Earlier this evening I realized I didn’t know why my RAV4 has a tachometer to show engine RPM. My Camry had one too. I don’t think I ever look at it except to tell if the engine is already running. What is that doing for me, really?
With a manual transmission, the tachometer could prevent over-revving the engine and help me judge shift points, but the automatic transmission takes care of all that for me normally. And even if I downshifted—or used a manual transmission—couldn’t a simple limiter keep it from redlining?
I suppose I could use it as a proxy for fuel consumption, allowing me to improve the fuel economy of my driving habits. (Kind of like a vacuum gauge.) But if that’s the point, why not just drive a fuel consumption meter right off the engine management computer?
I think I’d rather have something more useful, like oil and charging system gauges.
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