misc questions

I have a stick shift corolla and my question is that if I switch to the 5th gear at the speed of 30mph (I do that to drive in the highest gear to save gas) the engine does not loose power but it clearly seems unhappy. What effect does changing to 5th gear at the speed of 30-35mph have on the engine?

Secondly, I am trying to determine if the car's allignment is out, but I cannot make the steering stay in the middle. The moment I release the steering while driving it shifts slightly to the right. Is it cuz the allignment is out or cuz the steering has a lot of play?

Thanks, Wajahat

Reply to
Wajahat Qadeer
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It is not the engine, it is the transmission. Do not run 5th gear at such a low speed. You will ruin your transmission.

Could be the alignment or the tires. Inspect your tires to see if they wear evenly. If you get an alignment with unevenly worn tires, you will probably be wasting your money. Wait until you get new tires on the front before you get an alignment.

Reply to
Mark A

to drive most economically the engine must be near its happy running and torque speed. at thirty I would expect that to be third gear, not fifth. the engine should be turning at about 2000 to 2500 rpm at a rough guess. this sort of speed will also allow acceleration without hesitation if needed.

mrcheerful

Reply to
mrcheerful

"Wajahat Qadeer" wrote in news:davunq$7ao$ snipped-for-privacy@news.Stanford.EDU:

If the revs are too low in 5th, you will pound the hell out of the main bearings. This is called "lugging the engine", and is not good for it. You will also put extra side-load on the transmission bearings, which will shorten their life.

If you still have your owner's manual, consult it for speeds in gears. This will tell you when to shift. If you don't have the manual, shift at about

2,500-3,000 rpm. Upshift into 5th when the car speed is such that the engine will be turning over 2,000rpm when in 5th.

Could be alignment, tires, or the crown of the road.

Check the tire's tread for odd wear (feathering, cupping, etc.), which will be your first clue. If no odd wear, the alignment is proably fine.

Swap the tires left-to-right. If the drift is unchanged, it's not the tires. Drive on the highway in the far right lane, then the far left lane. If it drifts in the same direction no matter where you are, it's the alignment.

Reply to
TeGGeR®

Thanks guys! I have just bought my first car and as you can see I dont know much about cars :)

Wajahat

Reply to
Wajahat Qadeer

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