Here's the scenario. I'm in 5th gear, doing 65mph (dunno what rpm...like 2800?) I need to speed up and change lanes. If I don't want to downshift, how do I modulate the gas to increase speed?

a) Slam the gas
b) increase gas slightly for 1 sec, then floor it
c) increase gas slightly but never floor it
d) increase gas slightly until floored

Jae

 

if you don't want to downshift?

swap it for an automatic transmission and have it do the downshifting for you...

 

downshift into 4th & floor it... should be in the mid 3000rpm range which is pretty strong. If htats not fast enough go to third.

 

I'd have to agree w/sprint on this one. Downshifting the the only way for you to get a real burst of acceleration on the freeway, but at least in my car i've found that i can just floor it in 5th gear and get more than enough power to change lanes or pass someone.

 

depending how fast you need to reach a higher speed...

I will downshift if I need to rip it.. but otherwise I'll just gradually give it gas... it isn't that slow to me.. i don't typically need to reach speeds up 70 mph + fast..

 

Yeah a lower gear will always be faster.

 

I think he was just wondering what everyone's technique is. Not what's faster. I usually roll onto the gas quicky, probably 1 full second til WOT.

 

If I'm lazy, I just leave it 5th. If I really want to go, I blip the the throttle as I'm going into 3rd.

 

If you have to floor it in 5th, downshift.

I usually try to anticipate any situation that is going to requre more acceleration than 5th gear has, and shift before it happens.

 

I usually cruse the intersate in third gear, I mean it is good up to around 90mph anyway right?

 

If you floor an automagic at 65 mph in 4th, what happens. It downshifts to 3rd, or maybe even 2nd. If you need more than just casual acceleration at 65 mph in 5th, downshift or don't drive a standard. All you do is just lug the engine.

BAD: just lug it out in 5th and wait patiently.

BETTER :
a) Disengage clutch
b) Rev-match up to about 3300rpm
c) Dowshift to 4th
d) Re-engage clutch
e) Floor it.

BEST :
a) Disengage clutch
b) Rev-match up to about 4500rpm
c) Downshift to 3rd
d) Re-engage clutch.
e) Floor it.

I had to go for that last option a few times yesterday, as I had an emergency and needed to get somewhere ** FAST **

 

On another note, a few days ago I was passing somebody going from about 55 up to 80. I didn't get on it all that much but still had more than enough acceleration. Around 80 I reached for the 4-5 shift, only to realize, it was already in 5th

The VQ has tons of torque, so a lot of times you can get away with not downshifting at all too

 

Clearly you've never driven a car with "torque" I would never consider the VQ a torque monster, but I do agree that it's very strong for a 3.0 V6. Another 100 ft/lbs and I'd be a real happy man

While driving on the highway, I rarely downshift. Hell, I never downshift to speed up thru a yellow light. There's almost always enough power to accelerate briskly.


Dave

 

I think the Tiptronic or whatever the f*** they're called is the solution in the above case. Lugging the motor is a great way of putting unnecessary stress on it. Flooring the car is also not the greatest. I guess if the car is leased then floor it and ride the clutch?

 

auto's downshift.. why shouldnt you downshift too with a manual?

 

Doing 65mph you really dont need to downshift to accelerate faster since you are already in the power curve or am I wrong.

 

LOL, all things in life are relative

For a little 3.0, the VQ does a damn good job and puts my old Honda 3.0 V6 to shame

But yeah, it's still nothing as far as torque goes compared to a domestic V8, but that's a different ballgame alltogether

 

Yeah, you're talkin V8 Domestic torque, huh? I've driven a Vette. A C4. That $hit had so much torque it downright scared me. If I wound up owning one of those I would have become real dead, real fast. Even at 120 mph that thing took off like a monster.

As for the VQ, it's just about right, not crazy, but very good and manageable. If the gear you're in is not enough, 1 or 2 gear downshifts is bound to satisfy

DW

 

With the stock manifold? Yes. With the VIM? No. You'll find yourself wanting to downshift more with the VIM because you've got ~10-15fwtq and fwhp less from 3000-4500rpms. I'll be the first one to admit that "tip in" acceleration is not what it use to be when I had the stock manifold. BUT.....damn, after that VIM kicks in at 5200rpms, you quickly forget about the lack of power down low and you start feeling that extra 20-50fwhp gain from 5600-6500rpms.


Dave

 

During light traffic going at cruising speed (60mph+) I almost never need to leave 5th gear. The motor pulls smoothly because its in the sweet spot. I can slow down to 45mph (if some nutjob decides to drive in my path) and still smoothly pull back to 70mph in 5th gear while accelerating more than 1/2 throttle. We're not talking about WOT in 5th gear at 30mph like that one thread in the past. If I need to accelerate fast I gradually press the accelerator.

Do you have a stickshift? Something must be wrong with your car if its lugging in 5th gear @65mph when you accelerate WOT.

Some people miss the point of having a stick. You keep it in the gear you want. The choice of not changing gears is also the beauty of a manual transmission. Accelerate 1/4 throttle, 1/2 throttle, WOT: There are no kickdowns, no indecisiveness. And no I dont complain about shifting too much. I drive in horrid L.A traffic in rushhour and I would rather drive my Max over my I30- which is collecting dust right now. I never complain.

 

I really am not an expert on cars, so enlighten me. Is it better for your engine to downshift to 3rd gear and redline it then to just give it gas while in 5th gear?

 

i just punch it in an auto......if it was a spd, depends on what speed i'm running at

 

Why anybody would downshift into 3rd gear at 65 mph is completely beyond me...

 

only reason i hate driving my car is because there is not enough room for me to fully test my baby....

my car has BARELY seen 5000 rpm's on 3rd gear because at best i can do 2nd at highest rpm's then when i switch to 3rd, i'll be eitehr slowing down or sticking with traffic and i don't like the sound of my car at 3500 rpm's for over 5 seconds so i force myself to shift to 4th...

A VQ Maxima is no match for these V8 killers out there but in all seriousness, these everyday roads are no match for the VQ....

 

"Depends on what speed i'm running at"? The speed and situation is laid out BEFORE YOU.

If you have nothing to add but your usual useless **** please STFU.

Here's another one for you:


The worst postwhore is one who posts crap.

 

Black or white

How bout grey and go for 4th instead

 

65 in 5th has you at about 2800rpm, which is right about where a 4th Gen has a little torque hole. If you downshift to 4th you're at 3300rpm, which is right in the sweet spot.

 

I can think of a few.

Example: You're stuck behind a left-lane bandit going extremely slowly and the other lanes are all clogged. When there's finally some room over to the right, the idiot of course doesn't move over to let you around, seeing as how there's traffic backed up behind this idiot for **MILES**, so you move over to go around them. But they SPEED UP so that you can't get around them!!! So you get back behind them again, next opening, same damn thing.

The Solution: Hit 3rd gear and go around them so bloody fast that it makes their head spin.

Back when I was driving to PA from the DC area and back every weekend, this happend all the freakin time!! There's nothing like the acceleration that 3rd gear gives you at highway speeds. It cuts your passing time/distance down considerably, and is perfect for brute forcing your way around even the most ignorant and stubborn retards on any roadway!

 

I do it all the time. I'll downshift into 3rd at 75mph. 3rd gear is good till ~97mph. As long as you rev match, the downshift is quick and butter smooth. The VQ is happy to rev high.....especially with the VIM.


Dave

 

WTF kind of question is this? It depends on how fast you wanna accelerate. Faster acceleration, more throttle. Gentle acceleration, less throttle. WTF are you asking?

 

 

Haha. This thread should be deleted cuz there's so many OT posts. I was talking w/someone about how to properly accelerate. He claims that if you just floor it, it'll flood the engine and you end up with worse acceleration than just easing on the gas.

I guess a better example is 1st gear, creeping between 5 and 10mph. You need to get to 20-25mph asap. Do you mash or ease the pedal?

I know in my 93 SE 5sp Max, mashing is horrible and it bogs like crazy. In my 97 GXE 5sp, it loves to be floored.

Jae

 

If I'm going 5-10 mph in first gear, and floor it, theres gonna be major wheelspin.. Gotta be careful with the throttle there

 

Same here.

 

i got great pickup in 5th. its beefy at around 3k+
need to go from 70mph-90mph quick? no prob
route some cold air to the pop

 

Why do you want to accelerate to change lanes?

Are you like the people that won't get out of my way but then when they do finally move, they change lanes and speed up?

 

as for getting the power you need... like others said, it's all about how fast you want to accelerate. just giving it some gas in 5th is usually enough for me, but when I decide I need to get moving quicker I drop it to third.

does anyone else find the title of this thread humorous?

 

flooring doesn't really do any good in a manual in 5th gear. you have to down shift or you won't get the power.

 

I don't downshift much from 5th on the interstate, but then again I cruise at 85-90. So when I dip below 80-its 3rd, above that its 4th till redline... I usually just leave it in 5th unless I am racing for a gap. Y'all need to come to the country and pick yur speed.