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Old 01-18-2021, 01:27 PM   #1
tkwak9
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Default Questions about "Never lug your engine!"

Howdy! I bought a brand new STI last Saturday, which happens to be my first manual car (in fact, this is my first car ever, and this is my first NASIOC post, so a lot for firsts ). I've finally gotten the hang of it and I can drive it around town without stalling or the car jerking around too much, but I can't tell if I am lugging the engine or not. I've read that lugging the engine is one of the worst things you can do to these engines, so I want to make sure that I'm not unknowingly damaging my engine.. and I have a bunch of questions regarding this, so I'm hoping I could get some advice from experienced EJ engine owners..
  • What I do in parking lots right now is that I get the car up to about 10mph on first, and then upshift to 2nd and stay there unless I need to come to a full stop. This means that I go 8~9mph at 2nd pretty frequently in parking lots. Am I lugging the engine?
  • Similar as above... Let's say that I'm cruising on the road, and then I have to slow down to like 5~6mph due to traffic. but then I can now move forward. Should I shift to 1st or 2nd to start moving forward again at 5~6mph? It seems like 2nd works fine as long as I give it some throttle when I shift, but am I lugging the engine when I do this?
  • I've cruised on the highway at below 2k rpm for a prolonged period of time (just maintaining the speed). Is this bad for the engine?
  • Is there a simple golden-rule that I can follow like "as long as you are always above 2000 rpm, you are not lugging" or something like that?
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Old 01-18-2021, 01:37 PM   #2
snow_bound26
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It's not good to lug any engine. Turbo engines are more susceptible that NA to damage from lugging.

2nd gear 2000+ rpm is fine. All other gears figure somewhere between 2500-2800+. The higher the gear the higher the min rpm. Another important thing with turbo engines is getting use to downshifting more often than you think you need to.
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Old 01-18-2021, 01:39 PM   #3
Snow Drift
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1) If you are in the parking lot and the car is comfortably driving, not feeling like it is struggling, then you are in the correct gear. If it feels like the engine is having a difficult time, lugging, the RPMs are very low and about the stall, you should downshift. Parking lots are usually 1st/2nd gear depending on distance available to drive. Of course, you can stall in any gear, but lower gears will raise the RPMs and spin the engine faster than your wheels.

2) If you can move forward in 2nd, stay there. You will hear or feel something bad if you shouldn't be in 2nd. Unless you are stopped, or about to stop, you don't need to shift to 1st. Just hold the clutch a little longer and stay in 2nd. Also, for downhill...let's say you stop and after you are going to roll down the hill, often I stay in 2nd.

3) Nope. Usually I go 4th around town (40mph), then 5th for 50+, and 6th for the highway. You will learn to go by sound (is the engine louder than normal? shift up), and feel (do I feel like I need more available torque to drive safely/to my liking? shift down).

4) You will feel vibrations and it is as if the engine is struggling to breathe. The car may buck as well. That is lugging it. It is very uncomfortable. You will feel bad about doing it. So, if you don't have that horrible feeling, you aren't lugging it.

Last edited by Snow Drift; 01-18-2021 at 01:46 PM.
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Old 01-18-2021, 01:50 PM   #4
tkwak9
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Quote:
2nd gear 2000+ rpm is fine. All other gears figure somewhere between 2500-2800+.
Quote:
You will feel vibrations and it is as if the engine is struggling to breath. The car may buck as well. That is lugging it. It is very uncomfortable. You will feel bad about doing it. So, if you don't have that horrible feeling, you aren't lugging it.
Thank you both for the response, but I guess this is where my confusion is coming from. I've been reading that I should be at 2k+ rpm at all times, but then sometimes when I do go below 2k (e.g. going 10mph on 2nd), I don't feel the engine struggling/shaking at all.
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Old 01-18-2021, 01:53 PM   #5
lefty o
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you'll feel it, and hear it when its lugging.
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Old 01-18-2021, 01:57 PM   #6
Snow Drift
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tkwak9 View Post
Thank you both for the response, but I guess this is where my confusion is coming from. I've been reading that I should be at 2k+ rpm at all times, but then sometimes when I do go below 2k (e.g. going 10mph on 2nd), I don't feel the engine struggling/shaking at all.
In general, for a parking lot, if the car isn't vibrating or bucking, you are ok.

But, usually with how these cars are, you want to stay at 2k+ 2nd-6th, or else you just don't have enough torque to drive. Similar to how you drive and shift around 3k+, any lower and the car bogs (not lugs). You just feel anemic, as if the car isn't in the right gearing to continue accelerating.

Driving manual is very much about feeling, hearing and your body doing things w/o you thinking about it. It's a great experience after a little time adjusting.
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Old 01-18-2021, 02:01 PM   #7
tkwak9
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Okay, I think I understand when you put it like that. Thank you for the detailed answers
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Old 01-18-2021, 02:05 PM   #8
rtv900
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No to all of your questions. If the car operates normally and feels normal any rpm is fine. Obviously in a parking lot 1400 rpm's is fine considering you will be at 4% throttle.
Cruising on the highway below 2000 is fine too, if you don't need to accelerate and it feels fine and is not vibrating it's fine.
Since you bought a new STI I'll just share my experience and driving "style" (I am NOT a lugging alarmist, You will find many lugging alarmists on this site, kind of like Covid alarmists these days)

My 16 is at 123,000 miles now, runs just like new and consumes a fraction of a quart every 5000 miles. Pre 100k mileage it consumed nothing.
I go full throttle in ANY gear from 2000 rpm's and up, if I want better acceleration I'll pick a gear that puts me at 3000 only because the STI turbo won't build full boost pre 3000. Mechanically 2000 is fine though, the engine just doesn't have enough torque if you really need to move.
Cruising in traffic casually I'll run 1500 rpm's if it's 30-50 mph traffic. Highway speeds simply needs a bit more rpm to overcome the drag.
Parking lots and stuff I'll often stay in 2nd right down to 1000 rpm's or so. If the load is light enough that it doesn't shutter I'll do it, if it starts shuttering and that gets annoying obviously you need to drop a gear. But getting into 1st while moving at all sucks
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Old 01-18-2021, 03:17 PM   #9
Jack
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If you're going to floor it and your tach says 2000 rpm, downshift a gear or 2.
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