Will high RPM driving destroy my engine? Common misconceptions and myths (2023 Nissan Versa S)

[@dadflap1278]

I paid for the whole Tachometer, I'm gonna use the whole Tachometer 😎

[@youtoobe169]

LOL

[@staywildmedia4302]

High ✋

[@user-tb7rn1il3q]

My Tacoma is geared crazy tall. It lugs the engine, but the mpg for a truck is impressive. Typical cloudy winter day in WPA and WV on I70. I grew up near there.

[@WhenStreetsGoSturdy.]

Genius

[@repticooo]

😂😂😂

[@rez1222]

Higher RPM driving is actually healthier than lugging the engine at 1000RPM all the time

[@youtoobe169]

Agreed!

[@BojanBojovic]

Probably healthier than lugging, but not healthier than driving it within its normal parameters.

[@rez1222]

@@BojanBojovic 2000-3000rpm seems to be the sweet Spot to Operate an engine. (Gasoline)

[@HhhGggg-rz7bu]

​@rez1222 okay he was around 3500-4000 in the video

[@rez1222]

@@HhhGggg-rz7bu Well its not unhealthy as long as you are not in the redline for long, i was just talking about the sweetspot.

[@curtisjordan9210]

Here’s the deal: saying high RPMs cause “zero wear” is misleading. Sure, if the engine’s warmed up, running at high RPMs won’t instantly damage it, but it does add extra stress. Higher RPMs create more heat and friction, which over time wears down parts like bearings and pistons faster than cruising at lower RPMs. The redline is there to protect against immediate damage, not to guarantee no wear. And while cold starts are especially tough on an engine, high RPMs still cause gradual wear, just in a different way. So, yeah, it won’t kill the engine right away, but it’s not “wear-free” either.

[@robertczimmerman3774]

exactly. The engines with lower RPM are more durable and reliable on long term. I live in europe, where half of cars are diesels and i owned both engines. Usually, the diesel are almost twice as durable and can carry way more kilometers in their lifespan just because they have a lower friction and heat generated by staying at lower RPM. I've had a honda and it had in the last gear 4k rpm at 120km/h and now I have a fiat diesel and it has 2k rpm at the same speed. I can feel that the engine is way more relaxed and can carry a lot more miles at its end of the lifespan. The fiat engine has 300k and no problems, but the honda at 240k needed a segmentation because it lost compression and oil drinking. like lorries, and ships, their engines last milions of miles because their normal RPM is very very low. So, lower the RPM means longer lifespan

[@ridom8686]

​@@robertczimmerman3774 Diesel engines are built with higher grade materials, higher compression ratios, and larger crankshafts and camshafts. They also have sturdier main and rod bolts and larger bearings. Also diesel being a light oil that lubricates the parts of the engine when burning and thus prolongs the engine life. It's about more than just low RPM.

[@robertczimmerman3774]

@@ridom8686 indeed, thanks.

[@bikesbrewsbarbells4801]

Wrong. Low RPMs generate more friction when rubbing 2 metals together with oil in between compared to higher rpms. Did you sleep through physics class? Also, heat is dissipated through coolant, so your engine never really reaches critical temps unless youre literally at redline for tens of minutes straight, generating more heat than the radiator can dissipate. Engines that are driven at higher RPMs actually drive cleaner with less carbon deposits. Unless youre abusing your engine with vigorous acceleration under high load, you really have absolutely nothing to worry about. Get to the high RPMs smoothly, and you can maintain high RPMs with close to zero damage done.

[@Grafyte]

I agree with everything you said.. Only penalty to high rpm is higher fuel consumption.

[@youtoobe169]

Makes sense

[@ssssssss6889]

1-Hıgher consumption 2- Your are using the engine at a range where it may potentially provide much more torque and power that you do not need , neither make use of. 3- At a lesser extent , more engine noise. 4- Basically , rpm is to be parallel with the throttle input. If your throttle input is %20-25 ( likely on motorway) and you're at 3500-4000 rpm , that's overkill , not meaning that it will hurt the engine but.... and vice-versa , if the therottle is at 75% while you stand at 2000 tr/mn , that's bad.

[@youtoobe169]

@@ssssssss6889 You'll have to take that up with the Nissan engineers, as I am in high gear on the highway

[@ssssssss6889]

@@youtoobe169 the 3500 rpm to 70 mph is the highest gear really? Ah , ok. How many hp does the engine have? About 100 to 120 ? If such is the case , that's fine because the engineers would set the top speed very close to the red zone. When I had Saab 9-5 aero ( 250 hp) , the fifth gear was 95 mph to 3000 tr / mn and excatly the same on the Subaru Levorg , the 6th ( 170 hp ). Your car could have a bit of a higher top gear and in return a bit less top speed but you would have to change gear more frequently. Neither the Saab nor the Subaru reached the top speed right next to red zone but at around 4500-4600 rpm on the higstest gear ( which is actually next to red zone on the 2nd highest gear) it's like the highest gear is there just to get the revs down at cruise on a flat or near flat road. So , you get about 2200 rpm at 70-75 mph. For me , this is one of the many elements which the term "confort" contains. it's not about top speed.

[@youtoobe169]

@@ssssssss6889 5 speed and 122 HP

[@233kosta]

The truth of the matter is rpms should scale with load. At high load - let her rev. At no load, no reason to sit at 3-4k when 2k will do. Just drop a gear or two before you floor it 😉

[@blackwidow7804]

Yes there is no reason to sit at 4k rpm when cruising.

[@Szalbert]

@@blackwidow7804 unless it's your last gear anyway

[@cruz.c3751]

Conozco ese automóvil, el va conduciendo en la última marcha. Este vehículo requiere aceite Dexos 1 Generación 3, el mejor filtro de aire y el mejor filtro de aceite probado, y exclusivamente gasolina Top Tier, del octanaje mas alto, de esta manera se protege la inversion de su adquisición.

[@allthehandlesweretaken]

you can put a lot of wear or even damage an engine by running at a to low rpm. as a general rule of thumb. if you keep giving it more throttle and nothing or barely anythng happens. Then you should be in a lower gear. the higher the gear, the higher the load/resistance is for the engine. basiclly you want enough rpm so that the engine gets enough air to easily burn and efficiently burn the fuel you're asking it to burn. if the load/resistance is to high. then the combustion is not effective and the engine experiences a rich condition. not to mention all the stress that load is putting on all the engine components.

[@youtoobe169]

Yes that's true. I believe that's called "lugging" the engine.

[@technolung]

Rich condition bad because that extra fuel goes into the exhaust or the crankcase degrading catalytic converter and the oil

[@armankordi]

my 90' civic lives on the highway. 4k tach 80mph and get 36+mpg. some engines just love revs

[@thewiseguy3529]

The gearing

[@armankordi]

@@thewiseguy3529 of course it’s the gearing it has like a 4.25 fd

[@thewiseguy3529]

@@armankordi so, some engines don't just love to rev. It's just their gearing.

[@armankordi]

@@thewiseguy3529 okay wise guy my Honda’s love their high RPM’s too

[@thewiseguy3529]

@@armankordi👍🏼 ok harman kardon 👍🏼

[@vultureguy33]

I have a friend with a first generation Versa hatchback with the 1.6, nearly 200 thousand miles and the engine is still running perfect, however the undercarriage is rusting out to the point that it will soon be too dangerous to drive. I don't have any faith that the newer Versas are any better in terms of rust protection, so I do agree with you that the engines in these cars are likely to outlast the car itself (if properly maintained). At least we don't have the CVT, then we'd have two weak points, 2 things that won't be living as long as the engine. In light of the susceptibility to rust I've been trying to keep mine out of the salt as much as possible and otherwise washing it frequently (and taking it to a place that rinses the undercarriage).

[@UPdan]

Get yourself a cheap hand wand that you can wash using bucket water to wash after driving once a week as recommended by Scotty on KZbin.

[@adairjanney7109]

@@UPdan Yeah no such thing as a car that has rust protection, you have to do maintenance

[@kylemacintoshlinux1449]

Fluid Film or similar might be something you want to look into.

[@vultureguy33]

@adairjanney7109 whether or not a car having "rust protection" is a thing, some cars seem much more susceptible to rust vs other cars, which I imagine may have something to do with the properties of the alloys used and the quality of the paint job and other elements of the design.

[@squareapples5118]

For modern diesel engines (with dpf), many more issues can arise from driving at excessively low rpm. Main issue is blocked dpf. Spending some time at medium rpms - higher rpms during longer journeys helps to keep dpf, and injectors clean. Also, regular oil changes are key. Higher rpms can become an issue with infrequent oil changes

[@youtoobe169]

Agreed!

[@Slow2.0Gdi]

Same goes for direct injection engines in today’s cars! I believe about 40% of cars on the road today are direct injection, so giving it the beans more often than not is actually good for your car.

[@bubbleman2002]

@@Slow2.0Gdi Many Toyotas, and a few Subarus as well, courtesy of Toyota's shared technology, have 2 fuel injectors per cylinder. One is located in the intake runner, as in a traditional multi point fuel injection system, the other is located alongside the spark plug, as in a direct injection system. Direct injection provides better thermal efficiency and power at lower RPMs/loads, but port injection is best for power and efficiency at high RPM/load conditions. Despite that benefit, the main reason is to ensure the intake valve won't develop carbon deposits and fail to seat, spraying the back of the valve every so often even when the direct injectors are preferred for the given engine conditions is also done, to make sure the valves stay cooler, and aren't as prone to develop deposits to begin with as a result, and also to solvent power wash off any crap that might have accumulated on it.

[@lufthansase2584]

There’s nothing wrong with driving a diesel at low rpms. The issue is the amount of time you drive it at that rpm. The car begins cleaning the dpf itself after driving in the last gear for 15 something minutes. That’s why cars that drive on long country roads or highways usually are in better condition mechanical wise.

[@pokedude104]

if anything low RPMs are worse. Not really a problem with 99% of cars that are now automatic, but if you have a manual for the love of god don't try to gun it when you're at 1000 RPM in fourth gear or something. Puts a ton of strain on pretty much all the internals of the engine. It can also be a problem if you spend extended periods of time in low RPM like when city driving as its easier for carbon to build up. If you drive exclusively in the city its a good idea to take your car for an occasional highway blast to get the engine working in higher RPMs, bring it right up to redline when you're merging. The Italian tune up isn't entirely baloney

[@youtoobe169]

Agreed!

[@myk1_sp]

Would the Italian tune up still work at 3000 RPMs? My car has a redline of 6200 RPM, but I like to keep it around 3000 RPMs for fuel economy when I'm on the interstate.

[@neumatic]

You don't need to sit at redline lol, just when your engine is up to temp rev it out every now and then​@@myk1_sp

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

@@myk1_sp u can keep it wherever u want when ur cruising, an italian tune up is just getting into high revs and full throttle. start slow and floor it onto the highway, it should redline in a couple gears. then get off the gas and just cruise at 3k

[@Mr-Clark]

It’s like riding a bicycle. Go uphill on the tallest gear and also do it on low gear. Listen to the bike chain and see which one it’s under the most stress.

[@southernknight9983]

Now do the same gojng down hill and see how stressful it is. Dont buy a car from this dude!

[@germanlopez9448]

i usually like to cruise at 70 mph and that seems to be the sweet spot for the Versa, the engine in your car seems to run smooth like a sewing machine, nice video.

[@youtoobe169]

Thanks!

[@Simufreund309]

This made me read my owners manual and I've found something interesting: On my Ford Focus (1.6 Zetec 100hp) it says fuel cutoff is at 6700rpm but safe maximum speed for continued operation is 6400 rpm. Does your Nissan state something similar? I don't take it that high. I live in Germany and recommended speed here is 130kph (80mph). Doing so the engine sits at 3.5k. A few weeks ago I did a 600 mile trip in the early morning. With empty roads and cruising at 90-95mph the engine was sitting at 4k-4.2k for a good hour or two. Took it like a champ and did 38mpg!

[@youtoobe169]

That's interesting. All is says in the Versa manual is "Do not rev engine into the red zone"

[@rafaelbetancourt3551]

Nice video, For everyone out there please follow the recommended maintenance in your owners manual. What ever it says for oil changes cut it in half to keep your car running for ever

[@youtoobe169]

Following owner's manual is perfectly fine

[@icebrew]

​@@youtoobe169 my focus rs says to change its oil every 10k. No way. 6k is the max you should ever go. Higher performance=more frequent oil changes. I change it every 3k because I dog on it.

[@charlesdeblanc3386]

Correct, as high rpm driving is definitely considered severe service.

[@bubbleman2002]

@@youtoobe169 You've clearly never owned a BMW.

[@youtoobe169]

@@bubbleman2002 You've clearly never looked through my videos about the multiple BMWs I've owned LOL

[@PhonesAndOtherGoods95]

It's less fuel efficient, but I can see how high RPM driving is beneficial to the engine

[@liveinthesky3118]

My NC Miata revs at 4,500rpm at 70mph. Very alarming at 1st! Thought about how I've never heard of those engines blowing up, I just started to ignore it. Many years and 93,000mi later, still going strong so....

[@bluefletcher363]

I daily my 2008 NC 6 speed, it sits around 3900 at 80MPH. I figure the 5 speed wouldn't be that much of a difference?

[@liveinthesky3118]

@@bluefletcher363 Mine is a 6spd as well. Forgive me, I don't drive it as much as I used to and I stopped paying attention to what rpm is at what speed a long time ago, hence my inaccurate answer. I wanted to through my experience out there but don't remember the exact details hahaha!

[@RM-jo8gy]

My 2006 5 speed does 4k RPM at 85 mph. 210k miles and still strong btw.

[@Isaiah-ry7rg]

Back in the 60s ii hurd from old folks that the Japanese 4 bangers would not last becoise of high rpm driving, tuned out the 4 bangers was more reliable than the v8 lol

[@relicbfurry]

100% on board with this. I also like to point out that contrary to so many that will say fuel economy suffers at higher RPM is also not always true. Every engine has a point in the power band that it runs most efficiently at and that is determined by the power-to-weight ratio of the automobile. The RPM that gets you the best mileage is the RPM that the engine has to work the least to move the vehicle. Lower RPMs are almost always less efficient in that light as the engine lugs down and requires more throttle to do the work. I have a 2021 Versa with the 5 speed manual and I am averaging 40.7 mpg at 69 MPH and an RPM of about 3300 rpm. 3300 seems to be the sweet spot on my car even going slower in 4th and maintaining 3300 RPM maintains that average MPG.

[@allthehandlesweretaken]

you can easily extend the chassis lifetime by using various anti corrosion treatments. i got my car professionally treated with fluid film. which is just one of many options. just dont go for a rubber based product. as this will prevent moisture from escaping if it ever gets under the coating.

[@youtoobe169]

I had thought about that, but not sure if I will do anything with that or not. I don't drive my VErsa in much snow

[@allthehandlesweretaken]

@@youtoobe169 snow is not as big of an issue as salt or regular water. the snow will have a hard time getting into the tight spots. water wont

[@williamsewell6094]

one of the easiest ways to preserve a vehicles engine for the longest time is to let it warm up. even when it isnt cold just give it 30 seconds to let the oil start flowing through the components and your engine will last 2x as long.

[@MorgothCreator]

Another thing is that at high RPM will distribute the force along a higher number of revolutions, that decrease the force on the piston, the lower the RPM the higher the force each piston need to endure for the same speed.

[@paulwheeldon3487]

On a petrol engine, you'll probably find that the best place for the tachometer is at 'maximum' torque, which will probably be just short of 4,000 revs. (A owners handbook will tell you.) If you're cruising on a highway, your car is hardly breaking into a sweat. At a cruise at say 60, you'll probably only be using about 20 horse power, in an engine like yours which is probably rated at 120 hp? Plus, driving at a high RPM, doesn't labour the engine and it will blow out all that moisture from your exhaust. The higher temperature in the manifold and exhaust etc will burn off all that soot and carbon... Diesels are very similar, but the rev range is much narrower, and lower.

[@youtoobe169]

Agreed!

[@donovanbirks2747]

Not everything in you engine is rotating, some parts are reciprocating, such as your pistons, connecting rods, and valve springs. You crankshaft also experience load from the reciprocating motion of the pistons and rods. Aluminum parts will wear to some degree under any load (steel has a load threshold before it experiences wear) so high RPM will stress your assembly with actual forces applied, not with oil starvation. As for gas mileage, fuel injected cars do not always use the same fuel at the same RPM. The computer will tell the injectors to spray the amount of fuel needed to move the car at the car desired speed. You can see his MPG in the 20-30 range while at 3.5k RPM; that would not be the case under load.

[@jjthe13th]

That last bit absolutely helped me. I came trying to figure out why high and low RPM driving is bad. But I left knowing why my head gasket blew yet I don't rev. I would actually beat on the accelerator pedal while trying to get the car started. It was cold weather season, the car is fairly old, and it had a faulty cold start switch. I'd crank on the ignition for longer and longer periods, upwards of half an hour, and that's what happened. I'm at ease now, glad I saw this video. Interesting to know that cold start is what wears out an engine

[@youtoobe169]

Thanks for sharing, and glad I could help!

[@VanquishMediaDE]

Once in a while its not bad, but not all the time. Low RPM driving can be just as bad for your engine as excessively high RPM. In fact ethanol based fuels are terrible for engine sludge for low RPM driving (mostly city stop and go). You need to drive in a varied state, low RPM sometimes, and high RPM sometimes. BTW 8,000 RPM is high, 5 or 6 is still low RPM so long as the oil temp is at the proper operating temperature.

[@fishjohn014]

6k rpm is NOT low for 99% of commuter cars lol

[@FabrizioPeci]

Driving every day at red line rpm causes mechanical stress on all moving components and increased wear on them = more residue in the engine oil resulting in obstruction of the oil lines etc. The engines designed for high-speed rpm have maintenance and very high oil change frequency. Any manufacturer recommends using the engine at a wide speed range avoiding too low or too high revs for prolonged periods of time, the optimal range is to use the engine close to the maximum torque peak.

[@blackwidow7804]

There is no reason or benefit to be at lower gear/higher rpm when cruising on highway tho. And if you accelerate then yes go into lower gear and once you reach the spd you need go back to higher gear.

[@youtoobe169]

The car is in high gear

[@blackwidow7804]

​@@youtoobe169how many gears does it have? I mean 3,500 rpm at 75mph which is around 120kmh is a lot. My car with 8AT have around 2,300 rpm on 8th gear.

[@youtoobe169]

@@blackwidow7804 It has 5. Keep in mind it's also the cheapest car you can buy new, so there are some compromises.

[@blackwidow7804]

@@youtoobe169 oh then yeah for 5 gear car that make sense.

[@JoshiJosho-mf8oi]

I'm not sure about the engine wear theory but I think main reason and benefits for low rpms is to improve fuel efficiency on the highway.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

Yup. Running an engine so high will burn a ton of fuel.

[@johnkirkilis34]

Higher RPM will keep your combustion chambers cleaner. Engines are made to rev, keeping revs low all the time is not good. Gotta alter those revs

[@Clint_Beastwood87]

In my car 2.0 200hp laguna coupe 3, there is an indicator when to shift gears. I followed them until i learned how my engine works. Highest torque is at 1.8k rpm which is when the indicator will light up depending on the gear selected.

[@t_money_third9654]

The only thing I can imagine wearing down from higher rpms might be spark plugs and gasoline. You usually can't Rev past red line because you need stiffer valve springs to prevent valve float

[@yelnatsnart]

This is anecdotal but once took my 2023 Honda Grom for a 500km ride, ran the bike for approx 7-8hrs (3 stops for fuel and food) at 8k rpm which is pretty close to redline around 8250rpm. Bike still runs like new even to this day.

[@emdfilms5785]

Good to know thanks. Your information definitely aligned with my more limited knowledge!

[@youtoobe169]

Thanks for the comment!

[@BrianNC81]

our boat spins 6k RPM+ for hours on end under high load. Have a jet ski that spins 10k rpm under load for long periods. Just keep the oil changed on time and make sure it doesn't get low. 4k is nothing.

[@faceless3239]

the slower the pistons are coming up for the compression stroke, the higher the chances for pre ignition as well. if that happens on the upstroke, you will create a nice inspection port on one of your cylinders.

[@AWDfreak]

I've been driving my Subaru XV Crosstrek for a bit over a decade and I've revved the piss out of the engine more times than I can count. I almost routinely get near the redline when getting onto expressways and freeways. The engine still runs. The people who believe an engine will blow from using it at high RPMs are generally heavily misinformed.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

My 4th-Gen Acura TL is usually around 2,200RPMS at 75mph.

[@aakudev]

Doing this once in a while like monthly is a good practice if you don't drive long, this burns off all carbon deposits and cleans/unclogs the injectors and other parts. My Civic was hesitating and pressing the pedal wasn't giving any pickup, it was sluggish, I just revved it till 6k in neutral 3-4 times and instantly fixed the issue.

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

revving to 6k in neutral is probably up there on the list of the worst things u can do if u wanna redline the engine do it in gear

[@J.Wick.]

I've owned 2 4th gen Preludes. Those are also geared very high. I actually like how 5th is geared in those cars. 60 is 3000, 70 is 3500, 80 is 4000, ,and so on. I still own a 1994 with 260k miles on it. Still runs great to this day. I'd say the myth is busted.

[@bikesbrewsbarbells4801]

Low RPMs generate more friction when rubbing 2 metals together with oil in between compared to higher rpms. Also, heat is dissipated through coolant, so your engine never really reaches critical temps unless youre literally at redline for tens of minutes straight, generating more heat than the radiator can dissipate, which is highly unlikely as manufacturers stress test these engines before release with that factored in. Engines that are driven at higher RPMs actually drive cleaner with less carbon deposits. Unless youre abusing your engine with vigorous acceleration under high load, you really have absolutely nothing to worry about. Get to the high RPMs smoothly, and you can maintain high RPMs with close to zero damage done.

[@cloudybiker]

Lol when I was in highschool my mom had a second car a Nissan versa that she let me drive around. I was red lining the hell out of that car. To this day, no issues lol. 160k miles too. Most reliable car we ever owned. The back hatch door broke tho, won't open, East fix I'm sure.

[@Kekmit]

I don't even have a 6th gear in my car, so I'm daily driving at 3000-3500 rpm. Redline in my car begins at 6500 rpm, so it's right in the middle. Good for power, bad for fuel efficiency. I think that even if you drive at low rpm, you will in the long term save more money than with higher rpm. Unless you drive a ferrari, fixing the engine isn't THAT expensive, so even tho your engine will die faster, in the long term you probably saved more just because of how much fuel you saved.

[@Yashisaur]

Two biggest things are oil changes and oil temp. If you do oil analysis you can see and even find feedback from Blackstone Labs. For example, they said after 5k miles on my oil, you'll begin to see more aluminum and iron. Plenty of good oil filter reviews for every single brand. Don't get the cheapest $2 filter, and don't get the 20,000 mile filters which can be more restrictive. Watching pickup towing videos, I saw a Dodge 1500 lose oil pressure idling because the oil was up over 280F, it was so hot it thinned out. It's all about taking care of the oil. Any synthetic is perfect for a commuter. Whatever your car recommends is probably best, but I personally would never change oil over 5000 miles.

[@AfonsoBucco]

My 2008 1.0 L Renault Clio had about the same dash. up to 250 km/h by the way. Completely unrealistic speed for that car, but still a great dash. Big pointer, big numbers, and specially RPM was pretty easy to read without moving your eyes from the road. Despite being underpowered, that engine was pretty fun to drive. It reaches high RPM pretty easy. That was a Brazilian 16V 1.0 d4d renault flex engine about 75 up to 80 hp, that.

[@verlaryder]

Not true: At 2:05 mark he says: "you could drive this all day at 6,000 RPM and it would have no appreciable difference [in engine wear/life] compared to driving it at 3,000 RPM." Wear/life would be drastically reduced by routinely driving all day at 6,000 RPM.

[@adairjanney7109]

I agree to a point however, you do not think the "Red Line" would if represented all the way to zero go from red to orange, to yellow to green etc

[@kelway74]

Of course you’re right. It’s not as if 1 RPM below redline is “so safe! No damage whatsoever!”

[@233kosta]

Most engines are happiest around mid-way up the rev counter. Keeps everything running well. Probabpy not the best for fuel economy though.

[@martinlemke4440]

Nice video, I absolutely agree to your opinion. Especially the newer engines try to force the customer to shift as earlz as possible to be better on fuel economy. But putting high engine loads on liw RPM will kill the engine, the oil pressure is lower and the heat isn't getting out in the exhaust pipes.... Even the economy of running the engine at higher RPM is better while driving stady state....

[@GixxerRider1991]

It's all a matter of where the engine makes optimal power, and gearing is also a factor. I daily a 2017 370Z that only makes real power between 5,000 rpm and redline (7,800 rpm), so generally I'll just cruise between 3,000 and 3,500, then drop gears if I need to accelerate quickly.

[@occckid123]

I blew my engine trying to cruise at around 105 in my corolla 1 time. In my versa 105 was around 3500 rpm, but in the corolla was around 5k closer to 6k.

[@SeDjEmAsH]

Because most people believe that driving at low rpm is related to ecology and there is no greater mistake to think that driving at low rpm will make the engine consume less. The engine consumes less fuel when running at the moment of maximum torque constantly, except in low gears.

[@233kosta]

My Honda sits at around 5-6k rpm chilling at 70mph on the motorway. In 6th gear. She's happy to do that all day every day. Of course the redline is 12 500 🤣 That particular engine pulls OK from down low (shouldn't put load on her at under 2-2.5k though), but doesn't properly come alive until about 7500.

[@SheetFiber]

Yeah. As long as it's below the redline, it's fine. The damage is negligible. Revving is not hurting, lugging is. I paid for the whole power, when needed I won't hesitate to use all the horses.

[@ruckinehround6965]

Everyone would be split on this one…….. but you do you. Cheers

[@mason7300]

And to answer your question, no, it won’t destroy your engine. But it’s not going to last as long. And you will throw money away.

[@Fred-F4]

There are different lubrication regimes for different parts of the engine, Some will wear more from higher rpm (higher shear).

[@robertczimmerman3774]

The engines with lower RPM are more durable and reliable on long term. I live in europe, where half of cars are diesels and i owned both engines. Usually, the diesel are almost twice as durable and can carry way more kilometers in their lifespan just because they have a lower friction and heat generated by staying at lower RPM. I've had a honda and it had in the last gear 4k rpm at 120km/h and now I have a fiat diesel and it has 2k rpm at the same speed. I can feel that the engine is way more relaxed and can carry a lot more miles at its end of the lifespan. The fiat engine has 300k and no problems, but the honda at 240k needed a segmentation because it lost compression and oil drinking. like lorries, and ships, their engines last milions of miles because their normal RPM is very very low. So, lower the RPM means longer lifespan

[@ahumeniy]

I have a Golf TDI which has this "issue" where the higher RPM and faster I go the less fuel it consumes

[@w32crazydev]

Actually arround 3000rpm is where your true safe torgue is. You can safely move and you can go full on throttle even on downsized turbo. Low rpm is bad bad bad. I see guys driving at 1500rpm in the city or even in the highway and both cases they forget something crucial. The oil pump pumps depending on rpm if you go 1500rpm half of the oil pressure (not 1:1 analogy exactly) is applied than in 3000rpm. Thing is sometimes you have to do a pass and you slowly start accellerating on 1500rpm 4th gear. What happens is a lag.. you re making the perfect environment for strong knock to happen. The higher the demand in gas and hesitation tou feel back the worse the preignition is gonna strike increasing cylinder pressure to 2300psi melting valves pistons and breaking rod bearings and more. Now many people think that only applies in overdrive gears only 5&6. But truth is even on second gear if you drive uphill on 1500rpm in second gear and you re feeling the torgue increasing by turbo you have the exactly same conditions. When you hear the first rattle the damage has begun

[@TFM6969]

nice video im consdiering a manual now as they are more fuel efficent and u can use engine breaking to slow the car in the winter

[@youtoobe169]

Actually, the CVT more fuel efficient, but it's also $2000 more and Nissan CVTs have a bad reputation

[@carlomdlf]

as far as i and chatgpt know, the redline is basically unsafe for cruising, but even going all the way to the limiter for short times should be completely safe

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

yeah, theres a reason theres a rev limiter. its set a bit below the highest rpm the engine can handle without breaking the internals. if it wasnt safe to go to redline, then manufacturers would lower the redline. common sense

[@sunshades1]

Love the videos on nissan versa manual! How does the car handle in snow with winter tires? Would love to see a pov video if you have one? Cheers!

[@youtoobe169]

I don't drive this car in the snow

[@youtoobe169]

And thanks for the kind words!

[@junior17medval]

@@youtoobe169why not?

[@youtoobe169]

@@junior17medval I have other cars for that

[@junior17medval]

@@youtoobe169 but we wanna see how the versa handles in snow! I wanna see it slide!

[@seanmachan6551]

True, although there is always a sweet spot in RPM vs load, which even varies between engines. There are many ways to design an engine and that will have bearing on what RPMs it likes to be used at. Boat engines are a fine case in point as they are designed to run at constant high RPMs. While you could drive around everywhere high RPM, it isn't necessary by any means. I guess if you had to choose either high RPMs all the time vs low RPMs all the time the low RPM/lugging scenario is definitely worse for the engine, but why not just..ya know, shift gears to keep RPMs ideal for a given load?

[@youtoobe169]

I am in high gear on the highway

[@seanmachan6551]

@@youtoobe169 Exactly, smaller engine designs tend to have shorter gear ratios, as it's easier to lug a smaller engine(and generally they tend to prefer higher RPMs). I'm just saying it's not a blanket statement. Although, I do think you are meaning just for your particular car and engine, which is fine. My 6.2L V8 however has very tall gears. Using 6th the RPMs are low at highway speeds. Any sort of incline or acceleration you bet yours ass I'm downshifting, but for low load it's ok to have it at low RPMs on the highway.

[@zfunk9]

Also wonder if there may be more engine vibrations at higher speeds which may put more stress on things like your motor mounts and cause them to wear out faster by putting them through more vibrations than an engine not vibrating so much?

[@ashishthomasalex1320]

I usually have a habit of doing in an Italian tune up where I would redline the car for a while and drive hard

[@alexgl]

The author is completely right but i wonder what is the reason for keeping 30-40 hundred RPM cruising on a highway and getting lower mpg and higher emissions by doing so. Besides being always ready to floor without kicking down.

[@youtoobe169]

It's the cheapest car you can buy, so they have to make some concessions.

[@TheDude50447]

Materials fatigue. Less of a problem on steel but its a big problem on aluminum. So the higher the rpm the faster the affected aluminum components in your engine will fatigue until they will fail. Now 3500 rpm isnt high rpm. 6000 on the other hand is. Reving the engine up occasionally is a good idea but generally using last gear for highway cruising will be very helpful for mpg.

[@youtoobe169]

I am in the highest gear. Most people consider "high RPM" to be anything over 3000, and that was my main target for this video. You do make a good point about metal fatigue though.

[@TheDude50447]

@@youtoobe169 Yeah material fatigue is a thing. Its not only metals. Especially rubber degrades over the years. When it comes to metal steel has a limit as to how much it fatigues. At some point it doesnt get weaker. Pretty neat. Aluminum on the other hand, especially as piston rods might fatigue within just a few races (cause its mostly used in race cars). Though the pistons themselves are also usually cast aluminum. Most engine blocks are aluminum as well though the cylinders are lined with steel. There are other parts as well though Im not a native english speaker and I just dont know the english terms.

[@youtoobe169]

@@TheDude50447 Makes sense

[@TheDude50447]

@@youtoobe169 Btw I thought you werent in last gear cause I drive a Mazda 3 hatch. Not a turbo model or anything and I need to go over 100 mph for 3500 revs. So i was a bit confused. Its juzst different gear ratios I guess. And not to worry Im german and 100 mph+ is perfectly legal on the Autobahn.

[@youtoobe169]

@@TheDude50447 The gear ratios are one of the reasons this car is so cheap. Old school transmission

[@funkycarlover]

I mean you're not redlining it and I assume you change oil on a good interval so I can't see the issue! Like you said, the pressurized oil creates that tiny "cushion" so the rotating assemblies aren't wearing at rate directly correlated to the RPM

[@youtoobe169]

Agreed!

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

the rotating assemblies arent the only concern tho

[@petrkrska]

The low RPM is more danger than high RPM but the high RPM is not good too. The best option os driving around 1/3-1/2 of the red line RPM of the engine if you have a gasoline car or 40-60% RPM of red line with a diesel car. You should check the the engine how it looks from the inside when you put it out from car. And if you belive information from the internet sites that is what mechanics say to keep the business run.

[@berkeyazc1803]

Higher the rpm higher the engine wear,, it is best to keep revs in optimal engine rpm. You may not experience anything in short term but long term 100k 200k 300k you will face wear that will destroy the compression, and it will need rebuild sooner.

[@youtoobe169]

Watch my video

[@Biggerbyte]

Yup. This dude does not know what's he's talking about.

[@youtoobe169]

@@Biggerbyte Not at all

[@fishjohn014]

​@@youtoobe169I'm sorry but you're wrong. Yes I watched your video. Go look at a dynograph of your cars engine. You'll see exactly where its operating range is based on the torque curve. And yes, once you're into the "torque band" (probably starts at roughly 2500-2800 rpm for this car) then going any higher in RPM's WILL lead to more wear. Even the most well maintained engines still wear their bearings over time. Unnecessary increases in RPM's (when you don't need the torque) is not good Hopefully you learn a little bit more about ICE engines before spreading nonsense

[@youtoobe169]

@@fishjohn014 You are completely wrong.

[@MrSamPhoenix]

It really depends on the make, model, engine and transmission design, and how well the owner takes care of the vehicle. Obviously the car will burn a LOT more fuel than necessary.

[@alexisruizperez2184]

My 97 pathfinder ran at 80 mph at 4k rpm and lasted 300k pulling a trailer every day and I sold it because it was too old but the engine was 100%

[@sharifirshadh2530]

your trying to explain that toelracne between all the parts such as piston cylinder wall tolerance , crank shaft bearing etc . all have need to tighten with the temperature

[@Mr.Preston3991]

My 5 speed mini cooper sits at 4k when doing 80mph. Alarming at first but then you get used to it. Its still alarming to me though because mine sits at 180k miles. Waiting for something catastrophic to happen 😂

[@jasonsong86]

Wait until you drive an RX-8. You cruise at 75mph or 4200rpm give or take. RPM doesn't wear out engine. Load does. You are better off with higher rpm and lower load than lower rpm and higher load.

[@emmanuila7747]

6500 rpm is the max of the engine and 100% so 3000-4000 is the 50-60% of the engine that can do is that simple. More than that rpm maybe for some time will not damage it but keep it there for longer time will stress some parts for sure. Also is important how fast you are pushing the car to start from a stop if you drag race it isnt good for any part of the engine and the car.

[@langaming1700]

my poor 5 speed cant go lower then 4k going 65 I don't have a choice in the matter even in overdrive

[@mopar382]

Great video.

[@000Trauma]

my golf mk4 1.9 tdi 113hp with 300000km on the odometer is cruising on highway at about 3500rpm and 160kmh

[@zfunk9]

If you compare it to riding a bicycle, yes, you will not put more wear and tear on your body by being in a lower gear and pedaling faster, but you are wasting more energy (and gas) by not using a higher gear and pedal more slowly.

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

*if u compare it to riding a bicycle, yes, you will put more wear and tear on your body by being in a lower gear and pedaling faster, and youre also wasting more energy (and gas) by not using a higher gear and pedal more slowly.

[@kaiserdooder]

You guys want to do an over/under on when this versa engine grenades? What do you think ? I’ll say 65k miles.

[@rileyhance318]

personally I wouldnt worry about it that hard. if it was that bad for the engine they wouldnt have geared the transmission the way it was. once your cruising on the highway use the tallest gear for the best economy.

[@mason7300]

Just because you say it is whatever you are trying to say doesn’t make it right. And it doesn’t make it better. All you are doing is wasting gas. And wearing out parts faster. There is a curve where the engine runs at the best efficiency vs. rpm and more importantly load. In your video you are going down a big hill and you probably could be in neutral. If you sat in your car and had a gallon per hour meter on your vehicle just holding up your revs in neutral at 3500 would let you see how much gas you are using. The best way to operate your engine is at A load that doesn’t exceed 80% and around 1800rpm. This is less than 25% throttle. If you are at 3500 you are wearing out belts, chains bearings, pumps, pulleys, filters, oil, brushes, gas, and engine parts that do wear in time. Overdrive transmissions help in every way as long as you don’t lugg the engine. If you are going up a grade and you approach 80% load then you go down a gear. And use more rpm. If you go down another gear at 80% you may be at 4500 but then you will be needed that rev. You driving down that mountain not even getting 35 mpg is proof you are wrong I would be getting better mileage in my truck.

[@Wes_5kyph1]

higher rpm will help keep the cat-converter clean and provide better braking power/control

[@matejunsagris]

i have A6 C6 2.7TDI 7 speed Variator and car trying keep 1300 rpm all time after 100 km/h its goes to 1500 rpm range and trying to hold there . in sport mode its keeping over 2k rpm and acting like sport car not huge ship on highway

[@money-timemilla8622]

Don’t ever let anyone tell you high rpm’s are bad, 3-4k rpm is perfect for lubrication to the head, the only thing that is important is maintenance, period

[@leveluplife8585]

Tell me about how to drive a CVT without damaging it

[@youtoobe169]

I know nothing about CVTs

[@leveluplife8585]

@@youtoobe169 Dont you drive one?

[@youtoobe169]

@@leveluplife8585 You must have found the video where I was driving the rental

[@leveluplife8585]

@@youtoobe169 Oh, what do you drive then?

[@youtoobe169]

@@leveluplife8585 Watch the first 10 seconds of the video again :)

[@averyalexander2303]

Seems like the people telling you that you are going to ruin your engine by cruising at ~3000 RPM below redline have no experience with any vehicles other than Daddy's new Ram 1500 with an 8 speed transmission that cruises at 1500 RPM at 80 MPH (unless there's a tiny hill or headwind, in which case it has to downshift anyways). If they did, they'd know that cars with NO overdrive were common not long ago and 3-4K RPM on the highway was normal on most cars, yet the engines still outlasted the transmissions and bodies. Many cars with very short gearing even became legendary for lasting nearly forever. Old Hondas and Mercedes diesels come to mind. Many of those cruise at 3-4K+ RPM and are well known for having some of the toughest engines ever and routinely lasting many hundreds of thousands of miles, sometimes a million or more. RPMs aren't the only factor in steady state engine wear, load is another important factor. Cruising at 4K RPM lightly loaded won't cause the same wear as 4K RPM with the pedal floored towing a trailer uphill. But as you said, a warm engine is generally very tolerant of heavy loads within the intended operating range (RPM not too low under load or over redline). Taller gearing doesn't always reduce wear since it reduces RPMs at the expense of increasing load. Saying as a general rule of thumb that a higher load at a lower RPM causes less wear than a lower load at a higher RPM to generate the same horsepower would be incorrect.

[@MtBx420]

I’m fairly new to driving a manual (within the last year) and I’m not trying to be a smart ass, could I run to the store that’s 5 mins down the road in second gear ? (Assuming the speed limit is 35)

[@youtoobe169]

It won't hurt anything

[@adairjanney7109]

I have a 16 soul manual how much was this for you ? I was thinking of getting this but id much rather have the mazda but I doubt I can afford EITHER these days, pretty much if this car goes out on me im going to find a different job because a freaking car payment will make it not worth it oh and im at 253000 miles

[@connor-does-wheel-stuf3877]

all of these useless defensive stances can very easily be alleviated if everyone just agreed to be on same page about how an engine actually works? because i'm getting a serious gut feeling a lot of you commenting have a misguided concept on how the physics of an actually engine work together. I also imagine most of the pedigree and "knowledge" is coming from everyones personal experiences in their OWN car, this is an incredibly variable question everyones cars have different engines and are also meant for different applications all being fine tuned through brand image and specific purpose. anyway, just know, a motors main metal-to-metal contact points "never" really contact as the oil pressure, assuming high and health, will create under that pressure a thin layer of oil between the surfaces, this tells why rod bearings are simply alloy-ish casings that go between the lower rod shafts and crank, as in between the alloy casing or bearing and the crankshaft is where you find the thin layer of oil I had mentioned that allows a "no-contact" situation causing virtually no consistent damage regardless of rpm. Although, under some circumstances such as heavy engine load, low oil pressure, heat expansion, and even lugging (low rpm + heavy throttle input), so in conclusion just watch your oil pressures, your engine temps and keep up with regular maintenance you'll notice a much happier engine in the long-run. BMW's, Porsches it doesn't matter any "race-oriented" car still must function under the same internal combustion fundamentals as your run-of-the mill Nissan Altima, and notice how those cars can be pushed and pushed and never blow, turning 6,500 rpm constantly! its just maintenance at the end of the day, as well as actively driving (again watching those oil and coolant temps) and yes, Im informed on both sides of the coin, for the ones who have freak accidents, treating their car like diamond and being returned just aluminum, in the form of a rod on the side of the road after flailing out the block at mach fuck. I send my prayers and a hundred bucks to run a tag check you never did before you bought the car only to find a salvage title and an apparent reported odometer rollback of 300,000 miles (the cars at 28) if its a lemon or if its off you can tell, in very subtle details, for example if the car has regular wear and tear but you notice brand new paint on the frame, to no mention of the seller, best ask him, otherwise you'll never know if it was important, and one day in the not-so-distant future you'll find yourself complaining about said automobile on a youtube video after the frame snapped. Remember to leave your redundancy at home, and bring your context with you if your goin out to argue.

[@youtoobe169]

Thanks for the comment!

[@drayke8886]

I like that lonely dot at the end

[@connor-does-wheel-stuf3877]

@@drayke8886 what can I say, your words really do follow your character more than you think. .

[@hackhp]

Higher RPM will lead to higher engine wear. Not good for the engine. Don't be surprised if you start having lots of issues early on!

[@youtoobe169]

LOL You obviously didn't listen to the video

[@hackhp]

@@youtoobe169 what's funny is that at higher RPM, the bearings, piston rings, etc and moving parts travel greater distances in a shorter amount of time. That also equals faster wear.

[@youtoobe169]

@@hackhp Watch my video and learn something

[@mitchell5064]

@@hackhpit doesn’t though, they’re all lubricated. No two metal surfaces should be touching, there should always be a film of oil there

[@berkeyazc1803]

@@mitchell5064 I think you dont have any understanding of tolerances of an engine, yes engine is designed to rev to redline, but it doesnt mean you should do it constantly all the time, higher the revs faster the pistons go up and down, causing more wear at higher rpms compared to lower rpm. WEAR is inevitable, regardless of oil used, how much lubricated. Higher revved engine will need rebuild sooner than an engine used in low revs, Also if you try the push the car in high gears thats ur ignorance, you need to use optimal gears and torque, it doesnt mean you need to rev high though, including pushing car in high gears

[@Zerker_Supremacy]

You are patient trying to explain the reason why, most people nowadays knows nothing abou their own cars and its limits, but that won't restrain them to give wrong opinions.

[@youtoobe169]

Yep. People have a lot of misinformation.

[@bryangrimm6198]

You drove past the highlands. Your in my area!

[@youtoobe169]

Small world!

[@leodoingthings1706]

compared for internal wear you are a bit wrong, its always more work. Its always a compromise, you have to not lug the engine, give it beans especially for newer cars for all the ecology shit. If you want to base it on logic, your logic is flawed, you will definitely have more wear driving 10k miles at 6k rpm than driving 10k miles at 3k rpm. Also your oil will degrade faster. Ever seen why race cars or bikes change oil after 1 race day? Even with non modified engines. City driving also puts strain on engine as highways are best for engine, but stock or even built cars living on high rpm never live longer than even regular mommy vans driving lugged.

[@henrystowe6217]

You burn a lot more gas as a high volume of fuel/air mixtire passes thriugh the intakes. I like to keep my rpms lower to save gasoline. I would say that the thermal efficiency of the engine is higher withbcertain vehicles at higher speeds, but your mileage may vary

[@youtoobe169]

The load on the engine is most responsible for fuel usage, even at low RPM. If your car has an instantaneous fuel consumption meter, you can see it in action.

[@Rarebeauty477]

Does this apply for CVT transmissions in Nissan versa?

[@youtoobe169]

The principles about RPMs still apply, but the RPMs with a CVT will be lower on the highway cruising.

[@Rarebeauty477]

@@youtoobe169 yes that’s true! Thank you

[@wheniztheend]

I drive an old Honda, of course I use the whole tachometer.

[@youtoobe169]

Hondas especially love revs!

[@masonchase085]

Most cars will do 3k at 100, 2013 impala flex fuel would do 2350 at 112 (max speed) excessive higher rpms are bad on flat ground, you need rpms to get up hills lots of mixed factors on this. 2k at 70 is optimal

[@bloroxcleach]

Depends on the vehicle. Lots of economy cars are geared for high RPM at highway/interstate speeds like this versa. Or performance cars... my G37 ran 3k at 80mph.

[@gapy18]

What about these new engines like 1.0tsi?

[@youtoobe169]

This should be the same for all properly designed and maintained engines.

[@Simufreund309]

On the 1 litre Ecoboost on Fords I've had good experience keeping them between 2,5k and 3,5k. It's not good to lug these small engines with high boost pressure at low revs. Especially when they are cold you're putting a lot of vibrations and load on the internals at low revs.