towing my trailer?
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Joined: Apr 2003
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From: portland michigan
towing my trailer?
The Ford book recommends that you haul your trailer with the overdrive in the off position. My question is when hauling on relitively flat ground is there a problem with hauling in overdrive as it lowers the rpm's and it was not down shifting?
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From: Easton PA
towing my trailer?
Ford has to say that to protect themselves from idiot drivers (aka friends that we foolishly let borrow our trucks).
Keep OD in the ON position. If you feel you need to engine break, you can always manually press the overdrive OFF button, while driving, to shift to your next lowest gear, which will aid in slowing you down when you need it. It has the added advantage of saving some (albeit a little) on brake wear.
I wouldn't recommend throwing the lever into a lower gear on an auto trans, because you can't ease into it with a clutch that you can with a manual... but going from OD to 4 is fine.
Keep OD in the ON position. If you feel you need to engine break, you can always manually press the overdrive OFF button, while driving, to shift to your next lowest gear, which will aid in slowing you down when you need it. It has the added advantage of saving some (albeit a little) on brake wear.
I wouldn't recommend throwing the lever into a lower gear on an auto trans, because you can't ease into it with a clutch that you can with a manual... but going from OD to 4 is fine.
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From: Central Illinois
towing my trailer?
Originally posted by hobert
My owners manaul states to tow with overdrive ON unless the tranny is hunting back and fouth between drive and over drive. Or if the driver needs more engine braking.
My owners manaul states to tow with overdrive ON unless the tranny is hunting back and fouth between drive and over drive. Or if the driver needs more engine braking.
Ditto.
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From: portland michigan
towing my trailer?
yes my book says that with a 4-speed transmission to eliminate excessive shifting use a lower gear as this also assists in transmission cooling. and to see the section on transmission positions which says that the overdrive should be off when in the conditions which cause excessive shifting such as trailer towing, hilly conditions city driving and when engine braking is needed. I did drive it in overdrive and it only down shifted on some of the bigger hills and I will certainly continue to do it that way thanks to the responses I got.
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