Hi, this may sound like a silly question but what RPM do you intend to be at when you are cruising in 3rd and 4th gear. The reason i ask is, my old car (s2000) was very comfortable at 2.5 - 3 (thousand) RPMs, however the Z4 seems to be very revy (pitchy) at the same RPM. I know they are completely different engines but what do you usually find yourself at while cruising in 3rd and 4th, thanks in advance
Healthy Driving
- Thread starter oo7ml
- Start date
Liverpool
I don't cruise in 3rd & 4th, I just slot it into 6th and do 90mph at 4000rpm.
Even if I'm doing 50mph, it's still in 6th (@ 2500rpm) unless I see an overtaking opportunity where I'll put it into 3rd to be ready - and even in 6th it picks up quite well from 50mph.
I know the M is slightly different, but I'd have thought if anything, the M would be more peaky than the 3.0?
Even if I'm doing 50mph, it's still in 6th (@ 2500rpm) unless I see an overtaking opportunity where I'll put it into 3rd to be ready - and even in 6th it picks up quite well from 50mph.
I know the M is slightly different, but I'd have thought if anything, the M would be more peaky than the 3.0?
I cannot imagine for one moment 'cruising' in anything but the high gears, unless I was on the sea front trying to impress with engine noise 
. Although my Zed is an auto when I use the paddle shifts to manually change I'm always amazed that in auto it would have grabbed 5th right down low, like <40 mph, unless I demanded acceleration then it changes down.
On a 3.0l manual I'd expect in traffic to be down to 1500 rpm while 'flowing', so 2500 to 3000 seems way too high and must sound stressed, unless I expected to need to pull away quickly.
. Although my Zed is an auto when I use the paddle shifts to manually change I'm always amazed that in auto it would have grabbed 5th right down low, like <40 mph, unless I demanded acceleration then it changes down. On a 3.0l manual I'd expect in traffic to be down to 1500 rpm while 'flowing', so 2500 to 3000 seems way too high and must sound stressed, unless I expected to need to pull away quickly.
oo7ml said:mmm-five said:
Surely you must cruise in 3rd or 4th at some stage throughout your journeys... is there no traffic or in Liverpool
There's lots of traffic in Liverpool, but if I'm not at the same speed for more than a minute, then that wouldn't be what I would call "cruising". I don't even think the traffic lights are more than a minute apart either, nor the speed bumps (every 50m)
Rama said:
The problem is not the speed limit, it's keeping to that speed when you've got traffic lights, and lots of traffic in a city/urban environment.
Even at 40mph I will put it into 6th on a light throttle, but again, only if I can do so for more than 300/400 yards at a time.
It's only on the motorways and empty country NSL (national speed limit) roads where I feel safe that I'll push on a little. There's no way I'd do more than and indicated 35mph in a 30, but sometimes 30mph is too fast for some of these areas as they've got bad junctions, bad parking (school mums usually), and kids & adults stepping out from between cars without looking. Of course it's always the driver's fault when an accident happens
Rama - I don't think this is about driving fast or exceeding any speed limit. A large engined car will comfortably hold high gears when it's not being asked to deliver any quick acceleration. The ///M is a little different in engine profile and probably needs the 2000 rpm you refer to to be comfortable the 3.0 doesn't really.
I've just come back from a run to town and back and mine was changing into 5th at 30mph when I was on level throttle.
I've just come back from a run to town and back and mine was changing into 5th at 30mph when I was on level throttle.
So what should our RPM be at when we are driving normally (regardless of the gear). I guess what i'm asking is, at what RPM (under normal responsible driving conditions) would you decide to change up a gear and at what RPM would you decide to change down a gear... remember, normal driving, not coasting and not speeding . I think i probably should have been more clear at the start, sorry
for me:
if i drop below 1.75 i change down a gear
if i am over 2.5 i change up a gear
thanks again guys, just want to see what is best for the car as as i said i have come from a completely different engine (s2000) before the z4
. I think i probably should have been more clear at the start, sorryfor me:
if i drop below 1.75 i change down a gear
if i am over 2.5 i change up a gear
thanks again guys, just want to see what is best for the car as as i said i have come from a completely different engine (s2000) before the z4
I would not want to be prescriptive on such things. Even driving steadily in no rush nor any fuel economy game, It is entirely dependant upon what speed you are doing, how much distance before the next obstacle, if you expect to need to accelerate away or slow down next, level, uphill, down, etc. etc.
All my life I've taken the highest gear the car will take without any hint of labouring the engine and when slowing whatever gear is required should I need to pull away quickly. As a general rule IMHO people tend to hold low gears too long, but then change down too late when slowing. I used to drive with a vacuum gauge on the manifold and indeed on the X5 have a constant MPG gauge and that really teaches you to get up the gears, but use limited throttle. Hope that makes sense.
Now if I'm in spirited mode that's all out of the window and I sit on the power band in whatever gear that requires
All my life I've taken the highest gear the car will take without any hint of labouring the engine and when slowing whatever gear is required should I need to pull away quickly. As a general rule IMHO people tend to hold low gears too long, but then change down too late when slowing. I used to drive with a vacuum gauge on the manifold and indeed on the X5 have a constant MPG gauge and that really teaches you to get up the gears, but use limited throttle. Hope that makes sense.
Now if I'm in spirited mode that's all out of the window and I sit on the power band in whatever gear that requires
lol i must admit i didnt buy this car to fuel economical.
i'll generally sit in the powerband for most gears. I'll cruise in the 3/4th at 60km - and pretty much i only use 5/6th when on the highway (100km - 60mph). i do a bit of city driving and rarely leave 2nd in those cases...
i dont mind keeping it around the 3-4k rpm mark it seems to be a place the engine is comfortable with!
i'll generally sit in the powerband for most gears. I'll cruise in the 3/4th at 60km - and pretty much i only use 5/6th when on the highway (100km - 60mph). i do a bit of city driving and rarely leave 2nd in those cases...
i dont mind keeping it around the 3-4k rpm mark it seems to be a place the engine is comfortable with!
At it's worst, my M5's misfire meant I couldn't rev above 1500rpm - and if I did, it would splutter and die, which meant stopping and restarting.
That meant I had 650rpm to play with to do the 240 mile trip from my house to my specialist. It was the most fuel efficient driving I've ever done, every input had to be gentle and I could only do 40mph max in 5th. I couldn't even carry the max speed through corners as the extra load on the engine from the PS pump would make it stutter, so I'd have to slow to about 30mph and then tickle the accelerator as I gently turned the steering wheel.
Still didn't manage more than 33mpg though, so there must be some level where the fuel economy of going slower & using less revs doesn't work as you're not using the engine torque.
That was the most
6 hours of my life.
That meant I had 650rpm to play with to do the 240 mile trip from my house to my specialist. It was the most fuel efficient driving I've ever done, every input had to be gentle and I could only do 40mph max in 5th. I couldn't even carry the max speed through corners as the extra load on the engine from the PS pump would make it stutter, so I'd have to slow to about 30mph and then tickle the accelerator as I gently turned the steering wheel.
Still didn't manage more than 33mpg though, so there must be some level where the fuel economy of going slower & using less revs doesn't work as you're not using the engine torque.
That was the most
I live in an area where there is not much traffic congestion. 3rd gear is awesome in the Z4 and if I am moving at all I can usually be in 3rd gear. Picking up a little speed I shift up to 5th skipping 4th. If traffic slows then back to 3rd. Once on a divided highway/freeway then into 6th...
oo7ml said:So what should our RPM be at when we are driving normally (regardless of the gear). I guess what i'm asking is, at what RPM (under normal responsible driving conditions) would you decide to change up a gear and at what RPM would you decide to change down a gear... remember, normal driving, not coasting and not speeding
for me:
if i drop below 1.75 i change down a gear
if i am over 2.5 i change up a gear
thanks again guys, just want to see what is best for the car as as i said i have come from a completely different engine (s2000) before the z4
Hi. I found that around 2500 RPM my car is the most fuel-efficient so I try to use the gear that will give that rev for the speed I am going. Below 2000 RPM the engine is struggling and if you want to start being more spirited you obviously increase the revs.
When I want to be economical I keep the rev between 2k and 3k, staying at the lower end if I stay at a steady speed for more than a few seconds. This normally translates to 3rd from 20mph, 4th from 35mph, 5th from 50mph, and 6th from 60mph whilst I'm shifting gears but lower speeds whilst I maintain a speed (like 5th at 40mph and 6th at 50).
All are rough numbers based on the revs usually at that speed.
All are rough numbers based on the revs usually at that speed.
Ok cool, thanks to all the replies guys... however i didn't post the thread with economical matters in mind. I just want to know what you think the engine is most comfortable at (RPM) (healthy driving... it doesn't mean we are not aloud to drive through any drive throughs either)
I have watched some other people driving (my Dad... and no, not in my car) and noticed that he tends to be around the 1.5 mark and i thought to myself that that must be very stressful on the engine... then on the other hand i watch other people driving (my Mam... and no, not in my car) and she tends to be driving around the 3.5 mark and i thought to myself that that must be very stressful on the engine... so what is the right balance for the z4... 2.5 i reckon,
thanks again guys
I have watched some other people driving (my Dad... and no, not in my car) and noticed that he tends to be around the 1.5 mark and i thought to myself that that must be very stressful on the engine... then on the other hand i watch other people driving (my Mam... and no, not in my car) and she tends to be driving around the 3.5 mark and i thought to myself that that must be very stressful on the engine... so what is the right balance for the z4... 2.5 i reckon,
thanks again guys
I've got a friend with an M5 who doesn't take it above 4000rpm as it's his 'garage queen'.
Unfortunately he decided to tag along on a 'Ring trip last year so that he could potter along the 'Ring as a 'tourist' rather than a speed freak. However we did warn him that once we hit the derestricted sections of the autobahn we'd be travelling in excess of 100mph (and sometimes in excess of 150mph).
He still maintained that he'd drive like Miss Daisy on the 'Ring itself, but that didn't last long once he had a couple of Golfs, 3-series, and Mini's up his chuff - and he got quite angry at other people having the cheek to pass him
However, my car was poorly and he let me do a couple of laps in his. It was only then that he realised how much the power comes on over 4000rpm and how much grip & handling the car delivers when you're pushing it. It does feel quite barge-like but you get over that once the sills are scraping on the kerbs.
His one and only exclamation was 'FOOK' - he's Northern.
Unfortunately he decided to tag along on a 'Ring trip last year so that he could potter along the 'Ring as a 'tourist' rather than a speed freak. However we did warn him that once we hit the derestricted sections of the autobahn we'd be travelling in excess of 100mph (and sometimes in excess of 150mph).
He still maintained that he'd drive like Miss Daisy on the 'Ring itself, but that didn't last long once he had a couple of Golfs, 3-series, and Mini's up his chuff - and he got quite angry at other people having the cheek to pass him
However, my car was poorly and he let me do a couple of laps in his. It was only then that he realised how much the power comes on over 4000rpm and how much grip & handling the car delivers when you're pushing it. It does feel quite barge-like but you get over that once the sills are scraping on the kerbs.
His one and only exclamation was 'FOOK' - he's Northern.
Yep - have owned lots of "large engined cars" including a V12 Jag and e39 540, so I know about those - or do you consder a 3.0l large? I've also owned a 3.0 Z4 and I can't imagine driving in 5th at 50 kph even with that car. To me, 6th gear is about 100 kph or more and anything else is bogging the engine.
In the M, I usually shift to 4th gear at 60 kph, then 5th at 80, and 6th at 100 in "normal" driving where I'm not pushing anything.
BTW I don't do a ton of city driving to be honest.
Anyway, YMMV.
Cheers, Al
In the M, I usually shift to 4th gear at 60 kph, then 5th at 80, and 6th at 100 in "normal" driving where I'm not pushing anything.
BTW I don't do a ton of city driving to be honest.
Anyway, YMMV.
Cheers, Al
cj10jeeper said:
3.0 is fairly big by UK standards as we've historically run smaller cars on smaller engines, but it's all relative - My 4 current cars are 3, 3, 4 and 6 litre so no friend of the planet...lol
This thread is intriguing and driving to the next city and back today caused me to watch the rev counter. In steady drive it would change up every time it hit 2000 rpm to the next gear. Ask a bit more of rapid acceleration and it would hold onto it to 2500 to 3000 and full throttle of course right over to the redline. It sat on the urban motorway in top at 1800 rpm so being an auto if anything was strained it would have just changed down.
This thread is intriguing and driving to the next city and back today caused me to watch the rev counter. In steady drive it would change up every time it hit 2000 rpm to the next gear. Ask a bit more of rapid acceleration and it would hold onto it to 2500 to 3000 and full throttle of course right over to the redline. It sat on the urban motorway in top at 1800 rpm so being an auto if anything was strained it would have just changed down.