High RPM
 

I have a 2010 Honda Civic 1.8L 4Dr Sedan.
I bought it from a private seller and have done the maintenance check from Midas where they said there is no problem with it.
However when I was driving to and from Kelowna few weeks ago I experienced often high rpm change to 4-5k for going uphill even to maintain the speed limit. Sometimes I was driving 20kmh below the limit just not push over 4k rpm. 7k is the red light for my Honda.
Though the engine heat indicator is quite ok.

I am a new driver and I don't know that much about cars. In this case, what do you suggest? Is it normal to drive at 4-5krpm in uphills or what might cause the problem that needs to be checked?

TIA for your expert opinion.

Yes that is normal.
When going uphill, there is a lot of load and you are giving it quite a bit of gas to maintain the same speed.
If the car changed gears at the usual rpm, then it would be lugging the motor up the hill.
Same goes about the higher rpm's to maintain the speed.

But other cars were passing me quite easily while i was going under the limits.
Is bad for engine if I push the engine to 5k rpm?

Dude, don't worry about the revs. As SumAznGuy says, when the car is under load, it needs the torque from a lower gear to haul itself up the hill. Engines are designed and built to allow the use of its full rev range, so don't be shy in using what you've been given.

My daily commute takes me up a hill that's roughly ~1+ km long, and there is absolutely nothing more annoying than some idiot crawling up at 30km/h because he thinks revving the engine above 2k rpm in 2nd gear is going to "hurt the car" or use too much gas. As a matter of fact, when these idiots lug their engines this way, they are probably doing more to "hurt the engine and transmission" while using more gas than they would have if they were willing to gun the engine up to 4k rpm.

Don't be one of those idiots.

I was happy to go with 4-5k rpm but when I was cruising sometimes it was hitting 6k (not 2k) to maintain limit that scares me, I had to stop cruising time to time.

does it seem like it may be slipping at all?

any hot smells?

It's really hard to answer your concerns on a forum. Do you have ANY friends with some knowledge about cars? Best to let them drive it and they will notice something within a few minutes.

It doesn't seem slipping.
I could smell burnt carbons (di/mono oxide?) though.

Unfortunately not I know of, I'm new here. I should take it to mechanic for the peace of mind I guess.

You ever ride a bike? Think of it this way, when you climb a hill, you generally want to switch to a lower, larger gear on the cogs on your back wheel, it gives more mechanical torque transfered from your legs so you have to pedal with less effort, but you do have to pedal faster which is exactly what your engine is doing. Other cars are passing by you because your civic has what? Like 120ftlbs of torque? Reving the engine higher but below the redline will not grenade your engine as long as you maintain it like you say you have. Having a car climb a hill at higher rpm at a lower gear is in fact less wear on your engine. Have you cycled up a hill on the smallest cog on the back wheel? It's terrible right? Becausw you have no mechanical torque to move the wheel when your legs can't even spin the pedals. Your legs are analogous with the rods jn your engine, they will feel a lot of stress if they had to climb a hill at 2000rpm on a gear that they aren't supppsed to be in. Don't worry about RPM so much,you paid for 140-200 horse power on your civic, you do not get what you paid for unless you wring out the engine a bit up to 5000-6000 rpm.

Taking it to a mechanic will only have him gouge you when he knows you know nothing about cars. Unless he knows you or is your friend.

The worst are aunties that do not knowwhy or how they should shift into second gear and keep overdrive on while climbing a hill at 2000rpm becausw they think they are helping the engine but what they are doing is bogging the engine down and stressing out the engine way more than if they were to switch it to a lower gear at a higher rpm to climb. Get it straight in your head now when you are a new driver. Low RPM going up a hill = BAD. DO NOT BE AN ASIAN AUNTIE WHO THINKS SHE'S SAVING THE WORLD GOING UP A HILL AT 20KPH AT 1000RPM

It's a Honda, they are built like a tank. Made to redline all day lol. I owned a civic for 8 years, drove it like I stole it.

The highways around Kelowna are deceptive, it might seem like it's only a slight incline but that's only an optical illusion because of the long straights.

and dont worry about revving a honda high, I drove on a spun rod bearing for 100k and it never went.

your civic is only a 1.8L so it dropping out of O/D to fourth to keep up with your 100-120kph is normal, if people are passig you going uphill its because they most likely have a bigger displacement (ie 3.6L or 5.7L) so you cant really measure the performace of your car based on other cars "out performing "you . If mitas said that your fluids and air filter are all good then Id trust them, but then again it doesnt hurt to get a second opinion :)