<VladicRavich@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1179766696.337755.317270@y2g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
>I just bought a 1989 Volvo 740 GL and it has that button for the
> overdrive. What does it do? and when should I use it? I know this
> is probably a stupid question, but I would still much appreciate an
> answer. I'm sure whatever it is, it's only half as endearing as the
> hand cranked sunroof.
>


Since this car is an '89 and has overdrive, it has an automatic transmission
so the other replies you've had so far are not correct for this car and only
apply to pre-'87 manual transmission cars.

The overdrive button on your '89 disables the 4th gear on the transmission.
When you engage the overdrive lockout, a yellow arrow will illuminate in
your instrument cluster and the transmission will function as a 3 speed
unit, never shifting into the top gear. This is useful occasionally when
going up long hills or when towing a trailer where the transmission may
hunt, shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th with annoying frequency.
99.9% of the time you'll just want to leave the overdrive lockout
disengaged.

> The overdrive button on your '89 disables the 4th gear on the transmission.
> When you engage the overdrive lockout, a yellow arrow will illuminate in
> your instrument cluster and the transmission will function as a 3 speed
> unit, never shifting into the top gear. This is useful occasionally when
> going up long hills or when towing a trailer where the transmission may
> hunt, shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th with annoying frequency.
> 99.9% of the time you'll just want to leave the overdrive lockout
> disengaged.

I am getting confused.

I have an 88 GLE automatic. I run with it all the time without the
Yellow up arrow illumenated in the dash. Is that the way, it should
be?

I should have the arrow illuminated while climbing a mountain or going
up a steep hill tough, right?

Hameed wrote:
>
> > The overdrive button on your '89 disables the 4th gear on the transmission.
> > When you engage the overdrive lockout, a yellow arrow will illuminate in
> > your instrument cluster and the transmission will function as a 3 speed
> > unit, never shifting into the top gear. This is useful occasionally when
> > going up long hills or when towing a trailer where the transmission may
> > hunt, shifting back and forth between 3rd and 4th with annoying frequency.
> > 99.9% of the time you'll just want to leave the overdrive lockout
> > disengaged.
>
> I am getting confused.
>
> I have an 88 GLE automatic. I run with it all the time without the
> Yellow up arrow illumenated in the dash. Is that the way, it should
> be?
>
> I should have the arrow illuminated while climbing a mountain or going
> up a steep hill tough, right?

You got it....think of it as downshifting to a lower gear in a manual
when you hear the engine starting to lug....it does the same thing..
and the arrow will be on at this time...

hope helps....have fun....sno

--
No matter how dangerous nuclear power may or
may not be.....
Is it any more dangerous then what we are doing
now.....???

This tag line is generated by:
SLNG (Silly Little Nuclear Generator)

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
James Sweet <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:

> <VladicRavich@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1179766696.337755.317270@y2g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
>> I just bought a 1989 Volvo 740 GL and it has that button for the
>> overdrive. What does it do? and when should I use it? I know this
>> is probably a stupid question, but I would still much appreciate an
>> answer. I'm sure whatever it is, it's only half as endearing as the
>> hand cranked sunroof.
>>
>
>
> Since this car is an '89 and has overdrive, it has an automatic
> transmission so the other replies you've had so far are not correct
> for this car and only apply to pre-'87 manual transmission cars.
>
> The overdrive button on your '89 disables the 4th gear on the
> transmission. When you engage the overdrive lockout, a yellow arrow
> will illuminate in your instrument cluster and the transmission will
> function as a 3 speed unit, never shifting into the top gear. This is
> useful occasionally when going up long hills or when towing a trailer
> where the transmission may hunt, shifting back and forth between 3rd
> and 4th with annoying frequency. 99.9% of the time you'll just want to
> leave the overdrive lockout
> disengaged.


I've no doubt that you are right - but it seems very odd to call this
'overdrive' when it is, in fact, exactly the opposite! Or is it actually
labelled 'overdrive lockout' or somesuch - on the basis that the 4th gear is
considered to be an overdrive, and this button prevents it from being
engaged?

My previous reply related to the conventional definition of overdrive,
usually - though not exclusively - fitted behind manual transmissions.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Hi,

Roger Mills schrieb:

> I've no doubt that you are right - but it seems very odd to call
> this 'overdrive' when it is, in fact, exactly the opposite!

Well, since we had also a 760GLE long time ago, I remember now the
button.
I think, it wasn't labelled at all... ;-)


Roland

Roger Mills wrote:
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> James Sweet <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> <VladicRavich@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1179766696.337755.317270@y2g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
>>> I just bought a 1989 Volvo 740 GL and it has that button for the
>>> overdrive. What does it do? and when should I use it? I know this
>>> is probably a stupid question, but I would still much appreciate an
>>> answer. I'm sure whatever it is, it's only half as endearing as the
>>> hand cranked sunroof.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Since this car is an '89 and has overdrive, it has an automatic
>> transmission so the other replies you've had so far are not correct
>> for this car and only apply to pre-'87 manual transmission cars.
>>
>> The overdrive button on your '89 disables the 4th gear on the
>> transmission. When you engage the overdrive lockout, a yellow arrow
>> will illuminate in your instrument cluster and the transmission will
>> function as a 3 speed unit, never shifting into the top gear. This is
>> useful occasionally when going up long hills or when towing a trailer
>> where the transmission may hunt, shifting back and forth between 3rd
>> and 4th with annoying frequency. 99.9% of the time you'll just want to
>> leave the overdrive lockout
>> disengaged.
>
>
> I've no doubt that you are right - but it seems very odd to call this
> 'overdrive' when it is, in fact, exactly the opposite! Or is it actually
> labelled 'overdrive lockout' or somesuch - on the basis that the 4th gear is
> considered to be an overdrive, and this button prevents it from being
> engaged?
>
> My previous reply related to the conventional definition of overdrive,
> usually - though not exclusively - fitted behind manual transmissions.

Overdrive, fourth gear, fifth gear, another gear,... call it what you want.
Whatever you call it, it's engaged by default when you start the car
(assuming all is functioning as designed) and can be disengaged by
pressing the button or romping on the gas.

Presumably, this 'on by default' helps score better EPA/mileage ratings.

Although I've never heard or read the same about Volvos, Chevy used to
recommend disengaging their OD when putting around town as (their) OD
slows everything down in the transmission, including the pump, and could
cause excessive heat build up.
ymmv.

"Roger Mills" <watt.tyler@googlemail.com> wrote in message
news:5bfr4tF2qccjiU1@mid.individual.net...
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> James Sweet <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> <VladicRavich@gmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1179766696.337755.317270@y2g2000prf.googlegro ups.com...
>>> I just bought a 1989 Volvo 740 GL and it has that button for the
>>> overdrive. What does it do? and when should I use it? I know this
>>> is probably a stupid question, but I would still much appreciate an
>>> answer. I'm sure whatever it is, it's only half as endearing as the
>>> hand cranked sunroof.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Since this car is an '89 and has overdrive, it has an automatic
>> transmission so the other replies you've had so far are not correct
>> for this car and only apply to pre-'87 manual transmission cars.
>>
>> The overdrive button on your '89 disables the 4th gear on the
>> transmission. When you engage the overdrive lockout, a yellow arrow
>> will illuminate in your instrument cluster and the transmission will
>> function as a 3 speed unit, never shifting into the top gear. This is
>> useful occasionally when going up long hills or when towing a trailer
>> where the transmission may hunt, shifting back and forth between 3rd
>> and 4th with annoying frequency. 99.9% of the time you'll just want to
>> leave the overdrive lockout
>> disengaged.
>
>
> I've no doubt that you are right - but it seems very odd to call this
> 'overdrive' when it is, in fact, exactly the opposite! Or is it actually
> labelled 'overdrive lockout' or somesuch - on the basis that the 4th gear
> is considered to be an overdrive, and this button prevents it from being
> engaged?
>
> My previous reply related to the conventional definition of overdrive,
> usually - though not exclusively - fitted behind manual transmissions.
> --


It's not labeled as anything, it's a plain black button, and pushing it
illuminates the yellow arrow symbol and disables the automatic overdrive. I
forget what they call it in the owner's manual, but it does describe what it
does and how to use it.

Overdrive, by definition, is a gear in which the output shaft of the
transmission rotates faster than the input shaft, the term has no bearing on
whether the transmission is automatic or manual or how the mechanics of it
function.

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
James Sweet <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Overdrive, by definition, is a gear in which the output shaft of the
> transmission rotates faster than the input shaft, the term has no
> bearing on whether the transmission is automatic or manual or how the
> mechanics of it function.

I have no problem with that.

What I *do* have some difficulty with is the concept of a so-called
'overdrive' button which *prevents* the overdrive from functioning!
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!

Roger Mills wrote:
> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
> James Sweet <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> Overdrive, by definition, is a gear in which the output shaft of the
>> transmission rotates faster than the input shaft, the term has no
>> bearing on whether the transmission is automatic or manual or how the
>> mechanics of it function.
>
> I have no problem with that.
>
> What I *do* have some difficulty with is the concept of a so-called
> 'overdrive' button which *prevents* the overdrive from functioning!

So, you have a problem with a button that disengages the overdrive when
you push it... but no problem with a pedal that disengages the
transmission when you push it?
Ok...

In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
clay <clay@mation.com> wrote:

> Roger Mills wrote:
>> In an earlier contribution to this discussion,
>> James Sweet <jamessweet@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Overdrive, by definition, is a gear in which the output shaft of the
>>> transmission rotates faster than the input shaft, the term has no
>>> bearing on whether the transmission is automatic or manual or how
>>> the mechanics of it function.
>>
>> I have no problem with that.
>>
>> What I *do* have some difficulty with is the concept of a so-called
>> 'overdrive' button which *prevents* the overdrive from functioning!
>
> So, you have a problem with a button that disengages the overdrive
> when you push it... but no problem with a pedal that disengages the
> transmission when you push it?
> Ok...

I may do if it were called a 'drive' pedal. <g>

I guess it's a case of usage. The only overdrives I've come across in the UK
have had a button to *engage* them - the default when not pressed being 1:1
drive. So the concept of having the overdrive engaged by default, and
needing a button to *disengage* it is somewhat foreign to me.
--
Cheers,
Roger
______
Email address maintained for newsgroup use only, and not regularly
monitored.. Messages sent to it may not be read for several weeks.
PLEASE REPLY TO NEWSGROUP!