Overdrive button
 

Hi,
Sorry for the dumb question but I just got my first Hyundai three days ago and have never seen a car with an overdrive button. It is on the gear shift of my 2000 Accent, automatic transmission. Can anyone tell me what it is for and if I should have it off or on? I have'nt touched it cause I'm afraid of screwing something up. Thanks' G.S.

RE: Overdrive button
 

Overdrive button clicked on sets the transmission into overdrive which means it give better gas mileage since it helps the motor run a lower RPM.The dashboard gauge will have a light that will say O/D OFF if you push in the button to cut if off.I use overdrive on normal driving but for climbing tall mountainous areas id switch it off and and put in L gear to make the climb....save stress on the transmission.

RE: Overdrive button
 

PS...dont switch with the button while in the middle of driving....i havent done this,only switched the button off when its sitting still.I dont know if it would harm it while driving to switch inbetween regular driving to overdrive(too scared to try it).Maybe some of our other members could say one way or the other.

RE: Overdrive button
 

Leave it ON all the time. It won't hurt anything, and it will go into overdrive automatically. If you have ESC, also leave that on all the time too. The car knows the road conditions and helps to keep you safe in braking and turning situations. These cars know hot, cold, wet, icy, etc. Really handle great. The overdrive will help you save gas $$$$$.

RE: Overdrive button
 

If you are driving up a mountain at 70 mph, overdrive is fine. I am not sure how fast you folks do mountains. We can drive very fast in the mountains on this side of the country.

RE: Overdrive button
 

Lol ever been to the North Georgia Mountains Winston?The large one between Helen and Hiawassee is curves curves curves galore!Id be impressed if ya can make it up that mountain 70mph.....heck 50mph[8D]

RE: Overdrive button
 

Thanks Froze and Winston! I will leave the button alone unless I am in Georgia or North Carolina. Thanks again, G.S.

RE: Overdrive button
 

I have never used the OD button. I would imagine in city type driving, you would not want the car to shift into OD. I do a bit of cruising so I just leave it alone.
Brant

RE: Overdrive button
 

ok guys the over drive is realy for motorway or long journeys ,its basically the same as using 5th gear in a manual transmission. you can switch it while driving!!! try it. you will notice that when cruising switch the o/d on and it will change up a gear and your rpm will drop slightly . switch it off and it will go down a gear. using over drive will save on fuel on motor way trips .[sm=smiley36.gif]

RE: Overdrive button problem and solution
 

I had two hyundai excels they were older models, one broke down naturally at 114,000 miles, the other one at 70k miles. The 70k mile car was running great, but i was getting ready to sell it, the guy who test drove it kept pushing the od button while we were on the freeway at 65 mph, he did it like five times, the transmission broke the next day. It jerked a little before, when i pushed it, when i was driving on the freeway , because some idiot friend pushed it on the freeway once to test it. Some people have told me not to touch it unless i am going under 30 mph. But, you really don't need to use it actually. It changes gear if it you use it to lower gear I think. Lexus has the same od button on their automatics also. My friend pushes it on before he goes on the freeway and turns it off as he exits.

RE: Overdrive button problem and solution
 

I found this on the internet under mechanics, but you should only turn it on from park to 20mph.Before you go on the freeway.


Usage
Generally speaking, overdrive (OD) is the highest gear in the transmission. Most automatic transmissions have 3 speeds and overdrive (fourth speed). Overdrive allows the engine to operate at a lower rpm for a given road speed. This allows the vehicle to realize better fuel efficiency, and often quieter operation on the highway. When you switch it on, you allow the transmission to shift into overdrive mode after the certain speed is reached (usually 70+ km/h - 45+ mph) depending on the load). When it is off, the transmission shifting is limited to the lower gears. For normal driving conditions, operation of the overdrive should be enabled only if the average speed is above 70 km/h.
It may be necessary to switch it off if the vehicle is being operated in a mountainous area.
The automatic transmission automatically shifts from OD to 3rd gear when more load is present. When less load is present, it shifts back to OD. Under certain conditions, e.g: driving uphill or towing a trailer, the transmission may "hunt" between OD and 3rd gear, shifting back and forth. In this case, switching it off can help the transmission to 'decide'. It may also be advantageous to switch it off if engine braking is desired, for example, driving downhill. The vehicle's owner's manual has information and procedures regarding such situations..

RE: Overdrive button problem and solution
 

Newbie here...just bought an '04 Accent. I'm a Lexus tech, been turning wrenches for 25+ years, which does NOT make me an expert. However, I use the O/D button alot, I use it to slow down and save on the brakes. Say I'm going 50-60, or even 70, and I see stopped or slowed traffic ahead I hit the button to take it out of overdrive...sure, at 70mph, the rpm's go up to 4000...but so what? The engine red lines at what...5-6000 rpm's. It's a nice ":slow-down" aid. Am I hurting the transmission? How and why? (it shouldn't, unless it's a crappy trans)

RE: Overdrive button problem and solution
 

i always just left the OD button on when i had it in my sentra. i was told that when it was on it was pretty much enabling fourth gear, and to turn it off would be depriving the car of a higher gear.

RE: Overdrive button problem and solution
 

Me too! I'd also like to know if it's going to hurt anything. I'm just use to downshifting in my '04 CompG with the paddle shifters.

-Jamie M.

RE: Overdrive button problem and solution
 

Don't do that. You are using the trans to save the brakes. How much does it cost to replace the brakes? How much does it cost to replace the trans?

New brakes are cheaper than a new trans. Use the brakes to save the trans.

I winged it and have done it a few times, but never mid shift so don't know if thatd effect it or not

Just reading some of the older posts, I have a question.
How fast would you be going if you ran the RPM up to 4500 and were locked in second or third gear? Would you even do that?
Then why would you do that at 65-70 MPH? The trans ,condition unknown, may not be able to handle that too many times,
Just because you can do that or have done that many times doesn't make it right. Racing engines with hi volume oil pumps can handle this , but a std engine could be asking for trouble with such high RPMs. Ever see an engine with a hole in the side of the block , Spun bearing, oil starvation, connecting rod gets wings and flys out thru the block, not smart.