Overdrive on or off?
I have a class C gas ford v-10 motor home. I noticed today it drives much smoother, accelerates faster, and switches gears smoother with overdrive off. The whole time I've owned it overdrive was on. W...
Forum Discussion
Is your button labeled "O/D Off" or "Tow/Haul"?
If you have an "O/D Off" button, it's an older chassis with the four speed transmission and the button simply locks out the fourth (overdrive) gear. This can be useful when driving through areas of rolling hills, etc. You can also make it kick out of overdrive by pushing the accelerator down far enough to make it downshift.
If it's labeled "Tow/Haul," you have a newer five or six speed transmission, and the button does not disable overdrive. It instead alters the shift logic some to optimize it for heavier loads--tending to stay in lower gears longer, downshift for engine braking, and avoiding unlocking the torque converter so as to keep the transmission temperatures cooler, perhaps among other things. Since a class C motorhome is a large load for the chassis, it's perfectly reasonable to leave tow/haul engaged all the time. It's especially helpful in hilly or mountainous areas.
If you have an "O/D Off" button, it's an older chassis with the four speed transmission and the button simply locks out the fourth (overdrive) gear. This can be useful when driving through areas of rolling hills, etc. You can also make it kick out of overdrive by pushing the accelerator down far enough to make it downshift.
If it's labeled "Tow/Haul," you have a newer five or six speed transmission, and the button does not disable overdrive. It instead alters the shift logic some to optimize it for heavier loads--tending to stay in lower gears longer, downshift for engine braking, and avoiding unlocking the torque converter so as to keep the transmission temperatures cooler, perhaps among other things. Since a class C motorhome is a large load for the chassis, it's perfectly reasonable to leave tow/haul engaged all the time. It's especially helpful in hilly or mountainous areas.
