B6 2.0TDi sluggish pullaway

[Roy]

My passat b6 2.0 TDi is not easy to control at busy junctions. It's very difficult to get a quick controlled pull away. It seems to either bog down or tear away with wheels spinning - is it me or the car? Is there a technique I need to master here? (apart from smoking the clutch ;-) )

Roy

[glynnd]

Take your car to the dealer to have it checked. A friend of mine had one of the first new shape octavias with the 2.0 tdi in it, the boost never came in until 2200 rpm.He took it back to get it sorted, as the boost should come in below 2000 rpm

[AndrewT]

All diesels are like that to a certain degree. Have you driven diesels before? If not, compared to a petrol car you do have to use more throttle. My 2.0 Tdi has the DSG and I find it similar unless I put my foot down slightly more. Hopefully your car is OK and it's just a case of getting used to the characteristics of the engine/car/gearbox.

On the whole I think the engine is superb. Have seen some reviews that say the Passat is noisy - it's much quieter than colleagues A4's with the same engine.

[Roy]

Thanks for the info Glynn I'll ask the dealer to check it out.

Hi Andrew, yes this is my first turbo diesel. We do have a non turbo diesel 4x4 which has no such problem. It's good to hear that you also notice the effect I'm talking about. Apart from this niggle I am also very pleased with the car, the engine is smooth and revvy and has good torque and exeptional economy. I came from a 250bhp Volvo T4 so I'm down a few BHP (although the torque is similar) but still enjoying it which I says a lot for this engine. My Volvo couldn't crack 26mpg so it's quite pleasant to see an average of about 46mpg from the Passat.

Roy

[Mark Hutchinson]

Have also felt that my 06 Passat was sluggish, with a flat spot when pulling away in 1st and 2nd. A bit of a "Wait for it, wait for it, now!" situation. Also, had a problem the other day where an Engine Mangement Warning came up on the display and the Glow Plug lamp kept flashing. Took the car to the dealers who said that this was a known issue which needed an update. They took the car and reprogrammed the mangement system to fix the problem. However, the fix was also to improve fuel economy and also to fix the flat spot. Picked it up earlier on and it is so much better!

[bullbyrne]

Hi i have a 1.9tdi passat and compared to my old b5 130bhp there is a vast difference. Has anybody came across a problem at 1800 to 2000rpm when you accelerate to go faster that you get a couple of splutters from the engine. It does not happen all the time. Any comment welecme.

[Roy]

Hi i have a 1.9tdi passat and compared to my old b5 130bhp there is a vast difference. Has anybody came across a problem at 1800 to 2000rpm when you accelerate to go faster that you get a couple of splutters from the engine. It does not happen all the time. Any comment welecme.

I had a 1.9 TDi B6 on hire for about a month, it didn't suffer from the problem you describe. Anyway, I was so impressed by it I bought one! I tried the 2.0 TDi and immediately noticed the difference in power and that's what I bought. Fuel usage for the 1.9 was about 2 to 3 mpg better than the 2.0 TDi but the 1.9 was a little lethargic.

Roy

[pdudley]

Hi Roy. Have you got anywhere with your Passat problems? I've got an A6 with the same engine and what seems like similar problems. Guttless up to 2000rpm and the the turbo cuts in and off you go. Averaging 34mpg as well which isn't good.

[LeeS]

I'm experiencing exactly the same symptoms with my '55' reg B6 2.0TDI SE; sluggish off the mark (unless you slip the clutch - and then it wheelspins like fury), accompanied by what I think, in comparison the PD130 that it replaced, excessive smoking. On occaision it also seems to get 'bogged down' if you're moving slowing in 2nd and then try to accelerate; when it does pick up heaven help anyone behind - the smoke is horrendous!

The dealer say's that they've done all of the software upgrades, and that there's nothing wrong with it. In all not as pleased with it as I remember being with my 130PD - will chop in in next year if I can't get a fix.