I know, that many of my readers were inspired by “Fast & Furious” films and they want to floor the gas pedal all the time when they are driving to the office, to some important meeting in the restaurant or out of town. But have you ever asked yourself, is it good or bad for your car? Let’s study this question properly!
Flooring your gas pedal can be both good and bad, you just need to know when to do it. Try not to floor your gas pedal when your car is not warmed up, at the start of your journey or when you are driving at low RPM. Occasional flooring can help prevent carbon buildup and open valves. Read on to learn the drivers’ opinions on this topic.
What Does Flooring Your Gas Pedal Mean?
If you think, that flooring the gas pedal means touching the floor while you are pressing it, you are not right. That expression has a metaphorical meaning. If the gas pedal has been floored, it means that you accelerated your car to its absolute limit.
Many people have different opinions on the topic if flooring the gas pedal is good for the car or not. Let’s listen to them.
Drivers’ Opinions on Flooring the Gas Pedal
I’ve studied lots of forums and talked to many people, who have floored their cars quite often. I must say, that 8 of 12 people on the forum say that there’s no definite answer to this question. It depends on the circumstances, on the car age etc.
Then, 3 of 12 people suppose that flooring the gas pedal is really bad for the car and you should avoid it. And just 1 driver from 12 on the forum told, that the car is ready for extreme load, that’s why flooring the gas pedal won’t do any harm to it. It is mostly used by racer cars, but people who are in a rush to get somewhere are occasionally known to blast their speed by using this technique.
I didn’t stop and asked an expert, what he thinks about the flooring the gas pedal, and its impact on the car. The expert’s name is Del Lisk, the former Vice President of Lytx, the fleet managing company. Retired as of now, he devoted the major part of his career to improving drivers’ safety. Let’s listen to Del’s answer to our question.
Del Lisk insists, that flooring the gas pedal is bad for both, your car and your safety. “Car acceleration is a widespread reason of road accidents. It’s not a good driver’s habit to floor a gas pedal. Thus, you make lots of sudden movements while driving, which leads to getting hit the car in front of you. Besides, it’s harmful for the transmission and car engine”.
Expert’s opinion
So, I’ve shared with you the opinions of other drivers. But in any case the final decision is yours. To decide more wisely, I ask you to read the detailed list of pros and cons as for flooring the gas pedal.
Cons and Pros of Flooring the Gas Pedal
If you have ever driven a car, it is likely that you have floored your gas pedal at some point in your driving experience. And you’ve already noticed lots of advantages it gives to you. Let’s look through them.
Pro: Speed
So when you are in a rush to get somewhere, or if you want to catch that green light, you must have floored your gas pedal without thinking what it is doing to your car. This is because you know it has your back.
Pro: Cleans valves
Flooring gas pedals can actually help clean valves. However, keep in mind that this should only be done occasionally and when the car has warmed up adequately.
Pro: Overtake safely
When you need to overtake a car, you need a boost. Flooring the gas pedal will provide you with that boost and will help you in overtaking safely. This will save your time and will not hurt your car in any way since it is only for a few seconds.
Pro: Prevent carbon build-up
Flooring your gas pedal once in a while will prevent carbon build-up in your car. In the long run, this can increase the life of your car and help prevent blockage in the valves from the build-up of carbon.
Pro: It’s funny
I know that accelerating the car is very exciting. I like that feeling of flight, when you floor the gas pedal and enjoy the sound of wind screaming in your ears. Of course, nothing is bad, if you go out of town and accelerate your car as fast as possible. But you shouldn’t make it a habit having fun like this.
So, as you’ve noticed, flooring the gas pedal can be good for your car. Besides, it can serve as a great fun for you. But don’t hurry up and read the list of cons before you start accelerating your vehicle.
Con: It is bad for the engine
It’s harmful to keep the car engine up to 2000 RPM and over 4000 RPM. Driving below 2000 RPM is more dangerous for the carbureted engine but it won’t do any harm to the injector one. So, if you have a the carbureted engine and your car is at a low RPM, you shouldn’t floor your gas pedal. It sends mixed signals to the engine where it both at rest and trying to work at its maximum level together.
There is actually a term for this: it is called lugging your engine. In the long run, this will create problems for your car and it will need frequent repairs.
Driving over 4000 RPM decreases the engine resource and quadruples its wear and tear. It’s even worse, if you have some cargo in the car.
The best range for the injector engine is from 2000 to 3500 RPMin the city area.
Con: Undue wear and tear if your car is not warmed up
If you floor your gas pedal at the start of your journey, it is likely to cause potential damage and undue wear and tear. Instead, give your car time to warm up before revving your engine. Give your car some time for all the oil to get warmed up and circulated around the engine.
After you have driven your car for over 5 minutes, you can floor your gas pedal all you want . This is because, at that time, your car is fully warmed up and ready for action!
Con: Unneeded strain on your rear wheel vehicle
If you have a stock rear wheel drive vehicle, you should know that you should never floor your gas pedal. This will not only damage your car in the long term, but it can put strain on different components of the car which can have dangerous outcomes while driving.
Con: Gas Wastage
Flooring your gas pedal will use a lot more gas than you have anticipated. It will get you to your destination faster, but if you are short on gas, your car might end up stopping midway.
Flooring the gas pedal is not for people who are conscious of their gas consumption. If you are one of them, try not to push your gas pedal all the way through.
Con: It makes a bad impact on the environment
I am sure, many of my readers are reasonable consumers and they care about the environment. If you are one of them and the purity of air is important for you, then you should avoid flooring the gas pedal. The reason is the increase in fuel burning, which takes place when the vehicle is accelerated. Thus, the carbon flushing into the air increases, polluting the air.
Con: It’s dangerous for the car passengers and the cargo
Flooring the gas pedal of the car usually leads to its sudden start. That thing may be unexpected for people in a car salon. Very often it makes the things in the car trunk shift. That’s why you shouldn’t floor the gas pedal of your car if you are driving not alone and if you have some cargo in the car trunk.
Tips for Those, Who Want to Floor a Gas Pedal
As you’ve noticed, there are more cons than pros as for flooring the gas pedal. It’s not good either for the car or for your safety. But I am sure, accelerating the car is not forbidden. You can do it from time to time. Follow my tips to stay safe:
1. Never floor the gas pedal if the car is loaded
2. Warm up the engine before flooring the gas
3. Don’t floor the gas pedal in a new car. Don’t push it for the first 1000-2000 miles before you start accelerate it to its limits.
4. Never floor the gas pedal in an old car.
5. In any case always obey the speed limits on the road you are driving. Never floor the gas pedal to gain the speed, which is forbidden by traffic rules.
Conclusion
When it comes to flooring your gas pedals, always follow the rule. “Use it, don’t abuse it”. Although occasional flooring can help in opening the valves, reducing carbon buildup, and speeding when you are in a rush, flooring can have many bad effects on your car as well. If you follow the tips provided in the above text, you will be fine!