what is it i always see the little od button but never know when to use it anyone wanna shed some light?

 

towing

 

is that all?
i never use it when hauling but i figured that was what it was for

 

Maybe not ALWAYS towing. If you're crusing on fairly level ground and the engine does not have to work hard, let it run in overdrive. I do.

Another time though to disable OD is coming down a steep grade. Locking the OD out may be just enough to keep you from having to ride the brakes. (In a steeper hill though, I shift into second).

- Jack

 

I normally use it when im in town where the speed limit is 40mph, just so it doesnt shift and stay in the bottom of od. also if my wheels are clean, i kick od off when slowing down to reduce brake dust.

 

Have you read your owner's manual? Your answer is already there.

Steve

 

Turning off OD 'locks', for lack of better words, the tranny out of Overdrive, which is 4th gear.

I turn it off if my tranny is hunting back and forth between 3rd and 4th gear, if Im cruising at a speed that will kick it from overdrive to 2nd if I go WOT I hit the OD button to shift it to third, then bunch it so I have a 3-2 downshift, instead of a 4-2 downshift which can be hard on trannys...
I think the truck actually tops out at a higher speed with OD off too, since running in 3rd at a higer RPM you are making more power to push the truck.

There are many times that I will turn OD off, just experiment and see how your truck reacts.

 

I turn mine off on hilly country roads around here, when I'm going 35-45. It actually pulls the hills turning less rpms than if I leave OD on.

 

I always turn mine off when climbing. My tranny likes it a lot better without OD when going uphill. especially at elevation with a load.

 

With OD off, all the trans internals lock together and spin as one piece. The input shaft equals the output shaft. It's an efficient way to run at slower speeds and with a cold trans, and when towing.

In winter I start out with the OD off and turn it back on after the trans oil heats up. I'll get a little bet better gas mileage doing that.

 

good information here.

I usually OD off when towing as i get up to speed, then once im cruising ill click it back on

 

Usually the od button turns it OFF, by default od is usually on, and is for highway/higher speed cruising, basically. This is a basic driving thing, and it should be in your handbook.

OD works like a higher gear. When do you use a higher gear? When speed and incline permits. You will save fuel using it appropriately, as it allows your engine to rev lower for the same speed, also if it locks the drive train as it were (in auto) it reduces the energy loss through an auto transmission by making it direct rather than the indirect sort of drive you get with an auto transmission (mine's standard so I'm assuming ford auto od is the same as most)