hey all, wondering if any of you have an explanation for this :

Sometimes (happened three times now) when accelerating hard in second, then changing up to third, third gear will die! giving only about half the acceleration that third gear normally does, feels as though the ECU cuts the power for some reason, next time the gear is used full power is back! I don't believe I'm over revving it, fairly sure I changed up at 4,500 revs last time, was quite poor, cause I was trying to get past some boggo rep-mobile on a dual carrigeway, and had to wait till I hit 4th to take him, 'cause third seemed to die!

only rarely happens, but did it again today. Do any of you teccies have an explanation? (I wouldn't like this to happen if I was overtaking someone on an A-road, could put lives at risk!)

does this happen to anyone else?

cheers.

why are you changing at 4500rpm? To be honest you dont need to go over 4k

why are you changing at 4500rpm? To be honest you dont need to go over 4k

:iagree:

Sorry if my first post seems rude (bad day at work and I'm still here)

Even my fabia I dont go much past 4k, even though it will. Diesel aren't like petrol cars they dont really rev, diesel is about torque. Change up sooner and ride the power band.

Try switch off the ASR. I find it makes the car more responsive. also press accelerator progressively down rather than booting it.

this might help a bit!

ie 2000-3500 RPM...

agreed with others, your changing gear way too late, from 2nd at 4500 into third that takes it to about 3200 rpm?? sumit like that?

all the power has gone for third gear.

but

Remember -- A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...BUT a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn...that was fun!"

that is pure class!

Is the ECU cutting power (may be traction control?), or is it the clutch slipping? I managed to get the clutch to slip during a rather enthusiastic gear change today, and its the same as the symptoms you describe, until the clutch bites and then it starts pulling again?

Chris

cav-mad-gav - cheers!

Sharkrider - some say diesels are easy to drive as they are lazy cars (which is true as you rarely find yourself in wrong gear to get going) but to get going quick it is harder than a petrol as you really do have to change all the time. I have only just got this into my head after doing what you are for 4 months!

3rd can be changed to from 2nd at about 20 MPH and it is the best gear ( i think) to get going in. Make sure you hit 3rd at about 2k RPM... Hope this helps...

Enjoy!

sonic, 3rd is one on the best gears. It will pull from 20mph to 80mph like a train! First is just to make to roll, 2nd is ok but over all to quickly.

The fabia has a 6 speed box, make use of them all!

hmmm thanx for the responses people, (not clutch slip, or traction control..) But I shall take on the advice to change to third earlier, and ride the torque........... still works changing at 4,500 95% of the time, that's why I'm wondering if there's a technical reason for it (beside traction control or clutch slip!) It's deffinately like traction control in first on a wet road.... but not setting it off in third!

note: I'll change from second at 4000 and see if the problem re-materialises, and if it doesn't , then fixed

Just because the wheels arent spinning doesnt mean the traction control isnt interfering..

Try switching it off and see what happens.

Agree with comments on changing up earlier though, especially on a standard map car.

The Cupra PD160 air intake will allow you to rev to 4500 without too much of a running-out-of-breath feeling.

It is quick then - but you'll still be better off changing up a bit sooner, 3500, 3700ish at the highest really.

As long as you're on-boost when you hit the higher gear you'll be ok

You will get slow acceleration by changing at those revs aswell. For a comparison (none scientific) (1) I accelerated through 1st to 5th with my foot to the floor but only to around 3k in each gear. (2) Then I did the same but all the way up to 3.9k which is where my Furby apparently reaches it's peak bhp (3850 if I remember correclty ), the difference was about 10 mph at the most. (3) I then did the same but redlined it which not only sounds bad but is more than likely VERY bad for your engine, and it was 10 mph slower than (2).

So for me it was conclusive enough that although (2) is fastest, (1) not only strains the engine by far the least but is also much more economic (literally about 50% more) and gets about 90% of the same performance which is all you need unless your toy racing someone in which case you shouldn't be doing it on the public road

I noticed on mine sometimes some of the gears didnt have the urge I expected, never could explain what it was or why though...

I tend to change at about 3k when driving 'normally' at a fair pace, 4k when I pull onto the motorway and need to filter in. Tend to just get in in 3rd or 4th and then stick in gear till I can safely move up the lanes, then hop thru to 6th eventually and cruise to work

My god, changing at 4500 Rpm..... You should have a petrol if you like booting it that much.

Like everyone else says, use the torque, (300 odd Nm is bucket loads), to propel you it's much better for your engine and you get there just as fast and save fuel, after all, the peak of the torque is at 1900 Rpm and drops off quite fast after that and coupled with the 6 speed box there is no need to rag it.

I don't do more than say 3500 at the most in mine.

If you go into the red, the ECU will record it and the dealer can see this on their computer if your engine dies.

The ECU will know how fast the driven wheels are trying to rotate and it can see how fast the rear wheels are rotating and will use the ASR to try to match the wheel speeds even if you cant feel it happening. Greasy mornings are the best time for this to happen, or in peticular wet manhole covers they are a PITA.

Well thats another thread pulled from the deep dark archives!!!

I think it could be down to driver sympathy; hoofing it through the gears, pretty much redlining it and a swift change up the box......

Have you considered lessons?

I think it could be down to driver sympathy; hoofing it through the gears, pretty much redlining it and a swift change up the box......

Have you considered lessons?

lol...!!!!! Maybe I should drive like you Jon ... granny style all the way ... NOT ! :rofl:

God this thread was from when I first bought the car two years ago! those problems went away after it had done a few thousand miles.. lol.... after covering 75k in it now... those beginning problems were just because the engine wasn't run it....(and after looking at the power graph,I soon learned 4k seems the point to change up, thats when the power starts to drop ) must have been a bit tight, I ring its neck to within an inch of it's life every day now, and I haven't managed to kill it yet.. roll on the next week and the next 1000 miles...

i agree Sharkrider , give it some revs , because thats where the power is

You want to use the power for sure, when you end up with hybrid turbos or the VT5 a certain Mr Jason has, the rev band that you can use goes higher though

Mine pulls fairly hard to the redline now, and it pulls up to 4.5k no problem whatsoever.

With the standard stuff it didnt, and 4k would be about where I'd change up, perhaps every so slightly higher depending on the manoevre (sp?) being done.

Ok, little tit-bit I learned of the other day.

Fabia has lectronic clutch?.. stay with me here.. not electonic as in the Accelerator.. but my Garage man told me the clutch assists with in one of two posistions.. it know when your creeping, engine brakeing etc.. and it know whn your fully slapping thm plates togther..

maybe your high reves are freaking it out and it's dipping it's toe in rather than belly flopping.. would you wanna run up and hug a plate of metal spinning at 4500rpm?

Rob..

could be completely mis-informed. But ma man had a Vag-Com and is porche trained.

It's the torque that makes you move not the power in a Diesel engine.

Torque is the turning effect that throws you back in the seat not the power.

Its like volts and amps, the volts are basically the pressure and the amps are the current which you use, no different in the Diesel engine, power is the pressure but the torque is the current.

If you like revving it that hard all the time you just use fuel and get lots of smoke out the back, as there isn't much difference in revving the hell out of it and using the torque to it's full extent.

I find 2nd gear on mine is best.

I get a big surge from 1500-3k (or just below) then tails off a bit until I hit 3.5k when I get a nice kick to 4k. After that it is pointless so I never take it above 4k.

Don't know if its my imagination but sometimes 3rd gear and 4th feel fast sometimes and slower at other times? (hope its not the clutch :S)