Overdrive a mistake?
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Joined: Aug 2010
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It is a 2002. The automatic transmission puts it in overdrive and now after 200,000 miles the gear isn't working right and I am wondering if it is because I should not have towed in overdrive to start with.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,313
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From: Sunny, Snowy, CO
20k in OD? That gear is probably toast, yes. Mine has a manual tow/haul, (button at end of shifter stalk) so I'll ask, which ones come with an automatic tow/haul?
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Token Redneck
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,331
Likes: 341
From: Breckenridge, TX
All 6.0L and later diesel engines, and all post 2005 gas engines come with a TorqSift auto, which gets you the tow haul mode instead of overdrive lockout. The 5R110 and 6R140(?) are hands down the best auto's Ford has ever made, the newest 6 speeds behind to 6.7L are apparently almost magical to tow with, but that's probably the 800 ft-lbs of torque going into the transmission more than the double overdrive. Either way, it's awesome.
In general, towing in OD perfectly fine. If you aren't bogging the engine down, hunting for gears, or having repeated hard downshifts, it's the same as towing in 3rd with a locked TC, just lower engine RPMs. Once you start hunting for gears, internal temps climb in a hurry and start burning the trans up from the inside out. Towing heavy loads with the TC unlocked and high engine RPMs can also cause heat related failures. Getting 200k out of a 4R100 transmission without a rebuilt or failure is pretty awesome, those were the trans with the diode problem right? I've killed a manual in half as many miles, so I wouldn't be too upset if I was you.
In general, towing in OD perfectly fine. If you aren't bogging the engine down, hunting for gears, or having repeated hard downshifts, it's the same as towing in 3rd with a locked TC, just lower engine RPMs. Once you start hunting for gears, internal temps climb in a hurry and start burning the trans up from the inside out. Towing heavy loads with the TC unlocked and high engine RPMs can also cause heat related failures. Getting 200k out of a 4R100 transmission without a rebuilt or failure is pretty awesome, those were the trans with the diode problem right? I've killed a manual in half as many miles, so I wouldn't be too upset if I was you.
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Frmr Ford Trans Engr
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,695
Likes: 2,616
From: SE Florida
No, it isn't right. The mechanical diode was only in the first 9 months of 2001. No 2002 truck had one.
Posting Guru
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,313
Likes: 0
From: Sunny, Snowy, CO
All 6.0L and later diesel engines, and all post 2005 gas engines come with a TorqSift auto, which gets you the tow haul mode instead of overdrive lockout. The 5R110 and 6R140(?) are hands down the best auto's Ford has ever made, the newest 6 speeds behind to 6.7L are apparently almost magical to tow with, but that's probably the 800 ft-lbs of torque going into the transmission more than the double overdrive. Either way, it's awesome.
In general, towing in OD perfectly fine. If you aren't bogging the engine down, hunting for gears, or having repeated hard downshifts, it's the same as towing in 3rd with a locked TC, just lower engine RPMs. Once you start hunting for gears, internal temps climb in a hurry and start burning the trans up from the inside out. Towing heavy loads with the TC unlocked and high engine RPMs can also cause heat related failures. Getting 200k out of a 4R100 transmission without a rebuilt or failure is pretty awesome, those were the trans with the diode problem right? I've killed a manual in half as many miles, so I wouldn't be too upset if I was you.
In general, towing in OD perfectly fine. If you aren't bogging the engine down, hunting for gears, or having repeated hard downshifts, it's the same as towing in 3rd with a locked TC, just lower engine RPMs. Once you start hunting for gears, internal temps climb in a hurry and start burning the trans up from the inside out. Towing heavy loads with the TC unlocked and high engine RPMs can also cause heat related failures. Getting 200k out of a 4R100 transmission without a rebuilt or failure is pretty awesome, those were the trans with the diode problem right? I've killed a manual in half as many miles, so I wouldn't be too upset if I was you.
Elder User
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 812
Likes: 1
From: Northwest Florida
20K#'s seems like a pretty heavy load to me. Do you have a tranny oil temp gauge? Auxillary tranny oil cooler? Kept up with fluid changes? Like others have said, 200K miles sounds pretty good.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 9,293
Likes: 10
From: Parker, CO
Towing in overdrive with the 4r100 can be done all day long, with any weight you want. It won't hurt the trans being in O/D.
What isn't good for longevity is if the trans is hunting gears, going back and forth between 3rd and O/D. Once the trans starts hunting back and forth, lock out O/D and tow in 3rd.
The 2002's don't have a tow/haul feature. That's just the later year PSD's.
Also, is it not going into gear? Or is it in gear, but the torque converter is slipping? I know when mine went out, it would go in gear just fine, but push on the pedal when the torque converter was locked, and the RPM's would bounce off the rev limiter.
What isn't good for longevity is if the trans is hunting gears, going back and forth between 3rd and O/D. Once the trans starts hunting back and forth, lock out O/D and tow in 3rd.
The 2002's don't have a tow/haul feature. That's just the later year PSD's.
Also, is it not going into gear? Or is it in gear, but the torque converter is slipping? I know when mine went out, it would go in gear just fine, but push on the pedal when the torque converter was locked, and the RPM's would bounce off the rev limiter.
Token Redneck
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 9,331
Likes: 341
From: Breckenridge, TX
Originally Posted by Mark Kovalsky
No, it isn't right. The mechanical diode was only in the first 9 months of 2001. No 2002 truck had one.
Frmr Ford Trans Engr
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 24,695
Likes: 2,616
From: SE Florida
The mechanical diode was added at the start of 2001 production. It didn't work out so well so it was removed from production 9 months later, still in the 2001 model year.
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