On my Fabia vRS, the rev counter reads up to over 5000 RPM, but before that the red area starts with 'hatchings' and then solid red. Red = danger, right?

When testing the car before purchace, I took the revs to 4000, but I have not gone over that limit (and into the red).

On my Skoda 105, the instruction manual warns about entering the hatched red area 'except when shifting gears'. The Fabia manual does not mention about the hatched area or about shifting gears. I did enter the red hatchings once in 1997 in the 105 (5100 RPM), but the engine sounded angry when at that velocity.

So, back to the Fabia. If I was overtaking and the due to concentrating on the road, the revs reached the hatchings (or enter the solid red) what actually happens? Will a fault code be generated? Will the engine be harmed?

If anyone has ventured into this area of the dial and survived :P please do tell me what happens.

Cheers, TH

the rev limiter is there to protect the engine from damage

but driving on it all the time will do damage to the engine I think

but every now and again it wont

pointless redlining it unless the car is tuned anyway

Nearly all modern cars are fitted with rev limiters, not allowing the engine to rev any higher once passed through the 'red' or 5000rpm, but generally not adviceable to test this, being a diesel I don't see why you would want to be in that rev range when over taking as all your power is down low.

So, back to the Fabia. If I was overtaking and the due to concentrating on the road, the revs reached the hatchings (or enter the solid red) what actually happens? Will a fault code be generated? Will the engine be harmed?

The limiter will kick in - this is to protect the engine from stuffing itself, so going into the red won't break the engine or do it any long term harm unless you hold it at max revs for a length of time.

Try it, at least then you'll know what it feels like when the limiter kicks in.

Rob.

rev limiter, limits the engine revs so it wont damage the engine

wow i'm so slow at typing

Ahh! So a limiter is fitted - not had a car with one of those before.

At what pont is the limiter on the Fabia vRS - 5000 RPM as Norman says?

I am unlikely to reach it intentionally, but in an emergency it may go that high.

TH

Maximum power (on a standard vRS) is at 4k, so you probably won't want to be going too much pass that.

Just get the engine nice and warm, and go and test it out. Its held at the limiter for the MOT anyway, so by taking it there once in while you'll be doing it a favour

Tim, I was unaware about that part of the MOT test - sounds a pointless and possibly harmful event:eek:.

May I ask anyone who has reached the limter to tell me what revs it kicks in at? The reason I ask is that next time the car is fully warmed (long drive coming up in Sept) I will feel how it operates. BUT if for some reason the limiter is jammed I don't want to go past where it would operate - say by just accelerating and 'hoping' it will work.

Thank you again,

TH

you can change down a gear at too high a speed and send the revs well into the red, try putting it in second at 60mph!..................No, really don't do it!

limiter will work the engine wouldn't be running if the limiter didn't work, as something would be fundamentally wrong with your car!

on a side note, generally you would full throttle to high rmps and then change gear - rather than just gently accelerating all the way to it..

Wrong-gear it badly and a fuel cut limiter won't save the engine!

I don't really see the point of doing this to be honest - if it happens accidentally at some point you'll know about it!

I used to drive a 1.8 petrol, and to get the most of it you did have to use the higher half of the rev range. Driving the VRS was quite different - much less messing around swapping cogs to get it into the 'fun' spot of the power band, the power was pretty much there so long as the turbo had kicked in.

The torque and power starts at around 2K and the VRS is a very competant overtaker from this point onward - I've never had to redline it, even when driving 'spiritidly'.

But saying all that, it's yours so do with what you will! A short try shouldn't hurt it, but I'd advise against repeatedly pushing it into the red!

I have hit my limiter on my octy VRS tdi when I first got it as I was used to driving a Mk1 vrs. It would happen when overtaking and took me a while to get used to the restricted rev range. When the Octy limiter kicks in you just feel a loss in power and no further acceleration (not too severe) although I have driven other cars that have a very severe feeling rev limiter (almost felt like the brakes had been applied when the limiter kicked in). The best way to test it would be to stick it in 1st or 2nd either off a set lights or roundabout and floor it up to the limit then get a feel for what it is like.

I do it all the time on Grand Turismo, crap at manual mode. LOL

Heard mine hit the limiter during MOT. I don't go above 5k in mine. I think the limiter is 5200rpm / 5300rpm?

no benifit what so ever revin a vrs fabia when over takin, so if your drivin propper then it should never get anywhere near 5k stick between 1800 and 3500 and thats where the power is.

Some interesting comments here - thanks!

Swimmerboy - no, I am not a 'high revver' but I have used the full rev range of all my cars - even just once - to see how they deliver the power for overtakes etc. Don't want any nasty surprises mid-point!

PSM - a gentle loss of power sounds safe enough - far better than a total 'cut out'.

Jason - 5200 RPM - wow - thats more than the 4800 RPM safe limit of my 105 - diesels have come on a LONG way since the units used in the MK2 Astra.

TH

no benifit what so ever revin a vrs fabia when over takin, so if your drivin propper then it should never get anywhere near 5k stick between 1800 and 3500 and thats where the power is.

On a stock car this is right, but my max power & torque is between 3000rpm and 4500rpm, but I never take it about 4800 as no point. Below 2500 and mine is not as perky as it could be.

I sometimes hit the limiter by accident, and get caught out by the lack of acceleration. On my octy 2.0 diesel its somewhere around 5,200rpm. Dont sit on the limiter for an extended period or a fault code will be logged to the ecu "Maximum engine revs exceeded, warranty void". This can be removed with vag-com though, if it needs to be. All diesels are revved to the limiter during the MOT test, this is to check that the governor is working and is part of the smoke test.

My mk1 octy 1.8T petrol used to be driven to the redline constantly, especially when being used on track. During my ownership and my brothers ownership the car never had any problems and we both drove it quiet hard.

"Dont sit on the limiter for an extended period or a fault code will be logged to the ecu "Maximum engine revs exceeded, warranty void""

Cripes - never knew that. I will take extra care now!

TH

I have done it a few times in the octy, overtaking and not looking down at the rev counter.

Heart Skips a beat for a minute, till you realise.

I've gone past the limiter a few times in my fabia.

1st gear wheelspin then snatching for second sometimes the revs hang a bit because there's no throttle flap to close whilst it burns off the tonnes of diesel it was just chucking in.

Works great as anti-lag though

Kev

Edited 20 August, 200817 yr by Jabbasport

Have hit the limiter in 2nd (and 3rd :eek::eek:) a few times in "spirited" overtaking moves :D

Yes, I know, hitting the limiter in 3rd in a 1.8T Octy vRS is being a VERY bad boy :O

I put mine into the governer 2 or 3 times in the week or 2 before an MOT.

All that happens is that the engine seems to "go soft" and the car stops accelerating.

On another note, Mike's limiter has been moved on his octavia to 5350 and it headbutts it hard, peak horsepower 260-270bhp, makes about 240 on the limiter.