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lugging an engine

Old Oct 7, 2003
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lugging an engine

So like the dumbass that I am, today as I was backing out of a parking space I managed to lug my engine not once, but twice..

So since i'm fairly new & undereducated with engines, I was wondering if anyone could explain why lugging an engine is so bad? Why does it make that "noise", I dunno even how to describe it other than a "banging" noise as the engine/car shakes..

thanks for the help


btw I have an '02 EX, 5-spd (obviously, since you probably have to be pretty skilled to lug an engine w/ an auto tranny )
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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lugging? what the hell is that....

no one i know or on this site has evAr used that term..
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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i was thinking the same thing.. i just didnt wanna ask... lol.. maybe its stalling the engine.. iono..lol
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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So since i'm fairly new & undereducated with engines, I was wondering if anyone could explain why lugging an engine is so bad? Why does it make that "noise", I dunno even how to describe it other than a "banging" noise as the engine/car shakes..
you're right... you are fairly new with engines..
wtf does luggin mean??
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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An example of "Lugging" an engine is shifting from 1st to 3rd or 4th. The engine is barely turning, trying to make power. It's hard on the bearings in the long run. Driving up a hill in 5th, gas on the floor, and only turning under 2k is lugging as well.

Lugging, bogging down, etc.

Try not to do it, but a few accidental times won't hurt it, maybe stall out, but that's it. It only gets bad if the engine is always driven at very low RPM's and made to work hard.

Hope this helps.
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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so, lugging is basically letting the engine slow down enough to stall it (or almost rather so it shakes like a ****) without it in neutral or with the clutch down?
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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wtf? I've seen that term used all the time.. maybe it's just another forum 'thing'..

anyways then what do you call it when you, for instance, try to take off but don't give enough gas, and the car is just about to stall and shaking? or when you try to drive in a gear too high for the speed your going (ie. trying to start off in 3rd)

Last edited by malice29r; Oct 7, 2003 at 08:15 PM.
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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Originally posted by Tinman
An example of "Lugging" an engine is shifting from 1st to 3rd or 4th. The engine is barely turning, trying to make power. It's hard on the bearings in the long run. Driving up a hill in 5th, gas on the floor, and only turning under 2k is lugging as well.

Lugging, bogging down, etc.

Try not to do it, but a few accidental times won't hurt it, maybe stall out, but that's it. It only gets bad if the engine is always driven at very low RPM's and made to work hard.

Hope this helps.


thank you! I thought I was losing my mind there for a min
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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Tinman - you're avatar matches you well :-D
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Old Oct 7, 2003
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I typically hear it as LAGGING the engine... but basically what's going on is that your car is not taking advantage of the fact that it has multiple cylinders, since you're making it run so slow that you can actually feel each of the 4 cylinders firing. That's why it shakes... as far as if it's bad for you car, I haven't actually heard if it's bad for your bearings or anything...
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Old Oct 8, 2003
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you are not going to hurt your car lugging it down... yes, lugging it at rpm's below about 600 can hurt the crank bearings, but going 2000rpm up a hill with the throttle in the floor will NOT hurt the car...

also, what you're "hearing/feeling" is the car knocking, not "each individual cylinder firing" and it shakes because its not running nice and smooth
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Old Oct 8, 2003
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Well, I don't look like my avatar YET

Lugging the engine will only hurt it in the long term if it is done as a habit.
Spinning the motor faster for a given load will require less tourque. Less tourque = less stress. It is not necessarily good for our engines to be driven below 3000 rpm all the time..... I shift around 4.5k regularely and only cruise in 5th. Sometimes I get carried away and rev it for all it's worth, though. Drive the engine too slow all the time, and the valves will coke up with carbon.
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Old Oct 8, 2003
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Originally posted by Tinman
Well, I don't look like my avatar YET

Lugging the engine will only hurt it in the long term if it is done as a habit.
Spinning the motor faster for a given load will require less tourque. Less tourque = less stress. It is not necessarily good for our engines to be driven below 3000 rpm all the time..... I shift around 4.5k regularely and only cruise in 5th. Sometimes I get carried away and rev it for all it's worth, though. Drive the engine too slow all the time, and the valves will coke up with carbon.
thats not correct... honda recommends shifting at 3k, now why would it be so "bad" to drive below 3k rpm?!? The valves will NOT, i repeat, NOT coke up with carbon if you drive below 3k all the time... that is totally insane, think about what you're posting here...
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Old Oct 8, 2003
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umm.. what to do when you accidently try to take off from 3rd gear.. downshift to 1st!!!!
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