[fusionnv]

Ok so I am starting to getting the hang of getting my car to move in all directions on stick without killing it. I guess now I want to refine it, since I heard each car is different. For normal driving, what RPMs should the shift points be at? I noticing that in 1st I sometimes go as high as 4000 before shifting. All the other gears I try to stay around 2000-3000 rpm. Is this the way I should be shifting for normal driving?

[E90Fleet]

You should shift when it feels right for the driving conditions.

There are no specific numbers, you just need to develop a feel

[mwie]

If you want to save petrol don't do more then 2000 rpms regardless what gear you are in...

That's what you should do here in Germany as the prices for petrol are still rising

But for joyful "normal" driving develop the feeling and shift as you like...

mwie

[coco]

Originally Posted by mwie

If you want to save petrol don't do more then 2000 rpms regardless what gear you are in...

That's what you should do here in Germany as the prices for petrol are still rising

But for joyful "normal" driving develop the feeling and shift as you like...

mwie

I have to disagree with that.. 2000 rpm?! That's like the RPM you need to start off in first gear with just to keep from stalling I'd say for regular driving, shift between 3-3,500rpm and of course go higher when you're doing spirited driving/passing, etc...

[mwie]

Originally Posted by coco

I have to disagree with that.. 2000 rpm?! That's like the RPM you need to start off in first gear with just to keep from stalling I'd say for regular driving, shift between 3-3,500rpm and of course go higher when you're doing spirited driving/passing, etc...

Here they say even 1500 rpms
you look here

[Robin_NL]

Life begins @ 7000rpm

[coco]

Originally Posted by mwie

Here they say even 1500 rpms
you look here

I think we should all do our part to save the environment, but what does shifting at 1500rpm's to save the environment and shifting at the optimal shift points to get the best driving experience have to do with each other? These are the best 6 cylinder engines in the world and were designed to be revved! If you're going to shift your E90 at 1500-2000rpms all the time, everyday, then you've just paid a ton of money for a driving experience you could get in a car half its price

[mwie]

Originally Posted by coco

If you're going to shift your E90 at 1500-2000rpms all the time, everyday, then you've just paid a ton of money for a driving experience you could get in a car half its price

Why not buying a Kettcar instead - thats the same driving experience for hardly no money

[CC 330i]

During break-in, the manual states that it is better to stay below 4500 RPM for the first 1250 miles. I generally do except every once in a while I will exceed that after the car is warmed up if I need some extra power. (the engine starts to make a LOT more power above 4500 RPM, but as my car is not yet broken in, I have to take it easy up there). Try not to remain at one RPM too long while breaking in also. When you are on the freeway, vary the engine speed frequently by shifting from 4th to 5th to 6th, and accelerating and decelerating in each gear over different RPM ranges if you can. It's hard to do in traffic, but if you are in traffic, you are probably varying the RPM anyway.

Now more on topic with your question. If you turn off the stereo and listen to the engine, you can get a better feel for how and when to shift, and at the same time, look at the tach too to get a feeling about what each RPM sounds and feels like. When you get to know your car, you should be able to shift as much from feel and sound as by looking at the tach. The sound deadening and smoothness of the engine is so good in our cars, however, that it can be difficult to get a really good idea of what the engine is doing just by sound and feel, but you still can if you tune in to it mentally.

A smooth 1-2 shift in this car can be difficult to master, but it can be done with practice. The Audi S4 was like this too.

There is no hard and fast rule for what RPM to be in when you shift from gear to gear, but you want to avoid being below 1700 RPM while accelerating (lugging the engine) or being above 5500 RPM or so for long periods of time.

[bookman2]

Try 3000 to 3500 for fuel economy and 4500 to 6600 (peak horse power) for spirited driving. Remember, the closer you keep the RPM level to the to its peak HP output (as you advance through the gears) the better the engine will perform during spirited driving.

[silverado]

I agree that you will have to develop your own feel for it. But in general, the RPM you shift at really depends on how fast you want to accelerate. The higher the acceleration you want, the higher the RPMs you want to reach before shifting. This is what I consider "normal" driving. Of course you can deviate from this as you wish.

[quackman]

What's the lowest speed one should be in gear 5 and 6 at?

[CC 330i]

You can go really slowly in 5th or 6th, but you don't want to try to accelerate from a slow speed in those gears. If you are coasting or driving on a really flat road or downhill, you could go as slow as 15 mph or so in 5th. You just don't want the RPM to drop below about 700 or so. (or you will stall).

I never do this, however. Just keep the engine in the sweet spot between about 2500 and 5500 most of the time and you will be fine.

[Gnosis]

Within a year you'll probably realize how ridicoules this question is. It's like asking how long the distance between your steps should be when you're walking. You'll just have to develop a feel for it and learn to adjust your shifting to your speed, power need, flow of the road etc. It's a hard art to master fully - but that's the whole point...

[aloyouis]

Originally Posted by Gnosis

Within a year you'll probably realize how ridicoules this question is. It's like asking how long the distance between your steps should be when you're walking. You'll just have to develop a feel for it and learn to adjust your shifting to your speed, power need, flow of the road etc. It's a hard art to master fully - but that's the whole point...

I disagree. I have been driving manuals for years but it is good to know what others think that drive the same car. Gnosis is correct that in a year you will not ask this question, Cheers to getting it right sooner than a year by asking.

JIM

[romeo26]

it depends on the situation your in!!


romeo26

[Athos]

Originally Posted by mwie

Here they say even 1500 rpms
you look here

The people recommending shifts at these low engine speeds own diesels which have more low-end grunt than gas powered engines. FusionNV has a 325i powered by gasoline. Go by feel, but I'd say you want to shift in regular driving somewhere between 2500 and 4000 rpms most of the time. Every driver has a bit different style and the beauty of a manual is that it reflects that.

[visor]

In addition to many good points mentioned above, I'd like to add one thing I noticed in the past few months driving my E46 (while waiting for my E90) which helps smoothen out the shifts. What I would describe as "pre-clutch pressure" on the shifter, this significantly helps to speed your shifter entry into the next gate while minimizing the time spent in neutral.

This is what I do for example shifting from 1-2: I tug gently on the shifter down towards 2nd gear gate before pushing on the clutch. (Don't worry, the shifter won't move out of 1st gear yet due to the clutchplate pressure while accelerating.) Then when I push the clutch, I would feel the shifter "give" towards the 2nd gate and I would apply more pressure to complete the shift into 2. Meanwhile, the clutch is released and gas is reapplied to continue accelerating. Repeat same for gears 2-3-4-5-6 shifts.

The amount of pre-clutch pressure, speed of shifting/clutching, and at what rpms you shift depends entirely on how leisurely or aggresively you're driving.

Try it! You'll be pleasantly surprised by how smooth shifting can be, especially the difficult 1-2 shift!

[CC 330i]

Hmmm. Interesting idea. I will give that a try.