I recently bought a used 1993 Toyota Camry ( my first car). I wanted to check the acceleration of the car so I stepped on the gas. I noticed that the needle in the tachometer was in the red zone. Do you think this one incident will cause engine damage? Please help.
Boris
Wouldn't worry about it if you don't hear any unusual engine noises. It is unlikely you did any permanent damage if this only happened once, and you caught it fairly soon. How did you get the engine to go into the red zone? Was this a standard transmission? With the automatic, I don't think this is possible - the electronic engine management and electronically controlled transmission will shift before that happens. The only way I've seen to seriously over rev the engine to the point of mechanical damage is a missed shift under hard acceleration with a manual transmission. Never heard on this happening, but in theory it may also be possible to over rev the engine on a steep downgrade with a lower gear selected for engine braking. Bottom line - take care of the car and it should last a long time. With a new car it's always a good idea to check the fluids, to see if any have been neglected including: brake fluid, transmission/ differential, coolant, engine oil, power steering fluid, battery level.
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