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GTR Dreamer
06-08-2004, 09:48 PM
on some RMP guages they have that light called a shift light?(am i right)
what exactly is this for.
does it tell you when you should change gear or something?
any help greatly appreiciated :cool:

DiabloVT
06-08-2004, 10:44 PM
its there so u can keep ur eyes on the road, and not on the tachometre to see when to shift. ive got one on my car, a big yellow light, impossible to miss ;)
u can calibrate it to operate at any RPM you want, ive got mine set @ 7000rpm because my car stops making decent power after 6500rpm. and once u pass that rpm, the light comes on, and you shift... rather simple concept, hope ive cleared up any problems

Egg Nog
06-08-2004, 10:52 PM
A few cars come with stock shift lights, but they aren't designed for high performance driving. They will come on when adequate power and torque (and better efficiency) are available in the next gear, so that you don't needlessly use fuel.

Matra et Alpine
06-09-2004, 02:46 AM
it's a ricer upgrade for the inside :)

A driver SHOULD be able to tell when to shift up by the engine sound.

Shift-lights are necessary in race cars because with a helmet on, ear plugs in and Peltor radio set giving voice from pit or nav then it gets hard to hear the shift point.
So, shift lights are provided.

Ricers see it on TV and want one, the after-market industry takes advantage and offers a light at huge profits :)

EggNog's input is one I'd not considered, again a driver should know these things but GM/Ford et al have to produce a car that the 'average' ( eg atrocious ) driver can cope with.

Powaqqatsi
06-09-2004, 03:05 AM
I shift gears when I feel and hear it's necesarry. Like any decent driver.

fpv_gtho
06-09-2004, 03:39 AM
my dads 71 F250 doesnt have a tacho at all so regardless if hes trying to drive fast or just normally in it hes got to rely on the sound of the engine

bk4uyeah
06-09-2004, 08:49 AM
My Saab 9-3 has a light like this, however, as everyone else has stated, you should be able to tell anyway from engine sound

RX7 FC3S
06-09-2004, 09:28 AM
Ricers need it not only because it looks "cool", but also they have pimped out spearks and shit like that which prevents them from listening to anything. Of course, it is still questionable that rather they know when to shift just by listening to the engine. :D

KnifeEdge_2K1
06-09-2004, 02:30 PM
wow so if im a decent driver and i get a light ... im a ricer .. but if im a horrible driver that is dependent on the light ... its ok ... wierd concept

Matra et Alpine
06-09-2004, 03:43 PM
wow so if im a decent driver and i get a light ... im a ricer .. but if im a horrible driver that is dependent on the light ... its ok ... wierd concept
You're the first to come up with that intepretation, KE !!
So far everyone has said that you don't need the light - with the racing exception :)

KnifeEdge_2K1
06-09-2004, 06:24 PM
lol, i have a very ... unique ... mind if u get my drift

RX7 FC3S
06-10-2004, 08:31 AM
it shouldn't be rice if you get it stock. It becomes a concern when it comes to aftermarket stuff. Rice, as mentioned in tons of tread before, is an attitude, not the mod itself.

Just a question, I have seen some old (not sure about the made year though) american cars does not have the rev meter. Those are auto, so I just wonder what happens to the manual version of them. Do they have a different set of meters?

byronleehk
06-10-2004, 09:14 AM
A friend of mine used to own an old 1980's ford pickup truck (forgot the model) and it only had a big speed meter in the center of the console. He shifted gears by the sound of the engine.

Egg Nog
06-10-2004, 02:18 PM
It's pretty funny when there are people driving around with stock Jettas with HUGE monster tachs that show up to 12,000rpm. What look are they going for, anyway? ;)

fpv_gtho
06-11-2004, 06:10 AM
Just a question, I have seen some old (not sure about the made year though) american cars does not have the rev meter. Those are auto, so I just wonder what happens to the manual version of them. Do they have a different set of meters?

I dont know if this will answer your question or not, but someone i know has 1970 Pontiac GTO convertible and the tacho pops out of the bonnet infront of the driver

Falcon500
06-11-2004, 08:04 AM
It's pretty funny when there are people driving around with stock Jettas with HUGE monster tachs that show up to 12,000rpm. What look are they going for, anyway? ;)
Ill never forget one ricer who cameinto yahoo chat who said hes got a 12,000 rpm tacho on his car so it now revs out to that :)) the funny thing after talking to him i relaised he wasnt jokeing he genuinly thought that...and after a short discussion i found out he bought a generic one and had it calibrated wrong (it has a switch on the back like the tacho ive go sitting on my desk that has 4,6,8) and he had it switched to 6....because he didnt need to juice it to 8 lol.....and even more salt into the wound...his car was automatic :D
My sunny dosent have a tacho i rely on sound....i rember one bloke i know asking how do you know when to shift gears....my answer was "Mate im just F*cking Talented" :) ;) :D ahh some people.....
I have a tacho it gos up to 8000 rpm has an adjustable plastic redline (little tab) and was origonally off a small mazda truck....also might i add i got it for nothing(the right price)....i wanted to put it on the sunny and i might one day....just because i can....at the moment it sits on my desk and ive got the redline adjusted at 7000 rpm but i have it set on 8 so i have the fastest computer table in the room :) lol

Matra et Alpine
06-11-2004, 08:32 AM
Ill never forget one ricer who cameinto yahoo chat who said hes got a 12,000 rpm tacho on his car so it now revs out to that :)) .....

I have a tacho it gos up to 8000 rpm has an adjustable plastic redline (little tab) and was origonally off a small mazda truck....also might i add i got it for nothing(the right price)....i wanted to put it on the sunny and i might one day....just because i can....at the moment it sits on my desk and ive got the redline adjusted at 7000 rpm but i have it set on 8 so i have the fastest computer table in the room :) lol

Love the story on the ricer :)

Does your tacho have a telltale hold ??
Worst thing for a driver ..... come into the pits and have an engineer givee you an earful for over-revving it when he presses the button and sees it WELL into the red :( I got pulled from a sesion at Knockhill in FF1600 by the team engineer for this :(

SO it's only really a kiddies toy without the telltale :)

SilverArrowZ
06-12-2004, 06:35 AM
I shift by hearing and feel. Sometime i got so use to it i don't even know when i shifted. By the way, i don't have a tachometer in my car, getting one as soon as i find a good engine for my car(the old one is ready to retire).

anyway what do you guys mean by ricer? I've never heard of that term anywhere else except UCP forum.

I thought the WRX STI have standard shift lights that gives out beeping sound too... and you can tell others that you shift by hearing and you are still technically correct :p

I even got a friend who custom made a light with the word VTEC to show when is the VTEC activated :o

Falcon500
06-13-2004, 07:23 AM
cheers matra...and tell tale hold...i dont follow :confused: also i forgot to mention the tacho is about as big as some of the shift lights they have on them montor tachos lol.
Interesting story about the bathurst 24 hour matra...theyu had some BTCC cars therer not ultra operformance one but long distance travelers group B and C cars they where...and afte rthier fiorst pit stops they all got pulled in for pit lane speeding and had a drive through penalty so mr crompton (ex driver gone comintator) asked the pit crew what was wrong...and they didnt have any speedos apprently the only gauges they had wherwe afew warning lights and a rev tacho....my old man didnt care for the answer "well they should of been able to tell the speed by the revs and gears its not like its hard" and hes right i think....

Matra et Alpine
06-13-2004, 09:19 AM
cheers matra...and tell tale hold...i dont follow :confused:
race tachos have memory.
When the car comes back in the engineers can press a button and see the max revs.
usually give the driver an earful if over-revved it :)

SilverArrowZ
06-13-2004, 10:06 AM
standard shift light with beeping sound on the STi :D acually looks nice

Matra et Alpine
06-13-2004, 01:27 PM
standard shift light with beeping sound on the STi :D acually looks nice
can't get away from the fact that it's unecessary and is clearly for closet RICERS :)

Falcon500
06-13-2004, 06:26 PM
Nope mines not race by any standard...unless that light mazda truck with 10' dual rear wheels was a racer in its time ;) Well my old man usually give me a chew when i hammer the car through the bottom of our street :rolleyes: what did you squeal the tyre for" he not upset...just wishes i wouldent do it...rare occurence anyways...

KnifeEdge_2K1
06-13-2004, 08:22 PM
can't get away from the fact that it's unecessary and is clearly for closet RICERS :)

first off, considering its STANDARD you cant consider it "rice" in any sense since its not an addon

second, if you're intending to get max performance the light tells you the optimum time to shift, since this range off optimum power transfer from gear to gear occurs within a range of a few hundred revs its nearly impossible to tell by the sound of the engine since the difference in frequency of 6800 rpm and 6900 rpm is tenths of a milisecond, anyone who claims they can distinguish between 100s of revs on a car is foolish if not insane

Falcon500
06-13-2004, 08:51 PM
Well first off you missed the :)

And second most of the stock lights would be there to stop you from BUZZING the engine...most stock cars do not need to be shifted for optimum performance...most can even get away with short shifting....and i think you must be insane to some extent i dont know anyone in here who claimed they could distingish between a 100rpm....
Im wondering what your problem is dud you seem to get your jollies argueing over the most menial things...youmiss jokes (semmingly on purpose) and you seem to do you level headed best to try and discredt and fob off anyone who throws another option in the ring...what are you playing at im really quite curious :confused: :)

KnifeEdge_2K1
06-13-2004, 10:48 PM
Well first off you missed the :)

And second most of the stock lights would be there to stop you from BUZZING the engine...most stock cars do not need to be shifted for optimum performance...most can even get away with short shifting....and i think you must be insane to some extent i dont know anyone in here who claimed they could distingish between a 100rpm....
Im wondering what your problem is dud you seem to get your jollies argueing over the most menial things...youmiss jokes (semmingly on purpose) and you seem to do you level headed best to try and discredt and fob off anyone who throws another option in the ring...what are you playing at im really quite curious :confused: :)

u caught me, i just like arguing

Falcon500
06-13-2004, 11:38 PM
u caught me, i just like arguing
Well prehaps you should discuss rather then argue....argueing and not listening to others si not a good way to broaden your horizons...and it doesnt particuarly get you anywhere either....

SilverArrowZ
06-14-2004, 06:14 AM
guys i still don't get what "ricer" means, sound like paddy farmer to me

Falcon500
06-14-2004, 06:24 AM
guys i still don't get what "ricer" means, sound like paddy farmer to me
close....
Usually a kid in a jap car who drops his car on its guts adds a tasteless set of mags that look like blobls of weld and add tacky wings and bloody huge steros which they pump their DOOF DOOF shit out of....need anymore info?

byronleehk
06-14-2004, 01:19 PM
close....
Usually a kid in a jap car who drops his car on its guts adds a tasteless set of mags that look like blobls of weld and add tacky wings and bloody huge steros which they pump their DOOF DOOF shit out of....need anymore info?

And don't forget the all mighty STICKERS...which, in their opinion, adds tons of hp to their cars! :D

KnifeEdge_2K1
06-14-2004, 05:51 PM
close....
Usually a kid in a jap car who drops his car on its guts adds a tasteless set of mags that look like blobls of weld and add tacky wings and bloody huge steros which they pump their DOOF DOOF shit out of....need anymore info?

u accuse me of not brodening my horizons yet u say "usually a kid in a jap car ...". ive seen plenty of guys in fords Cadillacs and BMWs with rediculous spoilers wheels and paint jobs, is a Cadillac with 6 LCD Monitors and "spinner" rims any less stupid than a civic with stickers and big wing?

To me the caddy is even more stupid since the most the car can seat is 5 and 1 is a driver, why are there 6 monitors. atleast the big wing at the back will create downforce (not nessecarilly a good thing but atleast it does SOMETHING)

SilverArrowZ
06-15-2004, 06:20 PM
oh i get it. You mean all those ppl who park their car at a car show :rolleyes: if that is so then i'm not much of a ricer :p but i wouldn't call them ridiculous but rather "show car" that is not practical for daily use :D good if you own a car accesory/audio store, thats free advert for you.

i like cars that is more performance oriented, no subs, i hate that, only add weight to my car.

yay 100th post, things just get started here...