Drive or Overdrive in city

[LRK86]

Curious by this thread... I was going 75mph, rpms are currently under 3000, I push the overdrive button and the rpms jump over 4000. The light on the display comes on overdive off so I push the button again and get the lower rpms.

My question is can you cause any damage switching from overdrive to drive and back to overdrive while going 75 on the interstate?

 

[Brian_B]

Hmm...I fried the A4LD in my ranger 3 times. I didn't use OD in the city or towing. I finally replaced it with a C5 (no OD) and have had no problems since. So far I am treating my X the same way, but its not a work truck and I haven't had it off-road. The A4LD would not hold up to that type of tratment I suppose. I hope the 5R55E holds up a little better.

 

[96limitedX]

i had the chance to test the MPG differance with or without O/D at 45 MPH. my 96' with 84k and a brand new tranny shifts into O/D at about 40MPH. as i said before i dont use O/D except on the highway..otherwise its turned off.

at 45mph in 4x4 with O/D off instant MPG on my message center said consistaintly 14MPG

at 45mph in 4x4 with O/D on instant MPG consistaintly was 15MPG

in 2wd with O/D on at 45mph MPG was consistaintly 18MPG

i will still keep it off. i like the profomace with it off under 65MPH.

 

[CDW6212R]

I am a rural mail carrier. I have used an 86 Crown Vic for delivery for 259,000 miles. That vehicle had an AOD, which I installed a TransGo systems correction kit into, when I first bought it. I sold it with 335k on it, to a friend.

I have never had any overdrive problems in any of my vehicles. I virtually always install a correction kit in my vehicles, shortly after I buy them. The kits fix the hunting in and out of overdrive. I use TransGo, because they always start with a kit to fix factory issues.

Poorly shifting transmissions are the leading cause of trans failure. Most transmission wear comes at the shifts. Install a kit, and good fluid. Good luck,
Don

 

[Brandons]

I go through town in 2nd gear sometimes (50kph) just for the sound, even though it doesnt sound that great. My transmission had a lot of abuse, and merely failed from part defect of all things! O/D never worked after the one fluid change though, and winter weather. And it always took about 5 to 10 seconds to shift into O/D once i hit the right speed for it. When im going in O/D at 90kph the truck does about 1800 rpm, 3.23 gears.

 

[yosh18981898]

...My transmission...failed from part defect of all things!

Isn't that why all A4LDs fail??

 

[off-road97Xplor]

Yes, they are junk. Mine went at 78,000.
Failed from a part defect of all things!

 

[Brandons]

6 pinion planetary for reverse in my case

 

[rino351]

I have tried everything to try and help the weak A4LD, but to no avail. It's died a total of 4 times over the course of about 145k miles. Putting in a C4

 

[mdriggan]

The consensus here seems to be that drive is better is in the city. Personally I'd just rip that worthless A4LD outa there and put a M5OD in it's place. That way you wouldn't have to worry about all the problems that come with the autos.

How much is the M50D and where can I get one?

Thanks!

 

[yosh18981898]

Junkyards are a good place. Or look on ebay. There are transmission rebuilders that sell their rebuilt transmissions on ebay. I think a rebuilt M5OD-R1 goes for about 700 on ebay. Or you could get one from the junkyard for a few hundred and hope that it's in good working condition. The nice thing about a manual trans is that they will usually run for a long time even after they're half broken, whereas when an auto starts to go, it's done for. Of course then you'd have to get all the conversion parts from an manual trans equipped explorer that is at least from the same generation as yours.

Good luck if you end up doing it!

EDIT: I just read that you have the SOHC engine. Unfortunately, this engine was not offered with a manual trans in 97. The manual trans from an OHV 4.0 might bolt up, but I'm not sure. That much power might grenade an M5OD-R1. I know Ford put a M5OD-R1 Heavy Duty trans behind the SOHC in later models years. That might be the best route, although I don't know if it would bolt up to your truck.

 

[falls guy]

Why on earth would anyone need OD in the city? It won't shift into it anyway. If it does shift in OD the city, you are either going too fast or it isn't working right. That would be like driving in 5th gr with a man. tranni at 30 or 40 mph??? You should not use OD in stop and go traffic, towing or ascending or descending a hill. Not only is it too hard on your engine to lag it like that, but there is too much stress applied to the clutches which require a sufficient amount of line pressure. If the pressure gets too low along with the high gear , they would be more prone to slip. Line pressure fluctuates with rpm. Anyone who has really high miles and still has a good tranni driving in OD all the time, is lucky that everything has worked for them. All it takes is a speed sensor or something to be not working propper for a bit without notice and it could be too late . Driving in D under 55 eliminates those worries. I don't have an extra couple thou lyin around to rebuild it, so why take the chance!
Peace :smoke:

 

[cdwright]

Why on earth would anyone need OD in the city? It won't shift into it anyway. If it does shift in OD the city, you are either going too fast or it isn't working right. That would be like driving in 5th gr with a man. tranni at 30 or 40 mph??? You should not use OD in stop and go traffic, towing or ascending or descending a hill. Not only is it too hard on your engine to lag it like that, but there is too much stress applied to the clutches which require a sufficient amount of line pressure. If the pressure gets too low along with the high gear , they would be more prone to slip. Line pressure fluctuates with rpm. Anyone who has really high miles and still has a good tranni driving in OD all the time, is lucky that everything has worked for them. All it takes is a speed sensor or something to be not working propper for a bit without notice and it could be too late . Driving in D under 55 eliminates those worries. I don't have an extra couple thou lyin around to rebuild it, so why take the chance!
Peace :smoke:

There isn't any functional diffrence bettween Drive and Overdrive in the city. The diffrence between the two gears exist for highway driving. People use overdrive in the city so they don't need to change to overdrive before getting on the highway and remember to keep shifting back and forth from city to highway driving. It's much easier to keep your truck in overdrive because it operates exactly the same way drive does in the city.

 

[Brian_B]

Thats may be true in the later OD transmissions (Don't have a clue), but the A4LD I had shifted into OD at 35 MPH on leval ground. In town the speed limit is 40, so in stop and go traffic it was always shifting in and out of OD. The easiest way to stop it is to take it out of OD.

 

[cdwright]

I found and checked my manual just to make double sure...hadn't looked at the thing in ten years....LOL. However, it does specificly say pg 160 that the normal driving position is Overdrive. I have the 4X4 4wheel drive and not the All Wheel drive newer models though. I have had a few cars over the years and they all pretty much say this.