I have a 1996 chevy blazer that has 2 drive gears. One is a regular D and the other one is a D enclosed in a circle. Which drive gear should I use on a daily basis and what do they both mean?
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nectaris5
ANSWERS: 5
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The D is for regular daily driving, the other gear is overdrive OD. For a full explanation of how it works and when, see this excellent article in widipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overdrive_%28mechanics%29
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That "D" with a circle around symbolizes "over drive" which basically means "high gear". Overdrive is pretty much the same thing as 5th gear in a manual transmission, which allows for higher vehicle speed at lower engine speed. It is usually best to have the transmission is overdrive, which allows it to shift into its highest gear ratio when at high speeds. The regular "D" is just an abbreviation for gear that is the next down from overdrive. "D" is usually third gear, where "D" with a circle around it is usually 4th gear. Its usually only necessary to keep the transmission in "D" to avoid constant gear shifting when towing a heavy load such as a boat or a trailer full of furniture.
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The circle-surrounded "D" indicates that transmission can use all of its gears, including an overdrive gear (gear ratio less than 1:1). That is the setting you should use for 99.9% of your driving. If you find yourself in a situation (usually on hills) where the transmission is frequently shifting between top gear (probably 4th) and the next gear down (3rd?) and you find it bothersome, then shift into the regular "D". This will 'lock out' the top gear and reduce the number of shifts. Another situation where you might use regular "D" is if you are going down a long hill at fairly high speed and want to control your speed without constantly using the brakes. Shifting into regular "D" will additional engine braking. If the hill is steep and speeds are low, you can use "2" or "1" or "L" (or whatever lower gear indicator you have). Again, for the vast majority of your driving, just put it in O-D and forget about it. The transmission will shift when it's supposed to shift and you'll get the best possible fuel economy. Good luck.
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it stads for drive and over drive the one with the circle around it is for over drive u use that when pulling somthing so just drive on the regular d for a daily basis
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use the (D) its overdrive use less gas and its better for the motor the other D is for towing something
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