don’t chase Fiat’s fabled (dishonest?) economy figures if you want a long +trouble-free life from your engine and DMF, and don’t believe the falsehood that the ECU software is so smart that it will always protect the engine (19 mins if you just want the conclusion, but the technical explanations throughout are worth watching)
General Gear shift indicator - destroyer of engines+DMFs
- Thread starter JayAre
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General Gear shift indicator - destroyer of engines+DMFs
I have never taken notice of this nannying 'feature' in any car I have owned that has it. I have been driving long enough and hard enough to know when to change up or down. I have yet to destroy any engines...
I must admit I have never bought into the claim that you should let the TA sound like it’s labouring in 6th per the indicator. The car wants to be in 6th way too soon, IMO, and the economy gain of doing so is marginal at best.
I’ve often found that remaining in 4th or even changing down to 3rd and staying around 2500rpm often increases the displayed mpg in urban driving, as well as giving much greater flexibility (eg sudden need to accelerate) and better car control
Always listened to engine revs to change up or down gears, I know when it's being thrashed or labouring been driving 40 years car lorries bikes tractors lawnmowers etc whether that's driving a good ones or nursing a cranky old banger that's in self destruct mode remember nursing an old capri 1600 gt that's big ends rattled like can of ball bearings oil pressure gauge was flicking up and down nursed it 150 miles back from Wales never started again after I switched it off when I got home lol
The MJ engine in my 4x4 delivers peak torque at 1500 rpm, which is 30mph in fourth and 40mph in fifth (top gear on the diesel). It’s quite fun to watch the gear shift indicator to be telling you to change to top gear at 41mph, and then immediately tell you to change down again as soon as you release the clutch…. Generally I ignore it 
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Yep; mechanical empathy rules! This is a massive gap in Driver training in my view although becoming less relevant as driving is increasingly "dumbed down". I do admire the technology (having ridden in Teslas etc - lane detection, distance management etc) but what happens when it all turns to "nonsense"?
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Light throttle and letting turbo work seems to work, and while the engine will pull well from very low revs care of the dmf says run in a lower gear. I do wish the gear change indicator was not there, but I understand why its fitted. The uniair does its best stuff at low revs and wide throttle openings. No point in having it if you never use the potential.
except where doing so shortens engine life, when it’s the proverbial “false economy”
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
I was watching the gsi today and taking no notice. I then looked at the rev counter..... The TA revs very easily. May be its not all bad. Going above 3600 In the gears just wastes fuel. Probably also bad for engine life too..... My mpg grovelling along at 37 this week. I must slow down!
I’ve just averaged 55 on a 200 mile motorway trip today. ECO on, AC on, and sixth gear keeping below 3000 revs for most of it. 17K miles on it. Economy keeps improving, albeit marginally now.
my current ‘trip’ reading for 320 miles (including 130 miles return from SCS on motorway, fast dual carriageway and main roads) is just over 45mpg without thinking about economy at all - like you c 3000 in 6th (creeping over sometimes to pass lorries +when ‘the Devil
gets me’
) but I never go below 2000 in higher gears and never accelerate hard below 25000. I’m happy with that - and the engine seems happy too 
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