the 'Red Line'

[TOYNEG]

I was just wondering this morning how many people actually 'redline' their motors regularly. i was told my a very reputable garage that my car needed to be 'rev'd' hard often to avoid coking issues caused by carbon build up.

driving to work this morning i saw some pretty powerful cars and i thought, i bet that some of these people have no idea what their car is capable of at all.

[markmullen]

Very regularly, if the car I am driving goes well to the redline, diesels for example run out of puff way before the line so it is pointless.

[Matthen]

markmullen said:

Very regularly, if the car I am driving goes well to the redline, diesels for example run out of puff way before the line so it is pointless.

Except to decoke the engine. Going to the redline helps prevent (or at least delay) EGR issues.

[andy-xr]

Nope, never redline it, dont have a need to - all the power is available well before that point. Occasionally see 4.5-5k rpm on a 2 gear kickdown, probably closest I'd get

[james_gt3rs]

Everyday, even in a not very fast car it's quite addictive.

[davyvee]

Most of the time if the car is warm.

I've read that some people never ever do it. Ever. Like they are protecting the engine or something.

[TurboHatchback]

On my previous NA petrol engines then quite regularly once warmed up. They seemed to run all the better for it and I never had any engine problems. On my old 4.2 diesel there was no point as it just made a stupendous noise, a vast smogscreen and no more forward progress. The current turbo petrol doesn't seem to give much more going right to the redline so it gets taken to ~90% of max revs before changing up, though the in gear grunt means that even this is rarely necessary.

[oldaudi]

Never. Never goes over 3K.....or 65mph!

[BritishRacinGrin]

Not every day, my commute isn't long enough for the oil to get fully warm. On longer drives though, it's quite usual for me to hit the redline once or twice.

[mini1380cc]

Red line my girlfriends Aygo from time to time. I have no idea where the redline is though since it doesn't have a counter, it just "bounces".

[BritishRacinGrin]

davyvee said:

Most of the time if the car is warm.

I've read that some people never ever do it. Ever. Like they are protecting the engine or something.

Yeah I hear this a lot. I think that it's mostly old wives tales passed down from older generations who grew up with cars without rev limiters, poorly tuned carburetors, worn out points, bad valve clearances etc.

I had this discussion with somebody recently. They said that I might 'blow it up'. I tried to explain that the rev limiter was there to protect the engine from over-revving but it wouldn't harm the engine to hit the limiter periodically. He just wouldn't have it.

[TommyBuoy]

Often. Not if i'm in town though.

If I'm driving spiritedly then I'll change about 7000rpm, if I'm in the mood and the road / conditions suit I'll take it up to 9000.

On the bike usually 1000rpm before the red line if I'm pushing on, again, not if I'm in town.

I understand the engines are tested at max revs anyway, and the extra heat etc can help coking issues.

[toon10]

I red line mine a fair bit although not every journey. Mine's a nice creamy 6 pot petrol though so it would be rude not to. My partner has had issues of coking on her diesel Rav 4. I've told her what to do and why but she just keeps saying I don't like to rev it past 2500rpm as it sounds funny. I said it makes a nicer sound than a garage's cash register.

[mwstewart]

It depends on the powerband, and how the particular engine feels at the redline.

[rustyabarth]

Regularly kiss the rev limiter in my Cinq, the golf on the other hand, an old 2.0 8v is all done by 5500 so no point and it sounds rather boring and thrashy too

[Cyder]

I usually don't take the MX5 right up to the red line, I think it's around 7k rpm, I probably only use up to 5.5-6k on a daily basis.

I only normally hit the limiter if in hooligan mode and the rear end loses traction, then it gets to 7k really quickly!

Both daily drivers are diesels so no need to go right up to the red line.

[Devil2575]

I used to redline my previous petrol cars regularly, but I don't often do it in my diseasel Ford Fungus. It gets reved quite hard from time to time to help clean it out but it's not an especially enjoyable experience.

[vtecyo]

I drive a Honda, so every day.

[jbsportstech]

I thought modern cars have rev limters so you dont damage the engine as long as the oil is warmed up and it does prevent coking up.

Chris Gilbert always says only use 90% of the power band as thats wre u get peak torque, as after this the curve drops off.

[Dog Star]

Don't remember the last time.
Most of my mileage is back and forth commuting on the M62 and I tend to stick to the left hand lanes away from the bumper to bumper company Audi/BMW lane 3 bunfight, so 65mph - so sub 1500rpm for me and I doubt it sees over 2000rpm for weeks on end.