Hi,

I am new to this board. I have '95 Z28, it has an automatic transmission. I have always drove the car in overdrive. The other day a friend of mine said that I should drive it in drive instead of overdrive. He said that it will perform better than in overdrive. I tried that and noticed that I had better trottle response. However, I was reading up on auto trannies and most web sites said that you should always drive in overdrive.

I was wondering what other people thought on this board?

Thanks for your thoughts

 

When you're doing highway driving you want to be in OD. If you're in drive going everywhere, yeah you'll have better throttle response, but you lose gas mileage at almost a doubling pace.

The reason the drive has better throttle responce is because it keeps your car running 1000 RPM's higher than it does in OD. The 'automatic overdrive' kicks in when you're passing someone, probably on the highway. There's really no point in keeping your car in drive when you're driving around unless you just like the 'sound' better because of the higher revving. You lose gas mileage....

 

If you aren't hauling a trailer, run in the highest gear (OD) you can. It saves gas and wear on the engine. True, in D (3rd) you have more part throttle response because the engine is turning faster and you have more gear reduction for more torque to the wheels, but the automatic will downshift a gear (or two) when you push the accelerator down far enough. That's how it was designed to work. IMO, keeping the engine revs up at very little throttle opening is a waste of everything. Cruising in D (3rd) is like having a 3-speed automatic.

The same can be said for a manual. If your Camaro will cruise and part-throttle accelerate from 1200 rpm or so in 6th, drive it like that. If you need more acceleration, or you are approaching WOT, downshift a gear, or two, or 3!.

A family 2000SS LS1 with a couple of inlet air mods which runs 13.0 at 109 mph pulls very comfortably from 1200 rpm in traffic, and the engine never "lugs". That's one reason the stock engine has the flat torque curve it does. The driver recently did a "2nd-gear pull" against a Mustang, but forgot he was in 4th. He discovered it quite soon after the run started, but didn't need to down shift to win. Mustang guy thought his car was quite quick to keep close to a Camaro. He never knew the rest of the story.

My $.02

 

Thanks for your opinions!!

 

what the *****

 

I think he means that it kicks OUT of overdrive when passing.

 

LMFAO!!