1992 F-150 Overdrive: When is it on?

[Kaajot]

Hi-

I have a straight 6 4.9L 92 F150 Custom with overdrive. The problem is I have never really been able to figure out when overdrive is actually on. I can feel the gears change, however there is no light that illuminates to tell me on the dash when Overdrive is on or off, so I'm really guessing as to when I'm in overdrive and when I'm not once I get to a cruising/highway route.

Any help? I've had the truck since I bought it with 89K in 2009. I'm at 126K now and haven't dropped the transmission or abused it, but I would like to know if I'm using the overdrive correctly (ie turning it on rather than turning it off).

-KJ

 

[kiwi f150]

Get up to about 50mph and push the button on the end of the gear lever - if the engine noise/revs go up then you've just turned the overdrive off - if the engine noise/revs go down then you've just turned the overdrive on ...... it sounds like the wee light in your gearshift lever has burnt out so you might want to replace that to make it easier to tell.

 

[Kaajot]

Hey mate, thanks for that! I believe I have been using my OD correctly then and not reverse of intended use.

Question: Where would I find this gear shift light?

 

[kiwi f150]

I'm pretty sure you have an E4OD and the lamp should be on the end of the gearlever where it says OD off - never had mine apart in my Bronco but looking at it and then paying a visit to jeffs bronco graveyard site i found this .

http://broncograveyard.com/bronco/i-37018-overdrive-shift-button-and-cap.html

.

 

[5.0Flareside]

when the vehicle is started the OD is automatically on.

when you press the button it turns it off.. there should be a light right next to button.. and it'll light up when OD is off.

 

[Kaajot]

So if I am understanding this correctly, the OD light is on the shifting stick that is on the right side of the steering wheel? My OD button is at the end of that shifting lever.

 

[kiwi f150]

yes that's right

 

[Kaajot]

Hah! Yep, that's never lit up but I saw the part you posted and it looks like it would replace the button nicely and supposedly fix that light too.

Next question: Intermittent blinkers. I hit a deer, then I moved the radiator to change a serpentine belt when installing a new power steering pump. Now the signals are intermittent/non-existent, but flashers work fine. The wheel starts to get choppy when the signals are on left or right and when it gets very bad the car's stereo gets shorted out.

The fix around the car stereo is to pop the face plate off and back on - power reapplies itself and stereo works again until the steering wheel gets testy with the left/right signals on again (which are not actually functioning, it's just me trying to get a few blinks so I can make it legal to switch lanes).

 

[Kaajot]

Ok I actually found the light on the end!

Then I lost my license plate between Watertown, Central Square, and East Lake Oneida (Vernon) whilst picking up a kayak. *golf claps*

Found one thing (that was always there), lose another thing (that was also always there).

 

[Kaajot]

yes that's right

The part came in the mail and I wasn't sure how to remove on the shifter, but after some finger muscles prying and twisting the old one popped off, I slid the OVERDRIVE cover out with the button and placed the new one -- good as new, illuminating and working great!

Thanks!