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What is the purpose of the overdrive button?

what is the purpose of the overdrive button?

should it be on or off when you are on a freeway?

my dad keeps telling me to put it on off when im on the freeway, but i heard that it was a bad thing.

since i dont know anything about cars, i'd really appreciate an easy answer with no car terminology.

8 Answers

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  • Vicky
    Lv 7
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    The easiest answer , AnGel, is to read the owners manual. You don't have to read the whole thing , just the section about 'automatic overdrive"

    Owners manuals, like newspapers, are written so that anybody witha 7th grade education can read them & understand them, so it shouldn't have any difficult 'car terminology'

    I highly recommend that everybody skim through this little book in their glovebox before getting behind the wheel of their $20,000-$50,000 vehicle & operating it anyway.

    Just a thought.

  • 1 decade ago

    Here's the deal. Overdrive is nothing more than another higher gear. It allows your engine to run slower, and therefore more efficiently, while maintaining whatever speed you're going. The freeway is actually the best place to use that gear. Your best bet is to leave it on all the time, because your car will generally be more efficient that way. If you happen to be driving down a mountain road, you can turn off the overdrive and your engine will act more like a brake so you don't have to ride the pedal so much all the way down.

  • 1 decade ago

    The overdrive button is used to lower the engines RPM while driving on the highway. Thus giving you better gas mil age.

    If you are in hilly cities or towing, you should disable the overdrive, so the engine can do its' best work.

  • 1 decade ago

    when on the freeway you need to have it on,,this makes it kick in overdrive,,and save you gas,,when in the city,,stop and go driving you need to have it in the off position ,it will shift better in the city if it is off,and wont go up and down on the shifts all the time,,if you,ll look in the owners manual it will tell you all about it,,i hope this help,s.

    Source(s): been a certified mechanic for 35 yrs.
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  • 1 decade ago
  • a
    Lv 4
    1 decade ago

    If you refuse to listen to your dad, start off by reading your car owner's manual. You'll learn many things about your vehicle.

  • 1 decade ago

    its a good thing you ask this question because ive always wanted to know. Hope you figger it out.

  • 1 decade ago

    i always use it. i never turn it off.

    Source(s): i AM a car guy
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