using overdrive?
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Fleet Mechanic
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From: va
using overdrive?
I live one hour from the Interstate. I mostly drive 55 mph for 20 minutes to get to the city, should I use Over Drive? There are no mountains and I'm not hauling anything. I noticed the rpm's drop, so would I think it's better for the engine but how about the trans. My sister was told not to using OD if your not going over 65 for long distances.
Last edited by mike L; Jul 12, 2006 at 07:38 AM.
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From: Lafayette, IN
Your sister must have been told that by an oil company. The only time you SHOULDN'T use OD is when you spend lots of time at a speed right around the OD engagement point. Under light acceleration and cruising, that's been 37mph for both of my Ford trucks ('90 AOD and '93 E4OD). And that's only if it's shifting in and out you should lock it out, I rarely had that issue. Or, you should lock out OD if you're doing some very heavy hauling/towing with the AOD, but not necessarily with the E4OD--that's the tranny they put behind the 460s and diesels for a number of years.
Bottom line: leave the OD on, and don't worry about it for virtually all of your normal driving. If you had to play with it all the time, you could hardly call it an automatic transmission, could you?
Jason
Bottom line: leave the OD on, and don't worry about it for virtually all of your normal driving. If you had to play with it all the time, you could hardly call it an automatic transmission, could you?
Jason
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
I have heard people say you should not use overdrive when hauling with an AOD equipped truck.. but something is wrong with this logic or there's more to the story. The reason I say this is because when an AOD is in OD.. it actually bypasses the torque converter with direct drive... so excessive heating of the transmission fluid should technically be reduced. Anyone care to comment? I have always towed using OD and never had a problem.
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From: Lafayette, IN
Originally Posted by Conanski
I have heard people say you should not use overdrive when hauling with an AOD equipped truck.. but something is wrong with this logic or there's more to the story. The reason I say this is because when an AOD is in OD.. it actually bypasses the torque converter with direct drive... so excessive heating of the transmission fluid should technically be reduced. Anyone care to comment? I have always towed using OD and never had a problem.
Jason
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From: Ottawa, Ontario
Originally Posted by jroehl
The problem with heavy loads and OD in the AOD is that the transmission is in "overdrive"--that is, the input shaft speed is less than the output shaft speed, which puts a strain on the OD band. That strain goes up significantly when there is a heavy load on/behind the truck. 3rd gear is a 1:1 ratio, and the speeds (engine and front end of tranny) involved are higher, so the tranny pumps more fluid, keeping it cooler with a heavy load.
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Fleet Mechanic
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From: va
Thanks guys I'll leave it on to go to town. Do you have an orange light at the end of the stick when OD is on, I think mine is burt out. I have to press to OD and the rpm's drop that's how i can tell when it on. But i think it's always on after you press it, even after you turn the engine off. Is there a way to replace the OD bulb?
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Post Fiend
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From: Lafayette, IN
Mike, if you have a little light at the end of the shift lever, then you have the E4OD tranny. The default is for OD to be ON and the light OFF. Only when OD is OFF is the light ON. I've never bothered to check mine, but I believe if you have locked out OD (light ON), then turn off the ignition, the tranny will automatically go back to using OD (light OFF). The light on my '93 is 'OFF' backlit by a LED. The light is there to remind you that you are likely wasting gas.
Jason
P.S. The AOD isn't all that bad, it's just not really a truck tranny, kind of like the 302 they put it behind for so many years.
Jason
P.S. The AOD isn't all that bad, it's just not really a truck tranny, kind of like the 302 they put it behind for so many years.
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As stated, its when the transmission is "hunting" the right gear, when you might want to bump it out of OD. The reason for this, is that the transmission builds alot of heat when shifting alot, and heat is a transmissions enemy.
Last edited by tim73; Jul 13, 2006 at 01:30 AM.
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From: Rapid City, SoDak
to OD or not to OD?
I use OD in town, my theory is, the engine is only going to spin so many times before it seizes, so i use OD for everything from 40-45 and above. On the other hand, as far as towing goes, i recently moved from montana to oklahoma towing a heavy horse trailer all the way, I used 4th the whole way and never jumped up to the much weaker OD gear, it didn't overheat at all and i got 13mpg on one tank, but i have the manual tranny.
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