I know what lugging the engine means in concept but how low rpm are people referring to and when is it when its actually bad for the car. I have a 1.0 ecoboost fiesta and heard that lugging is especially bad for turbo cars, now I am a bit paranoid because sometimes when going up a hill I change slightly too early and it ends up slightly below 1500rpm where it struggles and vibrates a bit but not too much as it quickly recovers usually. So my point is is this bad for the car or when people refer to lugging it, do they mean like jerky near idle rpms. I actually find this cars gearing a bit awkward on slower road hills sometimes but that's probs just a me problem 

I think you've answered your own question here, don't change up so early going up hills. When it's struggling and vibrating you're doing it no good at all.

I rarely let mine drop below 2,000 except under very light load e.g. cruising gently on a dead flat road or slight downgrade.

24 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

I think you've answered your own question here, don't change up so early going up hills. When it's struggling and vibrating you're doing it no good at all.

I rarely let mine drop below 2,000 except under very light load e.g. cruising gently on a dead flat road or slight downgrade.

Alright thanks, I was just asking cause I didnt know weather the car struggling slightly for short periods of time was a problem or if damage was only done when the engine was lugging a lot, I would of assumed engines were designed to be able to struggle a bit. I am a relativly new driver and I have not had the car for long so sometimes it catches me of guard a bit on hills where I think Ive revved enough but the rpms drop more than I think they will when I change.

The best advice for an unexperienced driver is anticipate the road ahead and change gear before you have to. If you get into that habit you will be rewarded the first time you need to drive in snow packed roads as well.

Another way of looking at it is to use your cars gears the same way as you would use a bicycles gears, if you try to climb a hill in the wrong gear you will either do yourself an injury or if you are strong enough something in the bile will break.

Car engines are designed to rev to something like 6000 rpm or more so don't break into a cold sweat if your revs go above 2000.

Yes, it's just a matter of gaining experience and developing a feel for your car - they're certainly not designed to struggle and vibrate.

The idea is to keep the engine spinning comfortably, a bit like selecting the right gear when you ride a bike, so you're not pedalling furiously in too low a gear on the flat, or puffing and grunting and wobbling about in too high a gear going uphill!

 

 

 

 

5 minutes ago, Tizer said:

Another way of looking at it is to use your cars gears the same way as you would use a bicycles gears

Lol, you must have posted that while I was still typing more or less the same thing!😀

I agree with the previous answers above.

AS SOON AS you hear or feel an abnormal vibration (which you seem to be able to do, unlike some inexperienced drivers!!!),  change down straight away - don't leave it for the engine to 'catch up'.

And well done for asking the question if you're not sure - that's what the forum is for.

I used to walk my pushbike up hills...  18 gears and never knew which one I was meant to be in.

16 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

I used to walk my pushbike up hills...  18 gears and never knew which one I was meant to be in.

So you mean lugging the pushbike?😀

Thanks for the advice, hopefully I havnt already caused any wear 😅

pedalling like hell and going nowhere fast

On 11/17/2022 at 5:25 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

 

I rarely let mine drop below 2,000 except under very light load e.g. cruising gently on a dead flat road or slight downgrade.

If I did that with mine I'd be cruising up longer 30mph hills around 3,000 rpm and my mpg would be flying home for winter. Cant speed up enough without doing 35-40 so going up a gear would make it go from 3000 to around 1500rmp. I dont know weather this is considered lugging as the engine is doing fine but obviously the rpms sound and feel a bit low. Not judering or anything. I feel like the whole lugging the engine thing is dramatcised as long as you arnt doing it consitantlly and at very low rpms to the point where the car is juddering.  My dad loves to drive "economically" and he does lug it now and again and has never had any engine problems on a 18 year old car. If lugging the engine was that bad the majority of old peoples cars would be blowing up. 😂 Then again I myself dont really understand what constitues as lugging exactly, does mild struggling (as in can keep up speed but cant accerlate very well) and vibration at low rpm count or does the car actually have to be juddering at like idle rpms lol.

1 hour ago, Pigeon12 said:

If I did that with mine I'd be cruising up longer 30mph hills around 3,000 rpm

To be doing 3,000 rpm at 30 mph suggests second gear (or a slipping clutch if in a higher gear).

Gear ratios differ between models, but my Mk 8 140 sits at 26mph at 2,000 in 3rd, which is very comfortable for keeping safely under the 30 limit on the flat and uphill. It will hold this quite happily on Blue Bank which as some members will know is a notorious 20% climb of over 2 miles out of Whitby.

1 hour ago, Pigeon12 said:

If lugging the engine was that bad the majority of old peoples cars would be blowing up. 😂

Lol, there are plenty of us "old people" on here who don't "lug" our engines. If you and your dad are happy with "mild struggling and vibration" that's fine. Members advice on here is just that - advice. It's entirely up to you what use you make of it.

31 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

To be doing 3,000 rpm at 30 mph suggests second gear (or a slipping clutch if in a higher gear).

 

Yeah that is second gear but if I switch to 3rd on a hill its back to around 1500

On 11/17/2022 at 7:34 PM, TomsFocus said:

I used to walk my pushbike up hills...  18 gears and never knew which one I was meant to be in.

I've did that before only because i was buggered though 😀

1 hour ago, Michael9 said:

I've did that before only because i was buggered though 😀

theres a hill in town where even my Suzuki 50 Fs1E would struggle if you got stopped at the lights at the top, so not restricted to just leg power 

 

1 hour ago, Jimpster said:

theres a hill in town where even my Suzuki 50 Fs1E would struggle if you got stopped at the lights at the top, so not restricted to just leg power 

 

Wasn't the Suzuki 50cc moped an AP50? My ex-brother in law had a Yamaha "Fizzy" back then, and being 6'3" looked ridiculous on it! (He later moved on to Kwacker triples, then Honda Fours which looked a bit more sensible!)

nooo defo a FS1E badged up etc, ACB907N ya never forget ya first haha and it didnt have the pedals

1 hour ago, Jimpster said:

nooo defo a FS1E badged up etc, ACB907N ya never forget ya first haha and it didnt have the pedals

So not this one, then?😀

 

 

ACB 907N

✗ Untaxed

Tax due:
1 May 1982

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!WarningIf you've just bought this vehicle the tax or SORN doesn't come with it. You'll need to tax it before driving it.

Vehicle Details

Vehicle make

YAMAHA

Date of first registration

September 1974

Year of manufacture

1974

Cylinder capacity

49 cc

CO₂ emissions

Not available

Fuel type

PETROL

Euro status

Not available

Real Driving Emissions (RDE)

Not available

Export marker

No

Vehicle status

Untaxed

Vehicle colour

PURPLE

Vehicle type approval

Not available

Wheelplan

2 WHEEL

Revenue weight

Not available

Date of last V5C (logbook) issued

3 September 1981

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1 hour ago, Jimpster said:

defo a FS1E badged up etc

Then you must have been riding a "cut and shut" 🤣

Yamaha made the FS1E and the FS1EDX (same moped but with front disc brake) They were available in a few colours but it seems 80% were yellow with the black transfers. They used to have an unconventional gear change, which was 4 down, instead of the usual 1 down, 3 up.

Honda at around the same era made the SS50 which was a single cylinder 4 stroke.

Suzuki made the AP50 often found in a dark red metallic colour, which was a 2 stroke like the Yamaha, but used the conventional gear change of 1 down, and 3 up. 

3 minutes ago, unofix said:

Yamaha made the FS1E and the FS1EDX (same moped but with front disc brake) They were available in a few colours but it seems 80% were yellow with the black transfers. They used to have an unconventional gear change, which was 4 down, instead of the usual 1 down, 3 up.

Honda at around the same era made the SS50 which was a single cylinder 4 stroke.

Suzuki made the AP50 often found in a dark red metallic colour, which was a 2 stroke like the Yamaha, but used the conventional gear change of 1 down, and 3 up. 

Yep, that's it in a nutshell. Apparently these things are collectable/valuable these days.

I'd rather have some of the stuff that Henry Cole and his mate restore on the Motorcycle Show - that big Zed they did recently was quite tasty, for example.

I used to own a Honda SS50 just like the one in the photo, even the same colour. NTY 12M and my best mate used to have the Yamaha FS1E DX in yellow of course.

We often used to swap bikes and the gear change on the fizzy used to get me every time !

We would pull away from a junction kicking down for 1st gear, then accelerate and I'd kick up for second which would knock the Yamaha back in to neutral and the engine would scream 🤣

We've expertly gone off topic again, here! I never had a go on the bro in laws fizzy, sneaked the odd go on his other stuff, though.

Work meant I was car driving by then, though still hankering after 2 wheelers.  In retrospect, I should have had that Z1000 or whatever instead of marrying his sister, but that's life!😀 Had a second fling (bikes - I was happily with the present Mrs B by then!) in the 90s though!