went_postal

So... I am new to smallish engines and six speed trannies.

When I am on the highway and doing about 80 I have had it in sixth gear and it is sitting at about 4k on the tach.

Is 4k a good crusing RPM? Or should I be letting the vehicle draw out further on the tach?

brothervoodoo

Good cruising speed in terms of what, gas mileage or other criteria?

went_postal

Just in general. For "sane" driving I have been shifting gears at around 4-5k. Not sure if I am going to soon or what.

The car is still very responsive to the throttle while in sixth and doing 80... Just because you can go to 9 does not mean you should.

My truck redlines at 6k or so and I typically shift at about 3.5k.

I honestly have no idea.... I know my power band feels like it is just under 5k though...

I guess the question is what is a good cruising RPM for gas mileage and what is a good RPM for other things?

Ajax

for gas mileage, shift below 3750 and keep the engine there.

I realize it's not as much fun, but that is how u save gas.

4000 is fine for cruising though. I generally cruise at 3500.

brothervoodoo

Hello,

At 3750 RPM the 2nd primary intake ports open, so I guess in terms of fuel consumption you would want to keep it below that point for best fuel economy. At that RPM (3500) you are doing something like ~65mph... kind-of slow.

As for sane driving I guess that's all subjective. I read that people have run the car in 2nd gear close to redline for stetches of 30 minutes at a time. They say rotaries in general like to and should on occastion be revved up to redline. So have some fun and chime the redline buzzer every once in awhile.

More info on the Sequential Dynamic Air Iduction System:
3750__Secondary intake ports open
6250__Tertiary intake ports open
7250__Primary intake ports interconnnect

brothervoodoo

.

Spin9k

Not that I'm not analytical, but I never, ever purposefully watch the tach during normal everyday driving just so I can say "Gee I gotta shift now.".

Strange you might say? Esp. as so many people on this board have some recipe for whatever that purports to do something or other good as far as what RPM you need to shift?

To me that's too much work, too little fun. I KNOW the engine has NO PROBLEM at ANY RPM 9K or under. And if I am responsible driving the car - it will be OK.

So my easy non-RECIPE:

1st rule (Hah!) Drive it and shift gears (using whatever RPM needed) to fit the driving situation you're in at the moment, powerwise. It will ALL BE OK!!! Trust yoursef, any RPM is NO PROBLEM for a rotary.

2nd rule (Hah again!) If you don't NEED TO KEEP REVS UP for some reason, shift up to the highest gear short of going under 2K RPM.

3rd rule ALWAYS have as much fun as you want in the car. It's a car (and esp. ENGINE) MADE for just that!!!

Enjoy the ride :D :D

I get between 17-21MPH doing this.

went_postal

I shift via sound/feel. I do not watch the tach. But..... once in a while I do notice that I am switching gears around 4k. 5 and 6k do happen though... Depends on how things are going on I40.

I, Claudius

That's great advice - it pretty much tallies with my experience and practice, anyway. I've never been able to shift according to the tach - after you've been driving the car awhile, you know the sound and the feel, and you know when to shift, and into which gear by sensing it, not by watching the tach. My mileage is similar to yours, Spin9k, though my range is more like 16 - 20, and doing the 'old lady' thing for a tank didn't seem to make much difference. So let 'er rip.

Pavehawk

I've gotten so used to shifting by sound and feel that sometimes I'm looking for that 7th gear. Then I realize my mistake and have a good laugh.

JERCS

Mine came with that 7th gear.


I use to try and cruise below 3750 for gas, that just got a little to boring for me though. So now I spice things up with a few runs in to 8k... then settle back down. MPG... well lets just not go there right now.

StealthTL

iTrader: (1)

I use 6th a lot, it is only when I overtake that I use the good 'ole 6-to-4 downshift. (just make sure it's not the tranny breaking '6-to2' shift!)

I find 5600 revs is a nice place to cruise, just as the power is coming on. In sixth, that's around 108. Cruise control still works there, I wonder if there's a cut-off? Have to explore & find out!

S

RXTACY

I've set cruise control just over 120 mph - it engaged and went along just fine.

Ajax

I've done 6-2 in this car w/o breaking the transmission. Albeit, I didnt do it on purpose and I got a nice squeak, but it didnt break. I can't say it liked it either, but it didnt break. I was probably only going 55 when I did it though.

crumpmd

I run mine like mad after it is warmed up. I typically cruise between 4 and 5,000 rpm if traffic and road conditions permit. If not then what ever is posted speed limit. And I always cruise in 6th. It won't matter to your engine if you cruise 3000 rpm all day long. My mileage is typically between 13 and 15 mpg. I can get 17 if I really concentrate on shifting at 3500 and being very careful. But whats the fun in that?