The simplest approach to consider overdrive is to affiliate the phrase “overdrive” with the phrase “actual massive gear.”
As soon as you identify that psychological image, any confusion goes away. Overdrive means you’re utilizing the largest gear in your transmission to show the wheels, at excessive velocity. As a result of a giant gear has extra steel tooth on it than a smaller gear, the massive gear has to show much less (fewer RPM’s) to keep up the identical velocity as a smaller gear.
So, once you’re driving at the next velocity, it could stand to motive that you’ll get higher gasoline financial system since you are being powered by an even bigger gear that’s spinning much less. Overdrive lowers the engine’s RPM’s, and that saves fuel and put on on the engine. Overdrive is greatest for lengthy, flat stretches of freeway. I at all times kick into overdrive once I know the street forward isn’t hilly and I will drive uninterrupted at excessive freeway velocity, and I am not towing or carrying an additional heavy load.
It’s also possible to merely go away the overdrive swap “on” and this may occur robotically. I like to recommend overdrive for speeds of 60 MPH or greater. When must you NOT use it? By no means use overdrive when you find yourself driving in hilly areas, towing one thing, or travelling very gradual. You might truly harm your transmission when you do. Keep in mind, a giant gear has to show much less to keep up the identical velocity as a smaller gear. So, at greater speeds the massive gear is doing its job, pushing you effortlessly alongside an extended flat freeway at a gentle excessive charge of velocity, and saving you fuel whereas doing it.
However once you’re travelling at slower speeds or stopping and beginning or going up and down hills or towing a automobile, it is much less about point-and-shoot excessive velocity journey and it is extra about having fast energy to speed up, or with the ability to navigate by means of hills or mountains, or with the ability to safely tow a heavy load. At a decrease velocity, the massive gear would flip much less and fewer and lose its effectivity over the smaller gear.
You’d then must shift right into a decrease gear to generate sufficient RPM’s to supply energy to the wheels. Should you did not shift right into a decrease gear, you’d shortly really feel the larger gear struggling to energy the wheels and the RV would vibrate and lurch. It is best to by no means use overdrive when you find yourself driving underneath these extra annoying situations. I go away overdrive off and manually flip the swap to “on” once I journey on lengthy stretches of flat freeway.
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