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The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:27 pm
by FlyingBarney
Am trying to understand the purpose of the OD (overdrive) button on my automatic gear, and why/when might it be a good idea to use it.
Thanks,
Simon
Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:33 pm
by FalcoColumbarius
Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:37 pm
by konadog
We generally leave ours engaged (button out - light off on dash). Click the button in (disengage overdrive) when approaching the crest of a hill going down. The tranny will kick down and hold the bus back on the decent. At the bottom click the button back out and off you go. I think of the OD simply as the top, or 5th gear in the box

Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 2:03 pm
by delicat
It simply gears down your truck, useful when going down hill to help you save your brakes and keep better control of your truck. Also good uphill to keep your revs up.
Basically with O/D on, your RPM will stay slightly higher so can be used in the city as you'll get better acceleration but also declined fuel economy...Not very useful on hwy. I use mine mostly downhill as on the uphill the tranny will usually kickdown on it's own.
Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 3:09 pm
by asorensen
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>DON'T PANIC<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 4:10 pm
by marsgal42
It inhibits 4th gear.
The primary purpose is to use engine braking coming down hills. There is no engine braking in 4th. I geared down to 2nd when coming down the switchbacks from Duffey Lake in to Pemberton last September and only needed the occasional dab on the brakes. This is good.
You also can use it to tell the transmission to stay kicked-down in to 3rd going up hills, if it can't decide what gear it wants to be in and hunts back and forth.
The JPNZ and JDM owner's manuals discuss this.
...laura
Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2008 5:15 pm
by Jaz
Slow Friday afternoon asorenson?

Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2008 12:12 pm
by FlyingBarney
asorensen wrote:...........................................................................................................................................................................
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>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>DON'T PANIC<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Goodbye, and thanks for all the fish...
Re: The meaning and life purpose of the OD button?
Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 12:16 pm
by Chewy
always remember a towel when considering the finer points of vehicle operation.