I'm sure there are plenty of us who have no idea of what or how we abuse our vehicles to the point of breaking something. I, for eaxample drive my car like a sports car. I shift between 6-7k routeenly. I don't typically jam the gears, but on occaision, I am shifting quickly if I am trying to gain speed quickly. I take corners relatively quickly and excellerate quickly as well.
Am I abusing this car? I don't get the sense that I am, but am I being naive?

As far as maintenance, I do my own oil and filter changes at 3-4k intervals. I keep check on fluids and tire pressure. I am an 06' and only have 6k on the car.

I would invite opinions on this subject. I'd be interested to see others owners views on what abusing their car really means.

 

I think abuse and spirited use are 2 different things.

Abuse would be driving spirited and not performing normal maintenance, never washing the car, cleaning the wheels, changing the oil, checking tire pressure, etc.

 

Abuse?

Bouncing off the rev limiter for extended periods of time, like if you were doing donuts or excessive standing burnouts.

Burning the clutch by slipping too much, or launching from unnecessarily high RPM...

Downshifting hard without rev matching

"grinding the gears"

Idling for extended periods of time (no chance to dissipate heat, the car just keeps getting hotter and hotter)

Not maintaining the car

Putting below 91 octane in the car and driving it hard



If you are driving the car fast, shifting at high RPM, taking corners fast, that is not going to hurt the car.

The rev limiter was set at 6600 / 7000 (non-revup / revup) for a reason. If that limit was UN-safe, it would have been set LOWER, to a SAFE value.

 

^^ I agree with the above, except that not all engines have the rev limiter set at a safe level. On the Japanese version of the engine in my car, the rev limiter is set at 7500rpm, but the valves will float at anything above 7000rpm, usually causing a broken valve retainer and a dropped valve. The US engines have the same rev limiter, but don't have this problem.

Basically, your car will tell you if you are abusing it. It will emit strange noises, feelings and smells if you abuse it. But driving a car hard isn't necessarily abusing it. Actually, I feel that babying a car is more abusive (especially to the engine) than driving it hard.

 

I paid for 287 horses and intend to use every one of them.

 

Do you remember the way you drove when you first got your license and your 1993 Civic? THAT'S abuse lol!!


I baby my Z and drive pretty conservatbly for the most part.....other days I take full advantage of breaking that backend loose

 

Mmmmmmmmm breaking the backend loose. Sounds naughty lol

 

You can apply that to almost anything.

 

Yea but we all know those canadians are all aboot that naughtiness.

Ain't that right

 

Driving it like you don't care about it. Not taking care of it properly. Thats abuse.

 

I bet the dealer would say its abuse!

 

to me it is:

not doing regular maintenance

not changing oil

Driving like a maniac

...etc.

 

Check, check and check. Damn it, you just explained step by step what I've done in the past few months.

Ergh gotta face reality, the Z needs a Spa and massage day next week.

 

Teaching yourself to rev match will help and can be a lot of fun as well! I will do the occasional rev limiter bouncing launch but just dont do it to much

 

these posts sometimes make me wish I had an automatic

lol.. im always afraid of F***ing something up

 

not saying another word

 

Some of the replies to this thread confirm that I made a sound choice in buying a brand new Z instead of waiting for a used one.

To the thread starter: abuse is drifting and launching (like drag racing). They are pretty much the same thing. You are intentionally not matching your rpm and your tranny speed. As long as all you wear down is tires and brakes and gas, you are not abusing the car. Changing oil (both diff and motor) at 3,000 miles should be good.

 

He's not Canadian; he's from Toronto!!!

 

That’s the only thing that could be seen as abuse in what you’ve posted.

I paid for 300 horses and intend to use every one of them.

 

Smacking the car around and yelling "I'M RICK JAMES BIOTCH!!!"...







(sure sign of abuse)