Santro automatic : What is the use of the OD (overdrive) button?

subscrive · 21st July 2010, 15:50

Dear All,

Can anyone provide me user manual for automatic santro?
I want to know what is the use of OD (overdrive) button on the gear stick - when it should be used, how does enabling/disabling it affect the performance etc.

Thx in adv.

jigbarai · 21st July 2010, 16:01

You could've searched the forum for the use of overdrive. This has been discussed on some threads.

Anyways, the OD button is to indicate if the car can move to the OD (4th) gear or not. Typically you always keep it pressed (OD On) - display panel light will be off.

If you go to speeds above around 60, OD is activated by itself and the vehicle moves to top gear. This give you a smoother / silent performance as well as will improve your fuel efficiency.

You keep OD off only if you intentionally want to avoid your vehicle to move to 4th gear.

HTH.

sgiitk · 21st July 2010, 16:10

The overdrive button is just a hangover from the 3-speed box days. They did not bother to mofigy the shifter when they went four speed, so put the fourth on the OD button! Essentially if it is ON then you have a 4-speed box, else a 3-speed box.

In normal driving keep it on all the time. If you are going down hills use 2 or L.

subscrive · 21st July 2010, 17:11

- Ok. Thx.

- Searching for santro automatic user manual etc gives automatic vs manual etc threads

kuttapan · 1st August 2010, 15:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgiitk

The overdrive button is just a hangover from the 3-speed box days. They did not bother to mofigy the shifter when they went four speed, so put the fourth on the OD button! Essentially if it is ON then you have a 4-speed box, else a 3-speed box.

In normal driving keep it on all the time. If you are going down hills use 2 or L.

O/D off button is provided in other vehicles as well and there is a purpose for this button -it's just not there because of the reason you mention.I remember driving a Mazda Tribute/Ford Escape and using it to good effect. If you want to do some spirited driving within city and do some sharp overtake maneuvers, this button can come in handy, to provide that extra zip and not lose steam by suddenly switching to overdrive. For most people and most situations, it is of no use.

sgiitk · 1st August 2010, 15:25

@kuttapan: I quite know what the OD button is. We are talking in the context of the Santro AT (the same box is in the i10 AT and after beefing up in the Verna AT).

In the 1970s ODs were installed in some cars, with OD available in 3rd and 4th (almost all boxes were 4 speed). Thus effectively you had 1-4, 3+OD and 4+OD. It was axiomatic that the drive in top gear would be 1:1. Any gearing higher than this was dubbed as OverDrive. It was only after the FWD cars became popular that the top, or even the gear(s) below, deviated from this 1:1 or direct drive rule.

Take one of the highest cases today Civic AT is 0.55:1!

21st July 2010, 15:50	#1
subscrive BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 258 Thanked: 30 Times View My Garage	Santro automatic : What is the use of the OD (overdrive) button? Dear All, Can anyone provide me user manual for automatic santro? I want to know what is the use of OD (overdrive) button on the gear stick - when it should be used, how does enabling/disabling it affect the performance etc. Thx in adv.
	() Thanks

21st July 2010, 16:01	#2
jigbarai BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 554 Thanked: 29 Times	You could've searched the forum for the use of overdrive. This has been discussed on some threads. Anyways, the OD button is to indicate if the car can move to the OD (4th) gear or not. Typically you always keep it pressed (OD On) - display panel light will be off. If you go to speeds above around 60, OD is activated by itself and the vehicle moves to top gear. This give you a smoother / silent performance as well as will improve your fuel efficiency. You keep OD off only if you intentionally want to avoid your vehicle to move to 4th gear. HTH.
	() Thanks

21st July 2010, 16:10	#3
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,788 Times	The overdrive button is just a hangover from the 3-speed box days. They did not bother to mofigy the shifter when they went four speed, so put the fourth on the OD button! Essentially if it is ON then you have a 4-speed box, else a 3-speed box. In normal driving keep it on all the time. If you are going down hills use 2 or L.
	() Thanks

21st July 2010, 17:11	#4
subscrive BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Pune Posts: 258 Thanked: 30 Times View My Garage	- Ok. Thx. - Searching for santro automatic user manual etc gives automatic vs manual etc threads
	() Thanks

1st August 2010, 15:25	#6
sgiitk BANNED Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Gurugram Posts: 7,969 Thanked: 4,788 Times	@kuttapan: I quite know what the OD button is. We are talking in the context of the Santro AT (the same box is in the i10 AT and after beefing up in the Verna AT). In the 1970s ODs were installed in some cars, with OD available in 3rd and 4th (almost all boxes were 4 speed). Thus effectively you had 1-4, 3+OD and 4+OD. It was axiomatic that the drive in top gear would be 1:1. Any gearing higher than this was dubbed as OverDrive. It was only after the FWD cars became popular that the top, or even the gear(s) below, deviated from this 1:1 or direct drive rule. Take one of the highest cases today Civic AT is 0.55:1!
	() Thanks