There are affiliate links on this article. If you make a purchase through any of the links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
O/D, meaning “Over Drive” is the last gear of your vehicle’s transmission. On automatic transmissions, the O/D engages (when needed) and disengages (when not needed) at specific times. In most cars, you’d find an O/D button that allows you to turn the overdrive function on/off.
The O/D function has a corresponding light on your car’s dashboard; hence, you may see an O/D Off notification on your car’s dashboard at some time. So, what does O/D off mean in a car dashboard?
O/D off means you have deactivated the overdrive function in your car, which further implies that your car won’t shift to the last gear.
Understanding What O/D Means In Modern Vehicles
O/D means “Overdrive,” and it is the last gear of every automatic transmission. If you drive a modern vehicle with automatic transmission, at some point while driving, your car would automatically switch to the overdrive gear when the system deems it fit.
There is actually no special function of the overdrive gear; if you’re driving through a steep and your car has a 4-gear auto transmission, you might just need to turn off the O/D function, so you can enjoy a smooth ride with the third gear.
But then, the overdrive gear helps to improve engine efficiency. Modern cars are built to be very smart that they know what’s best for the engine; turning off the O/D function may affect your car’s engine efficiency.
What Does O/D Off Mean In A Car Dashboard?
When the O/D Off light/notification throws up on your car’s dashboard or center console, it means you have deactivated the overdrive function; hence, your car won’t go into the highest gear(s) regardless of your driving style.
Most times, you may not know when you turned off the overdrive feature, but for the O/D Off notification to come on, you actually deactivated the overdrive.
In most cars, the O/D On/Off button is located on the gear selector; in some cars, you’d find the button located in any “good” space close to the driver’s seat or the gear selector.
Regardless of where the overdrive button is placed, when pressed, it either turns off the overdrive feature in your car or turns it on. So, when you see the O/D Off notification, you should simply look out for the O/D button and press it – the notification would clear off.
How Does Overdrive Work?
Most American cars come with a 4-speed automatic transmission identified with P R N D 2 1 on the dashboard. P is for Park; R for Reverse; N for Neutral; D for Drive; 2 for the Second gear; and 1 for the First gear.
Cars with O/D transmissions have additional gear, so you’d see something like this: P R N D 3 2 1, where the number “3” is the “Overdrive” gear. If you push the OD button, you’d lock out the third gear, and if you push it again, you’d reactivate the overdrive gear.
Sometimes, the “Overdrive” button is written as the “Tow button” since you’d need to lock out the O/D gear if you want to use your car to tow a load or haul heavy items. With the overdrive gear locked out, your car would only switch between the other “lower” gears.
Some cars have up to 6 gears, the overdrive gears in such transmissions are the 5 & 6 gears. So, disabling the overdrive gears means locking out the 5th and 6th gears of such cars.
There are driving conditions when the overdrive needs to be turned on, and there are conditions when it should be turned off. So, when do these conditions apply? When should you turn on/off the overdrive gear?
When To Turn On/Off The Overdrive Gear
It is advisable to leave the overdrive gear active; modern cars are designed to automatically know when to switch on/off the overdrive gear.
However, during towing, or hauling heavy items, it is best to turn off the O/D gear to ensure more power and efficiency in such conditions.
Related Questions
Is It Ok To Drive With Overdrive Off?
Driving with the overdrive gear turned off won’t hurt your car’s engine or the transmission. However, if you’re not towing or hauling with the car, it is best to leave the O/D feature activated.
Does Turning Overdrive Off Make You Go Faster?
To some extent, turning off overdrive makes you drive/accelerate faster with good RPMs. However, your car may make some noise when this feature is turned off; if you want a quieter ride, turn on overdrive.
Should You Use Overdrive In Snow?
While driving in the snow, it is advisable to turn off overdrive and cruise control; you should drive the car in your own style. Also, before the snow season, it is important to prep your car for snow driving, which means winterizing your car.
How To Turn On/Off Overdrive?
Look towards the gear selector; you’d find the O/D button there; it’s either built into the gear selector or placed around the area. Press the O/D button to either turn on or turn overdrive.
Summary
Summarily, what does O/D Off mean? The notification is on your dashboard because you turned off the overdrive feature. Well, you may have done it unintentionally, so, all you need to do is to look out for the O/D button and press it again to clear the notification.
The overdrive feature in every modern gear activates the final gear of the transmission in the car. While this feature is pretty necessary, it is not compulsory to have it turned on, which means that you can drive with the O/D off notification showing on the dashboard.
You may also want to read: