I have a 95 GLE auto and I accidently pushed in the overdrive switch. So I was stopping and going as stoplights and such, and I noticed the car was going a little slower than normal, so I figured out it was in overdrive so I pushed the switch again and turned it off. Well, even after I turned it off my car was still slower than normal? Why is it doing this?

 

the overdrive does not have anything to do with how fast your car is. Basically overdrive just gives you access to 4th gear. with it off, you don't get 4th, with it on, you do.

-Shing

 

My question doesn't relate to the Max but how come Hondas has D3 and D4. Isn't it better to have a button like Nissans do?

 

These are just two different ways to control the same thing. I prefer the button because when I drive an A/T Honda it seems all too easy to shift to D3 when I really wanted D4.

 

you have d1 d2 d3 and d so whats your point about honda??

 

I don't understand your question. Nissans have D1, D2, and D but there is NO D3 in there. Honda has D3 in there. Now, what are talking about? My point is what's the difference between the two....for a Honda you have to shift to get that 4th gear but for Nissans it's just a button.

 

so to access a 4th gear O/D has to be on? well, since there is a D1, D2, and D, does D include both the third and forth gear? how does this work

 

Yup, in order to have all 4 gears you need to have O/D on. When it's off you only have 3 gears to work with.

 

Well for Hondas, 1, 2, D3, D4 are still very similar


For both the max and the hondas, 1 and 2 are "non automatic gears" meaning that if you are in 1, you are stuck in 1 and if you are 2 you are stuck in 2 regardless of the engine speed

in the Maxima, when you put it into D with OD on, you are now in "automatic mode" meaning the car will shift 1 - 4 as needed.

When you turn OD off, the car is still automatic, but will only use 1 - 3.

In hondas, when you are in D4, your car will automatically shift 1 - 4
and in D3, 1 -3

so its essentially the same as an OD button but i guess it gives you the "feel" of being able to shift like a sport shift (manual without clutch)

But who cares, an auto is an auto no matter what way you look at it, its no standard tranny.

 

Actually, I have an interesting little tidbit about the Honda autos...at least on the 90-93 Accord auto, if you put it in 2nd gear, it will take off in 2nd. Sort of a winter mode, to avoid wheelspin...And believe me, it will. It is slow as sin taking off in 2nd!!

I don't think the Maxima has this feature...

 

I think we do. I was coming up and unplowed hill today and was spinning crazily in first, so I shifted into second(auto) and the wheel spin got much better. When I say I switched into second. I stopped and thentried taking off again, so I don't think it was a 1-2 shift.

 

I think we do. I was coming up an unplowed hill today and was spinning crazily in first, so I shifted into second(auto) and the wheel spin got much better and allowed me to get up a hill that three other cars couldn't. When I say I switched into second, I stopped and then tried taking off again, so I don't think it was a 1-2 shift that reduced the wheel spin. I could be wrong though. I'll have to try this this morning and get back to you.

 

Wait a sec. So the max only has 4 gears including the overdrive or 4 gears and an overdrive?

 

It starts in 1 then shifts to 2. Try it. If you're "cruising" in 2, at around 20mph, and floor it, it will down shift to 1 then shift back up to 2.
It doesn't lock out 1st gear like some other cars do.

As far as # of gears, there are 4 from what I can tell. I tend to manually shift the thing, and it goes from
1,2,3 (D w/ overdrive off), then 4 (D w/ overdrive on).

 

What I meant is that if you launch in second, then it appears to actually be in second gear, because it downshifts into first if you floor it. I know that it doesn't lock out first.