Manual car - engine maintainance

[AndrewL]

Hi, I have a few questions about car engine. My car is a 01 Celica 140hp (5 speeds, 1ZZ-FE) manual transmission.

My engine model is well known to burn oil at higher mileage so I would like to care of it to make it last. Normally, I would attempt to shift real smooth + slow acceleration while moving to higher gears as quick as possible.

I've read a thread here a few days ago how the engine is best running at highway speed (65 to 80mph) and that it's bad for it to be close at idle speed.

1) For street driving I tend to keep my engine from 2K to 2.3K rpm (very low rpm for this engine considering that it's a high rev engine, roughly 4k rpm at 80mph). I don't rush my engine at all. I like to take care of my engine, would this have the opposite effect by keeping it on low rpm?

2) I let my car cruises A LOT in neutral gear downhills and nearing red lights (to help save gas too), would this be bad for the engine since it goes back to 800rpm whenever I cruise?

 

[Quattro Pete]

1) No.

2) No, but I think you'll actually be saving more gas if you left it in gear. This way the car would be consuming zero fuel as opposed to consuming whatever it does at idle/neutral.

 

[fdcg27]

Gentle driving will maximize the life of any engine, except maybe a Mazda Wankel.
A hard run to redline every now and again should help to keep the plugs clean, as well as the VVT functional.
Aside from that, it's fun, and will cause no harm if not done every time you accelerate from rest.
As long as you don't habitually lug the engine, shifting to keep the revs down won't cause any harm.
The automatic version probably upshifts at similarly low revs if accelerated gently, so oil pressure shouldn't be a concern.
This thing almost certainly shuts off the injectors when coasting in gear, so this would use less fuel than coasting in neutral, although fuel consumption at idle is pretty low.

 

[eljefino]

The vacuum of coasting in gear is also good for your piston rings. Don't overthink your driving, do everything in moderation, and you'll be fine.

 

[AndrewL]

thank you guys for the quick response!

glad I can keep driving like this

Quote:
The vacuum of coasting in gear is also good for your piston rings.


sorry but can you elaborate on this stuff? I'm not questioning your statement, I just like to learn why.

 

[eljefino]

It helps the rings seal, it flexes them somehow... I'm not fully up on the p's and q's myself.

 

[mechtech2]

The car is what it is.
Coasting in gear has a lot of engine braking, and the fuel only shuts off in certain circumstances and RPMs.
Coasting is far better - no engine braking and a pittance of fuel used.

Keep your fluids clean and drive her any way that fits your immediate desires and situations.