Toyota: Whats the Overdrive button for?, toyota tercel, automatic cars


Question
Hello. I own a '95 Toyota Tercel DX automatic transmission.
Everything works fine, but there is a panel light that indicates "O/D Off" and turns off when I activate this small button in the gear lever.
This is my first experience with automatic cars so I don't know what is this button for. I was told that this is the overdrive button. But anyway, I don't know what it does.
Thank you so much! and keep up the good work!

Answer
Hi Renato,

The "O/D Off" button disables your transmission's highest gear.  Usually you'd want to do this when you notice the transmission shifting too often between O/D and the next lower gear.  That happens in very hilly areas, or when the car is heavily loaded.  The same types of situations where you would never use 5th gear on a manual transmission.  Proper use of it will extend the transmission's lifespan and avoid excessive wear.

Most Toyota automatics also have an "ECT Power" button too.  This button holds the transmission in a lower gear to a higher RPM, giving you more power for faster takeoffs.  I'm not sure the Tercel has the electronically controlled transmission tho.

Cheers!
SherryB