How do you take the overdrive off in an S10?

[Ducaire]

I drive a 1990, automatic S10. Is there an overdrive on it? And if so, can it be turned off an on? Sometimes I wonder if I'm not driving with it on.

[OverBoardProject]

If your truck has the origional type transmission you do have overdrive.

If it's anything like my 85 Put it in D, or #3 and you won't be in it. the overdrive symbol is a d with a O around it.

[Ducaire]

Originally Posted by OverBoardProject

If your truck has the origional type transmission you do have overdrive.

If it's anything like my 85 Put it in D, or #3 and you won't be in it. the overdrive symbol is a d with a O around it.

But that would be like putting it in a lower gear, wouldn't it? I thought overdrive was where the engine revs higher so it has more power to get up hills and stuff like that, and was wondering whether I could take mine off because there aren't any steep hills around where I live.

[I don't know much about automotive (and there is a D with a round box around it )]

[OverBoardProject]

That D with a round box is where you will want to leave it then, except if you tow anything more than an empty trailer, or haul a heavy truck full of stuff. Then you want to just use the D setting, or #3.

[dmbrisket 51]

overdrive is a lower gear so you burn less gas, ie the overdrive knocks the rpm's down, harder on the moter and transmission if your towing and or going up and down hills, if you live in a flat area, od is fine, if you want the max life out of your moter and tranny, keep out of the gas, and dont tow in overdrive, that is the quickest way to fu*k up a good tranny.

[smoothchev]

Originally Posted by Ducaire

But that would be like putting it in a lower gear, wouldn't it? I thought overdrive was where the engine revs higher so it has more power to get up hills and stuff like that, and was wondering whether I could take mine off because there aren't any steep hills around where I live.

[I don't know much about automotive (and there is a D with a round box around it )]

Overdrive is exactly the oposite. Most newer manual and autmatic transmissions have an overdrive. The definition of "overdrive" is; any gear ratio less than 1:1. Take your S-10 for example. It has a 4 speed automatic trans. 1st and 2nd gear are a higher ratio than 1:1, probably like 2.75:1 or so. 3rd, however, is actually not even a gear! All of the internals of the trans esentially "lock" together, creating a 1:1 ratio. Now that we have that out of the way ;-o 4th gear, or overdrive, is a gear AFTER 3rd. It cannot be removed as it is a gear inside your transmission. The actual ratio might be around 0.75:1, allowing the engine to actually turn slower than the output of the trans. I imagine they got the name overdrive since the output of the trans is spinning faster than the engine in that particular gear. This is a little longer than I wanted it to be, sorry guys (and gals).

[OverBoardProject]

And of course you can become even more confused looking into the rear end ratio, and tire sizes. The larger the tire, or the lower the gear ratio in the differential the lower that your engine will rev at highway speeds.

You don't want to change this so much that your engine is almost at the stall point at highway speeds

[dmbrisket 51]

so the torque converter is locked up in 3rd?

[OverBoardProject]

I might be wrong but I believe that the torque converter lockes up in all the gears shortly before the shift point

[smoothchev]

Originally Posted by OverBoardProject

I might be wrong but I believe that the torque converter lockes up in all the gears shortly before the shift point

It is actuall after it shifts, and it'll only lock up in 3rd or OD, depending of course on which gear you have selected. The throttle position factors into the equasion, too. Hence, more throttle, later lockup.