driving on O/D?
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 19
From:
driving on O/D?
hi guys, there was a questionpreviously regarding driving on O/D in town or city limits. It was mentioned that driving on O/D would save gasdue to the gear ratio, but according to the operators manual that driving on D is better for fuel economy and power. with all this fuel price hike which is really true.i know it depends on how a person drives but anything that would help consumption and mileage would be beneficial.thanks!
RE: driving on O/D?
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0): This position is for normal driving. If you need more power for passing,
and you’re:
[ul][*]Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your accelerator pedal about halfway down.[*]Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the accelerator all the way down.[/ul]
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0) should not be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for off-road driving. Select DRIVE (D) when operating the vehicle under any of these conditions.
DRIVE (D): This position is also used for normal driving, however it offers more power and lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (GO). You should use DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills or winding roads or for off-road driving.
and you’re:
[ul][*]Going less than about 35 mph (56 km/h), push your accelerator pedal about halfway down.[*]Going about 35 mph (56 km/h) or more, push the accelerator all the way down.[/ul]
You’ll shift down to the next gear and have more power.
AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (0) should not be used when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills, or for off-road driving. Select DRIVE (D) when operating the vehicle under any of these conditions.
DRIVE (D): This position is also used for normal driving, however it offers more power and lower fuel economy than AUTOMATIC OVERDRIVE (GO). You should use DRIVE (D) when towing a trailer, carrying a heavy load, driving on steep hills or winding roads or for off-road driving.
So it doesn't state that you will get better fuel mileage, exactly the opposite.
RE: driving on O/D?
No problem, that's what we're here for.
O/D should be fine for any driving conditions except those mentioned. If you find that your transmission is constantly hunting for the right gear, then you may want to drop down into D (3rd). In city driving, you shouldn't really be using much power all that often and you'd be using more of the gears anyway. When out in the hills or towing and you are noticing that you have to kick it down too often, then D is the place to be. This will reduce the amount of heat that the transmission will generate due to the gear shifts. Heat is the #1 enemy of automatic transmissions.
O/D should be fine for any driving conditions except those mentioned. If you find that your transmission is constantly hunting for the right gear, then you may want to drop down into D (3rd). In city driving, you shouldn't really be using much power all that often and you'd be using more of the gears anyway. When out in the hills or towing and you are noticing that you have to kick it down too often, then D is the place to be. This will reduce the amount of heat that the transmission will generate due to the gear shifts. Heat is the #1 enemy of automatic transmissions.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 19
From:
RE: driving on O/D?
thanks swartlkk!,thats really a useful info,i greatly appreciate your help. i'd always wondered about that because i normally drive manually shift cars exceptmy wife's suv. and people i have spoken to normally drives on D on their auto cars because they thought that you only use O/D on the highway or if your going over 55 mph.and using your O/D in city streets is not good for the tranny. I'll pass this down to the folks i know,thanks again and have a good day
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 891
From: Crossville, TN
RE: driving on O/D?
I've heard that while towing you should NEVER drive in O/D....my father I know blew up his brand new Jeep for towing his boat while in O/D, and my Dad is a OTR truck driver, he should have known this.
RE: driving on O/D?
I fail to see how you will kill a transmission by driving in OD... It is just another gear. Now if you are really pushing the limits, then the transmission should shift down anyway, it is the gear shifts that will heat the fluid and may cause premature problems. If the transmission is continuously hunting for the proper gear (between 3rd & OD), then you should make the decision for it and just put it into D (3rd).
With that said, if you tow, install an auxilliary transmission oil cooler.
With that said, if you tow, install an auxilliary transmission oil cooler.