Should you turn off the over drive while driving normally?

Answer 1

This depends much on the year and make of vehilce. Normally no you needn't turn off your OD under normal conditions as your transmission will shift from the lowest range to the highest range when driving and OD only kicks in after you're reached a certain speed. If you encounter large hills or mountainous terrain where your vehicle may shift up and down frequently then yes turn off your OD. This type of terrain will cause your transmission to work excessively hard which can in turn damage the transmission. As long as the road is level or small rolling hills you should be fine but avoid OD in more extreme road terrian. Many of the new vehicles these days have transmissions that compensate for this type of large hill driving where as the older style of vehicles do not. Finally consult your owners manual to see what the manufacture's recommendations are for the operation of OD.