is it bad to drive your car hard? RPM question...

[ultraviolet353]

I have a 1994 318is Automatic (118k Miles). When I want more power and speed (since it is a 4 cylinder) I sometimes rev it up to almost 4000 rpms before it switches gears. Is this bad for the car? Ami working the engine too hard? Or is this normal? Also, as far as the car automatically switching gears, at what rpm does it normally shift at on an automatic? 3000? 3500? 4000?

[Kevin325i]

NO, bmw made the engines to rev, rev away. Although with my chip the last 600 rpms to 7k seem really doggy, anyone else notice this in a 325?

[Live_the_Curves]

I have 318i for the last 2 and half years i have been reving at or above 6000 rpms. And so far I never had an engine problem, so I think you're fine with 4000 rpms.

[bimmerboy328i]

I shift around 3500 RPM's while driving. So yeah between 3000-4000 is just fine. As Kevin said, the bimmer was made to rev.

[Zapak4eva]

i drive an auto 325 and when i floor it the needle just keeps going even into the red unless i release the pressure off of the pedal. I try to avoid this but sometimes i just get caught up

[thekid]

If anything if you maitian those rpms with your automatic, it's worse for your tranny than for your engine.

[docrobot]

YOU WIMPS!!!

:nana

I hit the 6,250 redline in my 125,000 mile 325i DAILY in first and second gear. I mean, look at my avatar on the left to get the idea!

If you only rev to 4,000, then consider trading your Bimmer in for a lesser / slower vehicle...

:P

[Kevin325i]

6250 eh? To scared to go for 6500? :P

[thekid]

Originally posted by docrobot@Aug 11 2004, 12:55 AM


YOU WIMPS!!!

:nana

I hit the 6,250 redline in my 125,000 mile 325i DAILY in first and second gear. I mean, look at my avatar on the left to get the idea!

If you only rev to 4,000, then consider trading your Bimmer in for a lesser / slower vehicle...

:P

1st and 2nd gear wow...

any way... forgot to tell ya, my 318 has 154,678 miles on it. Once it has warmed up I don't feel bad at all runing it all the way up to red line, whether I need to or not. Passing in 4th or even 3rd gear doesn't bother me at all. In fact I toped out 4t the other day on the only windy part of the interstate in jackson MS, really great fun couple turns, some of the sharpest I've ever seen on an interstate. Maintianed 5,700+rpms in 4th for around a minute and def got it up into the red just a little, but no worries. Like I said before I'd be more worried about your auto tranny.

[Tochenzo]

wow, it looks like I haven't been driving my car hard enough at all lol

[RallyE36]

Your BMW engine is happiest at higher rpms.
In fact the engineers made sure your best mileage was achieved at between 4 - 5K rpms

[ultraviolet353]

so will what I described hurt my tranny? Compared to others it doesn't seem excessive.

[Live_the_Curves]

Even the tranny is fine, I use the manual mode on my auto tranny sometime also, it works fine. Lets you rev all the way upto 7000. Which I have done few times.

[Rookie]

I drive a 5 speed and I rev the piss out of it! For instant power I like to be in the power band up above 3,500. I usually shift around 4gs when I am just going somewhere but when I am really hauling ass I will rap it all the way up....
God I love bmws.....

[docrobot]

Originally posted by Rookie@Aug 11 2004, 01:28 AM
God I love bmws.....