My car has a overdrive button. What is it exactly, and when do I use it?

Answer 1

The overdrive button enables you do take your vehicle out of overdrive. Overdrive reduces the speed the engine runs at highway speeds so you get better gas mileage. The main reason i know of to take it out of overdrive would be if you were towing something heavy(so you don't blow tranny) or if you are driving in really hilly or mountainous area where your automatic transmission keeps downshifting to make it up all the hills you are driving up. But for the most part it is something you don't need to mess with. Just keep an eye on your dash lights cause you might possible hit the button on accident causeing the overdrive to shut off thus makeing you get bad gas mileage. Hope this helps

Answer 2

It depends on the function of the button. Some buttons turn the overdrive off, and some turn the overdrive on.

Overdrive allows the car to move faster while the engine does less work whic provides better gas mileage. So anytime you drive is a good time to use overdrive with a few exceptions.

Overdrive should be turned off if you are carrying heavy loads, driving hilly areas, towing something, or any combination of the three. When if overdrive, the engine can't deliver the power needed to do the job and in trying to do so will destroy your transmission.

Find out whether the button turns the overdrive on or off and drive with it accordingly.

Answer 3

For most people they won't ever deal with the button. However, there's a couple of reasons you might. To understand better, it may be of note to understand that the overdrive transmission and what it does. A transmission is like a bicycle gear, and by reducing the gearing it can make the car quieter, and more energy efficient (thanks to less engine RPM's). So it's a good thing in most cases, and why you wouldn't want to turn it off. However there are some times you might want to: #1. Almost all cars can still tow, even though most people will never use it for that. It may be a limited amount, but possible. When towing, it is best to turn the overdrive feature off, to make it easier on the transmission and reduce heat build up. I have an SUV, and personally tow a lot and so I turn it off frequently. #2. In rare cases, especially when going up mountains, you'll find that the car annoyingly moves from 3rd gear to overdrive very frequently. This causes a reduction in some cases in gas mileage, but creates more wear and tear on the transmission, allowing heat to build up (heat is the enemy of all transmissions).

Answer 4

Please read your owners manual it should tell you the function of the over drive button.
In the older cars the overdrive was a gear in your transmission the was "over the drive ratio" hince the name. I drive ratio is the measured relationship between the rotations of the drive shaft adding the differential gear to the roataion of you tires. For example the crackshaft will make one rotation, the tranmission low gear will transfer that on erotation into a 1/4 rotation, the second gear, 1/2 rotation, 3rd 3/4qtrs etc. This is how power is tranfered to your wheels via the tranmissioin, the differential is also geared, it will take the rotation of the driveline and put it to the drive wheels. The most commom are 3.73 or 4.10 this is the ratio in which the driveshaft turns in comparrison to the wheel. Differentials normally have one gear, one ration.
A drive ratio was designed to for the optimal transfer of engine power to whell power and based upon the power range of the engine a mathmatical formula was created that extended this power. Overdrive was set not based upon power but upon a using lower engine RPM's against high wheel revolutions. If the Gear ratio patern was for example 1/4 increase with each gear an overdrive gear would normally jump a gear, 1 to 1/4 (1st) 1 to 1/2 (2nd) 1 to 3/4 (3rd) 1 to 1 (4th) 1 to 1 1/4 (5th) Or 1 to 1 1/2 or even 1 to 2 would be the overdrive because it is over the normal ratio. When calculating OD gears consideration is given to the velocity of the travelling vehicle which reduces resistance to motion. When velocity is built up it require less energy to maintain that energy than to create or increase motion.
On todays cars it is recommended to turn of the overdrive when carring a heavy load or towing a weighted trailer, reason is that the calculation for the power band of a vehicle are made using the gross weight and power of the vehicle and not really set for the max loaded weight. Switch of the OD when carring a heavy load will extend the life of your transmission.
I hope this helped.

Answer 5

Overdrive switch
Each time your vehicle is started, the transmission
is automatically reset to overdrive ON.
ON: With the engine running and the
shift selector lever in the D (Drive)
position, the transmission upshifts
into Overdrive as vehicle speed
increases.
Overdrive does not engage until the engine
has reached operating temperature.
OFF: For driving up and down long
slopes where engine braking is necessary
push the Overdrive switch
once. The O/D OFF indicator light
in the instrument panel comes on at
this time.
When cruising at a low speed or climbing a
gentle slope, you may feel uncomfortable shift
shocks as the transmission shifts into and out of
Overdrive repeatedly. In this case, depress the
Overdrive switch to turn the Overdrive off. The
O/D OFF indicator light in the instrument panel
comes on at this time.
When driving conditions change, depress the
Overdrive switch to turn the Overdrive on.
Remember not to drive at high speeds for extended
periods of time with the Overdrive off.
This reduces fuel economy.

Answer 6

You use the overdrive when your on the highway. This saves you gas. The technical answer is a little hard to explain here. Try an automotive site and look for transmissions/overdrive.

Answer 7

If you live in a hilly, or curvy area, you would want to turn off the overdrive, this saves from your transmission from alot of wear and tear, and unecissary shifting. I live in WV, and never keep my overdrive on, unless I am on the interstate, then it is always wise to put it in overdrive.

Answer 8

overdrive is sort of like an extra gear, you don't need to turn it off. its mainly for cruising on the highway, you know, like a 5 speed, only in an automatic, its 4 with the overdrive.

Answer 9

You should ahem excuse my language RTFM read the *expletive* manual. depending on the vehicle: make, model year and package in question your overdrive button does one of 3 things, it either allows the transmission to reach top gear, stops it from reacing top gear(those two are basicly wow this company calls it on and this company calls it off) or it tells the transmission to make its final shift earlier, later or under different conditions, on some manual transmissions the highest gear can also be marked os OD on the shifter.

Answer 10

It changes the shift logic in your transmission so that it does not go into the highest gear. For example, if you have a 5-speed automatic, hitting O/D will keep the transmission from going into 5th gear.

You use this feature when you are towing or hauling.