60km/h - Are you in 4th or 5th?

[NickZ]

I agree, I don't consider cruising at 60km/h in 5th on a flat bit of road labouring the engine.

The engine is not under labour just because it's revving at 1500rpm in 5th, it's only labouring at the point where you put your foot down at 1500rpm in 5th which I don't do.

I agree as well. My point was that accelerating (or maintaining speed up a hill) in 5th at 60km/h is not good for your engine

[Ben_GTI]

(or maintaining speed up a hill) in 5th at 60km/h is not good for your engine

Lol I shudder at the thought, but some people do it. Even in my mk3 the auto dumps it into 4th and labours up a hill, I just shift it down and without pressing on the accelerator any harder it accelerates up the hill in 3rd nicely. Damn dodgy autos!!

[Preen59]

I agree, I don't consider cruising at 60km/h in 5th on a flat bit of road labouring the engine.

The engine is not under labour just because it's revving at 1500rpm in 5th, it's only labouring at the point where you put your foot down at 1500rpm in 5th which I don't do.

You guys can do whatever you like. It's your engine.

I was just pointing out some of the issues that people don't know about or realise.

[Kiel_GTI]

thats the spirit!

its the only way.

[pologti18t]

60km/h in 5th is perfectly fine. Remember max Nms are reached at 1900rpm or so. If the car accelerates smoothly then it isn't labouring.

You may also notice that when you slow down to a stop, if you coast (in neutral, i.e. not in gear), you are using more fuel than you would if you leave it in gear for as long as you can.

Modern cars have a fuel cutout on overrun/coasting. Will usually start adding the fuel back in around 1500rpm. So it is better to coast to a stop in a gear (keeping revs above 1500rpm). You instantaneous readout should read 0.0 until the fuel starts flowing again.

[PeterHBne]

60km/h in 5th is perfectly fine. Remember max Nms are reached at 1900rpm or so. If the car accelerates smoothly then it isn't labouring.

I agree - 60 in 5th is fine for me - acceleration is modest but the motor is not labouring.

I suppose it depends on how you define labouring - for me it's that low level groaning you get when your girlfriend is driving, goes around a bend in 5th, slows to 20 or 30 and then tries to accelerate - that's labouring.

[projectsplat]

60 in 5th.... damn. I am usually still in 2nd....

[awestonvp]

60 in 5th.... damn. I am usually still in 2nd....

Yep, changing from 1st to 2nd at that point, but then my boss pays for all my fuel...

[GTIJNR]

For me any gear is fine for 60 lol. don't b lazy, use the box and your feeling to shift... Fifth is fine for 60, provide that you don't have to use more than 10-20% throttle to keep it at 60, or banging limiter in 1st will also keep u close to 60, nah i don't do that... BUT then, is your car have mod or not?

[hkogti]

I found that under the same throttle, 4th gear is using less fuel then 5th gear when curising at 60!!!

[ACTGTI]

I found that under the same throttle, 4th gear is using less fuel then 5th gear when curising at 60!!!

I've found the opposite.