http://www.whatcar.com/car-news/audi-a1-and-a3-get-cylinder-on-demand/265566

Is anyone getting in there and buying the early versions,

or going to wait and see if VAG have got it sorted from the off?

george

Haven't yank tanks been doing that for years?

Probably easier on a lazy V8 than a straight 4.

VAG have been doing it with Bentleys, big CC VW's etc,

(& plenty '1.4 Twincharger Engine of the year' for 4 years, have been having Coil, plug & valve failure & going off a cylinder,

just not going back on.)

How it goes with 4 cylinder engines over a proper amount of years will be the proof of the pudding.

& Just how good will 'UK' VAG workshops deal with servicing and Warranty issues only time will tell ?

http://www.sae.org/mags/aei/10189

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variable_displacement

george

The stats for these 1.4 engines are very good indeed. Worth straying back to petrol from diesel potentially. The proof of the pudding as they say. After the horror stories of the twin charger engine im slightly sceptical plus ive heard that these smaller capacity engines sometimes struggle to achieve real world MPG in comparison to a more relaxed less stressed bigger lump.

On stats alone they look amazing but luckily im not due a change anytime soon so others will do the testing and time will reveal i guess. Hope they prove reliable and economical as i would love a petrol car again.

Edited 12 March, 201313 yr by Jockdooshbag

On a similar note - the valveless engines that are coming out are pretty awesome!

There's a video on youtube where they look at the Konisegsesgsg engine and they talk a fair bit about the valveless ones. Worth a watch IMO.

This was seen in development 20 years ago, so probably working straight out the box.

Yeh it's nothing new tbh, quite a lot of gm v8 powered cars/trucks have it. Aything to save a few quid on fuel is good I suppose but I'm just trying to imagine how it would feel on a 4 cylinder engine?? I guess they must just miss a spark and fuel cycle every 3rd time or something so that it is not alway the same cylinder that it skips, otherwise the heat management of the engine block would be really uneven.

The version I read about in development was effectively a 6 stroke engine (on demand): Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow, Breathe In, Breathe Out.

The version I read about in development was effectively a 6 stroke engine (on demand): Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow, Breathe In, Breathe Out.

Sounds like an awesome night out in Bangkok

I am sure they will work right out the showroom, maybe still good for most at 3 years old.

The question mark often can be over the first of new technology with VAG engines at 6 year old, even if the can go 10 years without major failures.

(VAG never seem to put cars out with a 5 year warranty as standard, does not fill one with confidence if the manufacturer is not.)

For all the experience and development they do often turn out engines that can be stinkers to own or maintain once they are 'used cars'.

We will just have to be optimists with these.

Personally i will wait with interest to see if all is bright and rosie,

or follows in the way of others.

(Sh!te & Pos!e)

Just done a new Water pump on a Low mileage Passat, beautiful body, lovely condition, cheap,

but then that dread thing that sours them, pennies saved on the impeller, and then the costs caused by that..

george

The version I read about in development was effectively a 6 stroke engine (on demand): Suck, Squeeze, Bang, Blow, Breathe In, Breathe Out.

Surely that would cause problems fitting an extra 2 strokes in like that as, the next spark would then be out of sync with the other cylinders?

You'd need to have a set of 4 idle strokes.

http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-stroke_engine

Sounds like a great engine the ACT although autocar says it can feel some roughness and hesitation in response as the middle two pots engage and disengage. First customers are nearly always guibea pigs though

VW have been at it for a long time now, you would hope that every product and innovation was great, right out of the box,

But, Since the first days if comming over from 'Air Cooled engines',

it is a common thing with VW/VAG that the struggle with some vehicles,

that is to keep the coolant in the engines and the

H20 out of the vehicles.

(2012/3 and new UP!,Citigo,Mii leak, when will reports of the first wet 'Rapids' appear,

apt name there, has there ever been a VW or Skoda that has no models with water ingress?

even if it is just when you open a door, or ones that do not have water traps that cause rust problems!)

VW should sometimes over engineer in a reliable way,

and when they get something right run with it,

ie, evolve and improve engines, get rid of snagging problems and improve.

(they chop and change and drop designs pretty often, then the next edition goes through the same thing again.)

Sadly if only it was true about 'if everything was as reliable as a Golf', many are just not.

Penny pinching on the important things, is what lets VAG down quite often,

You never known if you are getting some thing strong and good, economical and long lasting or some attempt at Green and

with a short Real World economy as a Keeper.

Trying for Fashion over function.

george

The 138bhp four-cylinder petrol engine deactivates two cylinders (when driving under light loads, such as periods of motorway cruising) to improve fuel economy. It is the same engine as in the Volkswagen Golf.

I'd guess it turns off two cylinders then

Surely that would cause problems fitting an extra 2 strokes in like that as, the next spark would then be out of sync with the other cylinders?

You'd need to have a set of 4 idle strokes.

Not quite sure what you're getting at with the "out of synch" bit. :S I can see where a 4 cylinder would have one of each stroke going on at the same time, but what of a 6 cylinder?

Also, it was 20 odd years ago that I was reading the article. The 6-stroke and it being VAG is basically all I can remember.

i remember the old renault 5 stroke engines... basically a normal 4 stroke engine but the fifth 'stroke' was where they injected neat fuel into the turbocharger which made it spin up like a jet turbine and glow red hot... they didnt last very many miles though for some reason

Hmmmm VW watercooled engines are not all unreliable. Mark 2 Golf engines run until doomsday and i havebseen lots of TDI engines with lunar miles too. I think like with all trick technology you have to let it develop. Having said that Honda always boasted that it never had a warrabty cliam on its V Tec engines so sometimes manufacturers get it right

That is where it is nice that a confident Manufacturer shows their customers just how good the product will be.

Sling a 100,000 miles/5 year warranty on them right from the off,

no ifs or buts and waiting to see how many failures or claims occur in the first 3 years.

(costs that Manufacturer not one penny if they have done their job correctly, design and component choice,

dealers still get Serviicng work, just not repairs to nearly new cars)

Obviously Manufacturers can not build things that last for ever, but its nice to know that there is going to be a pain free period of time or something you can trust.

Cars that turn out to be long lived are great things indeed,

how do car makers who have been at it for 100 years still manage to turn out Lemons on occasions?

george

You are right but that is why Hyundai etc are getting popular. My dad has a 1995 merc c280 with 120k on clock and still going strong. Plenty of mark 1 Fab, Octy and Supurbs still doing the business too!