DSG Freewheel activation

[stimpsa]

I have had a Passat Estate Sport Tdi DSG 170 PS since September 2011. I amgenerally happy with it and have been reading the owner's manual aboutactivating the freewheel function, which automatically declutches the car toallow it to roll forward for longer using its own momentum rather than slowing downthrough the breaking affect of the engine - improving economy. This is explained on pages 195 and 25/26 ofthe manual. Problem is there is no"Freewheel Off/On" option on my car in the Settings Menu (should beafter "Lights & Vision"). I've searched the net to no avail. Does anyone have any insight intothis. Many thanks.

[bertj]

There's no switch for the freewheel/dsg system. The reference is on page 188 of my instruction book -
Triggering Freewheel Driving - 'Remove foot from accelerator pedal. The engine will be disengaged and run in freewheel mode. etc.'
Cancelling - 'Press the brake pedal briefly or pull the left hand paddle towards the steering wheel.'

[stimpsa]

Thanks for the reply. I wonder if there are different versions of the manualas there references to this function are on p.195 and p.25/26 in my manual. Thesuggestion doesn't work - as you can feel (and see the gears change down) asthe car slows down and there is a clear breaking effect from the engine. Any other suggestions would be appreciatednoting page 30 (headed up settingsmenu) refers to "Switching the freewheel on and off in vehicleswith an automatic gear box. In freewheelmode the engine will be disengaged...". Thanks.

[bertj]

My Passat is a March 2011 tdi dsg blue motion technology saloon and the manual applies only to that model. That would explain why the page numbers are different. Also, there are no references to the freewheel system in any of the settings menus on the car. I would assume that there are specific manuals for each model of Passat. The freewheel system certainly works OK on my car.

[grobvw]

With BMT slowing down with the throttle closed is surely when what they call recuperation kicks in.e.g.
"Recuperation recycles the energy normally lost during braking by storing and then using it for acceleration or starting, so saving fuel and cutting emissions. When you're trying to save energy while driving it makes sense to recover it where you can. One way we've done this is to raise the alternator voltage when slowing down and braking. This increases battery charging and helps the car slow down. The alternator load is then reduced when accelerating to lighten the burden on the engine and cut fuel consumption. Recuperation is a feature of some of our BlueMotion cars." So maybe the days of freewheeling are gone altogether and the slowing down is due to the " alternator effect"since for the alternator to be driven the gearbox would have to be engaged?? This might apply to all cars now not just BMT and they havn't altered the manual yet?

[logiclee]

Only the dry clutch DSG has this function. The Dry Clutch 7 speed box is not fitted to the 2.0 disesel, the 2.0CR uses the 6 speed wet clutch. The 1.8 TSi and smaller petrols and 1.6 TDi diesel use the 7 speed dry clutch.

Only time the wet clutch disengages is at very low speed to aid smoothness off throttle.

A new higher rated dry clutch 7 speed is now available but not for the 2.0CR Passat yet.

Cheers
Lee

[Calico]

No - the coasting function is available on the 2.0CR 6 speed DSG.

I have a 2.0CR 140 Sport Estate DSG Dec 2011 and in the settings menu (that you can only see when you are not moving), there is a tick box on/off COASTING option in between the Lights and the Time setting options.

When it is on, the revs drop completely away when you are not accelerating and come back up as soon as you touch the pedals. It feels a bit wierd and I don't like the effect of the engine coming back in and the momentary pause that happens whilst it gets up to appropriate revs - just pulls your atention away from the road as its doing something you are not used to...but thats just me.

When this is switched on but you are also using the radar cruise control it is not used and there is no coasting.

My car does have regenerative braking to help economy but this does not work when you are coasting - which is also designed to save fuel as it occurs when you brake rather than slow down gradually due to coasting - I'm sure the two are not linked as such and if you brake whilst coasting you still get the regenerative effect.

The coasting option isn't one I go with due to the odd feeling and the fact I drive nearly everywhere on radar and thus it isn't used anyway.

Andy