rpm
 

So my 370z comes in 6 speed manual. Two of my friends are saying different things.

Friend 1: when driving, stay around at 3000 rpm at all time. You probably never even have to go to the 6th gear.

Friend 2: when driving, stay at a low rpm around 1500rpm ~ 2000rpm. So when going 40 you will most likely be in 5th and even 6th if it is 45~50mph zone.

Friend 2 is also saying that this is better for the car because it puts less stress on the engine and also saves gas because your always at a low rpm.

Which is correct? Little help ^_^;;

what was the point of friend #1? is he saying high rmp is less stress on the motor? I'm confused on what u need help with.

You number your friends. Sucks to be friend 256.

Back on topic, if you look in the manual, it has suggested speeds for each gear. A 1k rpm difference is moot. The argument holds more water if you were comparing driving 40mph in 1st gear vs 5th gear.

well basically the main question i have is... when driving is it better to be in a low rpm than higher rpm?
for example... driving 40mph... is it better to be in 4th or 5th? or maybe even 6th...
Also friend 1 and friend 2 is same thing as mike and jeff... i just didnt wanted to state names ~~;;

For city driving, go with #1's advice. You may need the extra revs to be a bit more nimble when situations arise.
For urban driving where stop lights/signs are much further apart and less traffic, go with #2's advice.

for normal siutations, think like an automatic. shift into the highest reasonable gear. if you're going 40, you should be in at least 4th, but probably 5th. for just regular cruising, keep your rpm around 2k.

It really depends. I'm assuming you're relatively new to stick like me. I've just gotten a lot more comfortable with downshifting so I'm more likely now to get the appropriate gear WHEN i need it, instead of being a lower gear and higher RPM all the time.

I don't bother with 6th unless I'm cruising on the freeway or open roads with no traffic, since lot of in-town is around 45 MPH and 5th is perfect for it.

If I need some gitty up, 5th to 3rd is pretty easy and I'm good to go.

How is the terrain in your area? For example, you don't want to be in 5th when going up a hill at 30mph. You'll have no power and you're bogging the engine.

It's a balancing act that you'll adjust to if you become more aware of the car as you drive it. I'd recommend leaving the stereo off or having it on very low as you accustom yourself to what the car likes @ certain RPMS, @ certain speeds, on varying types of roads. You'll be able to hear and feel (as you press on the gas pedal) what your car needs you to do.

Part of the magic & fun of having a 6MT :driving:

haha yes, i am very new at manual driving. and yes at first, i had to turn the stereo off in order to drive. now i need music. lol.

well i have been driving at high rpm as in 3000rpm for last couple of weeks... where i will be going 4th at 40~45mph...
now i am trying at least 5th when going 40mph... 1500rpm-2000rpm...

which is more beneficial for the car and gas?

so basically u should always be at a low rpm like around 1500 to 2000?

For gas mileage? The highest gear & lowest RPM that won't bog it.

If you don't need to accelerate quickly, I find 5th gear generally pretty versatile. In town where you'll be fluxuating a lot between 30-40, 4th would be a good place to be.

Key words: For cruising

Cruising happens when you don't have lots of stops, hills, or random crap to interrupt the flow of traffic. Cruising requires minimal effort on the engine's part to maintain its momentum. If you're driving in places that slow down and speed up a lot (in town, suburbs during peak times), you won't really be cruising. At least for long.

2k RPM is good for cruising. I've never actually cruised below that RPM so if you're there, you're probably in too high a gear for the grade of road or speed you're trying to drive at.

Why are all of you driving the car like it redlines at 4,500? ;)

huh?! wat do u mean? i usually never go over 3000...

A good "barrier" is 4k rpms. I NEVER rev past 4k rpms on a normal commute. Simply the car makes enough power between 3k and 4k to give you enough "go" to stay with the flow of traffic. If you're trying to get a lot of miles out of your gas shift @ 3k rpms but it'll be a pain if you're trying to go anywhere quick. Plus you'll probably get angry drivers honking horns because you're going so slow. Here's a list of speed limit and my gear.

20 mph = 2nd/3rd gear (depends on how far I have to go, etc).

25 mph = 3rd gear

30 mph = 4th gear

35 mph = 4th gear

40 mph = 5th/6th gear

45+ mph = 6th gear

Pretty much when you're cruising keep it under 2500 rpms. When you're getting up to speed don't shift past 4k rpms. That's how I drive anyways. I like to give the car a good amount of gas in 1st gear to 4k rpms then shift to 2nd... car sounds amazing (berk cbe). I seriously need to stop driving with my windows down my gas mileage gets crappy.

ty~~~
this makes perfect sense to my friend #2. LOL