Golf R Observations and Questions

[masev]

I wonder if that tune still does the soft launch though? Be nice if it launched with the same impact as the gear changes!

Absolutely, it’s hard to say without someone who’s experienced this tune for themselves....I smell a guineapig around the corner!

[shakespeare]

HAHAH I wish I could agree SilvrFoxX but the launches are pretty soft! 3000rpm isnt exactly snapping off the line!

If it was 4750rpm<X.. then we are talking some G-Force. In that case, that diff your holding would belong to me!

Its hard for me to see a soft 3K rpm launch that has a gearbox that sort of thinks before it goes, as brutal.

My rexies copped 5K rpm+ SNAP! launches for years with no hiccups and some people called them gearboxes soft!!

Back on topic a DSG mod for 4500RPM launches would be perfect for 0-100.. or imagine an adjustable RPM control!!

The R has that many gadgets, I almost dont believe you cant already do it.

I tried this morning and it hit 2900rpm and stayed there, felt much better than my noob launches last week

FYI I replaced rear diff mounts in my MPS 6 to some nice aftermarket ones as the OEM units had a tendency to break! (mind you 5000 rpm launches would do this...) Anyone know what the weak link in the VW 4Motion driveline is? I haven't read or heard any problems.

btw the fuel average includes a nice 500km country run (average less than 10L/100) so take that out it'd be closer to 14!

[Corey_R]

My average is lower, and I haven't had country runs. 10.4L on the first tank (with my bells line of road run included in that, but also Wollongong via M7 but back via Princess Highway and #6) and 12.3 on my current tank which has only been to and from work (~15km each way in The Hills district). I've only got 1100 on the car, so I expect it will continue to decrease.

I've noticed that whilst in D and in 6th, at basically any revs that it the gearbox will let you maintain, when you take your foot off the accelerator, the fuel usage drops to 0. So even if you're coasting in 6th gear at ~60km/h and the revs are only ~1300rpm, you'll be using 0. Whilst I am still learning the car, it seems that before the revs get too low that the car would need to start supplying fuel to the engine again, the DSG shifts down to 5th. My Polo GTI used to need the revs kept above 1500rpm to not be using fuel whilst coasting.

In any case, if you're travelling in flowing traffic on 60km/h or higher roads, and the roads are flat, "brief acceleration, then coasting, rinse and repeat" allows the average fuel usage to drop below 10L/100km once the engine is warm. If you're in hilly areas and traffic permits, accelerate BEFORE the start of an uphill (particularly if you're still on a downhill) so that you don't need as much throttle when you are actually going uphill - taper off at the top, roll down the other side, etc.

With the Polo GTI (even with Stage 1, or maybe "especially" with stage 1), it was quite easy to mix eco driving with spirited driving and still hit VW's published 7.9L/100km combined rating. With the MKV Golf GTI in Stage 2 (which is the donor engine for the R), I could also get close to the VW published 8.1L/100km combined rating, but that was before I understood how everything worked and how to drive to conserve fuel when I wasn't driving spiritedly... not sure if I'll ever make the 8.7L/100km claimed for the R though! hehe

[hooba]

In any case, if you're travelling in flowing traffic on 60km/h or higher roads, and the roads are flat, "brief acceleration, then coasting, rinse and repeat" allows the average fuel usage to drop below 10L/100km once the engine is warm. If you're in hilly areas and traffic permits, accelerate BEFORE the start of an uphill (particularly if you're still on a downhill) so that you don't need as much throttle when you are actually going uphill - taper off at the top, roll down the other side, etc.

What you've described there is "pulse and glide", a fuel saving driving technique favoured by hypermilers.

[BezzyR]

11.0 L/100 after 1700k's, fair bit of 'spirited' driving amongst that too.. pretty impressed...

out of interest is anyone noticing they are having to wipe the black s#@t off their tailpipes all the time? Are these things running rich or what..? I always knew when my VE SS was running too rich as it did the same thing.. tickle of the tune and wasnt a problem..

[Fab_R]

11.0 L/100 after 1700k's, fair bit of 'spirited' driving amongst that too.. pretty impressed...

out of interest is anyone noticing they are having to wipe the black s#@t off their tailpipes all the time? Are these things running rich or what..? I always knew when my VE SS was running too rich as it did the same thing.. tickle of the tune and wasnt a problem..

Yeah I get that BN....and the black crap all over the hatch.

When i wash the car, I wash the internals of the tail pipes also

[shakespeare]

11.0 L/100 after 1700k's, fair bit of 'spirited' driving amongst that too.. pretty impressed...

out of interest is anyone noticing they are having to wipe the black s#@t off their tailpipes all the time? Are these things running rich or what..? I always knew when my VE SS was running too rich as it did the same thing.. tickle of the tune and wasnt a problem..

That's normal for a direct injection turbo petrol engine, you actually want them to run rich rather than lean which is not good! Also if you get someone to follow you, get them to watch for the smoke screen when you floor it! This is normal too, haven't noticed it on the R yet but MPS did it as does the wife's Jetta

Yeah I get that BN....and he black crap all over the hatch.

When i wash the car, I wash the internals of the tail pipes also

I do the same though not sure of the VW pipes but I know someone who had a Mazda 3 MPS and the car was parked on an angle (front down) when he washed the pipes, water traveled up and fouled his O2 sensor which had to be replaced. I try and avoid spraying the pipes directly unless the rear is angled down now!

[BezzyR]

Correct, you want D to be upshifting as soon as it can, so you're not wasting fuel when you're just driving regularly.

Funnily enough I had not actually read this whole thread from the start, its a good read now that I have the Golf R, some useful tips and info for sure..

Just on Corey's mention about D and economy; Fab and I recently did a VW Drive day @ Sandown Raceway and the theme was 'eco' (even though we did some GTi time trials )

One of the sessions may interest some, it did for me.. basiaclly we all jumped into a car each.. lots of different VW models from Gti to Vans etc.. all DSG, some diesel, petrol etc.. I think there were about 10 or so cars all up. So us in the drivers seat, instructor in passenger seat and we then headed out onto a set course around the streets and roads of Sandown, driving as we would normally drive in D mode... about a 10 minute drive..

all the cars had an onboard computer recording basically everything form throttle travel fuel, speed etc etc. We then got out of the cars and they uploaded our results onto a laptop and recorded it, showed us etc.. we then went back out again, same car, same route and had to drive to the instructors direction.. we were told to short shift through the gears as quickly as possible, even before the computer did it where possible. Coast where possible etc etc.. basically drive like Nanna (this is hard for me)

When we got back, we uploaded the results again and compared.. I was actually pretty staggered at some of the results.. some people I think got upto 30% effeciency savings in fuel and emissions etc.. I got 16% savings... what made it interesting was that I was just Nanna driving the first time around anyway in D.. but still got this saving. These engines are designed in this way to get max economy if you really want it.. (Not why I bought the R TBH) but none the less pretty interesting.

I came from the school of thought that loading it up too early was actually un economical!

anyways food for thought... try it out when you are in a Nanna mood and economy is your thing.... hence why i find the R such a good blend of performance and economy.

Curtis

[BezzyR]

That's normal for a direct injection turbo petrol engine, you actually want them to run rich rather than lean which is not good! Also if you get someone to follow you, get them to watch for the smoke screen when you floor it! This is normal too, haven't noticed it on the R yet but MPS did it as does the wife's Jetta

Funny you should say that Shakes cause I was behind Fab the other week after a cruise up Arthurs Seat and on the way back Fab was performing some sprited drive by's on the FWY and I noticed this exact thing.. in fact I sms'd him.. so all good hey Fab ;p



Ive so gotta get my front windows tinted after looking at this pic again

And yeah having never owned a hatch its amazing how much @#$T gets on the rear door and bumper.

[Fab_R]

Funnily enough I had not actually read this whole thread from the start, its a good read now that I have the Golf R, some useful tips and info for sure..

Just on Corey's mention about D and economy; Fab and I recently did a VW Drive day @ Sandown Raceway and the theme was 'eco' (even though we did some GTi time trials )

One of the sessions may interest some, it did for me.. basiaclly we all jumped into a car each.. lots of different VW models from Gti to Vans etc.. all DSG, some diesel, petrol etc.. I think there were about 10 or so cars all up. So us in the drivers seat, instructor in passenger seat and we then headed out onto a set course around the streets and roads of Sandown, driving as we would normally drive in D mode... about a 10 minute drive..

all the cars had an onboard computer recording basically everything form throttle travel fuel, speed etc etc. We then got out of the cars and they uploaded our results onto a laptop and recorded it, showed us etc.. we then went back out again, same car, same route and had to drive to the instructors direction.. we were told to short shift through the gears as quickly as possible, even before the computer did it where possible. Coast where possible etc etc.. basically drive like Nanna (this is hard for me)

When we got back, we uploaded the results again and compared.. I was actually pretty staggered at some of the results.. some people I think got upto 30% effeciency savings in fuel and emissions etc.. I got 16% savings... what made it interesting was that I was just Nanna driving the first time around anyway in D.. but still got this saving. These engines are designed in this way to get max economy if you really want it.. (Not why I bought the R TBH) but none the less pretty interesting.

I came from the school of thought that loading it up too early was actually un economical!

anyways food for thought... try it out when you are in a Nanna mood and economy is your thing.... hence why i find the R such a good blend of performance and economy.

Curtis

Yeah was fascinating stuff wasn't it.
During the the 2nd "instructed" drive, they also got us to stop when we turned back into Sandown Racecourse for two minutes, start it up again and drive off.
This was apparently to mimic the the 2011 new models "stop start" technology (BlueMotion i think).

The problem with my eco drive was the stooge instructor forgot to reset the computer on my "instructed drive", so no results.

Curtis "iced" us all in the GTi motakana time trial (even a group from VicPol)!!!
(Pr*#k)