OD, that you want to try to avoid. Excessive shifting around the level of torque the computer program runs in OD accelerates wear. If it hunts the switch allows you to manually select out of OD.
If it's not hunting & tows steadily in OD there's not a problem.
If you're doing a lot of hill climbing or stop & go, at your maximum weight, adding an auxillary tranny cooler is something to look into.
Also if you want to run in OD, but suffer from hunting, look into chips/tuners that reprogram shift points.
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Frmr Ford Trans Engr
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: SE Florida
I agree. That wording tells me to turn off the OD if the trans is hunting. I don't see it as telling me not to tow in overdrive.
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