Driving a Z question
 

I have read snippits about it here and there but couldnt find it all in one place. I have only had my Z about a month or so and I also apologize if this is a really stupid question.

If you drive your Z for fun on the weekends and around town letting it go alittle bit but for the most part nothing too extreme, will it start to reflect your habits and be a little sluggish compared to a person that say tracks there Z and pushes it 24/7? Are you draining some of the Zs potential if you dont always drive it to the limit? If so, is there a way while cruising to keep it responsive and ready to go? (Cruising in 3rd around town instead of 6)

I was reading stuff about "limp mode" and havent been around long enough to catch what that really means?

So if you are getting the jist of what Im saying could you fill me in on this topic please? Thanks

No. It's going to be the same either way.

Thanks man!

I was reading stuff about limp mode, and I didnt know what exactly that meant and was wondering if maybe it was not really driving it hard and the CPU gets used to that.

If you drive it hard enough to get the oil temps above 280*F you will hit the first stage of limp mode, which limits your RPMs to around 5xxx. At around 300*F the ECU limits the revs to 2.5-3k at max to keep you from destroying the engine.

Limp mode is a protective measure when the CPU senses something wrong - it's not based on your driving habits. It basically says 'Uh-oh, something is wrong and I'm not going to let the guy behind the wheel drive me too hard until we figure it out.' Think of it like a proactive check engine light.

I know what he is saying in reference to the car adjusting to driving habits. That really only happens in automatic cars where the computer adjust's the shifting patterns to the way you drive. It will feel like a different car between someone who hammers it all the time and grandma. Also, when you disconnect the battery, it erases all the programming and your transmission might even feel like it's slipping because it's readjusting again.

So long story short, with a 6MT it doesn't matter if you crawl or fly all day. Limp mode isn't something you need to worry about... and once you start using synthetic oil, your oil temps will drop quite a bit. When I drove the car hard and on highways doing about 80-90 MPH for extended period of times in the summer, I never saw temps go over 225.

The only other potential "old wives tale" might have to due with failing to stress the components of the engine during break-in so they mold with proper load bearing capacity. I'm not a car guy, but I think it's recommended that you redline it at least once in 6th gear after a few thousand miles just to let those parts set in before they sort of conform to weaker driving conditions. Like stretching out a rubber band. Basically if you take 2 identical Z's, one used for racing and the other used for driving to work at 45mph every day, the Z who's seen some track time will outperform the cruiser who's never hit 150mph.

I dunno if any of this is true or not, so feel free to chime in.

No, that's a load of crap.

What WILL happen is you can get more carbon build-up if you never open it up. On older cars, you would also wear a ridge in the cylinder walls as the rods were never stretched by high rpm. Cylinder walls now have liners and are in aluminum blocks for the most part and it's a non-issue. It was mainly cheap iron blocks from yester-year that did this.

You break a car in like ANY OTHER piece of equipment with moving parts that interface. Gradually and with constantly varying loads/speeds until you reach maximum rpm/load over the course of 500-1000 miles.

As to needing to drive your car 157mph to get the most out of it, I call BS.

Lol idk if I would take that recommendation. I don't see myself hitting 155 anywhere, not at laguna seca (the only track I go to) let alone the streets with cops. Even if this is true, redlining it in 4th or 5th will do just the same as 6th as they run nearly just as lean as each other

Thanks for all the help. That clears it up then!

Oh so its 280 to hit first stage limp.... I will never hit that then with my drives. I barely go near 240 on the hottest summer day driving spritedly. :)

:eek:

Sooooo.... No governor?

I'm going to say it's not true. :icon17:

I'm not even sure if the Z can even redline in 6th gear. :icon17:

:iagree:

Redline in 6th. Wow. I've red lined third and been close in fourth but this Z will never be broken in if this were the case.

Someone needs to do the calculation. What speed would you be traveling in 6th gear at 7500 rpm?

uhh.... limp mode does happen with the manual.

OK,

ROUGH calculation here...

.794 6th gear ratio, 3.692 final drive ratio (6MT), 275/35/19 tire, 7500 rpm... about 200 MPH. :icon17:

That sounds a bit high (final speed, that is). I went 160 at 7100rpms. But I have 20" rims (speedo is approx. ten percent off).

Sweet. Time to go to the texas mile! :driving:

:rofl2:

With a 26.6" tall tire, .794 6th gear ratio, and a 3.692 final drive ratio the theoretical top speed is roughly 201 mph and change.

In 5th gear (1:1) it drops to ~161 mph.

Just make sure you call ahead and tell them to place the track inside a vacuum. :icon17:

Drag....

Which is why I said theoretical top speed. These are just gearing calculations. Obviously a stock Z can't get anywhere near theoretical top speed.

:icon18:

I actually took the time a while back to do an accurate calculation of the top speed of the 370Z. I think it was something like 168mph or so.

I actually took the time to figure it out for myself. ;)

What did you come up with and how?

Why don't we see if we can find a German Z owner and get him to disable the car's governor and go find an Autobahn? :D

#censored#

Because at 150+ most factory speedometers are off by what would amount to probably 20 horsepower or more.

Ok, how about some telemetry software then? GPS tracking? lol there has to be a relatively cheap and fun way to do this. :roflpuke2:

Yes. GPS and a digital tach readout for confirmation helps.

I can also just give you the answer this Saturday at dinner, since I've already figured it out.

And if the driver dies during testing, then ImportConvert and m4a1mustang, I owe you both a Coke.

I want corrected DA as well as wind-speed noted. :stirthepot:

For the record, I came up with 168mph. I will stick to that +-3mph assuming a non-NISMO 100% stock, manual trans.

Yes, just punch in the torque across the rpm-band at each rpm-point as shown on a dyno graph, gearing, frontal area, CD, and you will get a number very close estimate of the top speed. I have used a program to do this on numerous cars and it's always within 1-2 mph of verified top-speed testing.

:happydance:

It sure as heck does. I will confirm it.

While I can't say how fast it would go w/o a govenor, i can say that it was still pulling decent at 150. Not sure how I know this, but i do. ;) I would have to guess a top speed between 160-180 given the space.