What is the difference between overdrive and just Drive?

 

the overdrive gear. if on the highway use overdrive. if racing keep it in D

 

The gear ratio od drive is 1:1
The gear ratio of overdrive is .70:1

 

Around town or low speed limits, just use "3" because anything under 40 mph in "OD" shifts into "3". Use "OD" for speeds over 40 MPH.

 

With the gear selector in Drive there's also an overrun clutch that provides engine braking.

 

To make things incredibly easy.... OD allows for 4th gear to engage. D limits the transmission to 3rd gear.

As above, D provides engine braking and is thus better if you happen to live in the mountains and don't like changing your brakes every other weekend. Or if you somehow managed to get a hitch on your thirdgen to haul the house around.

90% of drivers should just put it in OD and drive.

Benefits of D? More instantly available acceleration, engine braking.

Benefits of OD? Improved fuel economy, smoother ride.

 

So im guessing its not ok to switch from OD to D while driving or vice versa? Or is it?

 

no reason technically to switch back and forth while driving, not to mention the downshift is bad since the line pressure is not up during the shift...so leave it in place and keep it there basically

 

well from my once you go messing around withy thew gear selector . things start wereing out faster!,..,.,why you folks say just drive around in od? cause if i did that my rpm's would run higher right thus using more fuel? i mean why not just put in drive and go? right? i mean they are automatic overdrives right?


also does anyone know at what point the auto drive should kick in?or when?

 

Most roads around this town are 35mph roads. This allows me to hit 40 mph, go into OD and damn near idle around town assuming no traffic. When should I use D, 2, and 1? If I am in stop and go traffic on city streets should I keep in in D?

 

Another thought...is it safe to shift from 1 to 2, 2 to 3, etc while the car is moving?

 

YES...you can up & down shift the gears as long as you are in the RPM ranfe for that gear. It is a manual tranny without the clutch. Just don't do anything stupid when shifting.

 

By "RPM range for that gear" do you mean "between idle and redline"?

 

YES......

 

Well its different for me. I always drive in "D" if I'm going under 40 mph. But I swapped my gear in the rear form a 2.73 to a 3.73. If I left in "OD" it would shift into overdrive (4th gear) at a lower speed. And thats hard on the tranny. My speedometer says I'm going 40 mph....but im only going 25mph.
I like staying in "D", and I like to down shift 3-2-1, sometimes I upshift myself too.

 

Ok so say your driving in D and you quickly decide that you need to jump onto the highway, what do you do if cant shift into OD? Do you have to pull over, stop the car and then switch the gears from D to OD?

 

Floor it, downshift to 2nd is automatic.

 

DJP just meant "don't do something stupid like shifting down into first gear on the highway going 65mph". That's not a safe speed for that gear. If you're going below 20mph you can choose any forward gear, and it won't hurt anything. If you're in 2nd and on the highway, you'll notice your redlining to keep up to traffic, so shift up! These are so easy we let our ladies drive with an auto trans, like, c'mon!

 

I think they are saying it is safe to shift from D to OD while driving along no matter what gear you are in. Right?

 

With some of these Post about driving a Automatic my opinion they better go and take driving 101. If they can't understand a 4-sp auto they will go crazy with a 5-sp auto.

 

I hate driving in OD. It always shifts into fourth and locks up the convertor at inappropriate times (the base of a hill for instance) I just leave it in Drive untill I hit the highway, where I pop it into OD.

 

Toehead. So your saying that it is ok to pop it into OD while driving? -I dont have to stop the car first? And this is ok without a shift kit and all?

 

Good lord beach monkey, how old are you? Yes, you can shift it while you're moving, who taught you to drive??

 

Yeah....if im driving in "D" and hit the Highway, after Im around 80, then maybe ill stick in "OD" But hell yeah its ok to shift "D" to "OD"
But if you have it in "R" make sure you stop the car befor going into "D"!!