What gears at what speed?

[kvndoom]

This is my shifting habit, most of the time (lot of my driving is in-city...) It's the same as I was doing for the RX-8.

Speed Limit--- My Cruising Speed--- Gear

25MPH--- 25-30--- 3rd
35MPH--- 35-40--- 4th
45MPH--- 45-50--- 5th
50+ 0-5 over--- 6th

Now I'm really not interested in regaining one or two MPG by cruising a gear higher. I do it because engine braking is easier, and I'm always in a good position to accelerate when I need to, and always one downshift from really gunning it if I need to.

Now the RX-8 was a rev-hungry engine, and obviously different from the MS3. But I still like this driving style, for the benefits listed above. I'm only asking- is it bad for the car in any way? What shift points do others use in their MS3?

 

[ChrisG]

I usually shift at around 3k or so. I have no idea, off the top of my head, what speeds that rpm equates to in each gear.

Short shifting won't hurt the car. Lugging the motor in too-tall a gear at low rpm isn't necessarily healthy, though.

 

[dizzin9]

my general rule for normal driving:

1st - 10 mph
2nd - 20 mph
3rd - 30 mph

and so on...

 

[meicalnissyen]

1rst - 3rd - 5th

all day long

but sometimes 1-2-4-6

 

[RC08MS3]

Lugging the motor in too-tall a gear at low rpm isn't necessarily healthy, though.

thats what = zoom zoom boom

 

[MikeHTally]

my general rule for normal driving:

1st - 10 mph
2nd - 20 mph
3rd - 30 mph

and so on...

Ouch! Sounds like some serious carbon buildup. I worked with a guy some years ago -- by the time he got his Ford Ranger to forty, he was in fifth gear. Hate to be the poor soul who bought that one used!

 

[oaklandopen]

recommended gear change/selection for X mph is in the owners manual. i paid attention to it once and it seems that they are recommending 1-2-3-4-5 shifting just over 3k, and 5-6 just under 3k

for me, if the road im on is flat, wide open, and light traffic, i'll end up cruising with the rpms in the 2500 range (in whichever gear will achieve that for the speed limit of that road)

but at least once a trip i will give it some throttle and higher rpms just to keep the spark plugs healthy, or because that stupid civic won't leave me alone

 

[imac]

recommended gear change/selection for X mph is in the owners manual. i paid attention to it once and it seems that they are recommending 1-2-3-4-5 shifting just over 3k, and 5-6 just under 3k

for me, if the road im on is flat, wide open, and light traffic, i'll end up cruising with the rpms in the 2500 range (in whichever gear will achieve that for the speed limit of that road)

but at least once a trip i will give it some throttle and higher rpms just to keep the spark plugs healthy, or because that stupid civic won't leave me alone

+1 on pretty much everything you said.

1rst - 3rd - 5th

all day long

but sometimes 1-2-4-6

this seems incredibly stupid to me. i do not understand why people skip gears, aside from complete laziness or a misunderstanding of it's 'benefits'. the only time i will skip a gear is if i'm accelerating briskly from a dig onto a 55mph road, where i would hit 60-65 in 3rd or 4th because i'm using the rpm's to get me that pickup, but once i hit my cruising speed, theres no need to keep accelerating and i just drop it to 6th.

as for skipping gears as you mention, i don't get it. why take the motor out of it's most efficient rev ranges? when you're skipping, you either take it unnecessarily high or bog it a bit when engaging the next gear. given, our car does have a decent torque curve, but still, i dont see the principles behind skipping gears regularly while accelerating. maybe someone can point something out that i'm missing.

 

[oaklandopen]

yea...i tried skipping gears once after reading a few posts in threads not unlike this one, but i didn't like it at all

that would probably be my first mod on one of those GM skip-shift cars...dissengage the solonoid that forces you to skip gears during normal driving

 

[Saskatchewan17]

I lug it around.... highest gear it can cruise in at any given speed... I keep the rpms pretty darn low and when I hit a hill or need to accelerate at all I downshift.

 

[iracer7]

I lug my engine a lot. I've read plenty of posts on here about it not being good, but it saves gas.

I usually go 1-2-4-6 if I'm getting up to around 45 or so.

 

[dizzin9]

Ouch! Sounds like some serious carbon buildup. I worked with a guy some years ago -- by the time he got his Ford Ranger to forty, he was in fifth gear. Hate to be the poor soul who bought that one used!

huh? (braindead

 

[imac]

huh? (braindead

if you're trying to accelerate in too high of a gear, the engine cant make the necessary power via higher rpms, so it dumps more fuel into the cylinders to try and get up to speed. there's only so much fuel you can burn in a given cycle, so trying to accelerate at low rpms like he was talking about can leave unburned fuel in the cylinder, which can make carbon deposits on the spark plugs, valves, seals and rings, etc. its fine to cruise at low rpm when you're not loading the engine, but as soon as you need to accelerate and load the motor, you gotta downshift it or you'll get the carbon deposits, or even worse with our cars.

 

[zx2man]

I just try to keep it simple..for daily driving All my shifts are pretty much at 3k..unless im trying to gain speed more quickly then I will pull more rpm as I need. But 9 out of 10 times I will push it hard once or twice just to clean out the carbon deposits and to have alittle fun ofcourse been driving like that for years and havnt had a prab. just common sence I suppose(shrug)

 

[jri4]

The manual states something about at what MPH to shift. If I remember correctly:

1st-2nd: 15mph
2nd-3rd: 25mph
3rd-4th: 40mph
4th-5th: 50mph
5th-6th: +55mph

Other than that, I shift right around 3,000rpms... If I'm feeling spirited I shift a little closer to 4,000rpms, if I want to save gas I shift closer to 2,500rpms.

 

[kvndoom]

The manual states something about at what MPH to shift. If I remember correctly:

1st-2nd: 15mph
2nd-3rd: 25mph
3rd-4th: 40mph
4th-5th: 50mph
5th-6th: +55mph

Other than that, I shift right around 3,000rpms... If I'm feeling spirited I shift a little closer to 4,000rpms, if I want to save gas I shift closer to 2,500rpms.

Those #'s aren't far from what I do now. I don't like the "bogged down" feeling of any engine when you're in too high a gear and try to accelerate.

 

[mazdaspeed32007]

5700 rpms. you beat everybody everywhere and no carbon build up. lol.

i do a lot of highway driving...but besides the fact i cruise around 2800 rpms and shift whenever i feel the car wants to shift. you know, when you put the throttle down about 50 percent and the car starts to level out....at that point, shift.

listen to your car...it tells you more than you think

 

[Khasmordan]

listen to your car...it tells you more than you think

Boy does it ever. Using that method on a daily basis I shift pretty close to what the manual says. It sounds like a smooth power curve in every gear and occasionally I give it the beans for fun and to clear it out, but usually don't exceed 4k rpms for that.

 

[Saskatchewan17]

Actually paid attention to the speedometer on the way home today:
1>2 at 20mph or so
2>3 at 35-40
3>4 at 50 or so
4>5 about 60
Don't often get to 6th gear, traffic is usually too thick.

Jesus christ. Sounds to me like you're revving the bajesus out of it.

I need to look at mine... I prolly do
1-2 - 8 mph
2-3 - 13-15 mph
3-4 - 25 mph
4-5 - 35 mph
5-6 - 40 mph and over

All of those are the maximum speed I would cruise in that gear at any given time (except 6th). This doesn't include down shifting for traffic, hills, slowing down, or just accelerating. And I probably cruise in 3rd or 4th at around 20-25 MPH. 2nd gear is my slow crawl parking lot gear. 1st is only to get going... Like when taking a left hander from a stop at a light I will shift half way through the turn to 2nd and probably be in 3rd by the time I finish the turn.

 

[cymx5]

my general rule for normal driving:

1st - 10 mph
2nd - 20 mph
3rd - 30 mph

and so on...

I like the 1-2-3 rule too! Chicago traffic does not however haha. (nailbyt)