I think he is right. You should be able to tell by engine noise and the feel when to change. I tend not to look at the rev counter if i am pottering about.

The only time i do look at it is when i am getting on with it and keeping it in gear till red line ish.

As a learner i wouldn't look at the rev counter as a guide, as not every car does have one. Learn to change without the need to look at the rev's.

 

the argument for listening is all well and good, but a lot of new cars (not the k series) are near silent.. try driving a 1.2 twinport corsa and you can barely tell the engine is on.. so unless you are killing it you wont hear the engine

you can use the rev counter to get good fuel economy too as you can keep it at near enough exact revs, now try doing that with only your ears. i try and keep my car about 2K wjhen going at a steady speed, theres no way i could tell the difference between 2 and 3 when travelling over 30mph, so bang goes my petrol mileage.

your instructior is no doubt old, and learnt in a time of starting handles and having to retard your own ignition.. harldy any new cars dont have rev counters, and why does he just mention toyotas lol, thats just obscure.

 

a rev. counter is a very useful guide

 

Oh my life... You need a new driving instructor!

There is a use for them, and there is a reason that they are historically found on sportier cars...

If your driving around normally, then you don't really need to use it, as your instructor says, you just know by the sound and feel of the engine when to change up or down...

Get yourself into a situation when you need to pull away fast, you will want to use the high end of the engine's rev capability, and so use the rev counter to make sure you don't push it into the red, where the engine will be spinning beyond it's designed abilities.

In a car like mine, the car comes alive and responds much better above 3000 revs, so if your out to prove that your MGR's better than some BM who thinks he's all that, you use the rev counter to make sure the revs stay above the magic 3000, so you can prove your the man!

If you move to turbo motors, the same applies, where keeping the revs up keeps the turbo lag down to a minimum, and pushing into the red will end in costly repairs if your not carefull..

The rev counter is one of the ways the engine tells you what it's up to, so you carry on using it, and ask your instructor why a lot of race cars have the rev counter more prominant than the speedo if it's not necessary.

Good luck with the lessons!

Chris

 

I always check mine before I am about to overtake to make sure I am near the point where the torque starts to come on strong. About 2500 - 3000 RPM on many petrol engines.

 

I like having a rev counter for diagnostic reasons and just because I like to know whats going on.
However you should be able to "feel" the car. You can just tell when the car wants to go up or down a gear (difficult to understand as a new driver I know) or you can indeed listen and hear that its too noisy, but mostly its done by feel.
You can drive without the rev counter, indeed many cars dont have them, and you should just get used to feeling where the engines power is, in many cars revving up past 5k is pointless as all teh power drops off anyway. Its all about feel.

 

for me, it can help judge when i'm using very little fuel on cruising, because i stay below 3k rpm.
Steve

 

the argument for listening is all well and good, but a lot of new cars (not the k series) are near silent.. try driving a 1.2 twinport corsa and you can barely tell the engine is on.. so unless you are killing it you wont hear the engine.

I agree, I had to drive one for about a month when I got one as a courtesy car. I found it hardwork not being able to hear and feel the engine, it was sooo quiet and smooth.

Also the revs were pants on that car. I was used to revving the nuts off the Rover to get the car moving. In the corsa I was hitting red line almost straight away, which was about 5500 rpm I think, and changing gear more often than I was used too.

I had to look at the rev counter to stop myself hitting redline all the time.

However I will agree with your instructor that for everyday driving you could quite easily live without it, but I like having one because I drive hard and like to know the optimum point to change if the circumstance should arise that I need to accelerate fast.

 

I agree I had toi drive one for about a month when I got one as a courtedu car. I foud it hardwork not bring able to hear and feel the engine, it was sooo quiet and smooth.

Also the revs were pants on that car. I was used to revving the nuts off the Rover to get the car moving. In the corsa I was hitting red line almost straight away, which was about 5500 rpm I think, and changing gear more often than I was used too.

I had to look at the rev counter to stop myself hitting redline all the time.

Well you'd get used to it really. There are applications for rev counters, but for day to day driving in your familiar car you dont *need* one.
However I wouldnt purchase a car without one, no way.

 

thanx for the replies, his arguemnt to the race cars having a rev counter will be, "well you shouldnt be racing, this car (VW golf 1.4, slow slow slow lol)" About the hearing when you should change, isnt this rather subjective? for example i like to hear the engine working hard so if it was up to me i wudnt and sumtimes wont change till i reach 4-5 k as i like the sound. but that may be different with different ppl. I understand about fuel economy and it not being my car and thats maybe the reason y i like changing at higher revs. For example i live near macclesfield its near manchester (well thats where my test is) and there is loadsa country roads, I will happily stay in third all the time but my insturctor is for ever telling me to change to fourth

 

I use my rev counter to know when to change up if wanting to get a move on and keep the engine in the peak performance zone i.e I find if I change up on my 416 at 4,500 rpm this puts the engine in 3000 rpm zone in next gear.

When I was learning a lot of cars did not have a rev counter so can had to learn to listern to the engine noise.

One of the things my instructor taught me was how to do a hill start with the blower on its top speed and the radio turned up loud i.e taught me good control and feel of the car.

 

I use my rev counter to know when to change up if wanting to get a move on and keep the engine in the peak performance zone i.e I find if I change up on my 416 at 4,500 rpm this puts the engine in 3000 rpm zone in next gear.

Changing to early for peak performance there. The 1.6 K series will keep pulling all the way to 6,000 revs before it begins to lose power. You want to change at 6,000 which will drop you back into the power band again just above 4,500 revs.
3,000 revs is out of the power band.

6,000 and then change will give you max power.

 

If you want the best acceleration then you need to go right to the redline so that you are in the powerband of the next gear. Rev counters are really useful and could make your car safer for example if you are overtaking then you want to know that you are in the powerband, but to be honest you will soon learn where this is for your car and be able to feel the car a lot more eager when you are in the right gear.

 

Most of the time its their for fun.Use you ear and 'feel' the pull, to change gear That task is primary.The counter is for fun.I may glance 5-6 a trip but it means nothing if you are pottering and in my transit There is none and I do 250+ miles a day, mind you, dont you just hear that engine!

 

i seem to run out of road before I hit the redline in 4th :dunno:

 

i had this very same argumant with my grandad, whos been driving waaaaaayyyyy before my dad was even born. this gives him the "ultimate" knowledge in how a car works and should be driven etc.
truth is i use the rev counter just as, if not more than the speedo. just listening to the engine gives no apparent clear indication of what its doing. i doubt many people would know the differenct between 2500rpm and 3500rpm by listening. its just too damn subjective to not use a proper gauge.

 

Hey ppl,

Okay, i have been learning to drive and i keep having the same "argument" with my driving instructor. He says thats there is not much use for one as you be able to hear when you should change gear however when i am say getting onto a dual carrageway and need to get to 70 fast i have a breif look at my rev counter to wait until i am about 5k before i change gear. then my driving instructor say why the **** are you looking at the rev counter. I say to tell when i should change gear and he says u should no when to change and we get into a heated discussion (i like to call them) and in the end he says they are there for cosmetic reasons. His main argument is that "alot of toyota's dont have a rev counter" so it cant be needed. So is it a gimmic or is there a use?

thanx tom

For average driving you dont need a rev counter, its just a distraction, and when you are learning to drive the last thing you want are distractions, go by the feel and the sound of the engine and your speed, in normal use they are as essential as furry dice and the nodding dog.

Good luck with your test and happy motoring, also, after you pass is when you really start to learn!

maxi_crawf

 

Useful to know if anything is wrong with the car, idling too high, or too low, or revs jumping during idle. I doubt you could accurately diagnose those problems without a rev counter?

If I ever got a car without one I would stick one in, with a shift light as well lol. I'm always checking my rev counter, to keep fuel consumption to a minimum in general driving, and to keep the revs as high as possible during fast driving.