Revcounters - who uses them?
Discussion
jhonn said:
Driving the Mrs's car (Fiat 500) to work yesterday it struck me that the revcounter is something that is fitted as standard, that I never use. Same with the other current cars, a Landcruiser and a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Makes me wonder why the manufacturers even bother to fit them to these kind of cars?
(Even cars that I've owned that could be considered 'sporty' - TT 3.2; Impreza Turbo - I can't recall ever referring to the revcounter, even when driving in a spirited fashion).
So.. do you use yours? Would you miss it if it wasn't fitted - would you specify one for your current road car if it was an optional extra?
And just for interest - anything else that is fitted to your car as standard that you never use and don't see the point of?
Cheers,
John
You owned a Impreza and never used the rev counter...?Makes me wonder why the manufacturers even bother to fit them to these kind of cars?
(Even cars that I've owned that could be considered 'sporty' - TT 3.2; Impreza Turbo - I can't recall ever referring to the revcounter, even when driving in a spirited fashion).
So.. do you use yours? Would you miss it if it wasn't fitted - would you specify one for your current road car if it was an optional extra?
And just for interest - anything else that is fitted to your car as standard that you never use and don't see the point of?
Cheers,
John
My first polo didn't have a rev counter so as soon as i saw the valves dancing on the bonnet i knew it was time for a gear change.
But i do regularly look. A bit more recently as with me getting used to driving the rex its gutless below 3.5k, so overtaking 9/10 needs a downshift to get the revs up, but also to make sure i'm not smashing the redline as soon as i've pulled out.
Also using it for assistance with warming up the car properly. looking as certain rev ranges in gear until i know the car is fully good to go!
But i do regularly look. A bit more recently as with me getting used to driving the rex its gutless below 3.5k, so overtaking 9/10 needs a downshift to get the revs up, but also to make sure i'm not smashing the redline as soon as i've pulled out.
Also using it for assistance with warming up the car properly. looking as certain rev ranges in gear until i know the car is fully good to go!
I glance at mine every now and then but my driving wouldn't change at all if it wasn't there.
I rarely use it to judge gear changes, only in specific situations. There's a few hills near my home which are in 30 zones. If you coast down them in 3rd or 4th gear you'll be doing over 40 by the time you get half way down. It seems uncouth to me to sit on the brakes while rolling down a hill, so I drop to second and stay on the throttle the whole way down. I usually drive with the windows up so I look at the revs then to judge how much of a racket my pos disiesel is making / hoe much of an idiot I must look to people waiting at the bus stop as I go screaming by at about 30
I rarely use it to judge gear changes, only in specific situations. There's a few hills near my home which are in 30 zones. If you coast down them in 3rd or 4th gear you'll be doing over 40 by the time you get half way down. It seems uncouth to me to sit on the brakes while rolling down a hill, so I drop to second and stay on the throttle the whole way down. I usually drive with the windows up so I look at the revs then to judge how much of a racket my pos disiesel is making / hoe much of an idiot I must look to people waiting at the bus stop as I go screaming by at about 30
Edited by drab on Saturday 1st November 09:17
Really useful when using my auto in tiptronic mode. I use manual on the twisties as it gives better engine braking and doesn't keep shifting up and down. Get the revs up and it flies. Relatively speaking. On the bike, although any gear gives enough shove, it's nice to see how much more shove is available. Admittedly first and second are best short shifted as they are very aggressive. With cars, first is the one mastered err, first. On a fast bike, first seems the hardest to master as it is either trying to tip you off the back or pull your arms off..
Not much point in a diesel automatic, but then not much point full stop. My XF has little in the way of dials so I'm a bit surprised it felt a rev counter necessary, but I only ever look at the speedo anyway. It's been the same for previous cars - I rarely take each gear to the limit and even then you can feel pretty well when you've gone past he power peak so you should now when to change without needing to see a dial.
If they were entirely useless then racing cars, particularly drag cars, wouldn't come so equipped.
I don't use it for every gear shift, of course, but it's hugely helpful when acclimatising to a new engine. Each car requires different revs for smooth or fast gear shifts - both up and down. It's possible to do this by feel and I do much of the time however for the purposes of fine tuning the rev counter is essential.
For example, say fifth to fourth at 60 mph requires the engine to be turning at (for instance) 1,000 RPM more to allow for smooth clutch re-engagement. Anything more and it will jerk, any less and it will drag.
So how to do this? Try using the rev counter. When you know what the shift points sound like it's easy - but getting there is the thing. It's akin to trying to tune a piano by ear; entirely possible but never quite right.
Having said that I don't understand why automatic cars need them?
I don't use it for every gear shift, of course, but it's hugely helpful when acclimatising to a new engine. Each car requires different revs for smooth or fast gear shifts - both up and down. It's possible to do this by feel and I do much of the time however for the purposes of fine tuning the rev counter is essential.
For example, say fifth to fourth at 60 mph requires the engine to be turning at (for instance) 1,000 RPM more to allow for smooth clutch re-engagement. Anything more and it will jerk, any less and it will drag.
So how to do this? Try using the rev counter. When you know what the shift points sound like it's easy - but getting there is the thing. It's akin to trying to tune a piano by ear; entirely possible but never quite right.
Having said that I don't understand why automatic cars need them?
Antony Moxey said:
- I rarely take each gear to the limit and even then you can feel pretty well when you've gone past he power peak so you should now when to change without needing to see a dial.
But what if you don't want to take a hand off the wheel at that point? EG You're partway through an overtake on a narrow poorly surfaced road. It can be useful to know whether to stop accelerating or whether you've got a few hundred RPM leftSome people need rev counters, with warning buzzers, & should use them often.
I worked with a bloke, in the early 60s, who drove a Humber Hawk, the 4 cylinder version of the Snipe. They were quite a bit underpowered, & I think he might have thrashed it a bit.
One day he arrived at work by taxi. A little later his car arrived by tow truck. He invited us to see his pushrods, 2 of which were sticking up a couple of inches out of the bonnet.
Apparently the rocker shaft had broken, allowing the pushrods to come out through the rocker cover, & actually penetrate the bonnet. If I had not seen it, I would never have believed the very mild hawk's cam could accelerate it's pushrods enough to penetrate thick cardboard, let alone 2 thicknesses of steel.
I think he must have been revving the poor thing pretty hard.
Motoring was much more interesting back in the 60s.
I worked with a bloke, in the early 60s, who drove a Humber Hawk, the 4 cylinder version of the Snipe. They were quite a bit underpowered, & I think he might have thrashed it a bit.
One day he arrived at work by taxi. A little later his car arrived by tow truck. He invited us to see his pushrods, 2 of which were sticking up a couple of inches out of the bonnet.
Apparently the rocker shaft had broken, allowing the pushrods to come out through the rocker cover, & actually penetrate the bonnet. If I had not seen it, I would never have believed the very mild hawk's cam could accelerate it's pushrods enough to penetrate thick cardboard, let alone 2 thicknesses of steel.
I think he must have been revving the poor thing pretty hard.
Motoring was much more interesting back in the 60s.
I use it very often, for choice of gears, when to change gear, and for getting the smoothest gear changes (I like to see no movement of the needle when I let the clutch out, on either up or downchanges - I like a rev counter where I catch the movement of the needle in my peripheral vision). I dislike driving cars without a rev counter (well, I have not had the privilege of trying a modern Rolls, I might make an exception) and certainly would not buy one.
Useless equipment - a gearchange indicator (they cannot see ahead) ! An old fashioned economy gauge! (as used to be fitted to non-M BMW's).
Useless equipment - a gearchange indicator (they cannot see ahead) ! An old fashioned economy gauge! (as used to be fitted to non-M BMW's).
Dr Jekyll said:
Antony Moxey said:
- I rarely take each gear to the limit and even then you can feel pretty well when you've gone past he power peak so you should now when to change without needing to see a dial.
But what if you don't want to take a hand off the wheel at that point? EG You're partway through an overtake on a narrow poorly surfaced road. It can be useful to know whether to stop accelerating or whether you've got a few hundred RPM leftDr Jekyll said:
But what if you don't want to take a hand off the wheel at that point? EG You're partway through an overtake on a narrow poorly surfaced road. It can be useful to know whether to stop accelerating or whether you've got a few hundred RPM left
So you need your "Tachometer" to let you know if it's safe to overtake 
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