Is Redlining Your Car Bad?
You’ve probably seen a Hollywood movie or two that includes a street or drag race during which the actors redline their cars at the starting line. Perhaps you’ve heard the squeal and seen the smoke of tires as someone next to you at the light redlines their own vehicle. For those who aren’t sure whether or not this is particularly good for your car, we’re here to explain the effects of redlining.
What is Redlining?
There is a section on your car’s dashboard called your tachometer, on which is displayed the numbers 0 through 10. The numbers are measured x1000r/min (rotations per minute). So for example, if you accelerate your car and the gauge reaches the 3, your tires are spinning at 3,000 rotations per minute. Also on the tachometer is a red zone which usually begins around 8,000r/min. When drivers accelerate quick enough, the gauge may reach into this zone — and that is called redlining.
How Redlining Affects Your Engine
The red zone on your tachometer is there for a reason — which is to ensure drivers don’t allow their gauge to reach this many rotations per minute. Consistently redlining your car can cause serious damage to not only your tires, but also your engine. For those with manual-shift modes or manual transmissions, it can be quite easy to redline (whether on accident or on purpose) and eventually cause your engine to wear down prematurely.
Other aspects of your car may also suffer from consistent redlining over time. The valve train — which controls the flow of gas into and out of the combustion chamber of your engine — and the transmission can also be damaged through redlinine. These parts are neither cheap nor easy to repair, which is why our auto service center recommends staying below the red zone.
If you have accidentally redlined your car or are guilty of redlining on a consistent basis, we recommend heading to our auto service shops to get an engine tune up. Our goal at Hogan Tire & Auto is to make sure your vehicle functions properly so you can enjoy it for years to come. location near you!