overdrive
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overdrive
ok here is the story. i bought my truck brand new in 2000 it had 12 miles on it. so i got a few thousand miles on it before i hauled my boat anywhere just to let it break in. well my first trip through the mountains and my transmition was shot completly torn up i had to have a whole new one installed. the dealer told me it was because i didnt turn the overdrive off. so since then i have been towing with overdrive off, but i get terrible milage that way. now that i live in florida where i encounter no mountains do you think that it will be fine to tow with overdirve on. many have told me that if it is just straight highway then it is fine what is your opinion
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From: Brinklow Md
You only really need to turn it off when the trans is hunting for gears or you shift in and out of O/D alot ( like in the city). In Fl I doubt you need to take it out. You could get some gauges to watch the trans temp also...
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From: Kamloops
Get a transmission cooler upgrade. You can get a Tru-cool inline tranny cooler that used your tiny stock one and the new one in series, or upgrade to the single larger 6.0 transmission cooler with a few fitting upgrades. Both are supposed to work equally well. Also, a tranny temp guage is a must for towing.
Then when your wallet is fat enough, cruise over to see BTS or John Wood and get a bullet proof replacement that they dare you to break!
Then when your wallet is fat enough, cruise over to see BTS or John Wood and get a bullet proof replacement that they dare you to break!
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From: Kamloops
I only ever get temps over 125 with the stock cooler when I am towing. I have the Tru-cool but have yet to install it. I hae had temps crawl up to the 200 mark when towing up steep grades. Can't wait to see the improvment with the additional cooler.
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From: milwaukee,WI
The last time I towed my trailer, I scaled my rig out was on my way home from Daytona, FL it was 26340lbs and I have 3.73 gears, and I tow WITH my OD on, the only time I shift out is when I hit 50 mph and I leave my DP set at 80eco and got around 14mpg. I could not imagine towing with the OD off, and the truck did fine all the way there and back.
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From: SE Wisco
The last time I towed my trailer, I scaled my rig out was on my way home from Daytona, FL it was 26340lbs and I have 3.73 gears, and I tow WITH my OD on, the only time I shift out is when I hit 50 mph and I leave my DP set at 80eco and got around 14mpg. I could not imagine towing with the OD off, and the truck did fine all the way there and back.
That is the way I roll. If the truck is searching back and forth give it a break, but other than that ALWAYS OD. I don't think it is that great for the truck towing out of overdrive and always spinning about 2700 rpms either!
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From: Farmington, Minnesota
Switching out of OD will help with EGT's if you are tugging up a hill at 60 MPH in OD with the RPM's out of the power band. Switching out of OD will bring the RPM's and boost up and your EGT's will go down. I just use my EGT's as an indicator of when to switch. Or if I'm going 70 MPH and I have high EGT's I will just back off the go peddal.
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Cargo Master
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From: Ardenvoir, Washington
I agree with the previous posts ... get the trans temp gauge, (keep the temps under 200), install an additional cooler (like Tru Cool) and shift out of OD if your trans is hunting.. Personally i tow 7K in OD for the last 9 years with no problems. Here is a mechanic's view of towing in OD for a 2000 PSD.. (see towards the bottom of the page)
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From: Grand Lake, La.
Your owners manual will tell you it is ok to use OD while towing as long as your trans is not hunting gears. I tow heavy, and never take it out of OD unless going down a steep hill. The trans will down shift out of OD while going up a steep hill with a load. I never have to take it out of OD climbing hills.
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From: milwaukee,WI
Your owners manual will tell you it is ok to use OD while towing as long as your trans is not hunting gears. I tow heavy, and never take it out of OD unless going down a steep hill. The trans will down shift out of OD while going up a steep hill with a load. I never have to take it out of OD climbing hills.