A couple of things that bug me and thought I would throw this out to see what others think and if any solutions. 1.Starting around 1999 Ford eliminated a recirculate setting on the manual climate control(it was on all fords)--which I really liked to have when behind a stinky Diesel truck, now the only way to get recirculate is to turn the AC on Max., I think the change was a bad Idea.!!??-------2.When first starting out the O.D. is automaticly engaged and you have to push the button to disengage---unless your doing mostly hiway driving it really should be just the opposite, I dont know if Ford was always like this but for Dodge and Jeep you had to push the button to go into O.D. , With me it is always hard to remember to push the button to get out of O.D., alot of times Im lugging and dont relize it (bad for transmission), I wonder if this switch could be reversed.-----Theese are just small pet peeves, but wanted to see what others thought or solutions.

 

Correction: My friends '98 Dodge Ram has the same OD set-up as the Ferds. Automatically in OD upon start-up unless you push the button.

 

Both are characteristics on Fords and have been for at least twenty years.

I've never had a Ford with a RECIRC setting. Perhpas you're thinking of some other vehicle.

 

Personally I love the settings. I don't do a whole lot of highway driving, but I do go on some stretches at 50 mph that I just hit the cruise and let that puppy lock into OD. Great for gas mileage. As for the lugging claim, the PCM takes care of that. Kicks it out of OD if it's lugging and shifts if necessary. The transmission is great and has been for almost 130k miles. I do tow a boat occasionally, and that's the only time I don't want it in overdrive. I can see how if you have a work trailer as a semi-permanent attachment to your rig that you would want that OD button reversed, but Ford had it right. The vast majority of truck owners don't tow or haul anything substantial on a daily basis, in fact it's probably quite the opposite.

As for the MAX A/C on the climate control to recurc, I also have this nifty dial that lets me adjust the blower speed. So do you.

Sorry if I burst your bubble, but you asked for our opinions...

 

Hey, this is my 100th post!!!

 

Jeep Cherokee (Chrysler)was not in O.D. untill button push, and at certain lower speeds the F150s computer will not put it into the correct gear with the O.D. activated.(thats why the manual tells you to keep it out of O.D. at low speeds).-----All Rangers, Explorers and 150s had a recirculate somewhere before 2000, and most American and Japaneese still do-- including my 2003 Honda Accord.--- Why wouldnt you like recirculate for other than A.C., there is a reason most other vehicles have it?? , anyway its just my pet peeves and everybody has thiers, Im sure some share my mine.

 

Are you under the impression that the shift pattern changes when OD is off? The only thing that happens when the od off button is pushed, is overdrive is locked out. The transmission will continue to shift from 1-2-3 as it did before. The tranny will not lag, it will shift at it's optimal point. The only reason to hit that OD button is if you are towing and want to lock out OD. The tranny will not go into OD until the vehicle is at a comfortable speed for it. If you want recirculation, put it on max ac. If you don't want cold air, turn the temperature **** warmer and the fan lower. If you don't want any air at all (vents closed, no air) just turn the whole thing off.
BTW, not having a vehicle go into overdrive (with an auto tranny) until you push a button is the most ridiculous design flaw I've heard in a while.

 

Hate to burst your bubble again, but the 93 explorer that I drove for 8 years and 200K miles had a MAX A/C position, exactly like the current and more recent generation of Ford products.

Looking through several other service manuals for other Fords from the mid-to-late 90s shows they're all the same - a MAX A/C setting but no setting or control labeled RECIRC by itself. Ford hasn't changed anything in over 20 years from what I can tell.

You are still mistaken, so far.

This feature is common on Asian and European models, but I've never seen it on any Ford.

Steve

 

Some older and most newer Ford cars had seperate recirculation available. I don't remember it on the trucks though.

 

I have owned a 67 Mustang, an 88 Mustang, an 89 Mustang, a 95 Mustang, a 78 F150, A 200 Ranger And A 2001 F150. None of them had a recirculate option. In fact, other than the location on the dash, the controls for the 88, 89, 95, 2000 and 2001 are virtually identical.

 

I have owned, 86-88-90-98 rangers, 91,96,99 exlplorers they all had recirculate, Only my 2001 ranger ,2002 explorer and 2003 f150 didnt have recirculate.

 

O.K.--being I dont have all my old vehicles and manuals--I had to really think about this, generally speaking here is how it went with the older models,---they had a control **** and a seperate push button to turn the A.C. on, (Not on newer models) with out the button pushed you could turn the **** to Max A.C. and have recirculate (without a.c. on) and you could use it in that position even with the heat on, that way you could go to recirculate if you didnt want the outside inviroment in the car (dust, diesel exhaust). I cant remember if this was mentioned in the owners manuals. There may have been alot of owners that didnt relize they had this recirculate option, I dont think anything was marked "recirculate" on the controls. With the old way you had more control and I think was better.-----No "bubbles burst"--just a difference of opinion.