overdrive on or off ?

[rT10]

I have an 89 Toyota Camry and there's an overdrive button. Any1 know what it does ? whether I should leave it on or off ?

 

[madwoodee]

leave it on

 

[OS]

you generally only turn it off if you are in hilly regions. . .

 

[LethalWolfe]

If yer zippin' along the highway turn it on. AFAIK it changes the gear ration so your RPMs drop and you use less gas. On the flip side, it kills yer ability to excelerate which is why you only using once yer up to cruising speed on the highway.


Lehtal

 

[LAUST]

it's 4th gear on most Auto's, it's a gear with a ratio that lowers the RPM sugnificantly on the highway.

 

[Nefrodite]

yup 4rth gear don't think newer autos bother with a button

 

[tommigsr]

usually in normal city driving, leave it off, on highways, leave it on, unless you're in traffic...saves gas

 

[notfred]

I don't get it, the RT-10 only comes as a 6 speed manual.....

 

[Omegachi]

uh....you are not suppose to leave that on. The overdrive button is used when you need more power to go uphill, it adds more torc

 

[notfred]

<< uh....you are not suppose to leave that on. The overdrive button is used when you need more power to go uphill, it adds more torc >>



you're an idiot. Overdrive = 4th gear.

 

[rT10]

<< I don't get it, the RT-10 only comes as a 6 speed manual..... >>



hehehe .. not the viper RT-10 i wish I own one of those tho ...

 

[bunker]

Bunch of uninformed peeps here. Leave it on. The only time you would ever need to turn it off is if your vehicle is having to constantly shift from 4th to 3rd (or 5th to 4th in a 5 spd auto) when in a hilly area. The contstant shifting isn't good for the transmission. Turning it off does absolutely nothing other than not let you go into top gear so there is no reason to have it off in the city.

Nefrodite, almost all new autos have it.

 

[LethalWolfe]

<< uh....you are not suppose to leave that on. The overdrive button is used when you need more power to go uphill, it adds more torc >>



I had a rental car once, Hyndai<sp?> Elentra (don't know what year). And I'm pretty sure it had an overdrive and a seperate "pwr" button. Maybe the "pwr" button is what you are thinking of?


Lethal

 

[Nefrodite]

Nefrodite, almost all new autos have it.

as a button you have to leave on? my civic has 4 speed default as drive

 

[DesignDawg]

All the "pwr" button does is delay shifting. It doesn't magically increase power. The Camry has both an overdrive button AND a "pwr" button. The OD button is on the shifter, and the "pwr" button is in the center console, under the parking brake lever.
As the informed few in this thread have already said, leave it on. Not doing so is the equivalent of never using the top gear in a standard. =Wastes gas.

Ricky
DesignDawg

 

[LAUST]

Example, mine does NOT have a button, it's selected on the column, P R N D D 2 1, being a truck I use NO OD much more as OD is not good to tow with

 

[bunker]

<< Nefrodite, almost all new autos have it.

as a button you have to leave on? my civic has 4 speed default as drive >>


Overdrive is always available. If you don't want the car to go into overdrive then you hit the button and it won't shift any higher than 3rd (or 4th if it's a 5 spd)

 

[amnesiac]

My truck (2000 toyota tundra) has an overdrive button. I only turn it off to force a downshift when, say, a cop appears right behind me and I'm going 85

 

[Wik]

Even in trucks it all depends on the truck. My old Chevys you had to put it in third (drive) while towing. If you didn't the heat buildup would burn up the tranny. Now on my Ford, I can leave the OD button on unless the tranny is hunting (shifting in and out) for gears. For your car, leave it on. Only time you want to turn it off is if you are driving on lots of hills or with wind and the car keeps shifting in and out of OD. Turning it off any other time is just going to make you use up more fuel.