I have a 2004 F150 super cab FX4 with 4 wheel drive and a 5.4 liter engine, and automatic transmission.
I have the shift on the column, and at the end of the shifter there is a button to push in that turns the overdrive off. Every time I turn off the overdrive, it comes back on when I restart the engine.
I only use the truck for towing, and there is a trailer hooked up to it all the time. I don’t want to forget it’s in overdrive, because I can damage the automatic transmission, if I tow in overdrive.
Once I turn off the overdrive, I would like it to stay off the next time I start the truck. Is there a way to do that?

Miami Vice

 

I'd like the recirculate (A/C) to stay on, but it turns off every key cycle. I usually forget to reactivate it. That's just one of those things we live with I'm afraid.

 

Sorry, OD will reactivate with every key cycle.

 

same way with f250's-f350's. Don't worry, they all do it.

Shoot, with my exhaust. There is pretty much no way I could forget OD is off. lol

 

when switched to max a/c, doesnt recirculate stay on? you realize its not on when your cab fills up with exhaust fumes from the 83 dodge omni in front of you.

 

Not to hijack this thread, but I have the climate control, and I have to hit the button each key cycle to turn on the recirculate indicator. I can't simply leave the **** pointed at Max A/C.

 

The recirculate feature will disable itself under certain conditions, this is just how it's designed.

 

i see, i guess theres one benefit to having an xl

 

I don't know a way around it but I wouldn't sweat it too much. Unless it's a heavy load in hilly terrain with constant speed changes forgetting and leaving it on won't hurt.

 

Vader is right unless you are pulling a monster of a trailer, the od won't be hurt. I'm sure some of the guys in the towing section could give you some better insight.

good luck.

 

I towed a auto on a car dolly from Atlanta, Ga. to Houston, Tx with the truck in OD. Total weight of trailer and auto was ~5100lbs. It never "hunted" for a gear and the RPM's stayed at around 2K @70mph. Granted this was mostly a level drive without mountains or deep valleys. I feel confident that towing in OD is not harmful to your transmission unless there are constant shifts due to changing terrain.

Now about the A/C. On MAX A/C my recirculate indicator is always illuminated. However what I don't get is that when I turn the dial all the way to defrost and adjust the temp. control to Hot why does my A/C stay on? I understand that when I select MAX A/C it should engage but when I choose another setting the A/C should default to OFF.

Ox

 

Once you have selected MAX A/C and then turn the selector to any other selection, the A/C button must be manually turned off. This is normal, it is just the way Ford made it. Nobody said it had to make sense.

 

The A/C runs with the heat on, by design.

The freon needs to circulate through the system, year round, to keep the seals from drying out. Having the compressor run with the heat on enables the freon to circulate. In cold climates the A/C would rarely be used otherwise, and the seals would dry out and leak freon.

 

Put a sticky note on the dash board to remind you to check the OD button. I had to do that to my van when people borrowed it "DIESEL FUEL ONLY" .....

 

This isn't quite true, there's a temp cutoff switch that prevents the system from running below a certain temperature. Usually around -7 to -10C, if it ran at temps below that the system would ice up. It also only runs when set to full defrost or to floor/defrost.