General Question

Mr_Grimm's avatar

Should I not worry?

Asked by Mr_Grimm (412points) October 18th, 2019

Yesterday I let a friend drive my car with a manual transmission. Since he is a friend I figured he would be respectful enough to treat my car properly. For the most part that is exactly what he was doing. Then all of a sudden he rides first gear until 5500 almost 6000 rpm, and shifts into second gear. The car lurched forward and kept going fine. Here is my biggest concern, I have a 2015 Subaru XV Crosstrek. Another one of my friends owned a 2013 XV crosstrek manual, and messed up his lifters, and eventually blew the motor from driving and shifting the car like he it was a wrx. My biggest concern here is, do I have anything to worry about? Or since this has never been done once before by myself, and i take fantastic care of the car. I regularly perform any maintanance required on my vehicle, and I had just changed my oil 2 days prior.

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22 Answers

jca2's avatar

For how long did he drive it with it revving like that?

If not for long, I’d not worry about it, but I wouldn’t let him drive it any more.

Did you say something to him at the time, like “time to shift?”

MrGrimm888's avatar

I just wouldn’t let the friend drive your car again. IMO. It’s usually a bad idea to let anyone else drive your vehicles.

si3tech's avatar

I would not let that person, and perhaps others too, drive your car.

elbanditoroso's avatar

If it was just high revs, that’s not likely to have done any damage.

I would be much more worried about gear teeth.

stanleybmanly's avatar

I agree with the answers above, only I would not hesitate to explain to the friend that he/she would not be allowed to drive my vehicle again, and EXACTLY why. I have an understanding, even a tolerance for people with no feeling for machinery, but absolutely no tolerance for entrusting such people with any machine of mine. I wouldn’t trust that guy to wind my clock.

jca2's avatar

You were in the car when he did it? I would have definitely said something to him.

kritiper's avatar

Don’t ever let him drive your car again!
But there isn’t too much to worry about. Red line on those small Japanese engines is like about 6500 RPM, and you don’t get into the horsepower range until about 5000. If the transmission was shifted smoothly, there should be no problem.
But he clearly abuses cars!

MrGrimm888's avatar

^I thinking they have a high red line too, but wasn’t sure about Subarus…

Kardamom's avatar

Are there 2 Mr. Grimms on this site/question?

elbanditoroso's avatar

@Kardamom good catch, good question.

Patty_Melt's avatar

Freaked me out too. Are we ready for two Grimm’s?

Are they brothers?

MrGrimm888's avatar

I was here first. I have NO idea who the other one is. When I first saw this jelly, I thought it was a friend of mine, being an ass. But. I don’t know anyone who drives a Subaru. Well, I did, but he’s dead now. So…....

Mr_Grimm's avatar

thank you guys for the responses Ive been part of fluther for about 8 years. I yelled at him immediately, as soon as it went to 4.5k rpm i was yelling. Nobody is alloud to drive my vehicle anymore. It has been a few days since he did that and my car seems to run fine.

MrGrimm888's avatar

^Well. I guess I wasn’t here first…

JLeslie's avatar

I wouldn’t worry. I’ve seen friends blow their engines on the racetrack by accidentally going into 2nd instead of 4th, and the glow out happens in the spot. I’ve forgotten to shift up a few times over the years (because I often drive automatic) and I was freaked out that I was in a low gear at really high RPM’s and nothing bad ever happened.

What RPM is marked red on your tachometer?

LadyMarissa's avatar

NOBODY is allowed to drive my car except ME!!! ALL my friends know that is my rule so nobody even bothers to ask. IF it’s truly an emergency, I will drive them myself, but they do NOT get to drive my car!!! I’d think that IF it was damaged from the abuse that you’d probably be able to tell it by now…then again, I could be wrong.

I suggest you adopt my way of keeping my car safe from others!!!

jca2's avatar

I find when I’m friends’ cars that are standard shift, they tend to shift too low. Then the car doesn’t have enough power. I can’t stand it. A good friend’s husband taught her how to drive stick, and she’d be out of the driveway and going 30 and the car would be in 4th. So annoying.

JLeslie's avatar

@jca2 On cars that suggest when to shift (I think my VW had that feature) it was always before I wanted to shift. I think it is supposed to save gas.

jca2's avatar

@JLeslie: The car didn’t suggest it – my friend’s husband told her to go by the RPM’s and what he taught her was way too low. The car would have no power and I’d be sitting there like “ugh.”

JLeslie's avatar

@jca2 I’m just wondering if whoever taught him went by whatever calculation these cars that do tell you when to shift use.

No phone shifting early. Like you said, no power.

jca2's avatar

I was also taught that it’s bad for the car to shift too early, @JLeslie.

JLeslie's avatar

@jca2 I would think so. It can grind the clutch I think. Like starting in second or third, it’s not good. Although, the newer cars, especially the Japanese, you barely need to time anything, it’s hard to stall.

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