TSI - is bottom gear throttle limited ?

[roadster]

I have a few miles on the clock of my new TSI (105) and its hard to restrain my right foot but I am trying to ease in for the first 100 miles. It does seem that the throttle reponse in second gear is much better than in first. I strongly suspect that this is programmed in to reduce torque and prevent wheelspin. ( No fancy ESP options on mine ). I know I said I was taking it easy but when (say) pulling out of difficult junctions safety sometimes comes before mechanical sympathy!

Fellow bikers will know that modern bikes all have different fuelling in different gears ( and aftermarket devices to overcome them), is that what this is?

Regards Roadster

[sharkrider]

I have a few miles on the clock of my new TSI (105) and its hard to restrain my right foot but I am trying to ease in for the first 100 miles. It does seem that the throttle reponse in second gear is much better than in first. I strongly suspect that this is programmed in to reduce torque and prevent wheelspin. ( No fancy ESP options on mine ). I know I said I was taking it easy but when (say) pulling out of difficult junctions safety sometimes comes before mechanical sympathy!

Fellow bikers will know that modern bikes all have different fuelling in different gears ( and aftermarket devices to overcome them), is that what this is?

Regards Roadster

it could be... I go back to 80's fast cars, (I have no experiance of your engine, i have the vRS) but back then they used to limit 1'st gear often... for example, in the renaut 21 turbo, boost was limited in 1st to eliminate wheelspin, in the lancia thema turbo (my faveorite car I have ever owned) st was a really long gear to have the same affect (45mph in 1st!) limiting the power by a long ratio to eliminate wheelspin....

I'm sure someone on here knows (or will look up) ratios, to see if your theory is correct

[xman]

It might be due to the the turbo being controlled by an electric motor/actuator. (Its readily visible at the front of the engine)

Having worked/researched on electric motor driven actuators (in a different field) it comes as no surprise that their response time is slow..... This would have the most noticeable effect in 1st gear when the dynamic rev change is the greatest. The turbo control just cant ramp fast enough.

[GeneralPurpose]

Power is electronically limited on the TSI engines in first gear to prevent damage to engines etc. This is the case on most turbo'ed and any super'ed engines and sometimes extends to second gear too. On bikes...all of my bikes are limited electronically in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear not due to having a turbo, they don't, but because of the sheer brute power available in those gears. Even so, the front wheels spun slightly on the test TSI (105ps version) that I took out but you could tell it was power limited.

Edited 6 March, 2011 by Estate Man

[roadster]

Power is electronically limited on the TSI engines in first gear to prevent damage to engines etc. This is the case on most turbo'ed and any super'ed engines and sometimes extends to second gear too. On bikes...all of my bikes are limited electronically in 1st, 2nd and 3rd gear not due to having a turbo, they don't, but because of the sheer brute power available in those gears. Even so, the front wheels spun slightly on the test TSI (105ps version) that I took out but you could tell it was power limited.

Thanks. It wasn't my imagination then.

Regards Roadster

[Mike Wrightson]

I have a few miles on the clock of my new TSI (105) and its hard to restrain my right foot but I am trying to ease in for the first 100 miles. It does seem that the throttle reponse in second gear is much better than in first. I strongly suspect that this is programmed in to reduce torque and prevent wheelspin. ( No fancy ESP options on mine ). I know I said I was taking it easy but when (say) pulling out of difficult junctions safety sometimes comes before mechanical sympathy!

Yes, it is restricted. Don't worry about having to baby it either, just drive normally and all will be fine

[Ross Chapman]

as above yes it is restricted. Think it actually gives the most power in 5th gear on the manual cars. Would think it would have to as 5th runs from 25mph (roughly) all the way up!