Automatic Car - Gear Symbols

[aidan80 9]

This is going to sound stupid and it is but I've never driven an automatic car before and have just bought one and noticed I have two D's (for drive) listed on my stick. One of the D's has a circle around it and one has no circle? What does this mean?

Silly question I know but I've no idea why I have to! I googled this as best I could and found nothing!

[mawilson 2,133]

Two D's? That's odd. What kind of car do you have?

Normally it's P R N D 3 2 1

(Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, 3rd, 2nd and 1st gears)

or just P R N D.

[aidan80 9]

Two D's? That's odd. What kind of car do you have?

Normally it's P R N D 3 2 1

(Park, Reverse, Neutral, Drive, 3rd, 2nd and 1st gears)

or just P R N D.

All other automatics I've seen have the P R N D 3 2 1 which explained itself! I have a 1998 Mercury Tracer.

[Ban Hammer 13,645]

This is going to sound stupid and it is but I've never driven an automatic car before and have just bought one and noticed I have two D's (for drive) listed on my stick. One of the D's has a circle around it and one has no circle? What does this mean?

Silly question I know but I've no idea why I have to! I googled this as best I could and found nothing!

the D with the O around it = overdrive. put it in that unless you're hauling a trailer.

[Scott & Lai 12]

Is your car electric? I found this link that mentions a gear shift with two "Ds", the second being "overdrive."

http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/5403244-description.html

[aidan80 9]

This is going to sound stupid and it is but I've never driven an automatic car before and have just bought one and noticed I have two D's (for drive) listed on my stick. One of the D's has a circle around it and one has no circle? What does this mean?

Silly question I know but I've no idea why I have to! I googled this as best I could and found nothing!

the D with the O around it = overdrive. put it in that unless you're hauling a trailer.

Ah.. so drive in the O? So what is the other D for? I'm assuming pulling a load as you suggested a trailer?

Thanks for your help!!

[Ban Hammer 13,645]

This is going to sound stupid and it is but I've never driven an automatic car before and have just bought one and noticed I have two D's (for drive) listed on my stick. One of the D's has a circle around it and one has no circle? What does this mean?

Silly question I know but I've no idea why I have to! I googled this as best I could and found nothing!

the D with the O around it = overdrive. put it in that unless you're hauling a trailer.

Ah.. so drive in the O? So what is the other D for? I'm assuming pulling a load as you suggested a trailer?

Thanks for your help!!

yes, overdrive for regular driving, in just D for pulling a trailer - and if you find the vehicle downshifting frequently. as it's a car i doubt you'd ever haul a trailer with it though. it's also recommended that you stick to just D if you are going up and down hills/mountains a lot due to the transmission having to shift up and down all the time. check the owner's manual if it has one, lots of good info in there about it. my truck has an overdrive, that's why i know about this

[SMOKE 1,426]

just think of it like a 4 speed manual trans. 1-2-3-4

the D w/ the O around it is overdrive or "4th" gear.

since its an automatic it shifts itself.

if you use the D "3rd" gear, your car will never shift to overdrive "4th" gear

OD help you save gas & causes less wear on your engine.

lower RPM's (Revolutions Per Minute-engine speed)

[aidan80 9]

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

[Scott & Lai 12]

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

[GaryC 7]

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

Not quite, just use the D with the O around it for every circumstance except pulling a trailer or climbing a lot of hills. Your car is smart enough to know which gear to use for anything else. Putting it in the D without the O removes it's ability to go to 4th gear. I go years without the need to put it in anything but overdrive. The overdrive gear is the one that saves the fuel because the motor turns slowest at that gear.

[Reba 2]

zackly what Gary said. Overdrive for straightaways, regular drive for when you're towing something or driving in the hills.

[Mags 112]

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

I have my hubby yelling NO! behind me.

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

:no:

Hubby again, yelling behind me NO!

Not quite, just use the D with the O around it for every circumstance except pulling a trailer or climbing a lot of hills. Your car is smart enough to know which gear to use for anything else. Putting it in the D without the O removes it's ability to go to 4th gear. I go years without the need to put it in anything but overdrive. The overdrive gear is the one that saves the fuel because the motor turns slowest at that gear.

:yes:

Hubby behind me yelling YES!!

[Ban Hammer 13,645]

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

I have my hubby yelling NO! behind me.

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

:no:

Hubby again, yelling behind me NO!

Not quite, just use the D with the O around it for every circumstance except pulling a trailer or climbing a lot of hills. Your car is smart enough to know which gear to use for anything else. Putting it in the D without the O removes it's ability to go to 4th gear. I go years without the need to put it in anything but overdrive. The overdrive gear is the one that saves the fuel because the motor turns slowest at that gear.

:yes:

Hubby behind me yelling YES!!

well i thought i had this all covered in my earlier posts but apparently not

[Mags 112]

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

I have my hubby yelling NO! behind me.

Ahhh...

Ok lets see if I've got this right.. OD = Over Drive or 4th gear, use it if I need more power (eats more fuel) e.g pulling a load or running up lots of hills? D is what I should use around the town/city (saves some fuel) for everyday driving?

I will have to look at the manual when I have some spare time.

Thank you both for your help!

:no:

Hubby again, yelling behind me NO!

Not quite, just use the D with the O around it for every circumstance except pulling a trailer or climbing a lot of hills. Your car is smart enough to know which gear to use for anything else. Putting it in the D without the O removes it's ability to go to 4th gear. I go years without the need to put it in anything but overdrive. The overdrive gear is the one that saves the fuel because the motor turns slowest at that gear.

:yes:

Hubby behind me yelling YES!!

well i thought i had this all covered in my earlier posts but apparently not

Awww is wikkle Charles' feewlings hurt?

Okay then, a belated YES YES YES from hubby behind me towards Charles' posts. :lol: