Proper use of Overdrive?

Just wanted to get some insight on the Overdrive with the Tacoma’s. I personally like the way the truck performs with the truck in 4 rather than drive but I’ve seen people say it causes more and faster wear on your engine.

 

It depends on the situation.
If the trans is shifting in and out of O/D or the converter is Locking/unlocking a lot, I drive in 4th.

Towing, I drive in 4th almost all the time.

 

If I'm driving around town, l put it in 4th. Just so it's not constantly shifting in and out of 5th.
On roads where I'm constantly going 60 or 70kmh plus ( 37 - 43mph) l put it in 5th.
Towing or carrying a heavy load in the bed, l'll put it in 4th. Also to prevent the the constant 4th to 5th to 4th shifting.

 

Just because the engine is turning more RPM's doesn't mean it is hurting the engine, nor does it mean worse fuel mileage. You need a certain RPM in order to achieve torque. And these trucks need more RPM's than old school trucks. 2nd gen 4.0's develop max torque at 3600 rpm. The 3rd gens with the 3.5 need 4600 rpm. Older full size trucks only needed around 2000 rpm, and sometimes less.

Think of riding a 21 speed bike up a hill. In 21st gear you're legs are working a lot harder than they would if you dropped down to 14th gear. You're peddling more RPM's in the lower gears but it is easier on your legs. And probably faster.

As a default I start out with the transmission selector in D, which will shift up to OD. But just because it has an automatic transmission doesn't mean you can't manually select a better option depending on road conditions. Around town or on some rural roads when I'll never get over 40-45 then I often drop down to 4th gear and leave it there until I can attain steady speeds over about 50 mph.

When towing/hauling I do the opposite. I start in 4th gear and only upshift to D if conditions are favorable. That is determined by the load and terrain. If someone chooses to do this they have to be alert. If road or traffic conditions change then get out of OD and back into 4th. If you're not willing to do that just leave it in 4th gear for towing.

In mountains I'm changing gears as often as I would with a manual. Once going uphill I get out of OD. On downhill sections I downshift as needed to let the engine braking maintain a safe speed with minimal use of brakes. I spend a lot of time in 3rd or 2nd gear and occasionally 1st gear. Then as soon as I start up the next hill then it is back to 3rd or 4th depending. I find it works a LOT better to downshift going up hills BEFORE the truck starts to struggle and lose momentum. The automatic transmission is reacting to conditions AFTER they happen. I can read the road ahead and anticipate which gears are needed and shift sooner.

 

true at 80mph ........

iv found with my I4 the optimun hiway rpm isright at 2300 rpm

regardless o gear

mid atlantic east coast its risky 6th gear75-80mph without getting to know a trooper

its 4th around town

5th hi ways

6th when its hammer time