I wonder what max revs people people use in day-to-day and also in "spirited" (a.k.a. maintaining progress) driving? To be honest I rarely hit 4k, which is max torque, and the theory is to go past max torque so the next gear lands you just under max. Mine is standard 998cc 2002, 78k miles which I like to think I drive with a degree of mechanical sympathy. But then, I have just changed the oil and might get a bit more adventurous.
Safe revs?
- Thread starter Tornado
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Well... On my 1l I've always pulled hard on it, especially on trackdays it was always 4krpm+. Not afraid of hitting red line
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Redline is around 6800rpm
1 litre micra in 1st gear it ends up being around 26-28mph when it hits the limiter
I've never hit the limiter in any other gear than 1st or neutral, because I'm trying to avoid doing any damage - my car doesn't have a tachometer though so I couldn't even begin to guess where the RPM is sitting when I'm driving normally or when I'm giving it a bit of welly.
I've heard of people taking the limiter off for track days and having them hit 8 or 10k, but things tend to break when they spin fast
load matters more than RPM though, if you bury the throttle every time but change at 3800 you're more likely to break things than if you half throttle it all the way up to the limiter
1 litre micra in 1st gear it ends up being around 26-28mph when it hits the limiter
I've never hit the limiter in any other gear than 1st or neutral, because I'm trying to avoid doing any damage - my car doesn't have a tachometer though so I couldn't even begin to guess where the RPM is sitting when I'm driving normally or when I'm giving it a bit of welly.
I've heard of people taking the limiter off for track days and having them hit 8 or 10k, but things tend to break when they spin fast
load matters more than RPM though, if you bury the throttle every time but change at 3800 you're more likely to break things than if you half throttle it all the way up to the limiter
I somtimes do, but I remember when it's about to hit using the Speedo and change, plus don't go off figures really,
And tbh, 1ltr coils packs can the the limiter all day and still be fine,. Same for the rest of the CG engines really,
Just engine up to temp ect service decently be fine,
Sent from my moto g(6) using Micra Sports Club mobile app
And tbh, 1ltr coils packs can the the limiter all day and still be fine,. Same for the rest of the CG engines really,
Just engine up to temp ect service decently be fine,
Sent from my moto g(6) using Micra Sports Club mobile app
True
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Can’t beat the good limiter ????
not having a tachometer I think of it in terms of speed but yes, the longer it takes you to accelerate to the speed limit the better fuel economy you'll get, and then you just balance that against how much you're willing to piss the person behind you off or how quick you need to get to where you're going.
Most of the time I'm nowhere near the limiter when I shift, reaching the limiter slowly is more just about not knackering the engine/transmission when you can't shift early - either because you're concentrating on a roundabout or turns or if you're trying to join a motorway and focusing more on who's around you than on getting in a more appropriate gear.
Only other time I work all the way to the top of a gear is on steep hills because my car can't handle them, I see a lot of people accelerate fast up and hill to try to shift to the next gear asap which seems pointless to me because that's the highest load you can put on your engine. I'm happy to get it all the way up to 25mph in 1st taking my time to get there and then if there's still any hill left shifting and sitting at 35 in 2nd all the way up. If it's a short hill I'll do the whole thing in 1st if I have to
You don’t have to “stir the gearbox like” porridge or rev it till its screaming in protest to get anywhere to keep up with the traffic, if you buy a 1300cc bog standard K11.
I find it to be a lot less stressful & therefore safer (defensive) when avoiding “screaming throttle & brake porridge stirring driving” & I get there just as quick as all the other traffic in the queues.
Defensive driving minimises exhaust fumes carbon footprint & therefore fuel consumption for any given journey as a bonus.
I find it to be a lot less stressful & therefore safer (defensive) when avoiding “screaming throttle & brake porridge stirring driving” & I get there just as quick as all the other traffic in the queues.
Defensive driving minimises exhaust fumes carbon footprint & therefore fuel consumption for any given journey as a bonus.
OP
OP
There is one particular roundabout near me where I tend to rev a bit in third on the exit, but often go straight into 5th to cruise at the limit. And a local hill where I'm unsure about high revs in 2nd or a bit too low in 3rd. So maybe I'll keep the revs up. I suppose my usual style is trying to be economical while not holding anyone up, and enjoying the odd corner. I'm happy to move over if someone behind is in a hurry, especially if I'm at the speed limit. (One might think I'm fairly new to this whole driving thing, but not so).
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always better to be in higher revs in 2nd than lower revs in 3rd in high load situations, it might cost a bit more on fuel but being in too high of a gear bogs down your engine because the engine is running at a gearing disadvantage. I'd rather spend a bit more at the petrol pump than prematurely wear out my engine and transmission by putting bigger forces on it. The difference in cost isn't so much, but being patient and holding a speed that works for your gears (for example, 25-30mph in 2nd) until the road levels out and then using the normal gear you would use is cheaper than trying to accelerate up the hill quickly like a lot of people do so they can get to the next gear
I used to make this mistake in my first few years of driving where I would try to be in 4th or 5th at the lowest possible speeds because I thought it would save me money to drive in those gears with my foot deeper on the pedal. A lot of people think you're finished learning to drive once you pass the test but it takes a good few more years than that in my opinion and in some ways I'm still learning now that's why I come on here
Engineering explained (a car guy on youtube) has some great videos on this topic where he has an RPM gauge and a load gauge on his car and drives on some hills, as well as some where he shows what's happening during engine braking and whether it's a good or bad thing to use the compression of the engine to slow down
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OP
OP
Ok, I've just drive up my local hill between two roundabouts at 23-28 or so in 2nd, and it seems about right, as long as I resist the impulse to go any faster. There is a local bend that seems to want gear 2.5, but that's a different story. "Engineering explained" is interesting, though in one clip he says to red line it in every gear before changing up for max acceleration. He must mean hire cars.
