Weird question about driving style(Manuals)

[foxtrot]

Ok, this may be a bit of a weird thread but I want to know about peoples driving styles/ habits (manual drivers).

With an AU1 XR6 5 speed myself, a mate with an EB XR6 5 speed and another mate with an AU1 falcon forte 5 speed I've noticed very different driving from all 3 of us.

Basically im the type that will get into 4th gear by the time im doing 60kph and stay there and let it lug around at below 2000 revs.. if say theres traffic and i have to slow down to say 40kph I will generally leave it in 4th as being a Ford it has enough torque to easily accelerate back up again anyway..

The guy with the forte is the biggest hoon you will ever find... but even when not hooning he always seems to be a gear below me.. he stays in 3rd gear for 60kph cruising and wont change till 4th until about 75-80.. where as im in 5th by 75-80.. he will only ever change to 5th when he's doing above 100.

The guy with the EB is generally always in 5th from 70kph onwards and his car sounds like its revving its head off wen he drops to 4th even though it's only revving @ around 2grand (where as the AU is just purring along at 2 grand). Other than that he drives like me.

Anyway just like to hear peoples opinions.. i.e do you think i let my car lug too much? is this bad on the engine (I.e to lazy to shift down to 4th and lettting it lug up a hill in 5th).. is the whole gear thing going to affect petrol use much?

Just i heard from a few guys having too high a gear even though it will pull fine is bad on the bearings or something? and i've noticed the gears have really long legs (except first) for example I can easily skip 1st to 3rd, or often 2nd to 4th.

MIGHT SOUND LIKE A STUPID QUESTION BUT IM JUST CURIOUS

[loxxr6]

i've noticed the gears have really long legs (except first) for example I can easily skip 1st to 3rd, or often 2nd to 4th.

I'll frequently skip gears eg go from 2nd to 4th in my XR. I don't bother about changing through each and every gear when I know the car is quite happier higher up the gears.

[stiddy]

I wouldnt let my car lug around like you do.
Ive got an AU1 XR6 5spd.. and depending on the speed zone depends how I drive..
Say its a 60 zone, 1st gear to 4000rpm, 2nd gear to 3500rpm, then shift to 4th and cruise at 60, if I drop below say 50-55 I go back to 3rd. I never let my car 'labour'.
I usually shift to 5th at about 75-80...
If its a 100 zone i'll take 1st all the way out, 2nd all the way out, go to 4th for a few seconds then 5th..
Spose you could say I 'hoon' my car, I love hearing the thing rev right out..

[blackauman]

I have an Au1 XR8 and I usually go through the gears up to 60km/h (4th). If I'm in a suburban area (50 km/h) I leave it in 3rd. I won't usually use 5th until I am over 80 km/h. Thats just how I usually do it.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by stiddy

I wouldnt let my car lug around like you do.
Ive got an AU1 XR6 5spd.. and depending on the speed zone depends how I drive..
Say its a 60 zone, 1st gear to 4000rpm, 2nd gear to 3500rpm, then shift to 4th and cruise at 60, if I drop below say 50-55 I go back to 3rd. I never let my car 'labour'.
I usually shift to 5th at about 75-80...
If its a 100 zone i'll take 1st all the way out, 2nd all the way out, go to 4th for a few seconds then 5th..
Spose you could say I 'hoon' my car, I love hearing the thing rev right out..

I am surprised you don't take every gear right out ... then back off ... LOL
I can understand loving the sound of your car :Reverend:

[Simmo]

i don't get into 4th until i'm doing 60 and i don't get into 5th unless i'm doing 100. however if im in 4th at 60 i'll let it go down to about 45 to save effort if the traffic is moving. otherwise i spend a lot of time in 2nd and 3rd.

[stiddy]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

I am surprised you don't take every gear right out ... then back off ... LOL
I can understand loving the sound of your car :Reverend:

LOL Ive taken every gear out once or twice in the past.. Never thought id see my car at 5800rpm in 5th....

But from day to day driving, mainly traffic to and from work it doesnt get too much of a hard time.. unless I get ****ed off with some tosser infront and decide to round em up.. I usually try and give them windburn when overtaking haha 'yeah that'll learn him'

[Peuty]

I love revving the guts out of my car (AU 5 Speed).

Last tank of fuel I changed my shift points down so I never took my car over 3 grand or so, and it increased my fuel economy by aout 200km's per tank! But thats understandable of course.

[LG]

I just drive normally? : If the car starts to labour, I'll drop a gear. Sometimes I skip gears, if the gear can handle the speed i'm doing.

Manual would probably have been the best thing i've done to my car!

[T3man]

The gear you select depends on the speed and load. Always select as high a gear as possible as long as the engine is not labouring - you will not hurt it and you'll get better fuel economy.

You can tell by the feel of your own car/engine whether it is "happy" or not at the revs/speed/load condition it is under. You don't need a tacho or a speedo to tell you when to change gears - they are just for show. (or if you want to hoon at max revs all the time LOL).

Like you, I have mates who are always at least one gear (and sometimes two) lower than me (with their engines revving to bugggery when they don't need the power) - they don't get anywhere any quicker than I do and they use about 15% more fuel. Oh, and their engines wear out more quickly too!

[Panda]

In town - Run 1st gear all the way to the redline, then slip it into 4th and chug around at 60km/h

Highway - Run 1st and 2nd gear all the way to the redline, then slip it into 6th and chug around at 100km/h

Panda

[Racecraft]

I'm close to Panda's style... hard off the lights, straight to 3rd...THen to 5th to lope around 60km/h driving with the cruise control buttons

[GK]

Originally Posted by stiddy

I wouldnt let my car lug around like you do.

How many rpms does your car sit on at 100kmph in 5th? LOL!

GK

[Kev_BLNXR8_Ute]

Hmmm Interesting this one.

I tend to drive 0 to speed limit fairly hard. :eclipsee_

On the odd occasion when Im felling sick or something I will just use all the gears till at speed limit.I also like cruise control.

Other than that I use the gear for the circumstance, flat ground at 60 kay use 5th, Rise use 4th, Hill use 3rd, fun go 2nd and watch the smoke...


Kev.....

[XEESP_351]

i like holding engine revs around 2000 so which ever gear feels comfortable i hate labouring engine chews more juice too..U gotta be ready for the stab with the right foot..mines 220 XR8 III i only use 5th when above 80 and thats only when im cruising on highway or freeway at 100..sometimes i hold first then go straight for third..But im a hoon

[stiddy]

Originally Posted by GK

How many rpms does your car sit on at 100kmph in 5th? LOL!

GK

2000-2100 I think..

[janek]

hmm...

makes me wonder what ill be doing with mine...

funny thing is, auto towing a boat im ahead of most of the traffic without trying... manual i dont think id move too far, but hey...

i like to stick below 2500 in the auto, id imagine id do the same in a manual, with the exception of the occasional show off, or ****ed off speed limit runs from a traffic light

[Whoosha]

usally 1 2 5 @ 5800. 4900. 2500 on the fwy will get me there pretty smartly
2nd gear in the 50k zone so it dont get away from me :hihi: third if its to loud & the neighbours start sooking . :yeees: . Gee one day when I"m really old I will have to ajust my driving style ........... "NOT" :evil_laug

[stiddy]

Originally Posted by Whoosha

usally 1 2 5 @ 5800. 4900. 2500 on the fwy will get me there pretty smartly
2nd gear in the 50k zone so it dont get away from me :hihi: third if its to loud & the neighbours start sooking . :yeees: . Gee one day when I"m really old I will have to ajust my driving style ........... "NOT" :evil_laug

Adjust your driving style?

LOL yeah tell them that after you take them for a drive and get very crossed up around GnD's roads :hihi:
Good show though _2: lol

[foxtrot]

holy shat, I'm surprised at how many people hoon there cars and hit such high revs so often. I guess my luggy driving style was due to growing up in an XD with a worked 351 clevo, dad tends to sit in 5th gear everywhere and basically idle up hills.. oh the endless torque!!

[stiddy]

There hasnt been a day that my car hasnt touched 5800rpm since ive owned the car.

A car is a machine, a machine is meant to be worked!

[Whoosha]

Originally Posted by foxtrot

holy shat, I'm surprised at how many people hoon there cars and hit such high revs so often. I guess my luggy driving style was due to growing up in an XD with a worked 351 clevo, dad tends to sit in 5th gear everywhere and basically idle up hills.. oh the endless torque!!

MMMM guess my spirited driving style comes from never growing up.. : :eclipsee_ :eclipsee_ :

P.S still have all my points & do 300000ks a year

[05MkIIFutura]

Originally Posted by Whoosha

MMMM guess my spirited driving style comes from never growing up.. : :eclipsee_ :eclipsee_ :

P.S still have all my points & do 300000ks a year

300,000kms/year, faaaaark!!! How often do you replace ur car!!

[05MkIIFutura]

Originally Posted by foxtrot

Basically im the type that will get into 4th gear by the time im doing 60kph and stay there and let it lug around at below 2000 revs.. if say theres traffic and i have to slow down to say 40kph I will generally leave it in 4th as being a Ford it has enough torque to easily accelerate back up again anyway..

Anyway just like to hear peoples opinions.. i.e do you think i let my car lug too much? is this bad on the engine (I.e to lazy to shift down to 4th and lettting it lug up a hill in 5th).. is the whole gear thing going to affect petrol use much?

Just i heard from a few guys having too high a gear even though it will pull fine is bad on the bearings or something? and i've noticed the gears have really long legs (except first) for example I can easily skip 1st to 3rd, or often 2nd to 4th.

Low engine speeds are good for the engine (as long as its not labouring), the 6 speed Ghia i drove the other day only does 1500rpm at 100km/h!! Damage is done when engine speeds are well below that. While it is ok to slow in a taller gear, make sure you shift down to take off again if the engine will labour, simple as that

You are right in the fact that at lower engine speeds you are using larger amounts of torque (because the engine is creating very little power) to move the car. This is what might strain joints and bearings.

[Whoosha]

sorry I should have said I have a truck to play in to it only has 13 gears

[foxtrot]

Originally Posted by Whoosha

MMMM guess my spirited driving style comes from never growing up.. : :eclipsee_ :eclipsee_ :

P.S still have all my points & do 300000ks a year

What the feep! what do you do for work. 300000 k's a YEAR?
Are you sure you don't mean 30,000

[Whoosha]

Originally Posted by foxtrot

What the feep! what do you do for work. 300000 k's a YEAR?
Are you sure you don't mean 30,000

nah 300000 getting a bit off track but haven fun learning how to post pickys
run melb ..to syd 5 nights aweek lol..

[philstoj]

I dont like to labour my engine so i always drive it with the revs around the 3000 mark, thats where its sweet spot is.
50 - 60 kph 2nd, 70 - 80 3rd, 80 - 100 4th, i rarely drive it in 5th.
Mind you, the car has plenty of torque to pull 5th at 1000 rpm.

[SIKSIX]

i got 3.73 and
long stretch of 60km/h = 5th (becuase im on the 1 point option and its easier to keep on 60)
any 70km/h = 5th (same)

any change of speed and i go down a gear

driving style....well i average about 450 k's to a tank of e10

like alot of the manual drivers i sometimes take my car to red line cause 1st takes me to 45 and second to 85 so its all legal.