These 1.4 TSI's are full of surprises....just when i thought i have learnt everything there is to know about them - it comes up with something new!
Never before has an engine been messed about with so much by a manufacturer. Nearly all of it in the name of reducing emissions....or should i say reducing them just enough on the official test
The whole cat pre-heat thing only runs when the engine temp is btwn 20 and 30c - which just so happens to be the official ambient temperature range of the European test labs for emissions testing.
You would think it would do it when its colder, but nope - VW saw no need as the test lab will never be at that temperature and having the engine run like a bag of spanners every single time you cold start would cause too many complaints, so only do it under lab conditions and to hell with it in the winter - when it would have the most effect on emissions! They must have sold a lot of these cars in the winter - with their smooth cold starts....come summer the sales men must preheat them up, as its going to be tricky to sell a car that's rocking and a rolling when you first start it up.
If your supercharger runs every time on a cold start they must now be doing the cat pre-heating on every cold start, rather than only when the engine/coolant is 20c-30c. Which they can get away with as it no longer runs like a bag of spanners - instead it just screams like a banshee!

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