Is my '97 216 SLi fitted with a rev limiter?

If so where is it supposed to kick in as the red region on the rev counter comes at about 6800 RPM?

Yep...all modern cars have rev-limiters nowadays

I think its set at about 6900rpm - I'll have to check elsewhere

Overspeed Fuel Cut-Off

To prevent damage at high engine speeds the ECM will implement fuel cut-off at engine speeds above approximately 7000 rpm. Fuel is reinstated as the engine speed falls.

There - I wasn't a million miles off :eyes

You certainly weren't... that means it's not the end of the world if I miss a gear change at 6500 RPM :)

steve taylor wrote:
You certainly weren't... that means it's not the end of the world if I miss a gear change at 6500 RPM :)

The rev limiter on my '95 214 SEi cuts in at about 7250rpm.... probably why I surprise so many people when pulling away from traffic lights ;)

I am reluctant to take mine any more than 6000 RPM... thats when the 111 bhp peak power kicks in... Then I change gear...

I expect when you hit the limiter it will appear that the rev needle just bounces back from 7250?

:red: The car will 'misfire' and the rev counter will flick very slightly

You dont really need to rev your engine to the top, because it doesnt mean that "higher the rev, the more power there is". The power output of the engine will eventually decrease after a point. Correct me if i am wrong.

Max power will occur at around 6500rpm, IIRC..so you're right Andy8)

I 'tested' the car coming into work this morning... was changing gear at 6000 RPM where I know the max power of 111 bhp kicks in for my car...

On a very short stretch of road I got to 95 b4 a van pulled out and spoilt the acceleration...(good thing really as the roads are a little damp!)

If you rev too high you will hit a dip in the power curve and the acceleration won't 'flow' as effectively

Dr Dave wrote:
:red: The car will 'misfire' and the rev counter will flick very slightly

Odd, on my old Mk3 214, when you reached the limit, the engine's "feel" would change and the the rev (counter) "locked-on" to the limit point, and stayed there - wierd sensation. Compared to a mate's Punto which sounds (and acted) like a Sony-PS racing game when you hit the limit, it seems a 'superior' configuration.

Another strange effect was if you revved it [the 200] hard to the limit, the revs would go further, than if you were to slowly rev it there.

Rule-of-thumb (so I'm told) for the max-power point was to go past it by 500rpm, so that when you changed gear you would remain in the power band. Obviously this depends on the gearing, but if I remember right, it was about a 500rpm drop between gears on the 200.

Incidentally, Steve, which gear were you in when you hit 95? I'm guessing 3rd?

[Edited by r44712 on 22-05-2002 at 01:19 PM GMT]

The point I was trying to make, certainly with my car, is that the 16v K series rev's so freely I find that I quite often bounce off the rev limiter, especially in 2nd gear, when having fun racing away from traffic lights, my previous car (a F*rd) did not like being revved to anywhere near the redline.

On a particularly memorable occasion, which of course occured on a private road away from the general public ;) I red lined the car in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th!! by which time I was moving at a serious rate of knots:D :D :D :D

Not bad for a 1.4 litre engine ;)

btw I'm on the look out for a 620Ti, I just can't wait to go and play on the Autobahn in that one.:D :D :D

"I'm on the look out for a 620Ti, I just can't wait to go and play on the Autobahn in that one"

You won't be disappointed Paul - great car which can handle the power from the 200PS T16 Turbo engine :D

If you hit the rev limiter in 4th (on the ti) you'd be moving along at a serious rate of knots....:red:

r44712 wrote:

Incidentally, Steve, which gear were you in when you hit 95? I'm guessing 3rd?

[Edited by r44712 on 22-05-2002 at 01:19 PM GMT]

I was in third gear up until 90mph then I changed to fourth and almost immediately had to stamp the anchors on when 'white van man' pulled out infront of me! I guess I hit 95 at that point