Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike51Merc
I agree it can be done, but I still think it's a bad habit. Some people treat that lever like an on/off switch. The default position should have OD enabled, and then only disabled for special circumstances. That's what it was designed to do.
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It may help to remember that the 'lockout' handle/lever/knob/cable is purely mechanical in operation. It does nothing electrically; it is not connected to the overdrive wiring.
Also, remember that the reverse shift arm is connected to the lockout mechanism internally because if the overdrive is electrically engaged, (a short, maybe?) the car cannot move backward.
So every time you shift into reverse, you are doing the same thing the lockout cable does when you pull it out.
One of the special circumstances you mention would be engine braking on a steep downhill. The owner's manual didn't tell you to stop to pull out the lockout cable. It said to hit the kickdown switch and immediately pull the cable out, then back off the gas for engine braking as soon as the trans shifted back to direct drive. Another circumstance would be trailer towing.