Healthy or not, I WOT both of my cars multiple times per drive. Sold my last car with 194K, literally thousands of WOT pulls, and the engine purred like a kitten and didn't burn oil or smoke.
WOT runs are healthy for a car?
- Thread starter VK56VD
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I usually skip WOT and go straight to FT.
Lets say a car is running for 10 minutes in 20-30F temps. A driver decides to do a few WOT runs from highway speeds up to about 5000 rpms. How bad would that be?
I see cars in the morning with water literally running out of their exhaust pipes and the drivers bury the gas pedal to get onto the highway...........
I see cars in the morning with water literally running out of their exhaust pipes and the drivers bury the gas pedal to get onto the highway...........
My Nissan X-trail QR25DE 4 banger with auto transmission locked on cruise control will jump from a nice 2600 rpm at 75 mph in OD up to 4000 rpm when the transmission quickly kicks down twice going up a hill (when I forget to cancel the cruise before going up the hill)
When the engine is fully warmed up on highway is this doing damage to engine or auto transmission?
If I had a 5 speed manual transmission and I had cruise set at 2600 rpm at highway speed and kept cruise on while going up hill, is this more damaging as I would probably lug the drive train?
I ask these questions because I want a manual transmission next purchase, auto transmissions are extremely annoying for my driving enjoyment due to cruise control and auto transmission shifts and minute clunks engaging from park position.
thanks,
Cyprs
When the engine is fully warmed up on highway is this doing damage to engine or auto transmission?
If I had a 5 speed manual transmission and I had cruise set at 2600 rpm at highway speed and kept cruise on while going up hill, is this more damaging as I would probably lug the drive train?
I ask these questions because I want a manual transmission next purchase, auto transmissions are extremely annoying for my driving enjoyment due to cruise control and auto transmission shifts and minute clunks engaging from park position.
thanks,
Cyprs
Originally Posted By: brianl703
Originally Posted By: Kestas
From the data I've seen, WOT is toughest on the transmission in first gear.
My Saab 93 limits boost in 1st gear.
WOT runs are especially healthy for your car, and you, if you're merging onto a highway with a semi bearing down on you...
My Buick Grand NAtional pulls max boost (18psi)in 1st and 2nd gears than will slightly taper off in 34rd and 4th (14-15psi). I'm sure BuickGN will chime in with his experiences. I think he is running over 20psi.
Originally Posted By: Kestas
From the data I've seen, WOT is toughest on the transmission in first gear.
My Saab 93 limits boost in 1st gear.
WOT runs are especially healthy for your car, and you, if you're merging onto a highway with a semi bearing down on you...
My Buick Grand NAtional pulls max boost (18psi)in 1st and 2nd gears than will slightly taper off in 34rd and 4th (14-15psi). I'm sure BuickGN will chime in with his experiences. I think he is running over 20psi.
Daily WOT runs have been required by many cheaply built compact cars, due to the power to weight ratio of the car. Many said cars last for ages anyway. Unless the car had a larger NA engine built equally to the small one swapped into place, life between cars run at WOT and those not run that way would be impossible to determine.
Actually, maybe it is. In the 1980s or 1990s, Chevy Caviliers were sold with a small OHV 4 cylinder and with an OHV V6 engine. How did those two fare against each other? So many of them are dead now, so a good set of stats might be able to be made.
Actually, maybe it is. In the 1980s or 1990s, Chevy Caviliers were sold with a small OHV 4 cylinder and with an OHV V6 engine. How did those two fare against each other? So many of them are dead now, so a good set of stats might be able to be made.
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I just wish there were freeways here in the USA like the European Autobahn, where I could drive my GTI at WOT for extended periods. Little Red BEGS me to go fast, but the fuzz isn't friendly to that idea. So sadly, Little Red lives a mundane life of 65-70 mph highway driving, with a rare 80-90 mph 1-2 mile run thrown in for a treat.
I wish the USA would build a no-speed-limit interstate highway system. Perhaps this could be done by making the new highway a toll road with very high fees. Also, only allow vehicles with proper current safety inspections, and require some additional training/licensing requirements in order for a driver to be allowed onto the high-speed-road. I can dream, no?
I wish the USA would build a no-speed-limit interstate highway system. Perhaps this could be done by making the new highway a toll road with very high fees. Also, only allow vehicles with proper current safety inspections, and require some additional training/licensing requirements in order for a driver to be allowed onto the high-speed-road. I can dream, no?
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
I just wish there were freeways here in the USA like the European Autobahn, where I could drive my GTI at WOT for extended periods. Little Red BEGS me to go fast, but the fuzz isn't friendly to that idea. So sadly, Little Red lives a mundane life of 65-70 mph highway driving, with a rare 80-90 mph 1-2 mile run thrown in for a treat.
I wish the USA would build a no-speed-limit interstate highway system. Perhaps this could be done by making the new highway a toll road with very high fees. Also, only allow vehicles with proper current safety inspections, and require some additional training/licensing requirements in order for a driver to be allowed onto the high-speed-road. I can dream, no?
Montana had this for a long time. The reason that they got rid of it is because all states must pay taxes to the feds, and the feds give a subsidy to the states that use certain speed limits.
However, there is one solution. A road where there is a 70 MPH limit, but no cops, and the cops make sure that everyone knows that the speed limit is unlimited.
It sure has worked for other laws.
Sorry if it got too political there.
I just wish there were freeways here in the USA like the European Autobahn, where I could drive my GTI at WOT for extended periods. Little Red BEGS me to go fast, but the fuzz isn't friendly to that idea. So sadly, Little Red lives a mundane life of 65-70 mph highway driving, with a rare 80-90 mph 1-2 mile run thrown in for a treat.
I wish the USA would build a no-speed-limit interstate highway system. Perhaps this could be done by making the new highway a toll road with very high fees. Also, only allow vehicles with proper current safety inspections, and require some additional training/licensing requirements in order for a driver to be allowed onto the high-speed-road. I can dream, no?
Montana had this for a long time. The reason that they got rid of it is because all states must pay taxes to the feds, and the feds give a subsidy to the states that use certain speed limits.
However, there is one solution. A road where there is a 70 MPH limit, but no cops, and the cops make sure that everyone knows that the speed limit is unlimited.
It sure has worked for other laws.
Sorry if it got too political there.
Originally Posted By: artificialist
Montana had this for a long time. The reason that they got rid of it is because all states must pay taxes to the feds, and the feds give a subsidy to the states that use certain speed limits.
An act of Congress about 14 years ago repealed national speed limits, giving authority to states to set their own speed limit.
What was happening prior is that the Feds would cut off highway funding to states that did not use the national speed limits, which were 55MPH for a long time and then 65MPH in counties with less than a certain population (this for Interstate highways).
Montana was forced to implement actual posted speed limits because a court found that "reasonable and prudent" was too vague:
Quote:
Despite concerted efforts by the Montana State Patrol, Attorney General and Governor to replace the "reasonable and prudent" law with numerical speed limits, the state legislature refused to do so. The Montana State Patrol chose to enforce a de-facto threshold of an 80-90 mph limit for Reasonable and Prudent enforcement.
During a challenge of such a ticket, in 1998, the Montana Supreme Court declared the Reasonable and Prudent Speed Limit unconstitutional, on the basis of vagueness. For the following five months Montana had no form of daytime speed limit on its rural highways.
Quote:
Sorry if it got too political there.
It would be interesting, for those who want to do the research, to find out who implemented national speed limits and who gave that authority back to the states.
Montana had this for a long time. The reason that they got rid of it is because all states must pay taxes to the feds, and the feds give a subsidy to the states that use certain speed limits.
An act of Congress about 14 years ago repealed national speed limits, giving authority to states to set their own speed limit.
What was happening prior is that the Feds would cut off highway funding to states that did not use the national speed limits, which were 55MPH for a long time and then 65MPH in counties with less than a certain population (this for Interstate highways).
Montana was forced to implement actual posted speed limits because a court found that "reasonable and prudent" was too vague:
Quote:
Despite concerted efforts by the Montana State Patrol, Attorney General and Governor to replace the "reasonable and prudent" law with numerical speed limits, the state legislature refused to do so. The Montana State Patrol chose to enforce a de-facto threshold of an 80-90 mph limit for Reasonable and Prudent enforcement.
During a challenge of such a ticket, in 1998, the Montana Supreme Court declared the Reasonable and Prudent Speed Limit unconstitutional, on the basis of vagueness. For the following five months Montana had no form of daytime speed limit on its rural highways.
Quote:
Sorry if it got too political there.
It would be interesting, for those who want to do the research, to find out who implemented national speed limits and who gave that authority back to the states.
Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
I wish the USA would build a no-speed-limit interstate highway system. Perhaps this could be done by making the new highway a toll road with very high fees.
We have, it's call race track.
I wish the USA would build a no-speed-limit interstate highway system. Perhaps this could be done by making the new highway a toll road with very high fees.
We have, it's call race track.
I can comment on the 4 cylinder part of artificialist's post - I had a '89 Chevy Cavalier with the 2.0l 4 cylinder. All 96 hp mated to a 3 speed auto. I drove that car through college (in Colorado no less) and it was still running strong when we got rid of it with 163,00 miles on the odometer due to body cancer (rust - the scourge of the salt belt. Too bad the car didn't stay in Colorado for the res tof its life!). It had 1 head gasket replacement, but otherwise no mechanincal issues. Needless to say, it was run WOT quite frequently, just to keep up! How that compares to the 2.8l V6 of the same era in the same car, I can't say...
All in All, some WOT is good every now and then, ala an italian tune up!
All in All, some WOT is good every now and then, ala an italian tune up!
semi-off topic.. why do they tell u to vary throttle during break-ins?
I know my car seems to run better fresh after a highspeed high RPM run. I am not hitting my rev limiter but its getting high in its range.
Used to notice it when I had to do a long haul run to a highschool class I was teaching. They were 30 miles out of town all empty highway. Car ran better than normal for a couple days after.
Just this past week, on tues night we got a bad snowfall so I was using much more gas than normal to climb hills. I hate doing that but nothing else would work. I noticed weds and thurs my car seems alot smoother.
I heard the old, "blows out the cobwebs" saying to. I think some of it holds true. Especially if your car only does alot of stop and go slow speed driving. A good highway run lets it stretch its legs, so to speak.
Used to notice it when I had to do a long haul run to a highschool class I was teaching. They were 30 miles out of town all empty highway. Car ran better than normal for a couple days after.
Just this past week, on tues night we got a bad snowfall so I was using much more gas than normal to climb hills. I hate doing that but nothing else would work. I noticed weds and thurs my car seems alot smoother.
I heard the old, "blows out the cobwebs" saying to. I think some of it holds true. Especially if your car only does alot of stop and go slow speed driving. A good highway run lets it stretch its legs, so to speak.
It seems that a lot of cars with not so powerful engines are/were run at WOT without many problems or effects. My take on this is that these cars put very little strain on all the other moving parts of the drive train, including the automatic transmission. When you have a more powerful V6 or V8, the WOT runs put more wear and tear on the entire drive train. There is probably more shifting of the engine when the RPM's spike under that sudden downshift.
Someone pitch in and correct my thinking if it's wrong.
Someone pitch in and correct my thinking if it's wrong.
Originally Posted By: Liquid_Turbo
semi-off topic.. why do they tell u to vary throttle during break-ins?
So that you don't "glaze" the cylinders such as driving on cruise control might do. Varying the throttle, rpms, loads, etc. helps the rings to "seat/wear-in" properly.
semi-off topic.. why do they tell u to vary throttle during break-ins?
So that you don't "glaze" the cylinders such as driving on cruise control might do. Varying the throttle, rpms, loads, etc. helps the rings to "seat/wear-in" properly.
Well I think you are somewhat right. The smaller the displacement of the engine, the more rpms it generally needs to make decent power.
But the 4.6L in the CVPIs and the 5.0 in the mustangs are commonly run at high rpms and there arent an abnormal amount of wear issues. Especially with the police units. These are wailed on. But then again, this series of engines is known to be more solid than normal.
But the 4.6L in the CVPIs and the 5.0 in the mustangs are commonly run at high rpms and there arent an abnormal amount of wear issues. Especially with the police units. These are wailed on. But then again, this series of engines is known to be more solid than normal.
Depends upon vehicle. My sport / touring bikes never seemed to mind, but some cars seem to. I recall a comparison between a Yamaha and a Vette years back on a track and the bike was fine after the review, while the Vette had warped discs, had boiled over the brake fluid, went thru a couple of sets of tires, was making lots more creaky sounds, etc.
The CHP had tests years back for a pursuit car, one being something like 20 miles wide open in the desert with no damage. GM tested their cars and didn't bother to submit one for qualification, and Ford got it with the Mustang. On newer vehicles GM (and others) need to limit top speeds based upon oil temps and such.
As an interested teen I use to go by the Porsche dealer to gawk the 911S and such and was impressed that the top speed amd maximum crusing speed were the same for each model of 911, the speeds were just different.
The CHP had tests years back for a pursuit car, one being something like 20 miles wide open in the desert with no damage. GM tested their cars and didn't bother to submit one for qualification, and Ford got it with the Mustang. On newer vehicles GM (and others) need to limit top speeds based upon oil temps and such.
As an interested teen I use to go by the Porsche dealer to gawk the 911S and such and was impressed that the top speed amd maximum crusing speed were the same for each model of 911, the speeds were just different.
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