TDI CR 110 DPF gearing question

**huckle** · 30-06-2009,11:44 PM

I've recently been given a Passat with the new TDI CR 110PS DPF engine.
I'm finding it a real chore to drive. Aside from being horribly slow compared to my previous car (Ford Focus 1.8TDCI) I'm having difficulty with the gearing (it's a 5 speed gear box)
For example, it struggles slightly at 40mph in 4th gear but is happy at 43mph, and the same in 5th - it struggles at 50mph but is happy at 55mph. The car has only done 1800 miles. Do you think it's because the engine hasn't 'run in' yet?

**turbine2** · 01-07-2009,08:30 AM

What revs are you pulling at those points? I'd guess you're just off the turbo at the lower values in which case there won't be the drive.

**ledburyloafer** · 01-07-2009,08:38 AM

it's a big car, with the smallest possible engine, and not enough gears, not a good combination in my opinion, but others will disagree!

**hikey** · 01-07-2009,12:50 PM

it's around 1500rpm at 40mph in 4th gear and about 1450rpm at 50mph in 5th gear. I've never had a car before that can't drive without straining itself in 5th gear at 50mph before though?! It's annoying because I like the rest of the car, especially the leather seats and parking autohold gizmo.

**podwin** · 01-07-2009,12:52 PM

It's not a Bluemotion is it?

**hikey** · 01-07-2009,01:03 PM

No, it's a VW Passat 2.0TDi CR DPF 110 Highline 5dr Estate

My car fleet manager says he has a Mondeo 2.0 TDCI 125PS available that still has 2 years left on lease, I might see if I can do a swap for that and let someone have this car.

**gamichea** · 01-07-2009,02:30 PM

Originally Posted by ledburyloafer

it's a big car, with the smallest possible engine, and not enough gears, not a good combination in my opinion, but others will disagree!

x 2. If you've got the revs.readout right 5th gear is about the same as 6th on a 140bhp, that's 33-34mph per 100rpm. Its not reasonable IMO to ask an engine of the 110's power and torque to pull that gearing from those revs.in a Passat. Same applies to 4th, to a lesser degree. Its obviously a wide ratio gearbox so you will need to keep the revs.up to make good progress. No harm in that. Accelerating from low engine speeds is not necessarily beneficial for the car or the environment.

**hikey** · 01-07-2009,02:55 PM

I'll just have to change my driving style i guess. Until I can kick up enough fuss to get the car swapped for something else.
I think the gearing ratios are all wrong for this car, rather than just lack of power.

**Quatrelle** · 01-07-2009,05:37 PM

I'd definitely go with Gamichea on this. You need to spin it up just a fraction more to get it on the turbo, and with a DPF you're asking for trouble anyway by using low revs.

I change up at the revs you're talking about if I have to trickle along in traffic, but otherwise I use at least 2000rpm - yes a diesel will slog, but equally it's good to rev it, and I will rev mine out at least once in every journey. I should add I'm a grandad and well past the days of tearing around.

You don't say what sort of revs you use, but if you keep them low, at 1800 miles it's quite likely the engine's not had a chance to free up.

I do agree with you regarding the gearing - I don't think the ratios are necessarily wrong, it's just that it's only got 5 of them. Ridiculous on a large car - the smaller the engine, the more gears it needs.

**hikey** · 01-07-2009,06:05 PM

So it's basically driver error? lol
I'm driving this car in the same manner I drove the ford focus I had previously, 30mph/3rd, 40mph/4th, 50mph/5th.
I'm not sure what the revs were in the Focus at those speed/gear combinations. In the focus though, you could drive at 30mph in 5th gear without it even straining!
50mph in 4th gear on this car is 2000RPM, so i'll have to get used to that.