ECT Button

From the Toyota Rav4 FAQ @

The ECT button (which stands for "Electronically Controlled Transmission") changes the shift points for the automatic transmission. When engaged, the transmission shifts later, allowing the engine to get to a higher power level and accelerate faster. Gas mileage is usually reduced in this mode. Use it when you need to get up to speed faster; for example, to merge into fast moving traffic. The normal position for this switch is OFF.

OD, or OverDrive, is a 4th gear on the transmission that will engage when you are going above about 35 mph that lets the engine operate at a lower speed (RPMs) when all it has to do is maintain a high speed when you are going over flat, even highway. This improves fuel economy. Technically, any transmission gear with a ratio of less than 1:1 is considered "OverDrive". OD can normally be left ON except when going up a gradual hill; the overdrive tends to not give the engine enough power to maintain a steady speed. This may cause the transmission to annoyingly "hunt" between 3rd and 4th gear.

I read your response. Thanks for the quick hit back, but I am honestly lucky I know the make and model of my car. I am a complete idiot. I just want to make sure that I understand.

The ECT has nothing to do with rain or snow. I only turn it on when I need to speed up fast.

I leave the OD on almost all the time. Do I turn it off in slippery conditions?

Dean wrote:

It changes the personality of the transmission.

The default personality is for economy, shifts come early on the up-shift side, and are delayed on the down-shift side. When you press the ECT button, shift points are held longer to provide more power, and down shifts come earlier to give power sooner. The affect of this is greater fuel consumption, because of the resulting higher engine speeds.

ECT has nothing to do with snow or ice. Most of the time, most people will have no reason to press the ECT button. Most people can do the same thing by simply holding the gas pedal down. Personally, I think that holding the gas pedal down is silly unless one is entering the freeway.

You should leave the OD on most of the time. A good time to switch it off is when you are going uphill on the freeway, and the transmission searches for a gear. It will shift down from OD to 3rd or 4th (whatever is available, depending on the transmission), then shift back to OD after a few hundred yards, then downshift again. When this happens you should simply shift out of OD until you get to the top of the hill.

Well, it depends on the make and model of your vehicle. On my '01 Highlander, the "ECT SNOW" button changes the transmission to allow easier starts under slippery conditions. I believe it won't let the transmission into first gear. On my '94 ES300 and '95 Camry, the "ECT PWR/NORM" button changes the transmission to provide more power as described earlier.

As for the OD button, leave it in normal condition unless the transmission is hunting between 3 and 4 while straining to go up a hill or to perform some engine braking to avoid using the brake petal while going down a steep hill.

You may want to check your owners manual for a description of the features of your vehicle. It's full of a lot of useful information.

Paul.