Overdrive on a Ford Focus

[BACR]

I though i knew what this was but after gettin an automatic ford focus i am confused!?!

When i press the O/D button on the gearshift knob it says on the dash "O/D Off". Now with my from what i can understand in the manual it says that without O/D (im guessing that means its off) it only uses gears 1 and 3, and it says this will be more economical...... HOW?

Please if someone knows can you explian.

Or even better if someone could scan in that page or the For Focus manual. In the spanish version its page 75.

Thanks

[dingo]

........it only uses gears 1 and 3, and it says this will be more economical...... HOW?

I am no expert but if the car shifts directly from 1st to 3rd you will be using less revs once into 3rd than you would if you went into 2nd gear first and then up to 3rd - hence its more economical :wink:
As for the rest I am not sure, not familiar with that type of car :)

[saadie]

i always thought overdrive means more revs .. i took a terreno upto 130 with O/D ....
no wonder why there was smell of burning oil and everything .... :roll:

[Vansquish]

Overdriven gears have extremely tall ratios which mean that the revs are low at high speeds. If you hit the O/D button, it locks out 4th gear in an automatic Focus, thus limiting you to the use of just the first three gears. As a result, the revs at any given cruising speed will be higher than if you were able to use top gear (4th). The only real reason to use the O/D lockout button is in the case of a hill descent where you don't want your speed to exceed some level, or in the case of a hill ascent where you want it to hold onto a lower gear for longer because it will be easier to climb hills that way. It is NOT more economical on flat ground than allowing the use of 4th gear.

[jakaracman]

t's gears 1 to 3, so first 3 gears ...

[coloradosilver]

^^^ Yep, I have that button on my Jeep. It only allows the auto tranny to go up to 3rd gear, locks out 4th. Good for hills and stuff, although I don't ever really use it.

[T-Bird]

OK my experience with my Ford is that with the O/D on (default) the car is more economical because it electronically lowers the RPM by about 500, you notice that when you are sitting at a light and you push the button the RPMs rise about 500 rpm. With the O/D button pushed so that O/D is off the car accelerates alot faster but you do lose the last gear. This is the 4R70W a modified AODE so it may be different than the Focus I'm not sure. Now there are some differences within the Torque converter aswell with the O/D off, the clutch only engages at 50% versus 100% when O/D is on (I may have that reversed not sure) Now if you really want to get confused the 4HP22E transmission changes the speed at which the Trannsmission chagnes gears aswell as RPM levels, it also changes the line pressure so that shifts are much firmer with O/D off.

[sads]

On the cars I've driven OD allows you to take the gears to a higher rpm before it changes

[BACR]

Great i think i understand it, thanks guys!

[oldsnail]

highergears are mainly used for highway/freeway use since lower constant revs can save u better fuel economy..

[coombsie66]

You shouldnt have got a slushbox focus in the first place and you wouldnt have had this problem!!! :P :wink:
No seriously, i dont think the british focus has that overdrive button!? I could be wrong though, there arnt many auto focus sold over here.

[Blip]

Overdrive is being offered on a few Japanese autos.

My understanding is it just delays the gear change to higher rpm's thus stressing your engine and giving you more performace. (similar to the sport / econ driving modes on Mercedes).

It will probably be less economic since your more likely to be in a lower gear = higher rpms = more stress on engine. Specially while in cruising speeds.

[jakaracman]

O/D buttons are usually marked sport in euro autos ...

[T-Bird]

Overdrive is being offered on a few Japanese autos.

My understanding is it just delays the gear change to higher rpm's thus stressing your engine and giving you more performace. (similar to the sport / econ driving modes on Mercedes).

It will probably be less economic since your more likely to be in a lower gear = higher rpms = more stress on engine. Specially while in cruising speeds.

Well in my car with O/d off I can be at 70mph and almost redline while cruising in second but my 3.73's have something to do with that aswell...
It won't shift until redline so I can hold it there without it shifting. It will go to 80 before it shifts. but with OD on it will be in 4th by then.

[Yablokov]

i got an O/D button on my toyota previa. i always keep it on because i dunno WTF its for! rofl >=D