Where rpm do you usually drive in?
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 734
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From: Imperial Valley, CA
Where rpm do you usually drive in? When i had my 00'ss i had the engine rebuilt at the gm dealership where i worked at. The tech told me the valves were full of carbon build up, he asked how i drove the car and i told him i always kept it between 1500 and 2000 and rarely sees over that, unless i was racing which is like once every two months. Now with this 02 i have, im not sure what rpm range i should try to keep it in. I definitely dont drive hard and put about 100 miles per week, and now that i have a beater, i probably will put even less miles. So does it matter if i drive in a TOO LOW rpm? Am i hurting the engine instead of taking care of it? 
You arent hurting anything, but a little spirited driving never killed anything. Stop worrying about it and shift at redline every now and again that will be sure to clear it up.
Your building up carbon just like the tech said. It's not good for the motor. I used to drive 1600 rpm to 2100 rpm.
I changed my driving style after Slowhawk used some top end cleaner and my car was smoking white like it was on fire. The heads must of been so nasty looking. I now never try to go below 2,000 rpm, I try to drive around 2,300 all the time.
Oh yea, catch this. Shift with stock gears around 2,500 rpm to 2,700 rpm and don't let the rpm's go below 2,000 rpm. If driving at a constant speed, drive @ 2,000 rpm and you'll save a ton of gas. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I followed my gas gauge driving one way then went back to the old way just to see. Lugging the car creates build up and burns more gas.
I changed my driving style after Slowhawk used some top end cleaner and my car was smoking white like it was on fire. The heads must of been so nasty looking. I now never try to go below 2,000 rpm, I try to drive around 2,300 all the time.
Oh yea, catch this. Shift with stock gears around 2,500 rpm to 2,700 rpm and don't let the rpm's go below 2,000 rpm. If driving at a constant speed, drive @ 2,000 rpm and you'll save a ton of gas. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I followed my gas gauge driving one way then went back to the old way just to see. Lugging the car creates build up and burns more gas.
You should at least run it above 3k RPMs at least once every time you take it out for a ride, if not a few times. Just wait till she's warmed up before revving her too high and you'll be fine. These engines want to be opened up every once and a while. It's what they do best. Given what you've said about your driving style, I think you can easily drive a bit more aggressively without any worries of engine wear whatsoever. 2k RPM is nothing to an LS1 engine.
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 734
Likes: 7
From: Imperial Valley, CA
Originally Posted by Joe DIESO
Your building up carbon just like the tech said. It's not good for the motor. I used to drive 1600 rpm to 2100 rpm.
I changed my driving style after Slowhawk used some top end cleaner and my car was smoking white like it was on fire. The heads must of been so nasty looking. I now never try to go below 2,000 rpm, I try to drive around 2,300 all the time.
Oh yea, catch this. Shift with stock gears around 2,500 rpm to 2,700 rpm and don't let the rpm's go below 2,000 rpm. If driving at a constant speed, drive @ 2,000 rpm and you'll save a ton of gas. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I followed my gas gauge driving one way then went back to the old way just to see. Lugging the car creates build up and burns more gas.
I changed my driving style after Slowhawk used some top end cleaner and my car was smoking white like it was on fire. The heads must of been so nasty looking. I now never try to go below 2,000 rpm, I try to drive around 2,300 all the time.
Oh yea, catch this. Shift with stock gears around 2,500 rpm to 2,700 rpm and don't let the rpm's go below 2,000 rpm. If driving at a constant speed, drive @ 2,000 rpm and you'll save a ton of gas. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I followed my gas gauge driving one way then went back to the old way just to see. Lugging the car creates build up and burns more gas.
Its true, ive heard that also that driving with real low rpm's really sucks down the gas. Ill do what u recommend this week to see the difference. Ill be shifting at 2500 and no 6th gear this week.
Teching In
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 19
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From: Atlanta, GA
Guys, guys... are you sure that's the best piece of advice? I mean, I'm all for opening her up now and then and I do... trust me. But for optimal performance and mileage, cruising around at 2300 rpm isn't the best thing. I do a 1-3-5-6 at 0-20-40-50 mph. If I'm cruising around, once I hit 50+ mph, she's in 6th, except if I'm passing someone or if I'm going uphill. And I think that's better than keeping her in 5th at 2500 rpm.
The whole reason for the skip-shift (which I'm no fan of btw) is to get you to go to 4th at around 1200 rpm. If it was bad for the car and not fuel efficient, why would the GM tech guys put that in there in the first place?
Not to start a fued here, but I think we should hear both sides of the story.
The whole reason for the skip-shift (which I'm no fan of btw) is to get you to go to 4th at around 1200 rpm. If it was bad for the car and not fuel efficient, why would the GM tech guys put that in there in the first place?
Not to start a fued here, but I think we should hear both sides of the story.
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From: St Louis, MO
The reason skip-shift drops you into 4th is because of an EPA test that must be run in the lowest selectable gear at a certain speed. I dont recall what the speed is, but by forcing them to run the test in 4th it passes.
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i found cruising from 1k-1500 rpm i got 12mpg then curising 1500-2k my milage went to 14mpg thought it was a fluke but i've done it more than once which proves my car likes the higher rpm. i also shift at 3k
Originally Posted by Joe DIESO
Your building up carbon just like the tech said. It's not good for the motor. I used to drive 1600 rpm to 2100 rpm.
I changed my driving style after Slowhawk used some top end cleaner and my car was smoking white like it was on fire. The heads must of been so nasty looking. I now never try to go below 2,000 rpm, I try to drive around 2,300 all the time.
Oh yea, catch this. Shift with stock gears around 2,500 rpm to 2,700 rpm and don't let the rpm's go below 2,000 rpm. If driving at a constant speed, drive @ 2,000 rpm and you'll save a ton of gas. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I followed my gas gauge driving one way then went back to the old way just to see. Lugging the car creates build up and burns more gas.
I changed my driving style after Slowhawk used some top end cleaner and my car was smoking white like it was on fire. The heads must of been so nasty looking. I now never try to go below 2,000 rpm, I try to drive around 2,300 all the time.
Oh yea, catch this. Shift with stock gears around 2,500 rpm to 2,700 rpm and don't let the rpm's go below 2,000 rpm. If driving at a constant speed, drive @ 2,000 rpm and you'll save a ton of gas. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me but I followed my gas gauge driving one way then went back to the old way just to see. Lugging the car creates build up and burns more gas.
btw, i usually keep it around 2500, but i always tach it up a few times a day
You can get top engine cleaner for your GM parts counter =)
Or you can get top engine cleaner called Sea foam - make sure you get the motor cleaner not just the fuel cleaner. using a vacume line you pour it into the motor and then let it sit for a bit and when u fire it up smoke comin out shows u how much ur car hates you =-)
Or you can get top engine cleaner called Sea foam - make sure you get the motor cleaner not just the fuel cleaner. using a vacume line you pour it into the motor and then let it sit for a bit and when u fire it up smoke comin out shows u how much ur car hates you =-)
TECH Addict
Joined: Sep 2003
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From: Atlanta, GA
900-1200rpm mostly, after lockup. Prob the pcv system that needs some attention.
We used to pour liquid freon into the motors, talk about a cleansing (and toxic cloud).
does make a good parts cleaner too (liquid freon).
We used to pour liquid freon into the motors, talk about a cleansing (and toxic cloud).
does make a good parts cleaner too (liquid freon).
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 559
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From: Garden City, Michigan
I don't like cruising at much under 2k. I don't have enough experience with the gas mileage thing, but my engine just seems 'rough' at constant speed under about 1800 rpm. I'm also not sure how mileage of the engine will affect that. My car still only has less than 2400 miles on it - so the engine isn't 'loosened up' yet, from what I've read.
Dan
Dan
Thread Starter
TECH Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 734
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From: Imperial Valley, CA
Originally Posted by Red00WS6_DreamBird
Guys, guys... are you sure that's the best piece of advice? I mean, I'm all for opening her up now and then and I do... trust me. But for optimal performance and mileage, cruising around at 2300 rpm isn't the best thing. I do a 1-3-5-6 at 0-20-40-50 mph. If I'm cruising around, once I hit 50+ mph, she's in 6th, except if I'm passing someone or if I'm going uphill. And I think that's better than keeping her in 5th at 2500 rpm.
The whole reason for the skip-shift (which I'm no fan of btw) is to get you to go to 4th at around 1200 rpm. If it was bad for the car and not fuel efficient, why would the GM tech guys put that in there in the first place?
Not to start a fued here, but I think we should hear both sides of the story.
The whole reason for the skip-shift (which I'm no fan of btw) is to get you to go to 4th at around 1200 rpm. If it was bad for the car and not fuel efficient, why would the GM tech guys put that in there in the first place?
Not to start a fued here, but I think we should hear both sides of the story.
lol.......i thought i was the only one who shifted like that. I guess ill just wait til i get my cam done too see how everything looks inside. But i also have a bit of trouble convincing myself that low rpm is bad for any car. Teching In
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
From: Atlanta, GA
My point exactly. Doing 20mph in 5th gear at 900 rpm is BAAADDD! But doing 50mph in 6th gear at 1200 rpm is not a bad thing at all. I'm not saying lug the beast like this all the time, but if you're not doing any spirited driving, why do a half-assed spirited driving and drive in 5th gear at 70mph????
