pmarlowe

when do you shift to 2nd and 3rd and forth. I normally just feel the car but recently I got curious that if i time my shifting with the right rpm would it be more effective?

Mightygnu

really all depends on your driving habits, and where your driving... also if you wanna conserve gas, its all personal preference

pmarlowe

Right. But what if you want to speed up... You need to rev it up to at least 5k form 1st to 4rth right? or not?

CuRiOuSfIsH

5K RPM in 4th is a pretty high speed. I personally find that if I need some power getting around in local roads, 4K is adequate.
Shift points really depends on many things like Mightygnu said. I shift depending on the situation usually so I dont have any set shift points. Under normal conditions, I shift anywhere between 2-3K.

Mightygnu

normally, many drivers in a tC shift around 2500 - 3000 rpms... but once again, all depends on the situation / driving habits

bluaeon

i shift at around 6300 - 6400 (07 tc)... this is for the first 3 gears... after that i just shift at around 4.5K... but if i dont feel like speeding up... then i shift before 3k. it also helps that i have a shift light installed so i know when im at/over 6300 rpm.

ive also read somewhere, i forgot where, but isnt the car equipped with "lift"? they were also saying that to stay in lift, you need to hit the right rpm at the redline or else you'll be out of lift... something like that. i know ive heard it from a couple of celica gts owners. not sure if the tc is equipped with the same thing. oh yeah, lift is like vtec but in toyota terms.

Mightygnu

very educational post

malibuboy54

well if you need to pass somebody, i would heel and toe, and gear down....but for most daily driver situations, if you shift around 3k rpm for each gear, you're already going like 50+ mph....like for freeway on ramps, i usually will enter it in 3rd, and shift around 5000 rpm, and i'll be about 75 mph or so by the time i'm in 5th....and also, half of the time if i don't want to drive in boost, i use very light throttle and shift as low as 2k rpm, haha....

TcPrincess

actually only the 2zz motors have lift (vvtL-i). these and most other toyotas only have var. valve timing.

TCpete

WTF HAHAHA.. wow..

1. i cant beleive you installed a shift light lol
2. why do you take your car all the way to almost redline were after 57-5900 rpms is the peak power and TQ curve point of the car and from then on both curves just die off and your not making any more power..your just wasting gas... the 2az is not a honda were you rev high to make power all the way to the redline... it peaks then dies off (unless your on boost)
3. i do not suggest driving like this on a daily basis as you will burn up motor oil faster and run the risk of bending a valve or causing unwanted engine wear.
4. Also VVT-I for the 100th time DOES NOT RUN ON LIFT.. we run on timing... lift is not a factor in our motor unlike the VVTI-L motors.. theres no "staying in lift at the right rpm".. the only time the ecu give us more timing to alot us more power is at certain rpms and throttle positions. (which is why we tend to feel a decent kick in power from 3800-5300 rpms.. and from then on out the ecu pulls timing again, and we feel a loss in power in the upper rpms..

for simple daily driving...3k to 4k (inbetween this range) to save gas and get your self going and save gas! lol
for spirited daily driving 3.8k to 4.5 or even 5k rpms(inbetween this ranges) to reall have a little fun
for all out fun..shifting at 4500k-6k rpms lower gears and higher gears 6k ( u dont need the extra if your NA ur just wasting time)
for race 1st 5900, 2nd 5900, 3rd from 5500-6k 4th 6k,.. 5th 6200

save gas and motor oil... no need to tap the redline when your not making power..

for manuals shift hard at 5500-5900rpms and then shift close to redline.. you will see the car will chirp harder in the lower ranges i said then at redline..(why) because thats the peak point area were you are making the most power and not falling off the power/tq curve.

rrussello

This is stolen...errrr quoted properly...from the "tC Owner's Manual Cliff Notes" Sticky

recommended shifting speeds -
1 to 2 or 2 to 1 24kmph(15mph)
2 to 3 or 3 to 2 40kmph(25mph)
3 to 4 or 4 to 3 64kmph(40mph)
4 to 5 or 5 to 4 72kmph(45mph)

maximum allowable gear speeds
1st - 47kmph(29mph)
2nd - 81kmph(50mph)
3rd - 125kmph(77mph)
4th - 172kmph(106mph)



Personally my shift points depends on my mood. If I'm bored I'll usually beat on the car and shift at 4k+. If I don't want to waste gas I'll usually shift around 2.5k RMP. Although I find it much easier and smoother to shift when I'm beating on the car.

TCpete

^^ same here.. at 2.5 the car just feels boggy and doesnt wana catch up.. i never shift that .. even on a lazy day ill shift at bare minimum 3100 around there..

CuRiOuSfIsH

not really..... the 2AZ doesnt have a high lift/low lift valve system. If there was, you would feel it. What it does have it variable timing and there is no real set point for that. Also think again, why would a Camry motor have such nice technology as alternating valve lift?
I'm sure you did read tha somewhere b/c........................... some uneducated tC ppl swear that VVT-i is definately similar to VTEC and it must be the high lift type. Not in this case, and not all VTEC has variable lift either.

TCpete

oh snap.. finally.. some more smart people showin up on this site... about time! ^^

draxcaliber

yeah, the car feels boggy under 3000 rpms, but that was easily fixed with my zpi crank pully. i short shift all day and keep it near 2000 rpms where i get perfect response for lazily cruising around town. good for city mpg too.

bluaeon

oh wow... i never said that you must stay in lift... i said i read it somewhere... im not saying that he should follow what i said... i just read it somewhere and thats that... also the reason why i installed a shift light is because i dont want to hit the fuel cut off. also check out what i said... "not sure if the tc is equipped with the same thing. oh yeah, lift is like vtec but in toyota terms. " reading > you! and yes #3 i do NOT drive like that on a daily basis... why? cuz i am not boosted, gas is expensive and i want to save some gas.

draxcaliber

what you probably meant to say is that you want to say in the optimal range of the power band so you shift at the redline so you will have alot o torque and hp on the upshift.

JOEinSD

+1

jayjay

I launch out of 1st gear between 3500 to 4000 rpm depending on what type of asphalt some roads are like sidewalk pavement than others are blacktops you can launch about 4K on that with very little tire spin. As soon as I get hooked up I watch the tach and shift at 6000 rpm every gear . Try it youll feel the difference. If you take it to redline you start to lose power. Especially if you hit the rev limiter. Try it out if you cant feel the difference learn how to shift.

OuterHeaven

Well basically if you are drag racing then I would suggest shifting pretty much at rev limit (around 6300 to 6400 RPM). Yes peak power is lower than this but the average power put to the ground will be bigger. This is how race cars setup their gear ratios. Basically you want to stay around the peak of the peak HP "hill" as much as you can (look at any stock dyno graph and you will see what I mean). This means you want to be on both sides of the peak HP "hill" so therefore you should shift after peak power is made. Now if you are just doing a little aggressive driving then do not worry about the tach but just focus on the feel and what is in front of you.