What is overdrive

In my two-decade experience as an expert in the automotive field, I’ve come to try many technologies aiming to improve the driving experience.

However, perhaps the most confusing is the overdrive function on some older vehicles with automatic transmissions, presented by a button near the gear lever.

Even more puzzling is the O/D (for overdrive) off light on the instrument panel, which drivers often don’t understand what it does.

But I’ll put all those ambiguities to the rest today and, once and for all, explain what overdrive is and why modern cars don’t have the function anymore.

Moreover, I’ll tell you when you need to engage the overdrive function and when you need to keep the O/D feature off.

O/D Off Meaning

What is Overdrive?

Although most people I know think the O/D function gives the vehicle extra power, the opposite is actually true.

The word “overdrive” doesn’t come from driving over the capabilities of the car – it comes from drive ratios.

And, in mechanics, a transmission ratio that&

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