Towing with a 2002 Ford Explorer V8

I have a well maintained 2002 Ford Explorer with the 4.6 liter v8 engine and factory tow package. Towing capacity is supposed to be in excess of 7000lbs. I'm the original owner of this vehicle and have towed many lighter loads in the past. When towing my 2007 Malibu VTX, I switch off the Overdrive button and manually shift from 1st all the way up. I figure the weight of the boat with trailer, fuel and lake goodies weighs in at around 5000lbs. Is this manual shifting a problem? Should I not be doing this or expect that if I do I'm damaging the drivetrain? The reason I do it is because the acceleration is so slow when auto shifting and the engine seems to be working too hard. What do ya'll think? Do ya'll do the same?

First gear is first gear so the engine speed will increase at the same rate whether you shift manually or leave it in "D".

If it has a sluggish hole shot, make sure it's not starting out in 2nd instead of 1st. Could be a simple cable/linkage adjustment. If it's shifting early, may also be an out of adjustment cable or a faulty throttle valve (not sure on the later model ford how they control shift delay.

If Ford was using electronic shift control, could be a faulty speed sensor or just a simple re-cal of the PCM.

You have an auto transmission, and the overdrive button is there for a reason (similar to tow button) use it. Also, on my truck if I keep the rpm's high the truck will not shift, if i let off the gas it will shift. So in other words i control the shifting by using more or less of the gas pedal. While in first gear i get the truck moving (4k rpms, or so, then let off). So just step on, it but watch the rpms.

Also something to note, I towed the same road, hills and all, same speed, and everything. I did this with and without the tow button (o-d button) even though the rpms rise, but this is actually better for the gas trucks, and the mpg is NOT any worse then not using the button. (same mpg both tows.)

The "Tow-Haul" mode as on a GM will increase the line pressure to prevent slippage (thus reducing heat and wear) and hold the shift point to a higher engine rpm to keep the engine at or around it's peak torque.

The "OD" function will prevent the engagement of 4th gear, thus eliminating the transmission "hunting" while at less then hiway speeds. This will also keep the engine's rpm's higher while towing, but will probably have no effect on 1st-3rd acceleration.

In addition to the good advice above, putting the lever in "1" on many autos makes the tranny actually hold the gear with a secondary clutch pack which will reduce slippage. It doesn't hurt it to upshift manually, but is probably unnecessary. You don't want to downshift manually, though; you can shred a sprag pretty easily. (a sprag is essentially a freewheel mechanism in the tranny)

The ram reacts similar to what TM said, but does change shifting (shifts faster than desired) in 1-3. Thats why I give it more gas similar to what the tow haul button does. Is there any way to change it from a "overdrive" to a "tow haul" mode, (changing the computer?) Thanks.

Trace explain to me what the down shifting does, I am not sure what you are saying. Thanks.

All my experience inside a transmission comes from the GM 4L60E, but most have similar architecture. The tranny engages an overrun clutch when you shift from D to 3, which is intended for holding speed going down long hills in mountains without frying the brakes. The overrun clutch applies torque through a sprag assembly, which will wear out with excessive shifting, especially with a heavy load. Sprags usually fail suddenly, the cage usually comes apart, and you will have big pieces of metal floating around loose in the tranny.

don't do it man. I've ripped one out doing that as posted above lower gears are made for limited use, not constant use. On another note, always turn the overdrive off when towing.

Got it, thanks.