Hi. When I have the opportunity to drive hard, I will rev the S into v-tec range then shift to the next higher gear, into a lower RPM. In this next gear, I will again rev into v-tec, then shift into the next higher gear. I think this is a pretty standard way to drive.

However, I was wondering about the driving style in which one will floor the accelerator into v-tec and then keep it there indefinitely, taking advantage of the torque and hp at higher RPM.

I realize this is a very aggressive manner of driving and I wonder if it harms the engine to drive this way.

 

no, the engine was made to rev and begs to be revved. just remember to warm up the engine, no vtec when the engine is cold under 3 bars.

 

Okay. but when you put the engine into v-tec, is it okay to keep it there indefinitely, for hours possibly? Can the engine handle this?

 

that's one of the best things about the S. Just don't forget to check your oil level afterwards.

 

The engine can handle it but just like simple physics wear and tear will prevail.

I would think if you have moving parts and they are moving faster and for longer periods of time then wear and tear will shorten the life of the engine.

Just because you can cruise down the freeway in 3rd gear doesn't mean you should. I would think such type of driving would shorten the life regardless of what oil you use.

 

More RPMs, more wear.

I can't think of a case where I'd hold 7k for hours....

But driving through traffic where I don't want a delay, I'll stay in 3rd at 65mph (~6k rpms for pre-04) so I have power so I can avoid being hit by dumba$$es on the road.... But usually doesn't take more than 15 minutes and I shift up when traffic thins out.

 

No such thing as 3 bars on the 04. Don't Rev hard until 7 bars.

 

Right, the simple laws of physics do apply. FRICTION causes wear and tear and oil reduces friction. You will significantlt reduce the life of your engine with high rpm driving IF you pay attention to the fluids i.e. change your oil before and after a long aggressive driving (depending on the drive, I'll even change the diff fluid). Making sure that you have fresh oil i.e. not already starting to break down will go a long way to protecting your engine. Now, with that said, some pre-02s had a problem with sustained high rpm driving and Honda had a TSB for it (the upgraded oil bolts) but that was only for Europe. I went ahead and had these installed. For me, it was worth it, and if you do a lot of aggressive driving, it might be worth it as well.
Just change the oil and keep an extra quart in the car (to keep it topped off) and you're golden.

 

i have a 750 sportbike, to play with this bike i keep it near red line and all is awsome:

-i only got 50Kmiles on my gsxr engine, no matter it was fun, keeping the bike replace the engine. could do that on the car too.


consider the Karma of things near redline:

-hard to recover from a bad if you are near red line, lots of energy built in the system. jsut a little throttle jerk in the wrong direction puts even more bad into a critical situation.

-on the bike you would pick a gear mid range from where you need to be and only shift one up/dwn from there. the bike shifts fast, the s2k in comparison shifts very slow and the situation is lost by the time you connect to the next s2k gear, i have problems in this area.

-if you hit red line in the bike shut down it is very smooooth... in the s2k it is harsh. i know in reference of what cars did in the past the honda is an improvement but the bike is very smooth.... because it has to be, the honda could go a way still. in the s2k, while in a turn i would be aware not to hit redline or go into the vtec on/off area. this narrows the rpm range you can operate.

-when the bike or car is got that competive wihine it attracts attention. you kind of stand out. with the bike is small enough to not be significant. i have the feeling on the bike you have more options becasue of its small size, quick response time, and you are very connected. the drivers up ahead are more predictable when they dont even see you coming. nothing like doing 3x the speed and the person up front is trying to get out of your way. all best done on a track not the streets, whatever.

 

just wanted to point out no vtecing when cold!