how many people uses the overdrive...?..should i keep it off or on and why...?...

 

It should explain in the manual or search web.., but Overdrive is used for over a certain speed (80km canadian - i think 50mph US). It is used as the highest gear -5th gear instead of 4th gear (example: at highway speeds and reduces gas consumption), this keeps your RPM's down and uses less torque? instead of making the truck drive harder with it in the next lower gear(4th). Situations where you want to NOT use Overdrive would be going up steep hills, towing, racing? lol, and maybe 4x4ing where u want less shifting and more power & therefore use less gas. In general, just view OD ON as the highest/last gear and when you are at speed where 4th gear isn't sufficient, then use OD. Ex: You wouldn't drive fast for a long time in 1st gear right? So thats when you use OD, after 4 gear is not enough. It's the same as when you drive manual transmission, you will see the RPM's go up and hear the motor whine when it's time to shift, so if you are in 4th and you are going quicker (ex. highway) and you notice this, then you know it's time to shift/use OD. Can someone confirm/correct?

 

Leave OD on (engaged) unless you are towing or going up a big hill and need to keep your momentum. Simple as that.

 

Overdrive keeps the RPM's down at freeway speeds, thus you get better gas mileage.

Keep it on, unless, like Christian said, you are towing or going up a big hill.

 

...or smoking a ricer

 

Why is it called over-drive? It's the 4th gear in a 4 speed transmission!

 

overdrive means it's ratio is greater than 1:1. there's some older american manual trannies that are 4 speeds with OD, as well as 5 speeds without OD

 

I hardly use the freeway, I am usually driving in stop and go traffic, going up hills and going slow around town. I usually keep my OD off. Only when I do go on the freeway is when I turn it on.

So you guys are saying I would get better gas mileage if I kept it on at all times?