How is 1st gear in the Sportwagen? Does it require a lot of clutch slippage to get moving?
Oil Interval Mountain Driving Road Trip
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Originally Posted By: Miller88
How is 1st gear in the Sportwagen? Does it require a lot of clutch slippage to get moving?
Weird thing with 1st - there is a clutch delay valve, you know, for people who don't know how to drive a manual and prevent dumping or burning the clutch - well that has been the bane of me in certain instances.
1 - going into Yosemite via Tioga Pass (10k' elevation), you hit stop/go traffic to get into the park. It was sunny and warm with some bugs flying around, so we closed the windows and turned on the AC. With a fully loaded wagon, a bit of an incline, and AC on, the CDV would not let the clutch engage fast enough and the engine would bog and want to stall if you started off normally. I had to greatly slip the clutch to get moving and turning off the AC helped, but it still felt "defective" (as in poorly designed).
2 - next trip 4 weeks later, we got through that line okay (windows down), but trying to back into the campsite with a hill and rocks, so I wanted to go slow - nope - can't do it. Clutch must be all the way out and you gas it head on to get up the hill. Stopping part way or just going slow enough that you have to modulate the clutch, results in stalling. The CDV delays/softens full engagement and really can mess you up at times.
Next free weekend I have, I'm attempting to remove the CDV - it is a common DIY for the GTI guys, but the 1.8T 5spd looks a bit different and there is no info on DIY success or not.
In normal driving it is fine, or flat starts with a full load, its fine. Combine camping and climbing gear, stopping on a hill, and it is quite frustrating.
How is 1st gear in the Sportwagen? Does it require a lot of clutch slippage to get moving?
Weird thing with 1st - there is a clutch delay valve, you know, for people who don't know how to drive a manual and prevent dumping or burning the clutch - well that has been the bane of me in certain instances.
1 - going into Yosemite via Tioga Pass (10k' elevation), you hit stop/go traffic to get into the park. It was sunny and warm with some bugs flying around, so we closed the windows and turned on the AC. With a fully loaded wagon, a bit of an incline, and AC on, the CDV would not let the clutch engage fast enough and the engine would bog and want to stall if you started off normally. I had to greatly slip the clutch to get moving and turning off the AC helped, but it still felt "defective" (as in poorly designed).
2 - next trip 4 weeks later, we got through that line okay (windows down), but trying to back into the campsite with a hill and rocks, so I wanted to go slow - nope - can't do it. Clutch must be all the way out and you gas it head on to get up the hill. Stopping part way or just going slow enough that you have to modulate the clutch, results in stalling. The CDV delays/softens full engagement and really can mess you up at times.
Next free weekend I have, I'm attempting to remove the CDV - it is a common DIY for the GTI guys, but the 1.8T 5spd looks a bit different and there is no info on DIY success or not.
In normal driving it is fine, or flat starts with a full load, its fine. Combine camping and climbing gear, stopping on a hill, and it is quite frustrating.
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I saw cars overheating in the Rockies when outside temperature is 10 degrees.
As for using all 155hp, it is not quite correct. For every 1000ft naturally aspirated engine looses 3% of power. So if you drove over Vail pass at 11,000 ft, your engine had 33% less power then at sea level and atmospheric pressure of 14.7psi.
Also, few Celsius at 11,000ft might mean overheating because of air density radiator cannot as fast to transfer heat to air. That might cause small overheating in some parts of an engine. Solution? Turn on heating to max and ventilation to MAX. That will allow coolant to circulate through small radiator and it will be additionally cooled off.
And going over those passes in four banger with no turbo, AC does not help.
As for using all 155hp, it is not quite correct. For every 1000ft naturally aspirated engine looses 3% of power. So if you drove over Vail pass at 11,000 ft, your engine had 33% less power then at sea level and atmospheric pressure of 14.7psi.
Also, few Celsius at 11,000ft might mean overheating because of air density radiator cannot as fast to transfer heat to air. That might cause small overheating in some parts of an engine. Solution? Turn on heating to max and ventilation to MAX. That will allow coolant to circulate through small radiator and it will be additionally cooled off.
And going over those passes in four banger with no turbo, AC does not help.
Having a turbo at altitude is awesome - no noticeable loss going up grades.
No overheating - cooling fan stays off - its just that stupid clutch delay valve. Poor decision to design clutches for lowest common denominator use. Many BMW enthusiasts also complain of this, it seems.
No overheating - cooling fan stays off - its just that stupid clutch delay valve. Poor decision to design clutches for lowest common denominator use. Many BMW enthusiasts also complain of this, it seems.
Originally Posted By: surfstar
Originally Posted By: Miller88
How is 1st gear in the Sportwagen? Does it require a lot of clutch slippage to get moving?
Weird thing with 1st - there is a clutch delay valve, you know, for people who don't know how to drive a manual and prevent dumping or burning the clutch - well that has been the bane of me in certain instances.
1 - going into Yosemite via Tioga Pass (10k' elevation), you hit stop/go traffic to get into the park. It was sunny and warm with some bugs flying around, so we closed the windows and turned on the AC. With a fully loaded wagon, a bit of an incline, and AC on, the CDV would not let the clutch engage fast enough and the engine would bog and want to stall if you started off normally. I had to greatly slip the clutch to get moving and turning off the AC helped, but it still felt "defective" (as in poorly designed).
2 - next trip 4 weeks later, we got through that line okay (windows down), but trying to back into the campsite with a hill and rocks, so I wanted to go slow - nope - can't do it. Clutch must be all the way out and you gas it head on to get up the hill. Stopping part way or just going slow enough that you have to modulate the clutch, results in stalling. The CDV delays/softens full engagement and really can mess you up at times.
Next free weekend I have, I'm attempting to remove the CDV - it is a common DIY for the GTI guys, but the 1.8T 5spd looks a bit different and there is no info on DIY success or not.
In normal driving it is fine, or flat starts with a full load, its fine. Combine camping and climbing gear, stopping on a hill, and it is quite frustrating.
That doesn't sound fun. I'm slightly hesitant with the few cars left on the market that are 5 speed as they seem to be awkwardly geared and maneuvering takes way too much slipping of the clutch.
The delay valve thing sounds like a stupid idea. Although, I had a very similar complaint with my Focus until I installed a polyurethane rear engine mount; couldn't feel anything that the engine and clutch were doing so taking off was always interesting, to say the least.
Originally Posted By: Miller88
How is 1st gear in the Sportwagen? Does it require a lot of clutch slippage to get moving?
Weird thing with 1st - there is a clutch delay valve, you know, for people who don't know how to drive a manual and prevent dumping or burning the clutch - well that has been the bane of me in certain instances.
1 - going into Yosemite via Tioga Pass (10k' elevation), you hit stop/go traffic to get into the park. It was sunny and warm with some bugs flying around, so we closed the windows and turned on the AC. With a fully loaded wagon, a bit of an incline, and AC on, the CDV would not let the clutch engage fast enough and the engine would bog and want to stall if you started off normally. I had to greatly slip the clutch to get moving and turning off the AC helped, but it still felt "defective" (as in poorly designed).
2 - next trip 4 weeks later, we got through that line okay (windows down), but trying to back into the campsite with a hill and rocks, so I wanted to go slow - nope - can't do it. Clutch must be all the way out and you gas it head on to get up the hill. Stopping part way or just going slow enough that you have to modulate the clutch, results in stalling. The CDV delays/softens full engagement and really can mess you up at times.
Next free weekend I have, I'm attempting to remove the CDV - it is a common DIY for the GTI guys, but the 1.8T 5spd looks a bit different and there is no info on DIY success or not.
In normal driving it is fine, or flat starts with a full load, its fine. Combine camping and climbing gear, stopping on a hill, and it is quite frustrating.
That doesn't sound fun. I'm slightly hesitant with the few cars left on the market that are 5 speed as they seem to be awkwardly geared and maneuvering takes way too much slipping of the clutch.
The delay valve thing sounds like a stupid idea. Although, I had a very similar complaint with my Focus until I installed a polyurethane rear engine mount; couldn't feel anything that the engine and clutch were doing so taking off was always interesting, to say the least.
Originally Posted By: Miller88
The delay valve thing sounds like a stupid idea. Although, I had a very similar complaint with my Focus until I installed a polyurethane rear engine mount; couldn't feel anything that the engine and clutch were doing so taking off was always interesting, to say the least.
Good to hear that that helps also - I have an mount insert ready to go in. I'm hoping one or both will solve this occasional issue.
The delay valve thing sounds like a stupid idea. Although, I had a very similar complaint with my Focus until I installed a polyurethane rear engine mount; couldn't feel anything that the engine and clutch were doing so taking off was always interesting, to say the least.
Good to hear that that helps also - I have an mount insert ready to go in. I'm hoping one or both will solve this occasional issue.
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