dmoneyisfine

Im just wondering.

I plan on getting a 07 TLS in January.

And I was just curious, after the so called
"break in" phaze is over with.

How safe is it to push this car to its limits?

I now drive a 2001 Honda Civic, and even though its Auto
I redline the shit out of that car every safe chance I get.

Can I transfer over my "redline" style driving over to my
future 07 TLS Auto tranny?

Sorry i this is a stupid question, but everyon I ask cant give me
a solid anwser.

jayunsplanet

iTrader: (1)

So you want to "redline the shit" out of a brand new (yea yea, after the "break in period") $36,000+ 07 Acura TLS because you did it to your ~$7,000 Civic... I don't follow that thought pattern. You're just asking for trouble, especially at 18 years old. Anyway, the car is built well, and quick acceleration and some hard cornering occasionally isn't going to damage anything. Have you saved up for this thing or do you have an amazing job? Good luck w/ the new car...

TouringAltimaLuxury

if you redline your car on a regular basis the engine will wear out faster ... meaning the car will last for a shorter period of time compared to if you drive u car gently ...

nguyen

good luck on gas...

dmoneyisfine

Haha, Im just saying, im a very excited driver. But im not stupid, if thats what your implying haha..

I have an amazing job. So Im in a position were I can afford this type of car.

And I just think, im going to find it hard to not to drive this beast hard.
But, remember, I do know my limits.
Lets just say Im excited.

Oh and for gas, got that coverd.

pohljm

I need to ask, what is this amazing job that would allow an 18 yr old to purchase a 36K vehicle? my son is 15 and I need to get him set up.

JoeyASPEC

something tells me this amazing job is...how u say... "off the books" lol I'm a realtor and I still had my parents throw a few thou my way.

dmoneyisfine

This amazing job is working for my uncles trucking company.
And my uncle being the owner of this succesgul buisness
has its perks!!

Oh and.....LOL..

That job is definetly "on the book", im no drug dealer.

JoeyASPEC

lol alright well its good to know ur no drug dealer... i wish u luck man and if u wind up getting it be sure to post pics! oh, and by the looks of it u probably drive like me - aggressively, fast, tense, spirited and i'll tell ya... i've only driven 2 cars(and i've driven a LOT of cars) that handle better than my A-Spec TL, and thats my brother's G35 sedan and the "big kahuna" of performance - no, NOT a BMW... please... my mom's Jag S-Type R... but for the $$ - can't go wrong with a TL (except for FWD, but coming from a Honda u should be used to it). I almost test drove a TL-S while my car was being serviced but I noticed some things that totally bagged my interest in the car... but hey - a TL is a TL!

dmoneyisfine

Oh expect a pro photoshoot when I get it.

SouthernBoy

First congrats on being 18 and having such a job that enables you to enjoy life with a high $30K car. You are indeed a fortunate young man. And congrats for chosing the new TL-S. Not at all a shabby choice of cars, in my opinion.

As for pushing it to its limits, as has already been pointed out.. You will shorten the life of many of the car's components, not just the engine. However, your car and your style is your business as long as you do things legally and don't endanger other people and/or property.

But I will suggest this. You might find yourself driving this car a little different than you have others you've owned for the simple fact that it is a really nice machine. You might actually find yourself feeling a little guilty for slamming the thing too hard at times. And there's this. The '07 TL-S is a far cry from an '01 Civic. You don't need to tip into the throttle too much to appreciate what lies under the hood and therefore, under your right foot.

Enjoy, be careful, and before you start going nuts on your new TL-S, give it a chance to entreat you. You might find a whole new experience awaiting.

Adobeman

Drive your Civic and put your money in a 401K, (the max allowable if the trucking co has one) or a Roth IRA or other retirement option. If there is left over to get a TL then do so.

"Loaded" at 18 you have a great opportunity to set your retirement plans going. By doing this early (and keeping up with it) you get a big head start and will actually increase the amount of "play money" available to you in the future. While all your friends are playing financial catch up you will be all set. Just some advice from a 42 year old fart that has a TL that hopes to retire some day.

Oh, and, how hard you drive a car is up to you. It all depends on how long you want it to last. Red line it every chance and you will wear it out faster. There is no solid answer other than it will "use up" the car faster. To many variables to predict exactly what will happen.

Here's where I really turn into an asshole... If you live in north-central CT please don't get the TL-S. I really don't want to share the roads with an 18 year old red-lining "the shit" out of a 286HP car every chance they get. Last 18 year old guys that did that both killed themselves in a Nissan Z on Rt91. Sorry, but you (and just about everyone else, including me) do not have enough experience to be doing that safely. I won't entertain any argument you try and make either so don't even bother. Take it to a track if that's what you want to do. That's what serious folk do.

KilroyR1

To answer your actual question, it won't hurt the car to drive in a spirited fashion. One caution, wait for the oil (not just coolant) to come up to operating temperature before you hammer it. This probably takes 5 minutes in the summer and 15 in the winter.

According to a friend of mine who runs the dyno at DEI, once the oil is up to temperature, there is practically zero wear.

I don't go past about 4500 rpm until I guess the oil is up to temperature based on the timing noted above. Lugging is worse than high revs so avoid that, if possible.

Don

SouthernBoy

As for investing, if here were to start off the new year by putting away $500 a month (with, of course, the requisite increases based upon increases in his salary), and invest in the "three" buckets, by the time he retires (let's just say at 60), he would be a multi-millionaire. Screw social security, the real money for retirement is in personal investing. And this is outside of any 401K, IRA, or pension plans his company might offer him. Suffice it to say, his retirement years would be very comfortable and rewarding.

Adobeman

Yeah, but...
Is the oil really up to temp that fast ? The water in the head where the temp probe is my be warm but I'm not sure oil is up to temp that fast. Perhaps Sodaluvr will chime in. He da' man for oil questions.

And, they dyno <> real world. The dyno is a nice controlled load with the car strapped down. On the road there are other transients that happen that are either environmental or based on driver error. So I'm still saying that a car that is red-lined day in and day out will suffer more mechanical problems over the long run than a car that is driven more conservatively. It will add up on the engine, tranny, inner and outer joints, wheel bearings, etc. To me the biggest threat is driver error like a missed shift in an MT. At, or around red line there is no room for error. Just ask the guys that floated their valves with the 3.2 engine. I know driver error isn't specifically what we are talking about but since driver error is magnified at those higher RPMs it is a factor in the end result. I guess it really doesn't matter if you aren't worried about having to do some repairs. It might be worth the cost if the fun is there. I'd rather have the money for other interests.

500/month is tough to keep up with over the long run but just the opportunity to start a retirement planning strategy at 18 would be a big advantage; One I didn't have until I was in my 20s.

And, I can't believe an automotive scholar such as yourself didn't pipe in on the original question about red-lining

Texas

Ya you can red line it and the new A/T will take it BUT the question is finding the room to do such...redlining a civic 4 and a TLS 6 takes different amounts of open road...red line a TLS thru 1st& 2nd and you will be eating up road...3rd even more road....even in S.Tx. it is hard to drive fast safely due to the congestion.....as for the new trend of road racing, it is a felony here and we lose some doing such.....and the ones that live get manslaughter charges...

We all had musle cars back in the 60-70s (3 Goats myself) and would drag race at the drag strip or empty back roads...as for town we rarely went past 2n or 3rd before shuting down.....but there was no road racing(lane changing in and out of traffic) back them as you see now from some of the large pipe crowd.....anyway take it easy and enjoy the car as you too will finally learn as we did that life is not a 100 yrd dash..

SouthernBoy

Yes it is, but if his job is that good at 18, there's a reasonable chance that $500 a month for starters is doable. The rule in investing is.. "pay yourself first". While he's young, he is in a position of risk taking that us older folks are not (as much, anyway). So he has the time to afford to take these risks in order to reap the rewards down the road. As you get closer to retiring (let's say 10 years), your concerns are more along the lines of conservative investments such as municipal bonds and annuities (interest from the bonds is tax free).

As for "And, I can't believe an automotive scholar such as yourself didn't pipe in on the original question about red-lining", I did comment on this. Any use of a car, starting the engine, even letting it sit in the driveway is going to diminish and wear parts; it's just the nature of things. But then again, we buy these things for a host of reasons and I venture that for most of us on this site, the primary reason is the thrill of driving. Pushing a car at or close to its limits frequently is going to come with a price. Common sense, you stress things and you shorten their useful life with the potential of sudden breakage.

If this young man is in the financial position he says he is, he can have his cake and eat it, too. He could both invest AND enjoy the fruits of his labors now. That's what I would do. Of course I suspect that I am like most of us here (in my age bracket). We played in our youth and are now trying to make amends so that we can finish out our working lives with some sort of comfort. Man if I'd known then what I know now....

SouthernBoy

I was the original owner of a 1966 SS396/360 L34 Chevelle. Lord I used to street race that car a heck of a lot. It was easy back then to find places to do this where you didn't put others in jeopardy, but today, it's a mess out there. I still see some crazy stuff on the highways.. no way would I do some of the things I see some of the kids doing today.

meowCat

My '06 MT is too fast. I'm having trouble slowing it down. I press the gad pedal a tad bit and it pulls like a maniac. I try to drive as gentle as I can. Most of the time I drive gently and only few times when I speed up a little more aggressively. It's still new so I wouldn't advice to take the beating even right after the breakin. I think the breakin is what.. 600 miles according to the owner's manual?

dmoneyisfine

Let me make it VERY clear here.

When I say "redline the shit" im not talking about 4pm in a school zone.
Im talking either controlled courses, or backroad highways.

I have had friends who have died by street racers, well just one guy.
But I do t f*ck around.
And as for my finacial plans (however the subject got there)

I put around $325 in an account every month.
Its automated, and I have NO control of it whatsoever.

PoochaKannInc

Wait until the car is warmed up; then you can redline it all you want. I don't do it.

But I'm old and tired.

SouthernBoy

Take it easy, friend. You're only getting some good advice and suggestions. Take it all for what it is.

I'm pretty sure that most all of us have done what you do (cars, that is) at one time or another in our youth (I know I did). Two months after I street raced a guy, he and his three buddies were killed running from the cops. No smart, but stuff happens.

Anyway, enjoy the holidays and play safe.

56Oval

Have fun redlining it and getting torque steered off the road. My normal TL is bad enough with torque steer, I can't imagine how the Type-S will be. At least you're getting an Auto (why, I don't know, but that is another matter) so it should be more managable than the stick.

But honestly there are better cars up in the ~$40k range. With all your extra cash just get a 335i and get a real car. If you're partial to the Japaneese, I'd look at an IS 350 or something rear wheel drive.

sandiegodrive

Bro I'm with you on being able to afford the car at 18. I bought mine at 19, so I know how you feel and I drove it exactly the way you plan too. Let me tell you my car after 44,000 miles in just 1.5 years has never gave me problems. I've power slided, 180, and 360 that car every week pushing speeds the whole first year into the triple digits. I can tell you right now that car will hit 150+. I pampered my car with service and thats all I've done...the car can take it. Trust me! I'll PM with some Q's.

01tl4tl

We run the race car to redline all the time, on Redline oil of course, and at the end of each season we tear them motors apart and rebuild em. If you want to run hard, there is a maitenance price to pay. Accept it as part of the deal or don't play.
This young man seems to have a plan and the funding to enjoy himself.

Hope to see all of us at track days.

If you really want to run flat out for miles- there are events in Nevada where they close 45 miles of highway and let people run based on MINIMUN speed groups starting at 85 MPH and up to 185MPH +++

dmoneyisfine

Sucks im in Canada.
But id make the trip out there.

Teddybear

i personally find no advantage of redlining a v6. it doenst need it (and it hurts everytime i do it.. i usually end up punching or kicking myself). most of the torque kicks in at 5-6k anyways. a civic is a different story, u need to really kick it to get the powr to get it to the next gear. its different.

a civic is like a motorcycle on 4 wheels. it likes higher revs.. it needs em to go. a TL is like a mild mannered grunting beast. it has enough pwr as is without the need to push itself. i dunno.. thats just how i feel bout my TL (even with my old v6 accord)

meowCat

That's correct, the Civics and Integra's and RSX's benefit more at higher RPMs. That's where the peak torque is. But also these cars are loud. High rpm = loud

I too was surprised that the TL doesn't need high RPM to get it really kicking. The graphs on the dyno show the torque peaks at around 6100~ 6200RPM but no more. The red line is at what.. almost 7000 rpm.

The TL sorta acts like Mercedes with big engines. It's quiet and pulls really well quietly.




Question:

Is redline oil good?

Is it better than synthetic oil from Valvoline or what..

What oil do you recommend for better performance and protection for the TL's engine?

meowCat

So I think you really shouldn't have to wait till you get to red line to shift gear for max acceleration. You get no more power out of it at redline, you actually lose it, but the momentum is there to keep the car going. I think changing gear at ~6300 RPM is sweet spot, wouldn't you say?

07WDP

be sure to post pics when you get it...

Teddybear

From my experience with my v6 accord.. the major pwr surcge started kicking in at around 3k with the TL. i dont feel it much.. im estimating around 3.5-4k is where it starts to really open up. my guess is the premium fuel?

SouthernBoy

The idea is to shift to the next higher gear where you will be putting the engine in that gear at the peak of the torque curve.

The '04 TL (and I imagine the '05 and '06) horsepower peak is at 6200 RPM and the torque at 5000 RPM. Now since we do NOT have true close ratio 6MT transmissions, first gear is too far apart from second, your 1 to 2 shift will be best served at around 6200 - 6400 RPM. The rest of the shifts would be good in the 6000 to 6200 RPM range. The reason for this is you want to hit the peak torque while the horsepower still has room to build. This keeps the engine in VTEC and producing its maximum power, plus you're putting out RPMs as well.

vincethe1

here is my true $0.02. comming from a person your age, i'd say beat the living shit out of it and your car would be totally fine unless u pop curbs doing it. Honda's engines are more bulletproof than arnold swartzenegger's humvee, the only thing you could worry about in these cars fucking up is the clutch with the 6mt, but other than that go 4 it...that's why you get honda. my previous car was an 02 TL-S, the pedal was to the floor most of the time and it was a lot of fun....got 200-250 miles to the tank tho....but the car was as solid as a rock, only changed the brakes on it. now with my 06 tl i started to be more careful and theat mede me go from 250 miles a tank to 350 miles cuz i think my clutch may be going....that's what sucks so much about stick...clutch ware, if not that, it's perfect.

vincethe1

besides, if anything mechanical goes wrong with your car it's covered under warranty....unlike a clutch in a 6mt ...so what you gotta worry about is being safe and not hitting the car in anything at all, and most important, have fun with the vtec.

Adobeman

So am I seeing here that I am the only one that doesn't absolutely beat the living shit out of my car every day? And, that I should just floor it all the time be because after the 8 to 10 years I keep a car there will be ZERO difference between that and driving it more conservatively ?

I'm not saying I don't have fun with the car from time to time. I do believe that the engineers designed the car's parts to be able to run to red line but I don't think for a minute that they think the mean time to failure will be as high for a car that does so all the time. Reliability engineers think about that stuff all day and have numbers for all sorts of "missions" that the vehicle will see. I guarantee the numbers are lower for "red line use" than for "half throttle" use.

vincethe1

we say beat the lving shit out of it not in a way that we disrespect the car, that's actually not true to most of us that say beat the shit out....it's just respecting beutiful honda engeneering and hearing that motor sing and shine.....i personally love that feeling and there is nothing wrong with the engine, infact in some cases it's better becasue it flushes out carbon build up with higher temperatures and pressure...all you basically do is waste a shit load more gas, the rest, honda has covered. I open up the throttle on my car a lot and i respect it very much while doing it.
safety 1st. as i've said, i've driven all my cars like that, and no problems. 02 TL-S, drove it a year and 4 months and nothing, 91 accord with 210k miles, drove it like that for a few months and sold it, but nothing wrong with it. now, there is some "cursed" i guess ppl that their cars keep braking all the time without them even beting on it...that's just soinsidences like ppl with 4 trannies in their tl, mine didn't have a sign of failure within the year and a half of redlining and sometimes neutral dropping.

KilroyR1

I run my cars and motorcycles hard because that is what I like to do. I keep cars 10 to 12 years and if I have to put a second engine in the car, so be it. I'm still ahead by keeping the car so long. I've never had to replace an engine yet.

The bottom line for me is simple. I had to sell a cherished and pampered car when I entered the Army. Someone else got all the fruits of my restraint. Never again, I love the car and I enjoy it. I still give the oil plenty of time before get nice and warm before I run the engine hard.

My advice, enjoy the car. If you're too hard and need to replace the engine, get one from a wrecked car that was pampered.

Cheers,

Don

dmoneyisfine

Yes, beating the shit out of the tls sounds so much worse then what I mean.
I just mean, like damn.

Think of driving a 07 TLS hard, like having sex with a hot model all night.
I want to "hear her scream"
Get it? its all about the feelings.

With me anyways.

dmoneyisfine

Dam, now im horny for my TLS.

mu1980

Wow.. I wouldn't wanna buy your car after you trade it in or sell it off.