Start laughing now - I already know this is a dumb question. Cheers! :D

I'm looking after a friend's TR Magna auto for a couple of months; previous to this I've always driven a manual. And yeah, I don't know much about cars. It's a bit of a bomb but it still goes, and he doesn't have any books for it, which is why I'm asking this here.

I was just wondering about the right combination of the two buttons I've noticed, A/T mode (down near the root of the brake) and OD (on the gearstick), for (1) driving around town, hardly ever over 50, and (2) also on the highway. I don't want to wear the car out any more than it already is, it's hanging on by a thread already! lol

Thanks and happy driving.

A/T mode will increase the shift points and the redline.
Personally I've played with all the settings and I find leaving A/T mode on (light comes on) and O/D on is the best.
shifts into 2nd about 20kmh, shifts into rd about 40kmh and shifts into 4th about 60kmh.

It's all personal preference personally, if your on the highway it doesnt matter much about A/T as it's just what gets you there, once your cruising you'll always be doing the same speed.
Also depends if you like the car to kick down to change gears or to just labour through the same gear, A/T mode is good for the early kick downs.

I found it was always better to have a/t on... its more fun when you put your foot down and the car doesnt sit around saying "UGH... do I have to?"

Yep, have the "PWR" light on all the time, ie. A/T on. My TS likes to not engage OD (4th gear) when cold or at 50 kph, so I leave that off when the engine and trans are cold, only switch it on at 60 kph or higher when it has warmed up. If your OD doesn't act up like that no harm in leaving it on all the time. ("OD off" not lit up in cluster)

MadMax, I find that Auto gearboxes won't go into overdrive (OD) when cold. This is my experience with Toyota, Isuzu and a Eunos 800.
I can't wait for the day that I get a Manual gearbox car again, it's been 10 years now since I've had a responsive and seemingly powerful car :(

What I meant was, mine won't select 4th at all, but it does drop 3rd. It will rev freely. Only does it when cold, and OD is on, and I get to 50 kph. No drive at all!

Old TS gearbox, 240,000 km, I just need to make sure OD is off when I drive off in the morning. I can live with it. lol

If the car is a bomb and you want to baby it, I'd have to say leave A/T off. While yes, you may get a performance boost, it was never designed to be left on all the time, only for quick overtaking/towing. On a car that is aged, probably not the best idea if you want to prolong its life.

As for OD, leave it off around town (anything under 60 really), and turn it on for highway. What it does is pretty much engage a "4th gear", which means better economy at higher speeds, but doesn't work too well at low speeds (actually makes the car work harder typically).

Ok I'm no expert and I have a high millage TR, but I leave O/D on as I find the engine does less work. I find when I have O/D off the engine works harder as it stuck in third. Plus I have some cash saved up if things break lol

But after reading everything on this matter on AMC, I would leave O/D off and leave the pwr button alone. While looking after the car. As to repair gearbox is a bit expensive.

If the car is a bomb and you want to baby it, I'd have to say leave A/T off. While yes, you may get a performance boost, it was never designed to be left on all the time, only for quick overtaking/towing. On a car that is aged, probably not the best idea if you want to prolong its life.

As for OD, leave it off around town (anything under 60 really), and turn it on for highway. What it does is pretty much engage a "4th gear", which means better economy at higher speeds, but doesn't work too well at low speeds (actually makes the car work harder typically).

I think M4DDOG is spot on here. I put OD on if I get up to 60km/h (mainly because the car sounds like it's ready to change up a gear) and if I'm approaching an intersection where I've gotta slow down from 60km/h I turn OD off at the time where you would normally drop down a gear in a manual. To do this you need to be listening to the engine but you'd be used to that because you said you normally drive manuals.

Ok I'm no expert and I have a high millage TR, but I leave O/D on as I find the engine does less work. I find when I have O/D off the engine works harder as it stuck in third. Plus I have some cash saved up if things break lol

But after reading everything on this matter on AMC, I would leave O/D off and leave the pwr button alone. While looking after the car. As to repair gearbox is a bit expensive.

Try not to mistake the engine "working hard" with "revving hard", just because an engine is at higher rpm, does not mean it is working harder, for example going up a hill, an engine will work harder in 4th, than it will in 2nd, even though the rpm is far higher.