gear and revs for TSI 1.8 octavia

[kingstonian]

i am yet to get used to the extra 6th gear and revs as compared to my previous car -a mere 1000cc-and seems to have thee problem of relating revs to gear shift and as a consequence speed.

that is the car can travel with 80kmh with 2nd and 3rd equally well to my eyes, but which one is better and at which revs??

ideally i want to hear something like..

80kmh use 2nd keep revs 2000-2500

160kmh use 4th keep revs 4500-5000 etc..

numbers are made up so please feel free to laugh at my ignorance....

[eccleshill]

My 1.8TSI has the 7 speed DSG box but it should give you an idea of the revs for cruising.

At 60mph (100kph) mine is turning 2000rpm in 7th gear

Under gentle acceleration it changes up a gear at around 2000rpm

Pushing a little harder it changes up at 3000-4500rpm

In "S" mode under hard acceleration it red lines in every gear and changes up at 6000-6500rpm

On the flat at a constant 45mph (75kph) it will select 7th and roll along quite happily at 1400rpm though any acceleration will see it drop to 5th.

The 1.8TSI has plenty of low down torque, almost like a diesel, so you dont need to rev it hard all the time but when you do ....

[ednmra]

My 1.8TSI has the 7 speed DSG box but it should give you an idea of the revs for cruising.

At 60mph (100kph) mine is turning 2000rpm in 7th gear

Under gentle acceleration it changes up a gear at around 2000rpm

Pushing a little harder it changes up at 3000-4500rpm

In "S" mode under hard acceleration it red lines in every gear and changes up at 6000-6500rpm

On the flat at a constant 45mph (75kph) it will select 7th and roll along quite happily at 1400rpm though any acceleration will see it drop to 5th.

The 1.8TSI has plenty of low down torque, almost like a diesel, so you dont need to rev it hard all the time but when you do ....

And how!!!!! I find that driving along in town, when warmed up, it doesn't seem to care what gear it is in. Perfectly smooth at 30 in top, but when some grunt might be needed I keep it in 4 or 5.

Out on the open road...........wham!

But having said that, I don't think mine has ever been over 5K rpm, and usually much lower changes are all that is needed for really brisk getaways - only 4K give or take.

[eccleshill]

And how!!!!! I find that driving along in town, when warmed up, it doesn't seem to care what gear it is in. Perfectly smooth at 30 in top, but when some grunt might be needed I keep it in 4 or 5.

Out on the open road...........wham!

But having said that, I don't think mine has ever been over 5K rpm, and usually much lower changes are all that is needed for really brisk getaways - only 4K give or take.

At 4000rpm the engine really comes on song and shoves you hard in the back.

The only hardship is that in "S" mode with foot to the floor you almost reach 3 figure speeds (mph) in 4th gear and have to back off. :'(

When I was running in for the 1st 1000 miles or so I had to use tiptronic to keep the revs up around 2000rpm around town otherwise it changes up a gear or 2 so you only have 1200rpm. It didn't seem to be labouring but I just felt a few more revs were more healthy for the engine.

[ednmra]

At 4000rpm the engine really comes on song and shoves you hard in the back.

The only hardship is that in "S" mode with foot to the floor you almost reach 3 figure speeds (mph) in 4th gear and have to back off. :'(

When I was running in for the 1st 1000 miles or so I had to use tiptronic to keep the revs up around 2000rpm around town otherwise it changes up a gear or 2 so you only have 1200rpm. It didn't seem to be labouring but I just felt a few more revs were more healthy for the engine.

My comments of course relate to manual - I do like (rental) automatics when on holiday but at home I prefer to choose gears myself !!

The thing with the TSi, when you accelerate on a motorway from, say, third or fourth,it blasts up the rev range so fast that you need top within seconds. What a nice feeling!

There seems no point in taking the intermediate gears higher than about 4.5K when you can change up and get another kick in the back. It must be kinder to the car too.

[kingstonian]

And how!!!!! I find that driving along in town, when warmed up, it doesn't seem to care what gear it is in. Perfectly smooth at 30 in top, but when some grunt might be needed I keep it in 4 or 5.

Out on the open road...........wham!

But having said that, I don't think mine has ever been over 5K rpm, and usually much lower changes are all that is needed for really brisk getaways - only 4K give or take.

you spoke right into my heart.

that is exactly my point.

Roads in Western of Greece are single lane with not so many overtaking opporunities.

so that is what I need...a immediate response of the motor, with plenty of speed boost to overtake safely,

and not so much a high cruising speed.

[CEPi]

80 km/h in second is way to high to keep, except on overtaking as revs will be over 5000rpm.

Max speeds on 7000 rpm on mine tuned to Stage-1 Shark are:

First=60 kmh

Second=105 kmh

Third=140 kmh

Fourth=180 kmh

Fifth=210 kmh

Six=230 kmh - to 6500 rpm as I run out of stright line. These are all Maxidot values not GPS.

I usually drive: First 30/40 kmh. second 60 kmh, third 100 kmh, then if just crusing block change to sixth. On sixth gear 100kmh is around 2300 rpm, 160kmh (100 mph) is exactly at 4000 rpm.

Around town i don't push any gear more then 2500-3000 rpm, on motorway relaxed cruise with occasional hard overtake 6'th to 4'th for fun, and a few times a month 7000 rpm on second and third gear to keep the engine youthful

[ednmra]

I usually drive: First 30/40 kmh. second 60 kmh, third 100 kmh, then if just crusing block change to sixth.

I agree - around town I also usually change from 3rd to 6th unless there is an obvious reason, up ahead, not to.

[kingstonian]

I agree - around town I also usually change from 3rd to 6th unless there is an obvious reason, up ahead, not to.

so I guess the 6th which the manual refers to, as an economy cruise, is capable of hitting more than 100kmh?

[CEPi]

What do you mean hitting more then 100kmh? It's top gear, it will hit the maximum speed possible. 6'th is good from 80km to the limit.

[ednmra]

What do you mean hitting more then 100kmh? It's top gear, it will hit the maximum speed possible. 6'th is good from 80km to the limit.

Somewhere in the region of 220 kph (where legal of course....cough...splutter)

Edited 17 March, 2011 by ednmra

[kingstonian]

What do you mean hitting more then 100kmh? It's top gear, it will hit the maximum speed possible. 6'th is good from 80km to the limit.

interesting.....

and what about the response of the 6th?

is it a matter of pressing the accelerator pedal harder and the car will respond accordingly?

(sorry for the silly questions but my previous car was rather underpowered , and the transition to the TSI power is completely new ground to me)

[CEPi]

Car will respond in 6'th very nice from say 100 kmh and more, so pressing the pedal full or half way will give it a nice go.

Of course depends on what situation are you, accelerating gently and feeling the speed building up or if you want to overtake quickly and safely pending on your speed you might have to go to 5'th or 4'th for emergency, but 6'th is perfect for cruising quietly and doing normal no rush overtakes on motorways.

1.8 TSi feels a lot closer to a diesel engine with it's response and power delivery due to turbo and linear torque.

Also don't be scared to rev it when needed to say 5000 on lower gears and it will jump like a mad dog, but also the engine will give you diesel like flexibility of driving 50 kmh on 5'th around town with no problem as far as engine revs are 1200 rpm and more.

I had the other way around from your experience, i had a company Audi A8 4.2 TDI for a year then back to 1.8 TSi, so I needed some time to re-tune my brain, but the 1.8 TSi is the best engine of the range

[Mison]

The engine pulls very well in any gear once the turbo kicks in at around 2000 rpm. 3rd gear is my favourite for overtaking as it pulls strongly from 30mph (50kph) all the way to over the UK speed limit and 30-50 mph (50-80kph) takes less than 4 seconds in 3rd gear.

[kingstonian]

I have reached 800km.Up to now we drove up to 4000 revs usually 3500 and speeds 120-125 max.

Do you think it is time to push short dashes of progressively higher velocities lets say going up to 150-160kmh or it is soon ?

[ednmra]

I have reached 800km.Up to now we drove up to 4000 revs usually 3500 and speeds 120-125 max.

Do you think it is time to push short dashes of progressively higher velocities lets say going up to 150-160kmh or it is soon ?

Wouldn't bother personally. Most modern engines are run in on the bench aren't they? Just drive the way it feels good - which with the 1.8TSi is just about everything it does.

[CEPi]

Yes, go once a week to 6000 rpm in second and third gear for short time. Then go 160 kmh but dont drive it long at that speed or same gear.

i.e 5'th 150 10 seconds, then 6'th 160 1 minute, then let it drop to 120kmh then again to 160, so play a little with gears and speed for next 200-300 km then drive ot as you wish.

[lol-lol]

The 1.8 TSI (DSG)Octavia could be the Skoda with the highest speed at the red line of any Skoda I would reckon, though you would think the 3.6 litre Superb might be.

I think on the GSP mine is running 29 mph/1000 revs so at 7000 rpmm that is around 200 mph (need about 400 hp of course to do that). When I drive SWIMBOs TSI VRS it feels low geared and I want to change up a gear or two as it is only 25 mph/1000 rpm (GPS).

All helps 1.8 TSI DSG to achieve its 43 mpg on average and near 50 mpg if being gentle on the run.

Very please with it and I have done 12K in 12 weeks (not including 2 weeks snowed in in December).

Wish it had a 60 or 63 litre tank, and perhaps gone for the sports suspension.

Anybody run 225/35 instead of 225/45 tyres which seems like an idea to lower the car and as the gearing is so high it could cope with it? Speedo seems to slightly overread so would probably correct that too!

Edited 20 March, 2011 by lol

[ruffday]

Has yours not got the indicator to tell you what gear you are in and when you should change?

I dont really use it but it may help you until you get used to it.

[CEPi]

Gear shift indicator gets it right about 50% of the time. Its not a good way to judge or go by it.

[ruffday]

Gear shift indicator gets it right about 50% of the time. Its not a good way to judge or go by it.

Its mainly there for economy and ive found it works ok.

I do 50k a year so tend not to worry about economy but find myself using it on long runs.