118TSI - General Discussion

[RosscoMK3]

either wait til the tyres are straight or feather the throttle better to manage the grip levels.

Now if I wanted to go fast in a straight line, I'd have bought something different. My favourite part about driving the golf is pushing it around tight bends. It has no problems just rolling around them at a decent rate but I've found it can understeer pretty badly if you don't keep the power up.
In the manual you're doing around 80-90km/hr in second gear before you need to bump it up and if you're going up a steep hill 3rd just knocks the wind out of things. (In a straight line upto 110km/hr I tend to skip straight from a brief 3rd to 6th unless it's a massive hill).
What sort of speeds is the car doing when you get TC lighting up in 3rd?

It seems I'm not upto date with all my ESP's, TC's, XDL's and whatnots so bear with me in that regard. I know what your talking about now with the ESP as I experienced it when I muffed one of the hairpins going up the Kings Hwy from Batemans bay to Braidwood. The car does it's thing and you unclench without really doing much. Was I going to crash? I doubt it but it was very comforting nonetheless.
I'm not really sure about the whole TC thing though. When you turn the ESP off, ( I know you said it never turns off but that's whats' on the button), the car is still very drivable albeit a little skittish. Is the TC just adjusting power to the wheels?

I'd be interested to have a drive in the same setup with the DSG just to see the difference in the power delivery. The only one I've driven had no sports kit and the handling was very different. I can't say I was overly impressed with the DSG 118tsi combination although I never got to play around with any sports mode or take it for a long drive.
By the sounds of things the tune really blends the two together better than standard.

PS. Just a couple of quick Q's Ryan. What tyres are you getting for around the $200+ dollar mark and what's with sim racing? Is that computer games?

[Ryan_R]

The ESP off button is labelled wrong, same with my car. It only turns off TC.

XDL is an add-on to ESP giving the GTI better cornering ability.

I was originally looking for Conti's but all the good stuff started at 17", so I got the best Toyo's available in the standard 205/55/R16 size. Can't remember the exact name off the top of my head. Tyre's make the biggest difference and if you like driving fast then you want the safest rubber underneath.

Sim race is sort-of computer games, except a lot more expensive equipment and much more hardcore software. Simulators obviously aren't the same as the real thing but they're the best way to practice finding the limit balanced with advanced car control skills. All the V8 Supercar drivers for example use simulators based off the old GTR 2 title as well as using the iRacing service.

[logger]

... Is the TC just adjusting power to the wheels?

Yes. Cannot recall the exact parameters. It is a subsystem of the Electronic Stability Control system designed to prevent wheelspin on launch. Reduces torque to the engine when loss off traction (slip) is sensed but only in speed range from zero up to something like 40kph. (Cant recall exact upper limit).. They allow you turn it off so that you can get going on the rare occasion you have to drive on ice/snow or some other super slipper thing you probably should not be driving on anyway.

[RosscoMK3]

I did a heap of study on the different systems and have a better understanding now.
The ESP off button does confuse things a little.The multifunction display shows TCS at least and I suppose that's part of the ESP system.
There was one bit of chatter I read that mentioned the golfs ESP was never totally off but was less sensitive with the ESP off button engaged. Unfortunately I couldn't find too much golf specific info on the workings of the systems. Any literature from VW just says"It's german engineering, it will be safe and good yes". If you know anything more please share.
I went for a few drives today and found the ESP off button resolved one anoying cornering characteristic on really tight hairpins. The car no longer tries to counter the understeer with brakes which would suggest the ESP is less active. I could be imagining things but that's what it seems like to me.

I didn't realise yours was running 16s. Damn it, I thought you were going to point me in the right direction for a super mega deal on cheaper rubber but alas, the quickly shrinking rubber bands are going to cost me after all. The best price I could manage was just shy of $300 each in pairs (if using the same bridgestone potenza's).

Sim race sounds a little better than playing with a steering wheel on the old PS2.

[RosscoMK3]

Yes. Cannot recall the exact parameters. It is a subsystem of the Electronic Stability Control system designed to prevent wheelspin on launch. Reduces torque to the engine when loss off traction (slip) is sensed but only in speed range from zero up to something like 40kph. (Cant recall exact upper limit).. They allow you turn it off so that you can get going on the rare occasion you have to drive on ice/snow or some other super slipper thing you probably should not be driving on anyway.

I guess I originally figured the TCS should stop the axle tramp but it does sweet FA. You live and learn I guess.

[Ryan_R]

Washed the car today, tyres are Toyo Proxes

[Brendan_A]

I guess I originally figured the TCS should stop the axle tramp but it does sweet FA. You live and learn I guess.

Lower torque arm insert and anti lift kit will help eliminate axle tramp.

All I get is mad wheel spin

[Ryan_R]

Do you get automatic lane change as well?

[Brendan_A]

Nah not really hey, mines pretty good.

How about you?

[Ryan_R]

On rare cases if wet and I'm being silly. Or easily done if wet and TC is off. Of course I immediately sense when it's starting to happen and back off at the right time depending on how much room I have