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  1. #1
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    2000 F-250 Overdrive Off setting opinions

    My 2005 Dodge Durango had a “Tow/Haul” button which I used religiously due to horror stories I’d heard of catastrophic transmission failure during a trip, but I also recall the owner’s manual saying when towing over some weight, it should be used.

    My F-250 has an Overdrive “Off” button and because of my Durango influence, I religiously kept it off for towing as well.

    However, I recently reread the 2000 Ford Towing guide and discovered this statement:

    • Vehicles equipped with an Electronic Automatic transmission should operate in Overdrive for best fuel economy
    • When descending a steep grade with a trailer, operate the Electronic Automatic transmission in Overdrive Off for added engine braking. If additional braking is needed, shift into Second gear or low
    Best I can tell from searching the forum is OD ok to use, but turn it off if there’s too much shifting. I now want to see if transmission temp is a PID that shows up on the BlueDriver app.

    Does all this basically mean I’m safe to leave Overdrive on? Just hit the off button when I see that it’s cycling the RPM needle up and down for some period of time? Are there other considerations to be mindful of?
    Douglas & Christine
    2019 Ford F-250 XLT 6.2L V8 Fx4 Crew Cab short-bed
    2021 Imagine 2600RB, Build 5/2020
    Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control™, 10000/1000 bars; Ford brake controller; LevelMatePRO+®
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  2. #2
    Big Traveler Grandesigner's Avatar
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    Correct...use overdrive as long as it is not downshifting a lot. Might be good to get a good trans temp gage also...not sure how heavy your trailer is.
    Dan and Rita
    2021 Reflection150 260RD, built June 2020, w/400W solar + 2 size 31 AGMs, added 2" lift blocks to match the
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  3. #3
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    I turn my tow/haul switch on every time I pull the rig. I also turn the "exhaust brake" on every time I drive.

    Sometimes these can be a bit aggressive on downhill runs. Sometime it holds the transmission in too low a gear and it won't up-shift. In that case I briefly turn both off until I get an upshift then reactivate them. Or I can 'fool' the truck and manually apply some light braking on the tow vehicle using the brake controller (having disc brakes helps, not sure I'd do this with drum brakes tho).

    The Ford tow/haul changes the shift points so the engine revs to a higher RPM before shifting. It helps pulling hills and getting up to speed.
    Larry KE4DMG
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  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grandesigner View Post
    not sure how heavy your trailer is.
    I put results of my scale trips in a Visitors Message of my profile.

    Quote Originally Posted by traveldawg View Post
    The Ford tow/haul changes the shift points so the engine revs to a higher RPM before shifting. It helps pulling hills and getting up to speed.
    That’s good info. Thanks. I had imagined that T/H just turned OD off. My model doesn’t have “Tow/Haul” only “Overdrive” switch, so maybe added in a later generation?
    Douglas & Christine
    2019 Ford F-250 XLT 6.2L V8 Fx4 Crew Cab short-bed
    2021 Imagine 2600RB, Build 5/2020
    Equal-i-zer 4-Point Sway Control™, 10000/1000 bars; Ford brake controller; LevelMatePRO+®
    Goodyear Wrangler AT Adventure LT275/70R18 (E)
    Westlake Super ST Load Range E 10 p.r.


  5. #5
    Big Traveler Grandesigner's Avatar
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    Righto mate...the older Fords like ours do not have tow/haul mode. That requires a tow tune like my hydra chip provides.
    When the 6 point oh oh came out with the five speed auto is when tow/haul was added, around 2003/4
    Dan and Rita
    2021 Reflection150 260RD, built June 2020, w/400W solar + 2 size 31 AGMs, added 2" lift blocks to match the
    2022 F350 SCSB 7.3 GdZa 4x4, 10 Sp w/4.30s - Lariat Sport in Atlas Blue

  6. #6
    Site Team traveldawg's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Cdburgerjr View Post
    I put results of my scale trips in a Visitors Message of my profile.
    That’s good info. Thanks. I had imagined that T/H just turned OD off. My model doesn’t have “Tow/Haul” only “Overdrive” switch, so maybe added in a later generation?
    So I completely missed you had a 2000 model. And now I'm not sure what to say. I had a 2000 F250 with the 7.3L diesel. But I honestly can't remember when or how I used the overdrive button.
    Larry KE4DMG
    2022 F-350 KRU SRW LB - Airlift 5000+, ForScan, 37 RDS Aux Tank,
    2019 310GK-R - Sailuns; MorRyde IS; Disc Brakes; 20K Reese Goosebox
    Search kalakamods for my mods


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