Overdrive and mpg

My 2000 Dodge Dakota has overdrive, for the life of me I can't remember the last time I'd used it! One and for all, does driving and with the overdrive on really help one's mileage?

chiphead... in Austin

depending on driving conditions and habbits, it might make mpg worst, whitout taking that into account, no one can answer on your particular case.
in general od does improve mpg, if you drive it normaly (no pedal to the mettal) , on more or less leveled road, and not loaded with 5000lb of crap.

Its helpful to think of your own legs. Do you walk differently going up an hill than down? OD is just an add on way to get an extra gear, like taking bigger steps when the slope is easier.

Just ask yourself this question: which option will make the engine work harder? If the tac shows 6000 and the engine is roaring with a light load, OD will quiet it down and give you better MPG. If the tac shows 1500 and the engine is already quiet and you're running up a hill, OD will make the engine work harder.

alpg88 said:

[...] and not loaded with 5000lb of crap.

Click to expand...

5000 lb, is that the weight of the Dodge Dakota in question?

Think of overdrive as an extra gear for highway use. Its generally ok to leave it on unless you are all stop and go or the hill situation EG mentioned.

At one point "overdrive" referred to a transmission capable of allowing the output shaft to turn faster than the input shaft (connected to the motor). In more recent times, the term "transmission" has been replaced with transaxle (front wheel drive) and the *term* overdrive is no longer valid but still used as pretty much all transaxles include an overdrive type ratio. Wikipedia has a short concise explanation of the terms: Overdrive (mechanics).

Overdrive can most certainly increase the mileage on a vehicle but it depends somewhat on the conditions. Speed, load and weather all play parts in this. If you were towing a camping trailer for example, it is usually recommended to not use overdrive as it places too much strain on the power train and WILL waste fuel. Sometimes a strong headwind can do the same, even with no trailer.... Other times you might find that you CAN use overdrive with a trailer because of a strong tail wind. I suggest taking a peek in your owners manual.... there will be suggestions on when to use and when not to use overdrive and from there, you can further refine it's use based on how the vehicle is behaving at any given time.

Regards

Christian

For the most part, all I'm hauling is me!

chiphead

Oh crap, I didn't consult the manual, but thanks for the feedback And now, regular or synthetic oil?

chiphead

MPG is like health. Everyone knows to eat well and move often, the problem is doing it. You want to burn less gas, you get a smaller engine inside of a lighter weight (small) car. Everything else makes you feel good but has marginal real benefit.

I used to drive everywhere and fill my 25 gallon tank twice a week. I changed everything around (including where I live) and now fill my 15 gallon tank once a month.

one of the reasons for the introduction of 'overdrive' on vehicles was to reduce the engine revs and so prolong engine life. as cars got faster and highways got better people would cruise at faster speeds. some young punks will even cruise at over 50 while listening to their beatles music. the engine was powerful enough to push the car at lower revs so a new gear was added, and in a stroke of marketing genius called 'overdrive'.

in short - yes use overdrive unless you can feel the car struggling (say up a hill).

i use synthetic oils as i get a longer service interval, so i dont have to change the oil as often.

cheers

Yes overdrive makes a difference in MPG. Look at your instant MPG display or put a Scanguage on your car. Overdrive is a saver, for sure.

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Less Revolutions Per Minute = Less Gas Burned Per Minute


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