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Old 10-07-2010, 02:59 PM   #8 (permalink)
euromodder
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The SCUD - '15 Fiat Scudo L2
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wdb View Post
The mantra I've heard so far has been "low RPM in a high gear" and not much else.
There's always a point where going lower in rpm doesn't help you anymore - going below that you'll make it even worse.
At some point the engine revs so slow it can't efficiently produce the required power anymore, and trying to squeeze that power out of it regardless leads to very high fuel consumption (and ultimately engine damage).

It's also the reason why shortshifting and driving at low rpm is so beneficial to large engines - they have more (enough) power low down simply because of their size.
It won't work quite as well on smaller, "downsized" engines.

You've got a "downsized" 1.5L petrol engine, so when it needs to work very hard, you'll also need higher rpm.
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