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Ok , so can someone please explain the pro's of having the overdrive on permanently? all other cars that I have owned in auto, overdrive was something you had to shift into. my understanding of overdrive is that it's good for hwy driving?? so .... if that is correct, then why does the focus come with overdrive automatically on?? ( YES, i know there is a button on the shifter to turn it off, but you need to do it every time :unsure: ) i drive in the city and TRAFFIC 90% of the time.
Does being in overdrive in traffic affect gas mileage / wear and tear??
oh it's an 02 Wagon with the Zetec
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03-28-2006, 09:12 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-28-2006, 09:52 AM by OAC_Sparky.)
There is no extra wear and tear leaving the car in OD all the time while you drive. As for mileage, you get better mileage with the OD on.
The only reason to turn off OD in most Fords (at least) would be to:
(1) Keep the transmission from "hunting" under load when towing or in very hilly terrain. For example, when I was in Colorado I rented a Contour that had an Auto trans and a 4cyl, was underpowered for mountain driving. While climbing, the engine didn't have the power to hold the highway speed, in OD, it kept downshifting, then speed up, shift up to OD, slow down and so on. This was very dangerous because the roads were icy, and it was kinda scary when it kept shifting around. Turning off the OD will keep this from happening.
(2) Coasting downhill, you can turn off the OD to keep the car speed down without overusing your brakes.
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^--- yuppers...
gear hunting would be the biggest reason to turn it off in the city. If you find you cruise at speeds where the car is constantly hunting for the right gear, you might find turning the OD off, but in most cases, it's fine left on.
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There's no wear and tear because you'll never get moving quick enough (~60KM/H) to lock up in 4th. A lightly driven Focus will actually grab 4th gear somewhere around 45-50KM/H while loping along.
You're safe :)
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Well, thanks for clearing that up guys! :D It seemed like a stupid question but i guess it wasn't so bad after all since none of you were rolling around on the ground laughing! :huh: ( at least i hope not!)
Thanks again!
Hi, Guest
