Pretty much as per the title, really.
When I drive the '2, I very rarely ever use 5th gear: for me, I go 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and then straight to 6th (as by the time I'm in 4th I'm already doing the speed limit, so I stick it in 6th to save a bit of fuel).
I'm not exactly clued up as to how gears work, so I'm wondering if I'm likely to cause any damage by driving like this? I'll probably only ever use 5th once/twice a week , and only when I'm really stretching my cars' legs.
I go from 3rd to 5th on a regular basis, got me worried now!! I don't have a 6th s:cry: :cry: s:cry:
no problem at all.
so how many will you use when teh turbo is on?
Quote from: "markiii"no problem at all.
Good, I'd hate to change my driving style now! s:D :D s:D
Quote from: "markiii"so how many will you use when the turbo is on?
Only one way to find out...! s8) 8) s8)
Like they say, shouldn't do any mechanical damage, but is possibly not the best way to drive from a safety point of view.... if you're cruising at 60 say, and you're in 5th rather than 6th, you've probably got a bit more engine breaking available when you lift off than in 6th. So should something go the way of the pear in front of you, you'll save a few extra feet as you lift before breaking. Yeah, only a few feet. But it could be the vital few feet.
It's a similar story with other gears, you're in more control of both speeding up and slowing down, without using the breaks, if you keep it in the "right" gear.
Sure, you can take the above to extremes, but there's a balance to be had between mechanical sympathy, fuel saving, and safety.
IAM driving courses teach you lots about the above stuff, and while not always leading to a faster driver may make you a little safer on the roads.
Provided your speed matches your gear selection, I can't imagine why skipping a gear would be a problem. On this side o' the drink, we've had a member experience substantial damage from downshifting and missing fourth (hitting second instead). Personally, I'd hit each gear in sequence so as to avoid lugging the engine and stressing the rods and rings.
Slightly off-topic, but as a lexicographer, I simply must ask:
QuoteSo should something go the way of the pear in front of you...
Contextually, this obviously means to "go awry," or "go amiss," but I'm wondering if this is rhyming slang perhaps?
Quote from: "southerneditor"Slightly off-topic, but as a lexicographer, I simply must ask:
QuoteSo should something go the way of the pear in front of you...
Contextually, this obviously means to "go awry," or "go amiss," but I'm wondering if this is rhyming slang perhaps?
No, not rhyming slang, just another way of refering to pear-shaped.
I regularly do this to especially when accelerating onto the motorway/A road as your up to speed so can miss fifth out. If the speed of the road is slower I quite often leave it in fifth though.
Being smt, i can't actually miss gears out, but essentially do pretty much the same thing - I usually belt through 2nd, 3rd and maybe 4th, but then just quickly skip through 5th to 6th.
obviously it all depends on the road/traffic conditions, but haven't had any problems (as yet!) s:roll: :roll: s:roll:
The pear thing is interesting - I have absolutely no idea why i/people say pear shaped/way of the pear when meaing things going wrong - I get 'it's all gone pete tong' because it rhymes, but pears? Maybe we're all just crazy... s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
I skip gears all the time. 1st -> 3rd, 3rd -> 5th, 2nd -> 4th. I do it quite a lot. I don't have a 6th s:cry: :cry: s:cry: , you luckly people.
[off topic]Pear shaped, something from the RAF apparently. http://alt-usage-english.org/pear_shaped.html [/off topic]
So is 6 gears needed or not ?
Not really. The 6th is only an overdrive gear suitable for cruising on the motorways, it's got almost no acceleration potential at all. The other five gears are the same ratio as a 5-speed 'box.
Quote from: "ekona"Not really. The 6th is only an overdrive gear suitable for cruising on the motorways, it's got almost no acceleration potential at all. The other five gears are the same ratio as a 5-speed 'box.
I though the ratios on the first five gears were slightly different on the 6 speed but may stand corrected s:? :? s:?
Nope, they're identical.
Clicky (http://www.spyderchat.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=144)
Quote from: "ekona"Not really. The 6th is only an overdrive gear suitable for cruising on the motorways, it's got almost no acceleration potential at all. The other five gears are the same ratio as a 5-speed 'box.
The only problem is, for someone like me who only drives our 5 speed MR2 occasionally and spends the rest of the time in a car with 6 gears, I keep trying to put the '2 into 6th and nearly selecting reverse! This has happened to me quite a few times now; really quite worrying...
Quote from: "lordretsudo"I keep trying to put the '2 into 6th and nearly selecting reverse!
Done that.. don't even know what my excuse is, not having a 6spd car - but it resulted in a
lovely grinding noise at about 90... Oops.
All speeds are km/h, obviously.. s;) ;) s;)