Mivec Range

barfy · Post by **barfy** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:39 am

Hey,

Just wondering how often people here drive there car into the Mivec range ?? Also is it bad for the car overall to do it to often ??

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 10:57 am

Every time I drive the car.

No, it isn't "bad" for the car, but like with any engine the higher you rev it the more engine wear you will have.

The ECU will also not let you rev the car too high, until the engine has warmed up, to protect the engine. From memory it limits you to around 6,000rpm.

d_stroy_r · Post by **d_stroy_r** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 12:59 pm

Depends how hot the engine oil is.

When it's really cold it limits to 5500rpm. Than it gradually gets back to normal.

G1 · Post by G1 » Wed Mar 24, 2004 1:45 pm

I also give it a good fang once the engine has warmed up, I try to keep the revs below 3 when the engine is cold, lucky I have a remote engine starter so i try to warm up my car for at least 30 secs during my morning rush to work, engine oil should be changed more often during winter btw...

but yeah back on topic, i think almost every drive i go on, i enter mivec range at least once or twice even just for the fun of it - as long as you keep you engine oil changes in check, i dont think this would be a problem at all

its good to give it the occasional long fang i think... cleans out the fuel lines and burns off the acid/condensation in your engine oil

TheSentry · Post by **TheSentry** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:09 pm

I'm another one who gives it a bit of a thrash once or twice during a drive. If it's only a shrot trip though like going down the road for fuel, I try to keep the revs low.

barfy · Post by **barfy** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:41 pm

Thanks for the tip guys, just took my car for its first cruise last night and felt alittle guilty thrashing it abit

Although i did make sure she was nice and warm.... Oh and i had my first drag, against an SS ute kept up with him too but we both had to back off as we where catching up to traffic.

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 2:45 pm

Yeah i also give it a fang every trip, just a short one, like G1 said it cleans the fuel line & burns off condersation.

I warm up my car 15mins every morning before work, & also after work when i go home.

G1 · Post by G1 » Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:05 pm

damn you pamper your car like a baby FTO 338

IMO i dont think 15 minutes is neccessary, but it cant be bad i guess

but there is a HUGE difference in just starting your engine and driving striaght off, and waiting even 15 seconds for the oil to circulate around your engine

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:20 pm

driving the FTO in the MIVEC range is no different to driving any other car into the high rev range. The only difference is that in the MIVEC range a more aggressive cam is providing greater performance from the engine, just like any other variable timing engine.

There's nothing different or special about the MIVEC range that should make you treat the FTO differently to any other car out there.

Go for it, rev hard!

KillaFlop · Post by **KillaFlop** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 3:44 pm

about the warming the car up in mornin... does anyone elses petrol gauge drop a notch?? Everytime i start the engine, i wait 2 mins but i notice the fuel meter drops down, and even when i start driving, another mm or so down

is this common? would it be my noisy tappets...?

FTO338 · Post by **FTO338** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:24 pm

KillaFlop wrote:about the warming the car up in mornin... does anyone elses petrol gauge drop a notch?? Everytime i start the engine, i wait 2 mins but i notice the fuel meter drops down, and even when i start driving, another mm or so down

is this common? would it be my noisy tappets...?

Yep same here, but i though that happen as i ported my engine, & running FPR. Hmmmmmm anyone else want to share some lights here? ruchi, danny, scracy what do you guys think?

G1 i warm up all my cars 15mins before i drive them, not just FTO, but i do pamper my FTO more the others though hehehehehe

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:29 pm

personally I haven't noticed it, but then again I haven't been looking for it.

It could be as simple as the fuel level dropping (ever so slightly) as the fuel pump kicks in and draws petrol from the tank, when you turn the ignition on. The difference would only be marginal, but it would include the petrol required to fill the the fuel and return line as well as what ever the engine took. I wouldn't have thought this would be enough to make the gauge move, but who knows?

I'll try to remember to check the next time I start mine.

Teania · Post by **Teania** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 5:31 pm

Must admit - I've never even looked - I generally just start the car in the morning, let it warm up while I stuff around for a while and then drive away...... I'll have to watch it now just to see

dannyboyau · Post by **dannyboyau** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:21 pm

i would advise anyone and everyone that warming there car up before driving is a must, if you want to keep the engine performing well.

If you dont warm it up, you will find that your engine and cars performance seems to slowly get worse.

I am sure most of us understand that metal expandes when it is heated, and differant types of metals expand at differant rates, so whilst it is warming up the clearances between some moving parts are smaller then when a engine is at operating temperature. Smaller clearances means less oil, thus less lubrication against wear.
So pulling out the drive and booting down the street into the mivec range with out sufficent warm up will only lead to premature engine wear and poor performance

In my opinion if you like to push your car into the mivec range regularly, install a oil temperature gauge and wait till the oil is hot.

my 2 cents

dannyboyau · Post by **dannyboyau** » Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:23 pm

ruchi wrote:personally I haven't noticed it, but then again I haven't been looking for it.

It could be as simple as the fuel level dropping (ever so slightly) as the fuel pump kicks in and draws petrol from the tank, when you turn the ignition on. The difference would only be marginal, but it would include the petrol required to fill the the fuel and return line as well as what ever the engine took. I wouldn't have thought this would be enough to make the gauge move, but who knows?

I'll try to remember to check the next time I start mine.

On the fuel gauge subject; same as what ruchi said

aL · Post by aL » Wed Mar 24, 2004 8:34 pm

oh yes, it def does drop a bit on start up. and i thought it was just me as ive got a 500hp walbro pump.

G_A_V · Post by **G_A_V** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 9:29 am

damn i been reguarly pushing it to 6k when its ocld, cause it sounds sooo nice, and i have notice slow performance loss. Is there anytihng i can dowhen my mechanic works on my car next to get the car back to normal ??
gr's wont stop you revving up to 8k when its cold

GPXXX · Post by **GPXXX** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 10:25 am

metal expandes when it is heated, so when it is cold the clearances between moving parts are smaller then when a engine is at operating temperature. Smaller clearances means less oil, thus less lubrication against wear.

umm, without sounding stupid, if the metal expands when it's hot/warmed up doesn't that mean it will have less clearance?? ie: if a piston is cold, wouldn'it have more clearance around it within the cylinder?

i use to think that oil needs to be warmed up so that it is 'viscous' enough to lubricate all the reciprocal parts within the engine so that it runs with less friction?

TimmyD · Post by **TimmyD** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 11:40 am

GPXXX wrote:
metal expandes when it is heated, so when it is cold the clearances between moving parts are smaller then when a engine is at operating temperature. Smaller clearances means less oil, thus less lubrication against wear.
umm, without sounding stupid, if the metal expands when it's hot/warmed up doesn't that mean it will have less clearance?? ie: if a piston is cold, wouldn'it have more clearance around it within the cylinder?

i use to think that oil needs to be warmed up so that it is 'viscous' enough to lubricate all the reciprocal parts within the engine so that it runs with less friction?

mmm not if the cyclender is cold and small too...

ruchi · Post by **ruchi** » Thu Mar 25, 2004 12:48 pm

I believe Mikey is on the right track, here's my understanding, in point form (keep the message shorter

)
- It is best for the engine to warm up as quickly as possible
- An engine will warm up faster under load, so it would be better to drive it at low revs than to idle it in your driveway

- As the engine warms up the metal will expand, reducing the clearance between all the components
- As the components expand the piston rings create a seal against the chamber wall
- Until this seal is created the air/fuel mixture can seap in to the oil causing two issues: a) it will damage the oil and reduce the viscosity leading to more friction and engine wear b) The pressure of the compression will be lower as there is leakage and can cause detonation issues

Based on this premise, the least desirable things you can do to warm up your engine are:
- idle the engine for a long period of time
- rev the engine hard

The reason for this is:
- it takes longer for the engine to warm up by idleing it and therefore takes longer to create the seal between the piston ring and wall, allowing more interaction between the air/fuel mixture and the oil, damaging and lowering the oil's viscosity faster. Reduced viscosity = more friction which in turn = more engine wear.

- Reving the car hard will do the above at an even more accelerated pace

Driving the car at low revs will be the fastest way to get the seal between the piston ring and wall, as an engine under load will warm up faster. This will minimise oil contamination and help to maintain viscosity, thereby minimising damage to the engine.

As the engine warms up so too will the oil, in turn increasing it's viscosity and providing better protection.

...not too long I hope