New Fabia Greenline, Do's and Don'ts recommendations + gear change question

[jankph]

I'v had my used Fabia Greenline for some 6 weeks now and clocked some 3600kms or 2300miles (as I live in Norway I count in kms not miles), and I'm still in the process of getting used to it, but I've made some experiences already. Since it is used it is already run in, and perhaps not correctly run in a sit used to be a rental before I bought it.

Anyway, I do not adhere to the gear change indicator religiously, neither up or down. If you change into a higher gear too early, rpm will drop into a bottomless pit or so it feels and you will struggle to get going in the higher gear, more often than not you will have to change down again, especially of you going uphill. That is especially true when going from 2nd to 3rd on an uphill road, even on the slightest inclines

I tend to look at the road ahead and the rpm and listen to the engine more than I look at the change indicator. In my opinion more often than not it will want to go up too early, mostly because the indicator cannot see the road ahead and only reads speed and rpm, or so I think at least.

Often I will be cruising along in 4th at 60kmh (66kmh on my speedometer) when the indicator wants me to change into 5th. The road ahead tells me that is not a good idea, so I let it be. Similarly I will be in 3rd at 50kmh in the city (55kmh on my speedometer), when the car says 4th; I won't do that either, depending on the road and traffic ahead.

When making a turn out of a junction or a roundabout I will often be in 3rd, while the car indicates 2nd, but I will stay in 3rd because the engine has no problem with it and soon is up to its regular speed anyway.

When meeting an uphill or incline in 5th, the speed and rpm will start to drop, but the change down indicator will not light up until the rpm is well below 1300; that is too late, and I often change into a lower gear before the incline just to keep the speed constant.

So, all in all, the best advice I can give you is to try to get a feel of how the engine responds to different loads and you will soon learn to trust your own judgement more than the indicator. That's what I do.

As others have said, the key is anticipation, looking ahead and making the ride as smooth as possible where you are driving. My driving style fits teh roads I'm driving where I live, it may not fit anywhere else.

[Igloo Vindaloo]

Anticipation is the key skill in any driving - but particularly in driving efficiently - and especially in a Greenline!

I suspect the gear change indicators are triggered at the same revs/load in a Greenline as is other diesel models with more torque.

Does anyone know for sure?

[bunnydrumming]

great information here thank you - my greenline has just arrived in the country so hopefully I will have it in a couple of weeks. I've not had a diesel before so that will be change enough but it sounds like I will have even more to learn with diesel and the green line!!

[jankph]

I've not had a diesel before so that will be change enough but it sounds like I will have even more to learn with diesel and the green line!!

Yes, going from petrol to diesel when I bought my first Skoda 3 years ago was a big change for me, and going from as regular diesel to a GreenLine diesel 2 months ago was another big change. It's a car made for sedate driving, that's for sure.

[treve7703]

So she's fairly run in now at nearly 1200 miles on the clock. I'm getting fairly good economy most of the time but obviously far less when I'm lugging all my gear and an extra passenger about. My best run so far has been 78mpg. I've really gotten used to how the car responds to gear changes. It seems to like changing at a point where the revs will be at 1.5k in the new gear. However, this means I often need to get up to 2.5k revs in the current gear before changing up (even without being loaded) is this normal?

[jankph]

this means I often need to get up to 2.5k revs in the current gear before changing up (even without being loaded) is this normal?

That sounds pretty much like my own experience. Changing below 2.5K, especially from 2nd to 3rd and 3rd to 4th will make the revs drop way below 1.5K, where the throtttle seems to have ery little effect at all.

[GeneralPurpose]

So she's fairly run in now at nearly 1200 miles on the clock. I'm getting fairly good economy most of the time but obviously far less when I'm lugging all my gear and an extra passenger about. My best run so far has been 78mpg. I've really gotten used to how the car responds to gear changes. It seems to like changing at a point where the revs will be at 1.5k in the new gear. However, this means I often need to get up to 2.5k revs in the current gear before changing up (even without being loaded) is this normal?

Hi treve, glad you are getting on ok with your new car. Yes, it's fairly normal for that car with just 1200 miles on the clock. The main reason is the engine is still not producing it's best power. In fact, your engine is far from being run in as yet! Although the initial running in is almost complete, the engine will require several thousands of miles for the rest of the engine confroming to take place before it gives it's best power and miles per gallon. The engine will remain incredibly tight for some time yet. Again this is because it's a diesel engine, quite different to petrol which is far quicker and easier to run in. That's why it's so important to use the power, don't do things gently with a diesel, it's won't run in or conform properly if you do. Avoid being too gentle with the acceleration in these early miles. That being the case, in the next few thousands of miles you will notice FOUR things happen...

One, the engine will become more powerful. The actual amount of extra power produced will vary from car to car due to the way different drivers run them in. If you followed the book instructions you can get a sizeable increase in power, maybe as much as 8-10%. I've dyno'ed many diesels over the years and they all produce more power with a few thousand miles on the clock, peaking noticeably quite often at around the 10k miles mark, after which it will maintain that performance and even improve further as more miles go on. One Mondeo 2ltr diesel we dyno'ed produced 12% more power at 5000 miles over what it did at 1000 miles. Quite a difference and more than most could expect.

Secondly, the engine will produce more miles per gallon. This may not always show up as you will probably use the extra power which of course will use up that saving and maybe a bit more!

Thirdly, the engine will become quieter.

Fourthly, the engine will become much more flexible in it's delivery of power. It will pull more cleanly from lower revs in the higher gears.

Sounds all normal to me so far. Good luck and keep posting.

Edited 3 June, 2013 by Estate Man

[Igloo Vindaloo]

But would you not expect to see all 4 of those changes with warmer weather too?

[jankph]

But would you not expect to see all 4 of those changes with warmer weather too?

Probably yes, but the Estate man isn't completely wrong. Well, I can only speak for my previous MkI, a 2006 1.4 TDI PD, which for sure became quiter and more powerful after 3 years and 65000kms in my hands. I bought it used at 75000kms, so I don't know how it was driven in, but the engine did seem to get more and more powerful at lower revs with every year (or maybe it was me getting more and more used to having only so much power).

My latest car a MkII, a 1.2 TDI CR Greenline, was bought used as well, at 40000kms, and having spent its life as a rental car, it probably hasn't been driven in correctly at all. It'll be interesting to see how the engine develops. What I can say so far, after 4000kms, is that the engine has indeed has loosened up a tiny bit, and the turbo abyss when changing gears is not so noticable any more, or maybe it's just my imagination once again...

[GeneralPurpose]

But would you not expect to see all 4 of those changes with warmer weather too?

Yes, to some extent, especially the improved mpg's with summer diesel etc. But with a new engine it has to run in and be fully conformed for all those things to be at the optimum. Jankph, your experience is fairly typical of what people notice with a diesel, and to some extent even petrol engines. It's not your imagination, it's measureable on the dyno. My large motorcycles put out much more power when they have covered 20k miles than at 10k miles. I've measure that too. They run much better as the miles go on, and the mpg improves too.

Edited 3 June, 2013 by Estate Man

[treve7703]

One more question. On new cars, is it okay to leave them without an oil change until their first service? I thought that it should be changed once the engine has run in but the Skoda dealer said you don't need to do that with modern cars. What do people on here think?

[treve7703]

Hi treve, glad you are getting on ok with your new car. Yes, it's fairly normal for that car with just 1200 miles on the clock. The main reason is the engine is still not producing it's best power. In fact, your engine is far from being run in as yet! Although the initial running in is almost complete, the engine will require several thousands of miles for the rest of the engine confroming to take place before it gives it's best power and miles per gallon. The engine will remain incredibly tight for some time yet. Again this is because it's a diesel engine, quite different to petrol which is far quicker and easier to run in. That's why it's so important to use the power, don't do things gently with a diesel, it's won't run in or conform properly if you do. Avoid being too gentle with the acceleration in these early miles. That being the case, in the next few thousands of miles you will notice FOUR things happen...

One, the engine will become more powerful. The actual amount of extra power produced will vary from car to car due to the way different drivers run them in. If you followed the book instructions you can get a sizeable increase in power, maybe as much as 8-10%. I've dyno'ed many diesels over the years and they all produce more power with a few thousand miles on the clock, peaking noticeably quite often at around the 10k miles mark, after which it will maintain that performance and even improve further as more miles go on. One Mondeo 2ltr diesel we dyno'ed produced 12% more power at 5000 miles over what it did at 1000 miles. Quite a difference and more than most could expect.

Secondly, the engine will produce more miles per gallon. This may not always show up as you will probably use the extra power which of course will use up that saving and maybe a bit more!

Thirdly, the engine will become quieter.

Fourthly, the engine will become much more flexible in it's delivery of power. It will pull more cleanly from lower revs in the higher gears.

Sounds all normal to me so far. Good luck and keep posting.

Thanks Estate Man! I'll watch out for these changes. I drive fairly gently a lot of the time but the engine will get a better workout at least once a week when I take it to a gig and have to pull a full load around. So it seems this combination of driving gently when it's empty and being pushed a bit more when it's fully loaded will run the engine in well. I'll be mindful of not being too gently with it. I'll continue to bring it up to enough revs that it won't drop below 1.5k when I change up.

Do you have any advice on my oil change question? Is there anything I should do to the car before its service in a years time?

Many thanks for all the advice! I'm going to be training up for the IAM test soon as well. I figured new car, may as well be driving it properly.