ChrisUlrich

You can cruise in 6th at like 1000 rpms... if I cruised at that speed for a period of time, would that be harmful in anyway? Would I get better gas mileage if I downshifted to 5th and cruised at like 2 212?

Bow94z

no not harmful at all....yes you are saving gas.! you never want to floor the car in 6th gear at 1000rpms cause you will bog the motor. at that point yes you would want to downshift into 5th gear to bring the motor to higher rpms so you can get back up to speed again. I travel down the highway for long periods of time in 6th gear going like 80mph at 2200rpms about

blackbirdta

man you'd have to be going pretty slow to be at 1k in 6th on the highway im at ~1500 going 65-70

96 WS6

It's bad to lug the engine along... high load, low rpm is not good.

ChrisUlrich

So its bad to be in 6th gear at a 1000rpms for high traveling? You do about 60 in 6th about a 1000rpms... which is good for cruising on 55mph speed limit highways... that should be aight right?

grygst76

It's ok to save gas that way; but don't try to pass someone uless you downshift to 5th otherwise fahgetaboutit!!

Bow94z

EXACTLY trying to pass some in 6th at 1K ur engine=

simple

not trying to be a stickler but do any of you have any proof that it "hurts" or "is not good" for the motor to be at cruising speed in that low of rpm?

unvc92camarors

hey, not trying to hijack the thread but...
i was in 6th gear and had cruise control on most of the way to dayton (50 min drive approx.)
is there any harm in that?
i mean, it's at like 1500 rpms atleast at all times and it did accelerate up a few slight inclines on the highway to keep the speed up
also, if it's bad to have it in gear at like 1000 rpms and trying to go somewhere, then why does cags make me go into 4th and it is sitting at like 1000 rpms sometimes?

Injuneer

It wouldn't go up to "2 212" if you downshifted to 5th. 6th gear is 0.50:1, 5th gear is 0.74:1. 1,000rpm in 6th (stock rear, tire dameter) is about 45mph. Shifting to 5th at that speed would put it at 1,480rpm.

96 WS6

Get a boost/vacumn gauge and do that so you can see how hard the motor is working. I'd say that high load/low rpm puts a lot of stress on the motor, maybe even comparable to WOT just based on how much vacumn a car makes trying to lug up a hill in 6'th. At least at WOT you have the momentum of the engine and the flywheel helping you.

I'd say that if you are just crusing don't stay under 1500 if possible, you will probably use the same amount of gas crusing using less throttle and more revs in 5'th gear than more throttle and less revs in 6'th. Or get slightly taller gears than stock. IMO, 3.42/3.23 gears came in these cars for traction and mileage but I think 3.73/3.42 would have been a better choice - a little more torque and little more rev to take stress off the motor. Crusing at 1000 rpm is just ridiculous though, crusing in second overdrive (5'th gear is also an overdrive) with a 0.5:1 ratio at idle speeds is a definite no no.

Injuneer or shoebox or anybody else who knows, please correct me if anything I said was wrong.

ChrisUlrich

The Trans Am I drove cruised at 1000 rpms in 6th gear doing 60mph... It was stock from what he said. So doing that would be very bad for the car? So then whats a good cruise speed for the highway for rpms? I figured 1500/below would be awesome, but I guess thats wrong... hrm

wdz_lt1

this is some reasons why im glad I have an A4 the car does all the thinking for me..all i do is push the gas..but i guess it would be a hella lot funner to drive a m6

to the m6

Robert_K

I got an a4, is it normal to be at 55mph at 1500rpm, or is my motor weak? I think my tranny is slipping or my motor is losing power.