The 5VZ-FE rev limiter

S

SigSaucer

New member
Hey everyone, I searched for this but can't seem to find any answers.

So I usually drive around with the ECT Power mode on. Last week, I punched the pedal on the highway, and to my surprise the truck downshifted into second and the revs jumped to around 5,500rpm and climbed all the way up to around 7,000rpm or more on the tachometer before upshifting.

Just today, I needed to accelerate and this happened again as my foot went about 90% to the floor (not even fully depressed) - the tranny upshifted around 6,700+rpm.

Is this okay? We are supposed to have a rev limiter, right? From my searching, the redline seems to be much lower than 6,500rpm.

No, the tranny is not shifting oddly or slipping - the truck really gets up and scoots! I am actually impressed.

So I guess my main question is, why is it revving so high if it has a limiter? Is the tachometer accurate, or is it known to read higher than the actual RPM? Does anyone have a definitive source for the 5VZ-FE rev limit or redline?

I'm not complaining at all; I just want to make sure that the engine isn't being damaged from over-revving when I need to punch it. This is a completely stock truck with no mechanical issues, btw. :confused:
 
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Excuse me, not above 7,000rpm. Let's say somewhere between 6,300 and 6,800rpm.

Either way, it's well into the redline area of the tach. :confused:
 
Yeah, it's weird to me because I'm not racing it or anything - just giving it a lot of gas to get up to speed on the freeway when necessary. I just find it odd that when this happens it upshifts way into the red area of the tach.
 
theesotericone said:
Would a piece of rod through the block convince you? Cause that's what's gonna happen getting video footage of these motors above 6500 for any length of time. Lol
Click to expand...

I mean, stock internals handle boost quite well. Maybe not a logical comparison but still something to think about.
 
I can't stand revving my 5vz past 3500 or so !! These engines feel way too 'buzzy' above 3500, like they're not very well balanced compared to say....

Now my porsche or bmw, they love 8500+ !! :cowboy:
 
jgue467 said:
I can't stand revving my 5vz past 3500 or so !! These engines feel way too 'buzzy' above 3500, like they're not very well balanced compared to say....

Now my porsche or bmw, they love 8500+ !! :cowboy:
Click to expand...

A big part of this is the stock exhaust system really starts to choke the motor because it cants flow enough above 4000 rpm. I noticed when I swapped in a higher flow muffler the motor sounds and feels much smoother up to about 5,200 Rpm. Not that I spend much time there but I agree, when stock it sounded very unhappy about revving that high like it was going to toss something through the oil pan...
[MENTION=218552]SigSaucer[/MENTION], that is odd that your rev limiter is not kicking in. I personally have not ever hit mine so I don't know where it is actually set to.

IMO though, I wouldn't make a habit of getting on it so hard that you're running it past redline. The rev limiter is probably set to the absolute max of what the motor will take before it breaks something or at least starts to damage things, so finding that means you've gone WAAYYY over where you should. Running into redline is undeniably very hard on the motor.
 
It sounds like something is wrong. I have a manual but the rev limiter kicks in at ~5700 rpm and will definitely not let the engine get above that. I discovered this while in 1st gear doing donuts in the snow.
 
Black798 said:
The rev limiter is probably set to the absolute max of what the motor will take before it breaks something or at least starts to damage things, so finding that means you've gone WAAYYY over where you should. Running into redline is undeniably very hard on the motor.
Click to expand...

I don't know about all that. I gotta disagree.
I've seen LOTS of Toyota engines spend lots of time bouncing off the limiter, and haven't seen any signs of damage from doing so.
My buddy had the oh-so-horrible 3VZ(3.0) in his wheeler, and he was ALWAYS on the limiter. That engine lasted 3 cab swaps(from rollovers, so engine was also upside-down), and a good 7 years of that kind of abuse. It was still running strong when he sold it.
Another buddy has a 3RZ wheeler that he's been wheeling for over 10 years now. He also spends a lot of time on the limiter, and his also runs great. No smoke, no issues.
I can guarantee an engine- with clean oil- that hits limiter often is gonna be in much better shape than an engine with dirty oil always in it that keeps the revs below 4k.
The rev limiter is definitely not set to the absolute max.
Almost any "chip/tune/programmer" for any given engine will raise the rev limiter.
 
Black798 said:
IMO though, I wouldn't make a habit of getting on it so hard that you're running it past redline. The rev limiter is probably set to the absolute max of what the motor will take before it breaks something or at least starts to damage things, so finding that means you've gone WAAYYY over where you should. Running into redline is undeniably very hard on the motor.
Click to expand...
I'm gonna echo the sentiment of Tyler James... The redline on a stock motor is generally set pretty far below the RPM level that would damage the engine. It is set at the level that is dictated by airflow, etc. on the engine, not 'just below' or right at the level damage will occur. I have bounced off many rev limiters with no ill effects... (though, not too regularly and not on the 4Runner - yet!)

-Charlie
 
I wish I could easily post a vid I just took.
For the record- my '04 Manual V6 4x4 ECU limiter is set at 5600. I just checked with my foot.
I'm not actually sure I believe you. Post a vid of this "6500+" revving.
Edit-
It's a lot cooler with sound and motion, but here's a screen shot of where she stops-
539c9cc3de4869a3d4bc3568ede51984.jpg

I held it for a couple seconds; it definitely stops there!
 
Last edited:
Thanks Tyler James Inc., I appreciate you checking.

I'll take a video next time I drive it; I have a few cars that I rotate between.

For now, just assume I am telling the truth - has ANYONE else noticed that their automatic does this with the ECT PWR button pressed? I have not tried it when ECT PWR is off.

Like I said, it will upshift anywhere between ~6,300 and approximately 6,700 depending on throttle position.

I just got this truck a few months ago, so I'm still learning how she behaves and what's 'normal'.

Surely there has to be some experts on here with concrete answers as to what the factory stated redline, rev limiter, and automatic transmission shift points are?

It really surprised me that this engine revs so freely and eagerly gets up to 5,000+rpm so fast. You can definitely tell that this is a very nicely done oversquare, short-stroke engine. Definitely not a tractor engine like the 2AZ-FE 2.4. Surprised they put it in a truck. :cheers:

I'll have to be more careful about right foot placement, haha.
 
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Given that yours is a 2WD, that might have something to do with it being so eager to get up to speed. It's free of a front diff, transfer case and axles. All of that I'm sure can bog down the truck in acceleration.

When I have mine in ECT, it definitely will shift later and downshift a lot sooner than when it's off. I haven't taken mine to redline (all about that grandpa driving life) so I can't give you feedback on how it shifts in that range.
 
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Tyler James Inc said:
I don't know about all that. I gotta disagree.
I've seen LOTS of Toyota engines spend lots of time bouncing off the limiter, and haven't seen any signs of damage from doing so.
My buddy had the oh-so-horrible 3VZ(3.0) in his wheeler, and he was ALWAYS on the limiter. That engine lasted 3 cab swaps(from rollovers, so engine was also upside-down), and a good 7 years of that kind of abuse. It was still running strong when he sold it.
Another buddy has a 3RZ wheeler that he's been wheeling for over 10 years now. He also spends a lot of time on the limiter, and his also runs great. No smoke, no issues.
I can guarantee an engine- with clean oil- that hits limiter often is gonna be in much better shape than an engine with dirty oil always in it that keeps the revs below 4k.
The rev limiter is definitely not set to the absolute max.
Almost any "chip/tune/programmer" for any given engine will raise the rev limiter.
Click to expand...

5VZ-FE's can take more than 5500 RPM, there's just very little reason to do it. You're right, if you look at some of the performance builds on Customtacos.com it's common to increase it to 6000 or 6500 RPM but it usually requires better engine internals and a camshaft/cylinder head that can actually flow that much air.

Our peak hp is at 4800 RPM so it really falls off over that. Mine only revs to 5400 at redline, anything over 5600 is a complete fluke and not recommended at all without a built engine. This might be the first documented case of a broken rev limiter, unless someone in the past modified it.
 
Okay, as requested. This is all you get, as I don't find it particularly fun to repeatedly bring my engines up to potentially harmful RPM ranges.:tongue1:

This was not a sudden throttle stab and was also not at WOT (see above). I also let off before it could go any higher (again see above). Probably about 80-90% max throttle at the end there.

https://youtu.be/lEdp4NSfnyQ">https://youtu.be/lEdp4NSfnyQ" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350">

In case the video above does not play: https://youtu.be/lEdp4NSfnyQ

In my opinion, for what it is, this engine actually pulls pretty well all the way up to around 6,000rpm. You can feel the torque drop off, of course, but it doesn't leave you dead in the water at that range like some other engines I won't mention. Again, very surprising, because I have read a lot of comments on this forum that these engines are wheezy and out of breath. Maybe there's just a lot of clogged cats out there? lol.

Please excuse the vertical video; for some reason the phone would not go into landscape mode as I went to shoot it.
 
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