EsA2000

Hey guys, just wanted to get your thoughts on a few things.
My buddy just got a 2015 FRS with 5k miles about 4 months ago, his first manual car as well.
Let's start off by saying he's a CRAZY driver. He accels HARD all the time and his RPMs never drop below 3-4k (redline is 7600). I'll be putting around town at 45 in 6th gear and he will be in 3rd. And no I'm not exaggerating he doesn't shift into 5th or 6th unless hes going 80+. Do you guys hold gears like this in order to always be in the power band? Sure I can understand in occasional spirited driving, but always? Maybe I just drive super conservative? The S is my first manual, and I don't abuse it. 9/10 I always shift for MPGs, but occasionally I'll VTEC it and then row through to 6th.
I ask if this is how you drive, mainly out of curiosity but also because last night my friend and I were leaving my house and he pulled over and said that his car was making a strange noise. Sounded like crazy knocking so my first thought is oil starvation. However we had just recently installed some Borla UELs into his car so I supposed maybe a gasket wasn't fully seated or a nut wasn't tightened down to spec. Long story short, we check his oil, nothing on the dipstick. Turns out he's 4 QUARTS shy of the full mark.... o_O
That only led me to suspect that he MUST have thrown a rod, especially after finding several video clips with similar symptoms (his car now barely runs and stalls often) and similar sounds. He's going to Toyota today for an "official" check up.
I know, I know, my friend is dumb. LOL
But anyways, let's say he didn't starve the engine. Would his driving habits increase the likelihood of this happening?
All this drama has me checking my oil everytime I get outta the car bc I know these AP1s burn oil haha
How do y'all drive your S? Any engine care taking tips beyond the obvious (oil change, regular checkups, etc.)? Thanks!

Mr.E.G.

A famed engine builder in my neck of the woods once said that RPM stands for ruin people's motor. Obviously, the less hard on an engine you are, the better the engine will hold up in the long run. But in the short run, I doubt it matters at all.

I'm with you. I don't drive like that. It's too harsh and jarring to be a gear or two too low.

WolfpackS2k

There's a lot wrong with the OP so I'm not sure what's accurate and what's not.

First the FA20's maximum engine speed is 7400 rpm. There's no way to hit 7600 rpm unless you downshift at the wrong time.

Second, being 4 quarts low on oil is effectively the same as saying there's no oil at all.

Finally, if he "threw a rod" then there would be a hole in the block of the engine and it wouldn't run at all.

Mr.E.G.

Not necessarily. You can poop a rod bearing and you'll get a horrific knocking sound, but the engine will still run. A buddy of mine had this happen in his 4-Runner and the cheap bastard drove it like that for several days before taking it in to get it fixed. Needless to say it barely ran, but ran it did.

mosesbotbol

If he blew through 4 quarts of oil, you'd see it smoke and or drip. Oil does not disappear from an engine like that without it being obvious. Throw a rod in an engine and there's no mistaking what happened when it happened.

Sounds like your friend likes to learn the hard way. Weekly oil check's and this would never happen. My hunch is the oil was not properly measured by whomever did the last change. Is the oil pan bolt secure?

Nothing wrong with driving at 3-4K rpm, but with maturity, you'll feel where the power is on an engine & where/when it makes sense to utilize it.

bgoetz

I think the S2000 shifts best at right around 5k, that is typically where I shift. I will pop into 6th on the highway and in town if I am a ways between lights, but generally I run higher rpms, I think it is better on the transmission

fusionchickenleg

Yep I've also had experience with this, that knocking sound from hell is terrible, but the engine could still run

Regarding the OP, this is what I love about the LSx engines, most of the time I'm at just above idle for my LS7 and it still has oomph when I get on it

In my old AP1 I would get to top gear very quickly on the streets but I wasn't afraid to rev it out. Treat these machines with common sense and mechanical empathy and it will love you long time.

Sounds like the OP's friend needs to do basic maintenance on his car and more importantly hit the track to let out some of his aggression behind the wheels, it'll mos likely make him drive more normally on the street

Chance S2K

If your friend really is aggressively accelerating from every single stop sign/light and consistently revving out the engine, then yes that will increase oil consumption/burn and wear down the engine faster.

There's a difference between "spirited driving" and just being flat out abusive. It sounds like he needs to learn that difference now.

EsA2000

Apologies about the FRS redline, I was in class while writing that and wasn't focused lol
And you can definitely throw a rod or spin a bearing or whatever you'd like to call it without creating a crater in the engine block...
Obviously I don't know the EXACT problem, this is just speculation but I suspect this is the failure.
I feel the same about my S2K though, getting on it hard 24/7 feels abusive haha

EsA2000

I'm sorry sir but the 200rpm difference between 7400 and 7600 would be "effectively the same" as well. Oil and filter, the FA20 takes 5.5-5.8 quarts of oil.
I could have said that, but rather than be misleading and saying he had no oil... I recalled what actually happened which was it took four entire quarts of oil to get to the full mark.
Not trying to make a fuss, but cmon.

Anyways, my friend took his car to the dealer and they are getting a corporate engineer to run some "chemical tests."
I'm sure he will fail these tests because he is running E85 as well...

Not sure if E85 would void warranties??