New Scirocco - performance issue?

[raino144]

Hi - newbie here (help please?)

Just picked up my Scirocco 1.4 TSI 160 on Friday of last week. It's only got a couple of hundred miles on the clock now.

Having taken it down the motorway a couple of times, to me it's almost like the turbo isn't connected - nice acceleration up to about 3,500rpm then... not a lot after that (In all gears). Can hear the whistle when the turbo kicks in but not much push. A timed 0-60 of 11.7s seems to suggest something's not right.

Am I missing something (maybe a VW run-in mode for first 1000km)?

Have come from an '07 Golf 2.0 TDI 140 - am aware that the power delivery is different but in 2nd and seeing the needle "creep" past 45/50/55 in this somehow doesn't seem right?

Any help appreciated.

[fun meter]

Go back to dealer and say it feels like it has no power.

Try and avoid telling them you've gone over 4000rpm within the 'break-in' period.

Its a twin charger, not sure when it changes over though. Should be pretty seamless.

[raino144]

Will do. Looking at Youtube and a couple of standard 160 0-60s - mine looks positively asthmatic by comparison!

Maybe they put a 122 under the bonnet

[RW1]

I get no whistle out of mine. Quite quiet except for the burble of the supercharger kicking when under load and low revs.

Charging is blended. Turbo assisted from low down at idle and upwards by the SC. SC stops at about 3,500rpm.

Sounds like a leak.

C.

[ZephyR]

0-60 for a 1.4 160 bhp should be 8.0 secs. However you shouldn't be trying to achieve that with an new engine that's no run in yet.
Although a new engine might be tight it should do better tat what you're getting. Sound like a problem.

[Searchin4aRoc]

How many miles do you reckon it takes for the engine to be 'run in'?

1000?

A higher figure?

[trix]

yes the general rule of thumb is 1000 miles searching'
all components vary to a degree but by 1000 miles they should definitely be there or there abouts

S

[RW1]

My 1.4 engine seems to have taken until about 3,000 miles to be reasonably bedded in but .... I let loose at 600 miles because the engine & brakes were upto it by then.

C.

[raino144]

Thanks all for the info.

I wasn't expecting to get close to the 8.0 before the engine's been run in - I'll give it a couple of weeks of gentle driving to see if it improves at the 1,000 mile mark. If not then I'll take it in then. (It feels quicker changing up below 3,000 and letting the supercharger push it along...)

[richwill607]

It does sound as though something is not right. Even if you've not fully run the car in you should not be experiencing that sort of performance loss nearly 4 seconds off the pace 0-60 is a very long time! Why not take it back to the garage and ask them to test drive it and maybe take another car out with the same engine to do a comparison.

It could be that one of the outlet sensors on the turbo is not functioning as it should thus not allowing the ECU to inject the correct amount of fuel. (just an idea as it's usually sensors that cause the majority of problems these days).


Hope you get it sorted.

[Searchin4aRoc]

Thanks Trix and RW1.

I'm trying not to wish my life away between now and an expected delivery date at the start of August ... .

However, my wife and I were at a wedding today. I was driving my wife's VW Beetle - and numerous people asked me, "Have you sold your car? What are you getting? etc..

Now that the taste buds have been whetted again ... the impatience needle is rising

[raino144]

Thought I'd provide an update - thanks for the useful info above.

Today at 450 miles the engine management warning light came on - so I limped the car the rest of the way home.

Called Volkswagen Assistance - the guy who came was here inside 40 minutes and set to work...

The computer showed a Turbo fault code - and after half an hour of tests the recommended response was "Replace Turbocharger"

We went on a fairly brief road test and with his diagnostic box plugged in took it up the motorway a couple of junctions... the Boost pressure got up to 2k up to about 3,000 rpm or so - then at 3,480 rpm dropped off instantly to 1k (on the scale on his box).

So off to the dealer it is Monday morning - to pick up a hire car which was arranged within 20 mins of VW assistance leaving my house. (Hope it's an R - more likely a Polo or a Fox!)

The service I've had from VW so far has been pretty decent - just a shame I've needed to use it so soon. Looking forward to getting my Rocco back soon with the performance it should have always had..... !

[raino144]

In case anyone is interested - just got my 'Roc back today and all is spot on!

The fault was an actuator which was causing the turbo to disengage with the SC clutch. Had a test drive down the M60 sliproad and compared to how it used to be (& the 90hp diesel Golf they lent me) it's definitely got its' legs back!

Hope this is useful to anyone who comes across this in future (this I understand is not uncommon - my boss had a similar fault on an '08 320Cd after 2,500 miles).

[Searchin4aRoc]

In case anyone is interested ... Hope this is useful to anyone who comes across this in future (this I understand is not uncommon - my boss had a similar fault on an '08 320Cd after 2,500 miles).

We're definitely interested ... thanks for the updates!

Hopefully this will help anyone who has the same misfortune