turbodaddy
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17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
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Post by turbodaddy on Mar 7, 2016 13:47:32 GMT -8
Bigbill, that is something a lot of people might be confused about, thanks for bringing it up. I was confused because I have owned vehicles in the past that had a clearly marked button or switch called "overdrive". To clarify, today's vehicles may have something like this for shifting choices: This one has a circle around "D" which indicates overdrive. ![]() Here is another version: ![]() Then this with no clearly indicated overdrive, I'm guessing if you shift from "D" to "3", a digital indicator will light up on the dashboard "Overdrive off": ![]() Read more: vintagetrailertalk.freeforums.net/thread/6196/gas-mileage-question#ixzz42FvrVvFN |
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turbodaddy
1K Member
Posts: 1,086
Likes: 462
17' 1965 Fan "Sunseeker"
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Post by turbodaddy on Mar 7, 2016 13:50:50 GMT -8
OK, I give up, my photos just will not load. The point is todays vehicles do not always clearly indicate what gear position is "overdrive".
Thanks for your patience, and if anyone can tell me why the pics didn't load (i did it like I always have) I'd appreciate the help.
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Post by danrhodes on Mar 7, 2016 15:39:46 GMT -8
Yeah, my Toyota has no indication of overdrive at all, and nothing really on the dash other than the gear selected. I use 4 sometimes for climbing or coming down steep freeway grades. The manual says: When in "D", the automatic transmission system will select the most suitable gear for running conditions such as normal cruising, hill climbing, hard towing, etc. If the transmission repeatedly shifts up and down between forth gear and overdrive when climbing a gentle slope, shift into "4", but shift back into "D" immediately afterward.  |
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Post by bigbill on Mar 7, 2016 16:49:46 GMT -8
My suggestion is read the owners manual looking for anything in regards to towing. There are many different types of transmissions out there some even have two overdrives. My Silverado has a six speed auto trans with four under drives and two over drives, no 1 to 1 as a typical transmission has. There is a button on the shift lever that when pushed a towing light comes on and the trans won't shift into sixth gear plus it increases the speed that it shifts up to the next gear. Then if you are towing in the mountains you can select M for manual and then you can shift up or down as needed with a different set of buttons. Every year someone comes out with a "better idea" of a transmission that will pull better, get better mileage, and shift smoother. Some work and some don't, but one thing is for certain you better read the operator and maintenance sections of your manual because they are all extremely expensive to repair.
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cowcharge
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Post by cowcharge on Mar 14, 2016 14:51:37 GMT -8
My '94 Ford van and '97 pickup with 4-speed autos both had a lighted button on the end of the shifter that disabled overdrive for towing. My '10 F-150 with the 6-speed auto has a similar button but it says "tow/haul" on it. I think it changes the shift points rather than disabling any "gears".
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