Does driving hard shorten life span?

[snubnose]

Lately, I've been revving to at least 5,000 rpm every time I shift. I figure, why not, the redline is at 6800 so anywhere under that should be safe.

But am I being too rough on the engine? Is it better for the car to shift closer to 3 or 4,000 rpm under most conditions?

My thoughts are, It's an Si, so why not drive it the way it was meant to be driven?

[BlasTech]

I'd guess the B-series engines are holding up for good 100-150k, and they are almost always dogged out, its the clutches that go out more in the previous Si's.

So based on that, I'd think the K-series has a good chance to have an average life if driven hard (but well-maintained), or an extra-long life if driven easy.

I have owned 4 civics over the last 16 years.

[snubnose]

So what you're saying is, driving an engine hard does shorten the life span.

I'm not talking about vicious stops and starts, dropping the clutch, or doing 360s, but just revving the engine up to the redline before shifting.

[BlasTech]

I dont think just revving it up will hurt it in the long term. The basis of the K20 engine has a much higher redline in other models, so...

I think the key is maintenance: oil, filters, cleaning, coolant, spark plugs, belts checked. Neglect is more harmful than use...

but then again, I'm not going to warantee your Si or anything ;)

[bsdbytes]

Dude, it's a Honda. It's made to rev that high and higher. Honda engines when taken care of, will take care of you. I would never dream of driving my old Beretta that way. ;)

Mike

[chunky]

you take care of your baby, it'll take care of you.

meaing, if you drive hard, make sure you keep up with ALL scheduled maintenance.

I drive the PISS out of my car. So she gets an oil change every 3000 miles.

Oil changes are the best insurance you have for long engine life.