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can your car idle in 5th gear? does it even mater?

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Old 05-31-04, 08:41 PM
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can your car idle in 5th gear? does it even mater?

this one certainly isnt going to be heading to the archives anytime soon. ohwell.

but anyway, ive been experimenting with bogging my engine while cruising around for the sake of getting better gas milage, hearing that distinctive lowrpm/high load rumble, and well just for the hell of it.

i relized my car can idle (0 throtle) in 5th gear at like 600rpm and also hold 800rpm in 4th gear; without stalling

does this mean anything? i know that we are usualy concerned with what our engines can do at high rpm/full throttle, but can anything be gleaned from how an engine behaves at extreamy low rpm and little or no throtle?

just curious

thanks

-andy
Old 05-31-04, 08:45 PM
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I doubt you're saving gas this way- it'll take that much more fuel to spool it back up again when needed...Besides, haven't you read all the threads where guys are saying they get better gas mileage at faster speeds/ higher nominal rpms? (including me)...want better mileage? if you're not getting at least 25 highway, it's time for a tune-up...
Old 05-31-04, 08:51 PM
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well im not saying that im getting amazing milage by bogging it down bellow 1krpm, but i just stumbled upon this by pushing the bogging until i got to idle. i am of the camp that lower rpm/highr throtle will result in better milage, but that not what this thread is about anyway.

i realy just was curious if anything can be said about an engine from the way it behves at very low rpm.
Old 05-31-04, 08:54 PM
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if you're making more than 300rwhp, 25mpg is a pipe dream.
Old 05-31-04, 10:42 PM
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why do i think mario brothers all of the sudden?


25mpg is pretty nice, I was gettign low to mid 20s on my roadtrip right after the 5spd install.

however, my car will stall anything below 1500 in 5th gear...
Old 05-31-04, 11:03 PM
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so you're saying that holding low rpms with high throttle....... oh... no... wait... if I hold high throttle at low rpms, the rpms will increase ..... yeah, I don't get what you're trying to say. And who wants to go slow on the highway, it's only 2500 rpms to go 70 or so anyway right?

As far as mileage, just keep it beneath 3 grand and you're golden.

With no heavy throttle and shift low you're fine for city.

For highway, I got about 30 mpg on a 1000 mile trip driving 80+ the whole way (that's almost exactly 3 grand on the tach, that's where it seems happiest for long periods)

Last edited by Chimeron; 05-31-04 at 11:07 PM.
Old 05-31-04, 11:11 PM
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im not saying i drive it like this! it was in an empty parking lot baisicaly purely for &hits and gigles, but it got me wondering....
Old 06-01-04, 12:38 AM
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Originally posted by Chimeron
And who wants to go slow on the highway, it's only 2500 rpms to go 70 or so anyway right?

As far as mileage, just keep it beneath 3 grand and you're golden.

With no heavy throttle and shift low you're fine for city.

For highway, I got about 30 mpg on a 1000 mile trip driving 80+ the whole way (that's almost exactly 3 grand on the tach, that's where it seems happiest for long periods)
A tii 5th gear is shorter than the n/a 5th. 3k in fifth is slow :P
Old 06-01-04, 12:53 AM
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Almost everyone's car should do it. It's basically a good way to test how well your ECU/etc is functioning, as it pretty much needs to best conditions to work. Vac leaks/bad plugs/anything else will generally cause it to stall out before-hand.
Old 06-01-04, 12:59 AM
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Wait, like put the car in 5th gear while it stopped. And let the clutch out? While you are not moving?
Old 06-01-04, 01:02 AM
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Originally posted by Wankel7
Wait, like put the car in 5th gear while it stopped. And let the clutch out? While you are not moving?
If you are stopped and it IDLES then you have a bad clutch....a slipping clutch.
Old 06-01-04, 01:06 AM
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Originally posted by Wankel7
Wait, like put the car in 5th gear while it stopped. And let the clutch out? While you are not moving?
The idea is to generally gently let the car decel to that range, as trying to start from there is going to kill your clutch/be a pain in the ***. It's pretty funny bumpin along at that slow of speed.
Old 06-01-04, 03:42 PM
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no no, dont start it in 5th gear! start in 1st then shift up through the gears at like 1.5krpm until you get to fifth and just let the gas out and see what it does.

so it generaly means the engine is in good shape? sweet!
Old 06-01-04, 04:04 PM
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I've been told that luggin the engine, is bad for gas mileage. You want it to perform at it's peak TQ band. I can't back this up scientifically. It makes sense and it's been said by several people with decades of Knowledge.
Old 06-01-04, 04:24 PM
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IM NOT DOING THIS FOR GAS MILAGE. it was simply for the hell of it, i wondered what it meant
Old 06-01-04, 04:48 PM
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I don't know about the high speed good mileage thing. I usually drive to my parents place at an average speed of 130 kmph, and use almost a full tank. Last spring I drove up on shitty tires, and I was paranoid so I didn't go over 100, and used like 20 bones of gas (half tank).

Can't even do that in the Echo hatchback now, with gas so expensive!
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