Right i have just passed my driving test in a manual car , and drive quite contently, but my step dad said to me today that you should ALWAYS get the car into its TOP possibe gear as quickly as possible even at 30mph.. i never did this on my lessons, and can not imagine using 5th gear at 30mph.. is he right? he says it uses less petrol??? no im confused, i dont know if im wearing out the engine or somet by driving in 3/4th gear at 30mph?
2007-03-21 12:59:03 · 18 answers · asked by vapour_rub2001 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Other - Cars & Transportation
Thats what i thought! i drive a 1.5 ltre..
2007-03-21 13:06:48 · update #1
i knew i was right but theres no telling theese oldies! thanks guys.. he drives an auto matic anyway so hes prob forgotton how to drive a manual!lol
2007-03-21 13:08:56 · update #2
I think he probably means you should drive in the highest gear possible for the speed you are driving. For town driving this is probably 3rd or 4th for most cars.
No criticism intended, but new drivers often stay in 2nd when driving between closely-spaced roundabouts and junctions in busy suburbs to avoid repetitive gear changes - this is just inexperience, and your stepdad is probably fed up of jerking along in low gear as the engine screams at high revs while you drive around your local area!
2007-03-21 21:16:33 · answer #1 · answered by Mojo Risin 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends on the car.
When I had a 4-speed Rover Metro, I could engage top gear (4th) at 30mph, but not uphill.
Now that I have a 6-speed Renault Mégane, top gear (6th) is far too high for 30mph, and only becomes useful well beyond 50mph - although I do sometimes engage it at lower speeds if coasting, perhaps if approaching a lower speed limit, or a red light, as that does reduce fuel consumption (the car's momentum keeps the engine turning, so the injection system can cut off the supply of diesel).
2007-03-21 13:24:03 · answer #2 · answered by Neil 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the reason for going into top gear is to keep the revs low therefore using less petrol.
i drive an old beastie laguna 1800 and on a 30mph road with no speed humps or road calming measures it ticks along at 30 mph in 5th happily enough if any bother i can drop a cog and accelerate or brake it is how i learned to drive, and i aint a wrinkly old man i am only 35.
It is like m/way driving if you keep you revs under 4000 revs, which my car does about 70+ then you save an average £15 a week i do 30miles round trip to work every day and i tested it out ( meant i was going a bit faster than legal.)
try it
2007-03-23 13:56:46 · answer #3 · answered by TERRY READ 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The higher the gear, the more efficiently the engine is running. It's okay to use 5th gear as long as you're not "lugging" the engine, which you can tell is happening if you step on the accelerator and the car doesn't speed up, the car lurches or bucks, and you get pinging or knocking noises from the engine. If that happens, you're driving too slowly for fifth gear, and you need to downshift. It doesn't matter if you're only in fifth fo a short while, as long as the engine isn't complaining!
Most cars will have a handbook that tells you the optimum speed for each gear. That should be your guideline for when to shift when you're just learning to drive. Soon you'll be able to tell by the sound and feel of the engine from experience.
2007-03-21 13:04:56 · answer #4 · answered by Bad Kitty! 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Top Gear
2016-03-28 22:47:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry, but you dad is wrong.
First of all it won't do the clutch of the car any good.
Secondly, If you keep the car between 3-4K revs the fuel comsupmtion will be fine.
The control and handling or the car in 5th @ 30Mph will be terrible. Depending on the engine size, there will be knocking.
Finally, The gear ratios will not be able to handle the speed, even on the smallest cog.
2007-03-21 13:12:38 · answer #6 · answered by Spikey_Jay 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your dad is correct.
Obvoiously you cannot use top gear ALL the time, because of road conditions, but you SHOULD engage top gear as soon as possible. You should be able to tell by the engine noise when it is in that top gear, whether it is coping or not, same as in any other gear. Modern cars are quite capable of doing 30 mph in 5th gear, on a straight strech of road.
Try it, and watch your rev counter, when changing up to 5th.
The revs will drop, and therfore cause less wear and use less fuel.
I drive a Merc A160, which flashes on the display if it is in the wrong gear, and it is quite comfortable in 5th gear round town, where road conditions allow.
2007-03-21 13:55:34 · answer #7 · answered by championis 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
30 mph? I am afraid not. Granted, your first, second and third gears will come up pretty fast. Then you will shift to 4th in town and stop and go driving. 5th is for highway driving or on roads where you can maintain the same speed for a period. 5th gear at 30 will lug the engine as you are still accelerating at that speed. At a 30 mph speed limit then you would be dancing between 3rd and 4th gears. No way you put it in 5th at 30.
2007-03-21 13:22:08 · answer #8 · answered by pshdsa 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can't get power driving in 5th gear at 30mph...
Unless you have a 1 litre engine, 5th gear at 30mph will cause you to lose the ability to control your car properly.
I use 3rd-4th gears at 30mph. I only use 5th gear if I am on the motorways.
He is right that you do use less petrol in a higher gear but you should use such high gears at slow speeds.
Happy Driving.
2007-03-21 13:04:52 · answer #9 · answered by Lisa 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No if you are only going 30 you don't want to be in top gear it may save you on gas but can trash you tranny. Look at your owners manual it will usually tell you what the proper gear vs speed is. Or just use trial and error and common sense to tell when you are lugging the transmission. The best way to save gas is take it easy on the accelration and dont be a lead foot
2007-03-21 13:07:41 · answer #10 · answered by stephenn1998 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋