I understand that my Passat has basically the same engine as Fabia vrs so I'd be grateful if someone could comment on a possible problem. It seems to have developed pronounced turbo lag when the engine is cold. So much so that moving off quickly from a junction has become quite fraught these cold mornings; I can't remember noticing it in previous winters. I've heard suggestions that it could be a problem with the MAF sensor and/or EGR valve. The car's fine after about 1 mile. Needless to say it's now out of warranty.

depends what you mean by "pronounced".....

I drive the same motor, again, out of warranty.

I find the turbo-lag interesting, It's only really a problem if I mash the pedal into the firewall. The car seeminly scratches it chin, murmurs something about getting to it sometime tomorrow in a Devonshire drawl, then immediately transforms into a drug-crazed Keith from the Prodigy and eats it's tyres, the tarmac and the rear of any car unfortunate to be within reach.....

Apparently, it's all about feeding it power gently..........

I realise that's probably no help, but given the paucity of response I get from any VW forum (being almost entirely crammed with Yanks), this is the next best place.

You might get a better response saying you drive a Superb 1.9 TDI PD...........

Javaman

Thanks for that. My wife who also drives the car, (so I get to drive her Fabia!) reckons that the delay has always been there. I've fiddled around some more and realised that if you let it bog down below about 1800 rpm then, as you suggest we are into skin and rice pudding land. Other than that it's fine and does what you describe. I'm now 99% certain that it's a characteristic of the car that I haven't really noticed until recently.

My Superb is very similar in cold driving. Once warmed up though it gets better, but as you say when cold it does have a little extra lag very much in fact, like a non-turbo indirect injection old school diesel.

I doubt it's anything to do with the EGR as all that does is feed back spent air from the exhaust for emmision purposes.. The Furby has a small lag before 2000rpm but I would think being a heavier car the passat would suffer more possibly ?

Just a thought has anyone tried a dragon tuning box? my car is exactly the same when pulling away from junctions ....nothing.. pull away slowly .....and then tyre spin with the light flashing like mad on the dash but I have tried a Dragon tuning box yes you have LOTS more power but it is controlable and the power starts right at low revs and stays there so no more heart stopping moments of -am I going to get out before that truck goes straight through me!! got mine from e-bay about

TBH, I don't find the lag that much of an issue. With the Passat, peak BHP is delivered around 1750rpm, with max torque around 1900rpm, IIRC.

Only problems I find are when I've been tootling happily around in 5th, and then find the need to open up the throttle.

Unless you drop into 4th, maybe even third, you're going to be like that Evo FQ-400 on TopGear - Off Boost and going nowhere.........

Dont get me wrong here, I dont find it a problem..more of a characteristic of the engine.

I usually have the same problem with my Furby RS when its cold... also after its been in limp mode :( turbo doesnt kick in till after 2500rpm?