Driving at high revs for engine life.

[Bellbird]

Am I better off driving at high revs (eg:  keeping it above 3000 revs and around 4000 at most times) given the make up of the engine and in regard to the engine life?  I used to own a Honda and it was better to drive it at high revs rather than at the normal 2-2.5 thousand due to it being a sports model.  The 'book' says to change gears as soon as possible and keep the revs low.  I have the standard 156, four cylinder, two litre but it's the sports model with the extra 'sports' fittings in regard to the body.  Is the engine also 'sports'?  (it certainly goes like the clappers!)  Thanks

[Steve S]

  Probably not

Why do you think it was better for your sports Honda?

[Bellbird]

Was advised to drive like that in the Honda because apparently, as it was a sports engine and built for speed and performance, the engine preferred high revs rather than being laboured.  Suited me to drive like that! The car was mechanically OK all the time and I never had any issues so maybe I was driving it correctly???

[John Hanslow]

The 156 Sport Edition had only a few upgrades and add-ons to the interior and body.  It eas a really good look as far as I am concerned.

The engine was a standard 2.0 litre Twin Spark (fitted at that time). 

[Bellbird]

Thanks for that John.  To others, in regard to the colour of the car, I gave all the numerical codes on the complicance plate to Alfa in Sydney and they have just sent back an email saying that it is a cosmos blue and that they can post a touch up pen.  Does anyone know what Alfa Parramatta are like for servicing?  My mechanic is just a local mechanic so not a specialist Alfa bloke but will be OK for a general safety check etc.

[Neil Choi]

Please take your Alfa to an Alfa specialist, not KMart Auto, I would recommend Rob Panetta at Manning Motors.  Sorry don't know Sydney area much.

Anyone can change oil and check your brake lights are working but it is the finer points which are important and critical.

Not really sure why you would need to drive the daylights out of your engine, it is a standard engine, not a race motor, so I personally think driving normally would be ideal.

Hope it helps.

Neil

[Sheldon McIntosh]

Was advised to drive like that in the Honda because apparently, as it was a sports engine and built for speed and performance, the engine preferred high revs rather than being laboured.  Suited me to drive like that! The car was mechanically OK all the time and I never had any issues so maybe I was driving it correctly???

Was it a 2-stroke Honda?   If not, whoever gave you that advice owes you some petrol money.  I would suggest you never had any issues because the engine was made by Honda.

As Neil says, if it's not a race-tuned engine (or a 60s Ferrari or Lamborghini), driving normally is fine.  Just make sure to give it the occasional rev to over 5, to hear the noise if for nothing else... 

[aggie57]

Even BMW and Porsche program their dual clutch cars to shift up in normal mode as soon as they can to save fuel these days. Drive an M3 with DCT without touching anything in the way of shift settings and you'll find yourself using no more than 2000 rpm all day long. Same in a 911 or Boxster with PDK. It's not fun apart from the days you need to clean the thing out.......

[Bellbird]

Thanks for all of this!  Seems that I need to abide by the book! (most of the time! )  Don't want to kill my pride and joy.

[Bellbird]

Have got in contact with Zoo Autocraft (thanks Rick and Peter ) in the Southern Highlands and the bloke, Tim, is right on to the job!  Have asked him to give it a proper once over. 

My local mechanic did so just recently and said that all was fine.  - Didn't charge me:  Maybe he thinks all is NOT fine and that I am up for some work so best to keep me on the good side and give me a freebie this time!

Am replacing the Tacho to fix the tail light and battery problem.

[colcol]

Bellbird, a good habit with twin sparks and JTS's, is to check the oil level once a week, its easy to do, the dipstick is at the front of the car, do it on level ground, if these engines get low on oil, then when the low oil pressure light comes on, that means you are up for a new engine, as for what revs to use, i was told for maximum acceleration, change up so that when you go into the next highest gear, it drops the revs into the torque zone, and for normal driving, lowest engine revs you can get away with, without labouring the motor, ie when you put it into the next gear, it doesn't go, but just vibrates a lot, that can cause bearing damage, Colin.

[Bellbird]

After talking to the Canberra Alfisti, I am suspecting that it is actually a Monza and not a Twin Spark (as it has the four leaf clover on it).  Will find out for sure of course when I see Zoo Autocraft!

[colcol]

The engine you have is a 2 litre twin spark, the model of your 156 is a Monza, that was made about 2001, a 4 leaf clover is meant to be a lucky symbol, as most clovers are 3 leafs, always makes me wonder why a manufacturer would give a car a symbol meaning 'good luck', Colin.

[Evan Bottcher]

Our 2000 156 was a Monza - it was an Australian-market styling kit.  Side skirts (below the doors), pepper-pot alloy wheels, Momo leather seats, carbon fibre-look inserts in the centre console, red-on-black gauges, and the little stick-on green cloverleafs (from which the green fades quickly in the sun).  As Col says - the engine is the 2-litre twinspark.

[colcol]

From memory, they also had cruise control?, is that correct, car company's bring out these special eddition models to move the cars out the door, it was just before the series 2, JTS model 156 came out in 2002, nice looking car too, the Monza, Colin.