Hitting The Redline: BAD or GOOD For Your Engine? It Depends Really....

Some say high RPMs are good for the engines, others say it is really bad and damages the engine. Which view is right or are there merits in both points of view?

So is driving up to the red line and hitting the red line bad for the engine? Does it mean the engine is about to explode?

I explain under which conditions is it safe to explore the upper part of the RPM range and go towards the red line? Under what conditions is it actually dangerous to do so is that the best way of extracting the maximum power from your engine and are the benefits to driving at the maximum rpm that your engine will allow ?

Are you curious about the red line on your car's RPM gauge? Wondering if pushing your engine to the limit is bad for it? In this video, we delve into the RPM limits set by manufacturers, exploring the myths and facts surrounding the red line.

The red line is a safety indicator, conservatively set by manufacturers to accommodate engine imbalances.

While it's there to protect your engine, most engines can handle higher RPMs. However, it's crucial to consider engine temperature and oil temperature. Operating your engine at high RPMs when cold can cause damage, and without proper oil lubrication, wear and tear can increase.

Peak power often lies within the middle third of the RPM range, not necessarily at the red line. Maintaining the engine within this power band is essential for optimal performance. Excessive driving at the red line can increase wear and tear, necessitating more frequent maintenance.

Modern engines have safeguards like rev limiters to prevent damage caused by excessive RPMs.

However, it's possible to exceed these limits in manual transmission cars, potentially leading to engine damage as I shall explain.

Over-revving an engine can result in catastrophic damage, from detached connecting rods to valve and piston collisions. It's essential to stick to the manufacturer's safe limits indicated by the red line and rely on the rev limiter for protection.

In your daily driving, it's okay to explore the middle to upper third of the RPM range occasionally, but avoid constant high RPM driving.

Remember, the red line is not an indication that your engine is about to explode.

If you found this information helpful, please hit the like button and share your thoughts in the comments.

We'd love to hear about your RPM range preferences and experiences. Subscribe to our channel for more informative content on car maintenance and performance. Thanks for watching, and stay tuned for our next video!

Legal Notice: Unless we have inspected your car we can only provide generic theory. All information is provided without warranty, please check any recommendations made with a mechanic locally to verify it would be legal in your area or region and that it would be suitable for your car and your needs.

[MauriceWiltshire]

The "Italian Tune up" was a term that was used when mechanics were balancing carbs at a stand still revving the engine, usually Italian sports cars with multiple carburetors.

[MrSonicAdvance]

I let my car warm up before hard driving, but I drive fairly gently most of the time. The one time I do accelerate hard is when the engine is warm and I'm on a slip road joining a motorway. Though as my car accelerates quite quickly, that hard acceleration is only for about 2-4 seconds. If you have a powerful car, it's not easy to drive it hard without finding yourself doing silly speeds.

[simongarcia]

A good ol Italian tune up helped a carbon build up I had on my 97 Nissan truck, was dying at stops so I took it to the highway and just went flat out ( which isn't much in a 97 Nissan truck) and haven't had that issue since

[Lester.M]

Great video. Yes, hit the red line every once in awhile. E82 BMW N55.

[hisownman]

Awesome video. Please keep coming up with such great content.

[cozifpv]

I have a honda civic ep3 type r with 182k miles and it sees the rev limiter on the daily 😅

[Andersljungberg]

On a diesel car, maximum torque and maximum horsepower can be at completely different RPM. But in general, a diesel car does not require as high RPM as a petrol car to make maximum use of the horsepower. You can also find websites that tell you at what rpm your car develops all the horsepower. You can also find dyno data from a similar car model that you have

[huiba]

My Abarth 595 reaches max power at only 3500rpm, according to a dynotest. So I almost never redline it, it's just not worth the extra stress on the engine. I shift up at like 4000-5000rpm, and it's feels good with the power

[escalade]

i have a bmw 7 e38 with the m51d25 2.5 liter diesel engine, so it's more of a cruiser than a sporty car. i do motorways the most of the time and here in italy speed limits are more like of a saying than an actual law so i like to push the engine quite often at 4500 rpm but never touching the redline at 5000. thank you for the awesom video and cheers from italy!!

[mixedboi]

Thanks again for this video. I like listening to people who think wisely. I own an Accord CL7 2004 right now with the K20A6, 155 ps, 190nm.

I have never redlined the car, but I drove at 210kph at 5k rpm for 2 minutes straight. After that, the engine ran a lot better for a week, then it went back to "normal" I use an oil additive, Liqui Moly Ceratec, which is supposed to reduce friction.

I use Mobil 1, 0W40, no oil consumption between 8k km oil change intervals. Maybe if I used more of the revs, I would get better gas mileage in the long run. Redline is 6800rpm.

[larryhernandez]

Excellent knowledge on how The Rev Limiter helps . . . Thanks. Larry Hernandez

[FInsight-uqnt]

Obviously it depends on the Engine in question. Some love High revs and show no issues at all being driven like that.. Obviously VTEC engines for a start.

[lorenray]

In the 70z my race car building buddies told me to warm it up before I rev it up. But never hold a red line without a load! Never scream a breakin motor. Never leave oil and filter in a breakin very long. Change out breakin oil and filter before 1000 miles with gentle, but varied rpm and loads. They would change at 500, 1500 and 3000 miles. Conventional, blend, then synthetic oils. They did spend hours arguing all the variables tho lol.

[IskanderS]

I ride a 2012 Honda CBF 1000 FA and bought it 3 months ago as my first motorcycle. It seemed to be a bit unhappy around 3000rpm and knowing that Honda engines are built for high rpm, I took it to the redline at 10.000rpm for a short while with RON98 premium gasoline.

Now it runs much smoother and the engine overall seems to handle in a more happy way. I know that it shouldn't be done too much due to wear, but from time to time (on a empty road where law enforcement is abscent) I redline to heat the engine properly

[seankelly]

Mate your knowledge is awesome! Only just stumbled on this channel today, currently running a 94 EG civic with tuned B16, does see the redline a bit, need to work the engine on these! Nice work keep it up!

[tinytim]

Dude! Well Done! I do some spirited driving but almost never redline on my C7 Z06-not enough road.

[phillysoldier]

Never had any issues with my old volvo inline 6 the redline is pretty conservative it can definitely handle over 7k rpm

[thanostheodosiou]

Most today’s downsized turbocharged engines are tuned for maximum torque and efficiency at low and mid RPM’s. They don’t like the high ones as the old school natural aspirated. Even if the red line starts somewhere 6 to 6, 5 K their torque falls significaly over 5-5, 5k so there are not any gains pushing them to the limiter. For me is best to push up to the point it stops pulling strong and there is not gain or fun for higher.

[tescoshortage]

Tapping it for a couple seconds on the road? Just fine. Won’t hurt a thing. Pinning it on the limiter for minutes? Hell nah

[stevehester]

Great basic info every car owner should know. I've used the Italian tune up since the early 80's. Being cautious if the car had a lot of carbon build-up.