Gearchange Speeds

Asked by johnnydetroit Apr 13, 2009 at 09:42 PM about the 1991 Volkswagen Jetta GL Diesel

Question type: General

I bought a 1991 Jetta GL Diesel last week with 72,300 miles on it and I love it.  Problem is it has no tachometer, so I'm shifting by ear and I'm worried I might be shifting too early or late.  I know about the little shift marks on the speedometer, but those seem to be set for the gas engine.  Can anyone give me approximate shift up/down speeds for my new/old car?

3 Answers

1,305

There is really no fixed shift points that you MUST follow when shifting a manual car. With a diesel you have a much smaller rev range, but that doesnt mean you can't "shift by ear". If you are looking to minimize fuel consumption, you will want to hold gears just enough to keep up with the flow of traffic. Holding lower gears and letting the engine rev to high will burn more fuel than necessary. Conversely, being in too HIGH a gear and trying to drive slowly in a very high gear can be very hard on the engine as well. (Imagine trying to pedal a bicycle in a high gear at low speeds, its hard isnt it?)

15

I've never driven a Jetta without a tach, but in Vanagons without tachs there are little orange dots on the speedometer to indicate the maximum recommended speed in each gear. Single dot for first gear, double dot for second etc. Is it possible that your car has feature too? If so as long as you're shifting somewhere in the middle of the range between dots you should be fine.

35

By all means, go by the feel and sound. If anything, err on the side of higher revs when shifting up, but within reason, of course. It is very hard on an engine when you lug it (under rev it.) In the long run this means you will wear out the engine much sooner. That is a fact. Some people claim that running the engine periodically (say, once a month) at higher revs is actually good for the engine. I'm inclined to agree.

Your Answer:

Jetta

Looking for a Used Jetta in your area?

CarGurus has 15,374 nationwide Jetta listings starting at $1,500.

ZIP:

Own this car?

Share your experience with others.

1991 Volkswagen Jetta

Review another car

CarGurus Experts

  • #1
    Deathjam4
    Reputation
    12,330
  • #2
    Goodwrench707
    Reputation
    5,400
  • #3
    Ed92626
    Reputation
    4,630
View All

Know more, shop wisely

Search

Related Models For Sale

Used Volkswagen Passat
337 Great Deals out of 4,230 listings starting at $31
Used Honda Civic
1,196 Great Deals out of 32,466 listings starting at $1,495
Used Volkswagen Jetta GLI
53 Great Deals out of 1,296 listings starting at $5,600
Used Honda Accord
1,365 Great Deals out of 29,244 listings starting at $1,075
Used Toyota Camry
1,986 Great Deals out of 40,108 listings starting at $1,550
Used Volkswagen Golf
71 Great Deals out of 887 listings starting at $2,800
Used Toyota Corolla
1,560 Great Deals out of 24,175 listings starting at $995
Used Hyundai Elantra
871 Great Deals out of 24,776 listings starting at $1,350
Used Volkswagen Golf GTI
171 Great Deals out of 4,399 listings starting at $2,995
Used BMW 3 Series
1,072 Great Deals out of 13,280 listings starting at $955

Used Cars for Sale

2024 Volkswagen Jetta For Sale
5 Great Deals out of 7,425 listings starting at $19,262
2023 Volkswagen Jetta For Sale
42 Great Deals out of 821 listings starting at $16,797
2022 Volkswagen Jetta For Sale
24 Great Deals out of 222 listings starting at $15,358
2021 Volkswagen Jetta For Sale
121 Great Deals out of 1,306 listings starting at $11,477
2020 Volkswagen Jetta For Sale
69 Great Deals out of 1,019 listings starting at $8,990

Content submitted by Users is not endorsed by CarGurus, does not express the opinions of CarGurus, and should not be considered reviewed, screened, or approved by CarGurus. Please refer to CarGurus Terms of Use. Content will be removed if CarGurus becomes aware that it violates our policies.