Re: Towing in overdrive
There is so much malarkey being thrown about here. I am a professional mechanic, and even though I'm not a tranny guy, I know enough to ask someone who is. No tranny shop with a good reputation will tell you to tow in OD unless you have the Tow/Haul option. If your owner’s manual say it's ok, then it's ok. Otherwise kill the OD, or kill the tranny. Best bet is to ask around and get the name of two or three
REPUTABLE tranny shops. One that specializes in trannys. Ask them and then follow their advice. If you get contradicting advice, question why. A local rebuilder who is state, and ASE certified and who teaches at the local University Center tells me DON'T TOW IN OVERDRIVE,
EVER!!!!! Except with TOW?/HAUL turned on, and then it's questionable.<br /><br />Ask the experts, the reputable experts. They see the inside of trannys that failed, and can know why. Who else on here has seen the planetary gear set? Or a smoked clutch pack? A warped case? A valve body? How 'bout an auto trans clutch pack? If your heart doctor said "Don't lift or pull more than 25#'s,", who would you listen to? Him/her or posts on hee telling you it's ok, as long as you fell ok. Who's the educated one? The expert?<br /><br />And Upinsmoke's long post was almost scary to read. I am sorry UIS. Whereas it was technically/theoretically correct, it was in actuality
WRONG! Yes, the clutch packs lock up and the torque converter clutch locks up too. But since there is only a friction connection between the clutch's, when you over-torque those clutches, there will be slippage. That is what happens when you tow. You are severely torquing those clutch packs, sometime to their limits, sometimes over their limits. Will you know when you've exceeded the clutches' friction limits? The heat created is mostly from the torque converter slippage. But the fluid still flows though the rest of the engine and is what is used to engage the clutch packs. So there is heat generated elsewhere as well. Again UIS I'm sorry to slight you. You are correct about how a trans works properly, but when it is stressed, all bets are off. <br /><br />The difference between book learnin' and the real world.