Just bought a 2006 Audi A-3 with 68k miles on it- god help me-- it is a 6 speed and needs to go into 6th gear at about 55mph! I thought this gear is overdrive- for cruising at 70-80 but when I’m going 80mph, the rpms are up to 3000, which I feel like is too high for long periods of driving. I’m in 4th gear at about 35mph, 5th gear around 45…etc…this just does not seem right! Can they adjust this?
No, it cannot be “adjusted”.
However, high RPMs could be symptomatic of a slipping clutch.
Yes, 68k is early for the clutch to be worn out, but depending on how the car was driven by the previous owner(s), it is entirely possible that the clutch is slipping.
If you don’t know how to test for clutch slippage, then I would suggest having your mechanic check it.
Also–if your A-3 has the 2 liter 4-cylinder engine, it is possible that the RPMs are normal.
Small displacement engines do need to turn at high RPMs in order to produce maximum power output.
3000 seems low for 80mph to me. 3000 is in the 60-70mph range on most of my cars.
3000 rpm at 80 is just fine. No problem, like Shadowfax said, most cars would be at higher rpm at 80.
The 6 speed transmission is designed to give you good power throughout the band and still provide decent fuel economy. It is not designed to make speeding easier and more economical.
It sounds normal to me and much has to do with the gear ratio. Mr. Sanders is correct.
I seem to remember with the Mazda Miatas some years ago when they started offering a 6 speed manual as an option.
Some assumed that because there was now an additional gear this meant the RPMS at a certain highway speed would be lower but that was not the case. It only meant that the axle ratio was the same along with the highway RPMs with more shifting going on in between.
All my cars are right around 2000-2200 at 70 mph. I did notice that European rental cars ran at about 3000 at highway speed with the 4 cyl engines.
It’ll vary from car to car, depending on engine size and transmission gearing. An 8cyl at 3k RPMs on the highway might be doing 100+, while a 4cyl is doing 60.
Wish I had a tach on my old Chevelle, the powerglide in that would shift as early as 15~20mph or as late as 50mph, depending on how heavy my foot was. If I was going through a residential area with lots of stop signs, I’d drop it into low gear so it wouldn’t constantly shift on me. IIRC the gearing on that was a 1.76 from the factory