Why is towing in overdrive bad?

[bowman316]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

my ford explorer tranny would slip when it was cold out, and you just started the truck up. It was a 93, those explorers were famous for horrable trannys.

 

[SuperNova]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

my ford explorer tranny would slip when it was cold out, and you just started the truck up. It was a 93, those explorers were famous for horrable trannys.

Well yeah.....that's just 'cause it was a Ford....lol The Mazda Navajo used the same trans and they were junk too.....Come to think of it...my Wife's old Aerostar used the same trans and I had to go into that one so often I might as well as have installed a zipper on it.

 

[22E6441]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

OK, I think my boat may be much lighter that I thought.

http://www.nadaguides.com/default.aspx?LI=1-24-38-5694-0-0-0&l=1&w=24&p=38&f=5697&m=1486&y=1975&ml=S&gc=MR&gtc=MR&d=1600177212

This says that my boat is 800 pounds, but I would guess it closer to 1000 maybe. Then tack on the engine, and that would be what? Maybe 200 pounds?throw in a couple hundred pounds of stuff (anchor, gas, trolling motor, etc) and It's probably looking like 1500 pounds.

When we go camping or to the cottage (only a couple times per year) we probably put 500 - 600 pounds of other stuff in the boat.

So, most trips would be only around 1500 lbs, and occasionally it may peak out at 2000 - 2200. Probably never heavier than that.

I think most towing should be fine in D, and maybe on some hilly routes when the boat is fully loaded for camping drop into 3.

Sound good? All this towing talk about d vs 3 is making me nervous.

 

[izoomie]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Pat, You're fine unless your going up the Sherman Cut!

 

[bowman316]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Don't you Canidan's Use KG over there, not lbs?

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Don't you Canidan's Use KG over there, not lbs?

Canidan? If you mean Canadian, I can tell you that we use both the metric and imperial system. Officially, Canada went metric in the 1970s under the dictatorship of Comrade Trudeau. Unofficially, for most things we still talk in imperial terms.

In order for things to make sense to us, most of us constantly convert kilometers back to miles, litres back to gallons, kilograms back to pounds, meters to feet, and celsius back to fahrenheit.

All this mental math helps keep our brains active and reduces the instance of Alzheimers and senile dementia in the Canadian population. Trudeau's personal papers, recently opened for viewing in the National Archives, indicate that his real purpose for introducing the metric system was just that - to keep our brains active and healthy.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Yea, I don't spell well, and I just don't care if I spell words wrong.

I think the metric system makes more sense, but It still seems weird to me.

 

[22E6441]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

northernmerc is bang on.



the most important point is that metric doesn't use fractions! it's easier to use during and after a 6 beer or more job.

For me:

Temp is C
Distance is KM, feet, inches, cm and mm
Speed is strictly km/h
Fuel economy is MPG, though I'm not real sure how far a mile is other than that it's longer than one KM and not quite 2 KM.
Weight is pounds
Height is feet and inches
liquids are litres, but I know what a pint of beer is!

as you can see, I'm completely mixed up. Probably explains most of my posting.....

 

[bowman316]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

I never figured out the re thing either.

some words like center, are spelled centre. But some are still er.

The auzzies spell color, colour. that was another weird thing.

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

I never figured out the re thing either.

some words like center, are spelled centre. But some are still er.

The auzzies spell color, colour. that was another weird thing.

You are observant and not that bad a speller if you noticed that. The er (instead of re) and our (instead or or) spelling used in Canada are leftovers of our British heritage.

 

[bowman316]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

yea, i think Australia, the UK, and Canada are pretty close in culture and how they do things. Do you have a prime minister, like the other 2?
So do you think the britts butchered the english language, or the Americans did?
I kinda think the prude britts came to America in the 1700's. The UK seems to be more open and preverted.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Interesting how this thread some how shifted here and reminds me of a saying that Mark Twain once said:

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."

 

[northernmerc]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Interesting how this thread some how shifted here and reminds me of a saying that Mark Twain once said:

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."

Gosh, I'm not sure how to take that comment!

Anyway, to answer Bowman's question, we do have a Prime Minister and a parliament. The present one's name is Harper (and I think he likes boating - how's that for keeping the thread relevant.)

The Americans have been on their own for 234 years now, which may explain why various grammatical and spelling things have morphed a bit. We have a lot of loyalists in Canada who still value our ties with Britain and the Commonwealth and the British way of doing things. Believe it or not, the Queen remains as the head of state, although she exercises little real power. (I think she also likes boating, and she is expecially fond of waterskiing behind a MasterCraft on the Thames.)

 

[SuperNova]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Well. lines are related to boatin and knots are related to lines so how about a little bit of trivia that relates to the butchering of English and relates to boating.......the overhand knot commonly known as a "granny knot" is more properly called a "Granary Knot" as it was originally used to tie bags of grain closed......now typically found clustered in groups of 10 or more, it is commonly used by the poorly informed to tie boats to piers and other objects.....and called a granny knot....

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Interesting how this thread some how shifted here and reminds me of a saying that Mark Twain once said:

"It is better to keep your mouth shut and appear stupid than to open it and remove all doubt."

Gosh, I'm not sure how to take that comment!

it is the application of science (or literature in this case) that escapes many engineers

 

[foodfisher]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

What type vehicle are you having repaired?

It was a '92 Dodge ram 1/2 ton w/a 318. After 3rd tranny, let it go.

 

[Proselect]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

I have a 2002 silverado 1500(1/2t) excb. From what I have read on a couple of other forums, when hooked up to a computer you can get the reading for the trans temp on all new body 99+ silverados and sierras. If yours is a 99, I would look for a 99 2500 cluster. There is not to much information on it, but a couple people think there might have been a slight redesign on the 00+ gauges.

I just purchased a seirra 2500(3/4t) gauge cluster from a 6.0 w/trans temp gauge. It should be here by wednesday, so I should have it installed by friday, weather permitting.

You have to be carefull, this is not 100% true. What you don't realize is that in years after 2000 IPCs (instrument panel clusters) have gotten more complex. They have become not only a method of displaying data but they are actually a module on the vehicle. These have inputs and outputs just like your main engine computer. IPCs often have to be programmed to match up to your vehicle. If you are lucky you can just throw them in and they work, but without matching them up to your vin and RPO codes it is doubtfull. I also know for a fact that not all of them have the trans temp sensor in them to read on the guage. The one thing that makes a big difference is that they all have a unique program specifially for the vehicle. By puting in a different one you are getting some other vehicles programs so you have not idea whats what. Just because the hardware will plug in does not mean the software is the same. I wish you luck in your install, you may just get lucky enough for it to work. I do electrical diagnosis and drivability for a living and I have seen some wierd things.

 

[F14CRAZY]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

I say avoid overdrives, tow with a 3 speed auto

 

[smokeonthewater]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Here in a couple years I'm gonna be picking up a 6.0 powerstroke truck when I find the right one.... king ranch package 4x4 dually crewcab immaculate low miles and most importantly blown up engine and low price..... the stock engine trans and t case will be pulled and discarded.... In their place will go a cummins, medium duty 10 speed and rockwell transfer case... THAT'S how towing should be done .... overdrive shmoverdrive

 

[Topol_86]

Re: Why is towing in overdrive bad?

Not all of them. I can leave my 2001 Chevy Suburban 2500 in overdrive while towing. It has the 6.0L with the trailer towing package including trans cooler. Full guages including trans temp.

I don't put in in Tow Mode unless I'm towing my '24 pontoon. The 18' celebrity I/O is light enough it hardly downshifts on the trip to Ontario Canada.

I agree with the "no overdrive" in the case of my previous suburban. It was 1990 1500 with a 350 ci / 5.7L with an aftermarket trans cooler. Towing in OD would cook the trans as it was not designed for that.

So it comes down to either read the owners manual to be sure or just keep it in drive if reading about the actual proper use of your vehicle isn't important.

Jeff

where abouts in Ontario were you going? southwestern ontario is pretty flat, where if you get into the niagara escarpment region or farther north like sudbury it's quite "hilly"