Q for experienced drivers...

[December]

Is it better to run your engine on almost no torque (meaning you change into a higher gear sooner rather than later) or is it better to keep the torque when driving at around 2000rpm (only changing gears when you get too much torque) ?

I got a 81kw Leon with max 4300rpm and since i'm still learning to drive properly i'm not sure what to do.

My father who has been driving for 20 years now says i should change into a higher gear often and not let the engine go above 2000rpm.

Anyway, i thought i'd ask you guys aswell; good day.

 

[m0rk]

You shouldn't labour the engine - that's key. also you should try not to rev it, but if you 'have' to - make sure the engine is up to temperature.

 

[D3DNA]

Best advice is to keep driving, you will pick up the engines likes and dislikes based on the way you drive.
To elaborate on what m0rk says getting to the highest gear (short shifting) will help save fuel but tackling hills, inclines, or laden will have a detremental effect to the performance and can hurt the engine. Again if you red-line in each gear you will also tend to wear out parts a lot quicker as you are taking them closer to there maximum tolerances. Anywhere in between should be safe.

 

[ChrisUK]

change into a higher gear often and not let the engine go above 2000rpm.

Erm..why ?

Obviously this would save on fuel, but to NEVER let it go above 2k rpm is beyond me.

When I'm driving around town taking it easy, I normally change around 2k as I'm plodding about, but on motorway driving, accellerating on a slip road, going up an incline etc, it's healthy for you to go to whatever rpm is needed to get you to where you need to be.

I wouldn't take your pops advice on this one, just drive your car for a week or so in a variety of styles, and choose one that suits you best

As long as your not red lining it every day, you'll be fine - (ps if you are giving it some, make sure your engine temp is warmed to 90 Deg 1st - that way you shouldn't do any long term damage !!!)

 

[redcupratdi]

change at 2,000rpm cold engine

shift at around 3,000 3,500 during normal driving to keep vanes exercised and to fully

i drove for a week with revs below 2,000rpm then the turbo broke

keep it in the zone 1,800 - 3,500rpm it's at it best.

don't change early use the torque
"taxi" is the best term for that 5th gear at 30! big "no,no"

drive for 15mins normally before giving it stick!

 

[redcupratdi]

My father who has been driving for 20 years now says i should change into a higher gear often and not let the engine go above 2000rpm.

Anyway, i thought i'd ask you guys aswell; good day.

inlet manifold and turbo would sieze and clog preety quickly if you never went above 2,000rpm might as well have a N/A Diesel.

keep it busy without stressing it,, change between 2,5, 3,5rpm

 

[December]

Hmm;

For 20 years he only drove romanian cars and they all had only 4 gears.
I remember when we bought this car (about 1 month ago) he wasn't used to having 5 gears and sometimes instead of going forward to 3rd gear he would go forward and right going straight into 5th gear >_<.

This one time we were going uphill on this wide and busy road and i was going on about how good VW Diesel engines are (around this time the car started to behave a little unnatural).
He then looked out the window and saw a romanian car ( a Dacia Logan - built by Renault now ) overtaking us uphill quite easily and he said:
"See ? Renault engine are more powerful; I told you we should have bought a Dacia or a Renault."

At that point i gazed at the gearknob and noticed he was in 5th gear doing 30km/h uphill...
I realised the damage done to the car but i simply could not stop laughing
Anyway we ended up overtaking the same car he saw going uphill "so quickly".

 

[redcupratdi]

he could become a taxi driver!

 

[December]

The taxi drivers here suck ass :|. They're all driving the company's cars and they're all insured so they behave like lunatics on the road.

 

[Cupra Rrr]

Get your foot down lad - shift just before the govenor kicks in!! They love it. My LCR gets going from around 2200 rpm up to around 5k and then it chucks a bit more in to take her right up to the limiter!!

 

[scottzedal]

Well said Cupra Rrr.

Just get in and drive the thing.......fast!!!

I think i must get stuck behind your dad on the way to and from work everyday Carpathian.

Never rev above 2000rpm.... what a load of ass.

So long as you don't thrash when cold, the engine will be fine whatever you do.

Labouring the engine is the only other no no.

Engine's nowadays are increddibly resilliant, it's normally the electrics that are poor.

I had a 306 gti6 and revved the hoop of that for 50,000 miles and it still sounded and felt as fresh the day i sold it.

 

[Fluke]

Get your foot down lad - shift just before the govenor kicks in!! They love it. My LCR gets going from around 2200 rpm up to around 5k and then it chucks a bit more in to take her right up to the limiter!!

Read the first post. He has a diesel. Max torque at 1,900rpm. Max rpm = 4,300.

I haven't been around here for long, but it's amazing how often the petrol heads butt-in with irrelevant comments when we are talking about diesels.

For my money, there is no point in reving it higher if you can change up and still be at or near maximum torque. Same goes for a petrol engine. So for the 6-speed box in my FR TDi 150, this means rarely going above 3,500rpm.

 

[December]

Read the first post. He has a diesel. Max torque at 1,900rpm. Max rpm = 4,300.

I haven't been around here for long, but it's amazing how often the petrol heads butt-in with irrelevant comments when we are talking about diesels.

For my money, there is no point in reving it higher if you can change up and still be at or near maximum torque. Same goes for a petrol engine. So for the 6-speed box in my FR TDi 150, this means rarely going above 3,500rpm.

Thanks; greatly appreciated.

 

[scottzedal]

Allright sweety put your dummy back in!!!!

I understand your frustrated at running around in a smoke machine but you shouldn't take it out on us LCR's.

Everyone's entitled to an opinion and all that.......

 

[daniel_owen_uk]

No one can really tell you how to drive, everyone has their own style.

What you need to do is get used to where the power is in the rev range, then drive within that, if you are being conservative then keep at the lower of that range, if you are driving more spirited then keep at the top of that range.

Your old man is basically telling you to be conservative, which is what all Dads do, my old man told me not to buy something quick, although he is coming round to liking the LC.

 

[December]

"smoke machine" lol... Diesel > Petrol !

 

[Fluke]

What you need to do is get used to where the power is in the rev range, then drive within that,

No.
Get used to where the torque is, not the power, and drive within that. Easy mistake to make because in most modern petrol engines the peak power and the peak torque are in almost the same place - very close to the red line.

But on a diesel, laie many older petrol engines, the peak torque is delivered at much lower rpm than peak power. To be conservatively, don't stray too far above peak torque. To drive spiritedly, keep the revs between the two peaks, and preferably closer tp peak torque than peak power.

I know this from driving hot MG Midgets competitively. They have max rpm at the red line aroun d 7,000, but max torque around 3,500, and thats where you want to keep the needle. In anything other than top gear, you only go far enough above peak torque so that when you change up, you will engage the new gear at peak torque.