(G) Am I too hard on my punto?

M Reg 55 S 5 dr.

I tend to take it to 20mph in 1st
Then I take it to about 29-30ish in 2nd then slip into 3rd then follow nicely in to 4th - it doesn't like block changing from 2nd into 4th, then if the road is anything above 30mph I get into 5th ASAP!

My car will fairly happily get to 75mph in 4th then pop into 5th and it'll go to 85 and sit there for hours on end, with the odd trip to 90mph, I don't have the nerve to take it passed 90 everything is just a bit unstable and the noise of all the interior plastic creaking and rattling is just too annoying.

What does everyone tend to get / push to?

i hope the 90mph was on a private road

also why not get a rev meter fitted? then your really know how far your pushing your punto.

It will have a rev limiter.

Just make sure your oil and coolent is properly topped up and that the engine is warm before you rev it hard.

10mph per gear until the car is properly warm (after 5 mins of starting) should be ample and then you can rev it to the limiter (the ignition will cut out) so you know what each gear goes to.

also remember that driving to the rev limiter in each gear does not make you go faster than changing gear ealier.

I go on the theory of as long as your car isnt screaming then it cant be doing too much harm

Sorry could you make that statement simpler, the technicality of the post has confused me.

I usually change gear at just over 2500rpm on my 1.2 16v. Is that too early?

I do 20mph per gear

Yes as peak torque on your engine is between 3500 and 5000rpm iirc

Already one step ahead of you!

http://www.fiatforum.com/punto/42557-dash-cluster-change-over.html

Take it to just when it feels the car is losing power and quick shift up...

Or alternatevly just drive it how you want to as it's your car

The 55 is a revvy little engine, you won't damage it by driving harder than you do - as long as it's warmed up first.

Have hit the limiter in the Red cinq with 1242 with the Cinq ecu on it

So in a 30 limit you're in 2nd gear? I'm usually in 5th!

Me too. It's no wonder I get 50mpg and some only get 30 from the same car!

On the other hand as long as you're not being dangerous you can accelerate faster than me all you like - you'll only get there a matter of seconds before me anyway. To the original question, it isn't bad for the car as such, there's a limiter fitted to stop you breaking it, Fiat have (probably) worked out the tolerances of the engine. However pushing the engine harder can't exactly make it last longer can it!