Rev question

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Apologies for the very basic level question before I even start!

I have an 03 Corsa Sxi 1.2 (Yes I know, but I like it), completely standard, no modifications or anything. It's my third car, but I've never completely understood the rev counters/rev limits/red lines etc on any of my cars. As far as I'm aware, the 'red line' is the limit to which the engine will rev in a certain gear without basically doing any damage. Is this right? The thing that is confusing me is the noise. When my current car is at about 4000rpm, to me it sounds like its reached it's limit, in any gear, but the 'red line' isn't until past 6000rpm. I'm convinced that if I ever took the engine up that far it would explode from the noise. But I frequently hear people talking about 'taking it to the redline', and where the maximum power is throughout the rev range. Basically I'm very confused by it all, and would love someone to help me understand it more.
Oh in case anyone was going to ask there is nothing wrong with it mechanically, it's all tip top. Apart from being a Corsa, I know.
 
yeah you have nothing to worry about, take mine to 9k every now and then for a bit of poor mans vtec fun and it hasn't blown up...yet
 
You should drive a Civic Type-R :D

Anyway, you'll find in higher gears (when you're probably well over the speed limit anyway) that it won't have enough power to even find the redline.

The limiter is just there to protect the engine. Rev it towards that in lower gears all you want, just make sure the engines warm. you may also use more oil driving this way.
 
The redline is something of an anachronism from the days when cars were a lot simpler and overrevving was a real possibility. These days you have the limiter which will stop you going into the kind of areas where you might have a problem and cars are expected to be reliable across the whole of the available rev range.
 
some engines want to rev, some dont

it all depends on how they are constructed. a corsa engine is for use as transport, ie it runs and works

a type r is about extracting a lot of go from a small engine so revs are maximised etc as such, it will be eager to rev right to the red line
 
Jon Frost said:
1.2 LOL.

Redline = power. The old corsa engines will do 13k rpm no problems.
Click to expand...

i had a 1.2 corsa hire car once (new shape ish thing)

i hated it so bad, even to thrash it made me want to heave. anyway, came off a mini roundabout in 1st, the revs make their way to the top (eventually), i do the same with 2nd too.

unfortunately, the gear change was an absolute joke, so i shuffle around to see where 3rd is.... i find something, it crossed my mind that it could have been 1st, so i brought the clutch up anyway

cue rev counter going off the clock momentarily... hateful car. didnt die, i just took it easy for 5 seconds to see if it was ok then carried on massacring it
 
Matt82 said:
i had a 1.2 corsa hire car once (new shape ish thing)

i hated it so bad, even to thrash it made me want to heave. anyway, came off a mini roundabout in 1st, the revs make their way to the top (eventually), i do the same with 2nd too.

unfortunately, the gear change was an absolute joke, so i shuffle around to see where 3rd is.... i find something, it crossed my mind that it could have been 1st, so i brought the clutch up anyway

cue rev counter going off the clock momentarily... hateful car. didnt die, i just took it easy for 5 seconds to see if it was ok then carried on massacring it
Click to expand...

lmfao
 
Tinny little engines will sound pretty loud at anything over 3-4k. They wont be damaged by it, the manufacturers have stuck the rev counter/limit to a level they deem safe so you wont see any problems taking all the way up the rev range as long as you shift well etc.
Its really the only way you will feel even a small amount of speed out of cars of this nature. You really need to squeeze the 'power' out of them.
 
The redline is there for two reasons: firstly to stop any mechanical damage being done - although most engines should be fine up to around 8Krpm, prolonged use at those revs will kill it. Second, as Defcon said the peak power output is at 5600rpm after which the power drops off, and the redline (ideally, but is rarely exact on the mark) is the point at which a slower-turning engine in a higher gear produces the same power. Granted this is quite a simplification, but you get the idea.
 
bobert50 said:
lol! i can't believe anyone took that seriously :D
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When you get threads like 'How did people drive anywhere before motorways?' is it any surprise i've taken to browsing these boards on the assumption that everyone is completely retarded unless I know who it is?
 
divine` said:
is it any surprise i've taken to browsing these boards on the assumption that everyone is completely retarded unless I know who it is?
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And I'd bet 90% of the ones you know are retards too! :p:D

High revs are ok once in a while, blow out the crap etc, tbh its a waste of time to redline anything be it a Corsa or a Cosworth as your long past peak power & torque.

Even retards know that, erm, I think. :confused::o:D;)
 
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