markwilliam1 Posted April 3, 2017 Share Posted April 3, 2017 So I've had Grannie 1 year now and driven her around Ohio. Have the Automatic. Was always disappointed in the power! Even on the Interstate I would have to downshift on a long hill. Trouble maintaining 55MPH. While driving her yesterday I downshifted to 2nd and put her back in drive and she shifted Twice more in drive. I'm thinking am I in Overdrive? So I pushed the OD button and the dash light illuminated saying OFF (the light wasn't lit when in OD!) It felt like I had a turbo charger. I had POWER! I thought the light would say ON when I pushed the OD button! I have been driving in OD the entire time. Now I know why OD is not recommended for the 22RE. Man I felt Stupid but I'm Happy now. She feels like a race RV now. A little louder but much more fun to drive. Live & Learn Lol! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Blu Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 My overdrive light has been acting strange. A couple of days ago I was climbing a hill and thought to turn on the overdrive to try it as I have little experience driving this rig. Learning all sorts of things. For the first time ever, I noticed that there isn't a Overdrive ON light right next to the Overdirve Off light. The former being a blue hue, and the latter being a reddish orange. Prior to this last drive, the overdrive OFF light would go on and off if I pushed the button on the shifter arm. Never saw the ON light before. The issue Thant i a man having no worries is that the Overdrive ON light will now not turn off. It stays on regardless of how many times i push the littleness button. Tried turning truck off, and then on again. The Overdrove ON light still stays on. What is going on here? HELP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted June 13, 2017 Share Posted June 13, 2017 There is no overdrive on light. Only off Don't know what your looking at. Where is this mysterious light. I'm in my 86 Sunrader right now and will look. Linda S Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted June 13, 2017 Author Share Posted June 13, 2017 All I know is on my previously, briefly owned, 1986 Winnie on a 1986 Toyota chassis when I pushed the OD switch the OD light illuminated saying ON. Now on my 1986 Granville on a 1985 Toyota chassis when I push the OD switch the OD light illuminates saying OFF! How strange indeed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 a blue hue? High beams? The 4 cylinder is way underpowered. One has to use lower gears and wind them up a bit. I gather the 4 cylinder is a good engine that can handle it. I have a 6 cylinder - it is also underpowered. I can use the OD on flat highways at 60 mph. Any hill or overpass causes it to downshift. Driving these RV's is a classic case of "energy mgt". Slow acceleration, sacrificing speed going on up hills, coasting to stops. If you drive these like a car - especially if you are a go go go stop stop stop kind of a driver, you will be disappointed. Learning how to observe RPM without a gauge is a skill that will help a lot - knowing RPM helps one decide what gear they should be in. Gear selection can be manipulated on the 6cylinder (for sure) and pretty much on all automatic transmissions. Typically, one puts a AT in "D" and only uses low or 2 downhill. In the 6 cylinder while operating in mountains (I have many miles in Colorado), I will put it into "2" so I can keep the engine in its power curve. Engines develop their best power at different ranges/ On the 6, 2nd gear at 45 is good mix of RPM/ power without over revving the engine. On really tough hills, 1st at 15-20 works. No doubt the 4 cylinder is going to have to work much harder. Which is why OD on the 4 cylinder is pretty much useless. Maybe on really flat highways or downhills. In both 4 & 6, matching desired RPM with a speed may mean that optimum operation at highway speeds other then what one would drive a normal car. BTW, the 6 cylinder has "ECT" mode - which changes the gear selection to generate more power (delays upshifts and downshifts so the engine RPM's are higher). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted June 18, 2017 Author Share Posted June 18, 2017 Thanks Dan! Power Management 101. I have my shifter on the floor. In learning to drive Grannie I have been engaging the OD only while going down hills or on very flat roads. Easy to push the button on the floor shift. I pretend I'm shifting LOL! On approaching an incline I disengage the OD and frequently downshift to 2nd to try and maintain the speed and keep the little 4 from bogging down. Has been working well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Blu Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Linda, the overdrive "on" light is blue in color and sits directly at the left of the overdrive "off" light which is red/orange in color. Both are same size square. When first purchased last fall, I tested OD on highway. There was no "on" light visible at that time. Did not even know it existed until one day when I tested it again this spring. At that time, the "on" light appeared. On that day, the blue-ish " on" light would not turn off again even as disengaged OD several times. Currently, neither light appears as I push the button in and out. What is going on here??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted July 9, 2017 Share Posted July 9, 2017 Yes I realized later the light was there. I never use it so forgot. Easy to tell if your overdrive works or not. If so it might just be the lights. If not working above my pay grade. Need to find out if always on or always off. Always off is what I use anyway. Always on would be a mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister Blu Posted September 18, 2017 Share Posted September 18, 2017 Turns out the aforementioned blue "overdrive" light is simple an illumination light. It is on when the lights are on. Directly next to it, to the right, is the Orange OFF light. Pardon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek up North Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 I think a blue dash light is pretty universally used to indicate 'High' beams. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 When the light is on the OD is off. Does that make sense? No but that is the way it is. I know of no "blue" OD light if there is it's an add on. If the MH is struggling or shifting in and out of OD turn it off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linda s Posted September 19, 2017 Share Posted September 19, 2017 When your headlights are on the word over-drive lights up. Mine looks green but maybe that's what he's talking about. Just lit so you can see it at night Linda Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted September 20, 2017 Share Posted September 20, 2017 Install a tach and learn how to drive like your Toyhouse is a semi. Keep it in the middle of the power band and don't worry about what gear you are in. I live in a hill part of Wisconsin and drive about 60 miles to my some land that I own. I have to shift the RV like it is a stick because of the constant up and down driving. You get used to it and forget that it is really an "automatic". The engine starts to get low on RPM's if I let the tranny do its own shifting and my speed drops off quickly. Our hills are only about 500 ft tall but they are steep, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanAatTheCape Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 it is all about energy mgt - the 4 cylinder is a tough little engine - what Bob C said!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 Hey Bob, just had my tranny flushed and refilled. I spoke with the manager and he recommended not manually shifting the auto transmission but let it shift itself. I've been using your method for the last year and seems to be much better than letting the tranny shift itself. Do you think this is causing Any harm? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WME Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 Keep shifting yourself.... Remember the Toyota transmission was designed for a 3500lb pickup not a 6000lb motorhome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted October 2, 2017 Author Share Posted October 2, 2017 Thanks WME! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob C Posted October 2, 2017 Share Posted October 2, 2017 On our hills my speed drops off along with engine RPM's. I would rather shift it myself and not worry about burning the valves due to lugging the engine. These 22Re engines have a red line of 5500 and they love to spin. I try not to spin above about 4800 but that gives me about 45 mph in second gear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markwilliam1 Posted October 3, 2017 Author Share Posted October 3, 2017 Thanks Bob! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maineah Posted October 3, 2017 Share Posted October 3, 2017 On 10/2/2017 at 10:40 AM, markwilliam1 said: Hey Bob, just had my tranny flushed and refilled. I spoke with the manager and he recommended not manually shifting the auto transmission but let it shift itself. I've been using your method for the last year and seems to be much better than letting the tranny shift itself. Do you think this is causing Any harm? No, but it kind of seems counterproductive the only gear I would shift manually would be OD if the TV cable is adjusted properly you should be able to come close to red line with your foot to the floor before it shifts up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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