Third or fourth at 30?
- Thread starter swells
- Start date
As the IAM pointed out, it's not about fuel economy. It's about safety, being in third with a little accelerator applied to maintain 30 means that the car is more responsive to the driver should they have to slow down. The difference in fuel economy between 3rd and 4th gear at 30mph is almost vanishingly small. If the aim was to maximise fuel economy we would tearing through at 50-60 in 5th (similar revs but more distance covered in less time equates to less fuel used).
KeyboardJockey
Clowns to the Left of me
With my SIII Landy the sequence is
1st 0-12
2nd 12-20
3rd 20-28
4th 28-35
Overdrive 35-46 (top comfortable speed)
This is on a flat road. Occasionally if I'm on a slope (I don't know if it is bad practice or not but I've seen it done a lot ) I'll use a combination of 3rd and Overdrive as it gives me a sort of halfway between 3rd and 4th type ratio.
Sometimes third is too low and fourth is too high.
I try and keep the revs down for fuel economy as my motor weighs 1.5 tons and only 65 bhp.
I like to be in the right gear for the right conditions as I've got 10" single circuit drum brakes and I try to engine brake where ever possible.
1st 0-12
2nd 12-20
3rd 20-28
4th 28-35
Overdrive 35-46 (top comfortable speed)
This is on a flat road. Occasionally if I'm on a slope (I don't know if it is bad practice or not but I've seen it done a lot ) I'll use a combination of 3rd and Overdrive as it gives me a sort of halfway between 3rd and 4th type ratio.
Sometimes third is too low and fourth is too high.I try and keep the revs down for fuel economy as my motor weighs 1.5 tons and only 65 bhp.
I like to be in the right gear for the right conditions as I've got 10" single circuit drum brakes and I try to engine brake where ever possible.
Similar threads
- Poll
