993James993

In general, when you drive you car around town, do you try to keep the revs up or do you prefer to shift into a higher gear? For example, on a stretch of road with a 30MPH speed limit, do you drive in second gear at 3000 rpm or do you shift into 3rd and drop the revs to 1800 rpm? Please share the rationale for you preference.

Thanks!

Jim

Andy Roe

If I'm driving along at 30mph, I'm normally in either 4th or 5th. If you're not accelerating, there's no point in being in a lower gear unless you want to make more noise and use more fuel!! These engines are quite torquey so you don't have to rev them too much to get decent performance!

meek

There was a long thread about this a while ago, but I can't find it. I think the general concensus was to avoid lugging the engine. If I am pootling along at a constant 30mph on level-ish ground, I would be in 3rd gear. If I am going to accelerate, then I make sure the tach. is always at 3000rpm before I put my foot down.

springer3

Early 911s would foul the plugs pretty quickly if you did not constantly flog them. 964s don't seem to foul plugs, and therefore I don't see a problem with short-time loading of the engine at low RPM. However, making engine power also makes more engine heat, and these are still air-cooled engines. There are lot of metal fins down there to keep cool, and I worry about a hot spot if air flow is too low to cool all parts. Especially in Summer heat, I keep the engine turning above 2500 RPM, and even higher if climping a hill.

ScottR

+1

3rd if cruising, 2nd if getting ready to pounce

pat056

I keep my rpms over 3,000 if at all possible. I would never consistanly drive at 1,800 rpms. 30 mph is a betwixt/between speed. I would run in 3rd. I think any engine likes to stay in its power band which would be 2,500+ IMHO. I also try to get it up over 5,000 rpms at least once every time I drive it.

polar964

Same here. At 30mph generally I'm in 3rd, mostly cus the engine sounds right / comfortable, not reving to much and hence not labouring. Good point about the cooling though, not sure how these cars would cope stuck in a queue for an hour in the middle of summer! ..... best keep off the motorways!

meek

"by lugging, do you mean applying throttle in too high a gear for the engine to quickly respond" - yes, that is what I mean...sorry, not very clear...is lugging a UK work? I guess it has the potential to be a rude word outside of the UK; it has that sound. "I gave her a damned fine lugging" etc...

James, I also do a lot of short trips, which I am aware aren't the best thing to do, but I always make sure it gets a good blat down the twisties atleast once a week.

TR6

They do fine. I live in Texas where summer temps routinely exceed 100 F and I sometimes take the 911 to work which means creeping along in stop and go traffic in the late afternoon. The oil temp gets up to about 9 o'clock or so, but never gets close to the red zone.

In answer to another question about short trips and not letting the car warm up, I think that its always a good idea to get any engine up to its operating temperature before shutting it back down. That's not possible 100% of the time, but I always try to acheive this even if it means a detour around the block. I've even used the blanket over the grill trick in the winter while idling to get the temp up a bit before shutting it down. The problem with not allowing the temps to warm up before shutting it back down is moisture in the engine and exhaust that isn't given the opportunity to evaportate.

polar964

That's good to hear Greg.

I too never do short trips, even if it means taking a detour. Short trips are no good for any car let alone a 964! anyway these cars are meant for driving, not tootling around in !! wouldn't you agree!

boxsey911

This is of course ESSENTIAL

madmoog

Around town as said above 3rd normally, possibly 4th if no need to slow or speed up (mine's so torquey - 3.8 it would pull 5th too I think!).

Once warm and out of town 6k+ is a must a few time every trip

Harry Apps

Hello All

From several of the comments above, it would appear that some discerning owners have little understanding of car/mechanical sympathy. You should always have the appropriate gear selected for any given speed to avoid labouring/laboring/lugging the engine by using lows revs. The correct gear will permit sensible acceleration should circumstances require (and that shouldn't mean wheel spin). Rant over; now, have any of the UK owners out there considered taking advanced driver training to make them safer and more aware?


Regards

H

andrew964

Yup, have completed advanced and hpc courses........most important thing learnt was to really know what's going on around you, makes going quick safer

seg1959

Interesting views.. myself, not being blessed with a "driver's " 911 (I drive a tiptronic ) I take the view that Porsche knows best what speeds the engine should operate at, and therefore in town at 30 mph I let the Tip do its thing - at about 1400 rpm, I hasten to add. If that damages the engine, I guess I need to tell Porsche that they got it wrong!

Seriously, I think there is a difference between a "spirited" drive and a relaxed one. If you are going to accelerate frequently, you better keep the revs on or above the 3500 mark, as other has suggested.

However, for lazy relaxed cruising, if 1400rpm is good enough for the designers of the car, it's good enough for me!!!

...although the engine sound at 6500rpm is glorious!

seg