Interesting.  I took delivery of my vRS TDI on the 28th and had been wondering what all the fuss was about over the sound generator and trying to work out whether what I could hear was real engine noise or something artificial.  What I couldn't understand was that I couldn't tell the difference between Sport and the other modes.  All of which would be explained if, as you suggest, they're no longer fitting the sound generator.

 

Can anyone who has got it suggest a simple test I could try that would make the SG very obvious if I did have it?  I.e. in what situations is it most noticeable?

When I test drove a diesel I didn't think it was too obvious, but, with my tsi engined car, in Sport mode at any rate, I think it is horrific.

It's most noticeable in 5th or 6th gear on gentle throttle application when it makes the engine sound like a thumping great lorry engine!!

I suppose it's fair to say that Sport mode is for the B roads and I would say that it's quite OK in that environment. 

In 'Normal' mode it's acceptable, but still a little annoying in the situation described above. 

What's 'Eco' mode?....... although that does shut it up!

 

Just need to get used to using the  vRS mode button for what it's intended and switch between modes depending on mood/road conditions. 

Edited 4 July, 201411 yr by Pophods

Finally took delivery of my vrs tdi this week (my 2015). I can't really tell if it has a sg or not, if it has one, it is a lot more muted than in the tsi i demoed about six months ago. There is allso no setting in the menu for sg in individual mode

There is allso no setting in the menu for sg in individual mode

 

There never has been.

When I test drove a diesel I didn't think it was too obvious, but, with my tsi engined car, in Sport mode at any rate, I think it is horrific.

It's most noticeable in 5th or 6th gear on gentle throttle application when it makes the engine sound like a thumping great lorry engine!!

I suppose it's fair to say that Sport mode is for the B roads and I would say that it's quite OK in that environment. 

In 'Normal' mode it's acceptable, but still a little annoying in the situation described above. 

What's 'Eco' mode?....... although that does shut it up!

 

Just need to get used to using the  vRS mode button for what it's intended and switch between modes depending on mood/road conditions. 

Same thing here. Ours all get delivered with it set at 50% but my friends TSI  he got this week is louder than my TDI especially on sport mode. I can't hear the diesel engine at 60mph over the road noise so unless the petrol car motor is louder and adding to it? It is going back to be set to 0% anyway.

 

If you want to hear it set cruise control at 60mph in 6th on the motorway and use sport mode (normal mode is about half volume of sport mode) then listen when you get to a hill. That's not a truck next to you........

Edited 5 July, 201411 yr by snala

I'm pretty sure my MY15 car either doesn't have it, or it's been toned down so much it isn't noticeable, as I've tried a wide variety of driving now without noticing it and also can't tell any difference in sound between different vRS modes.

I just set up my individual mode with all the sport settings but with 'engine' set at normal, works for me

My 2015 car has it, but it does seem much quieter than the demo I tried. Maybe they have toned it down a bit from the factory.

I wasn't sure if I was going to like it after trying the demo, but now it's barely noticeable unless gunning it in sport mode, it just seems to blend a bit better now with the diesel chatter.

it appears only people with a 2015 TDI wonder whether they have the SG? Perhaps they toned it down just for the diesel, as the people really seeking a sporty drive (including sound) will prefer the TSI. 

After 4000 miles in my VRS TDi DSG, the sound generator started to get a bit wearing.

Unplugged it yesterday and it's the best thing I've ever done...the car is quick, quiet and refined now. So much better when using the flappy paddles as you can hear the natural engine...and to be honest it's a nice sounding diesel lump.

Takes about 5 mins to unplug it. Do it now if you haven't yet tried.

Back to dealer today. Took them a few minutes to turn it down from the 100% it was set to from the factory, to the 0% I requested. Bingo! No more lorry sounding engine!  :clap:

I asked the dealer to turn mine down to 0% as well.  In sport it was stupidly loud, really intrusive, sounded fake, and made the dash rattle. I could hear it in normal as well but say 50% less volume.  A great mystery why the thing cannot be adjusted through the car settings.  Discovered that in eco if you put the DSG in sport you can hear what the engine actually sounds like without the stupid sound generator and I much preferred the actual engine sound.  Funny thing though is that now in normal I can't hear it at all but in sport the engine sound like it did in normal, so I'm wondering if the dealer really did turn it down to 0%.  In any event, I quite like sport mode as it is now, with just a little bit of sound generator.

Edited 24 July, 201411 yr by willkiwi

Hey Will, did you get your car from Giltrap in Newmarket? I'm getting mine from there and am keen to get the sound generator turned down or off. Be good to know that they'd done it before. Cheers

Hey Will, did you get your car from Giltrap in Newmarket? I'm getting mine from there and am keen to get the sound generator turned down or off. Be good to know that they'd done it before. Cheers

Yes I did.  They will happily turn it down or up for you.  I think they turn them down to 50% anyhow but mine was so loud it must have been at or near 100%. 

I just disconnected my SG today which is a 2 min job and you only need to remove the first 3 clips as the plastic part has a join half way and flex's up enough to get a full arm in there.  I love the natural sound of the engine now under heavy throttle and also the turbo sound.  I wouldn't bother asking the car dealer to turn it off via software because if I want it back on I know it is just a 2 min job if I want it.

.... and your car will now be logging fault codes as the CAN Gateway still has the SG in it's installation list

.... and your car will now be logging fault codes as the CAN Gateway still has the SG in it's installation list

 

Doesn't really matter though does it?

Not really, but I don't like fault codes

Mine has been unplugged for about 6 months. Fault log will be going ballistic...

I am still confused about this ....

So on the tdi vrs' there's a little box that makes the engine sound more 'beefy' why would skoda do that? They are making the engine sound 'better' then it is?

Sorry not my cup of tea at all.....

Well on the diesel, it sounds like a.... diesel, so a little smoke and mirrors takes the edge of the chugging. The alternative is a fancy exhaust system to make the cools noise and Skoda don't want to fit one it would seem.

I am still confused about this ....

So on the tdi vrs' there's a little box that makes the engine sound more 'beefy' why would skoda do that? They are making the engine sound 'better' then it is?

Sorry not my cup of tea at all.....

Its on the petrol as well!

Yeah, but I have the diesel SO I don't care about the petrol!  :p

Yeah, but I have the diesel SO I don't care about the petrol! :p

When I ordered mine I test drove the diesel and it just sounded like my old Passat so that one must have had no sound gen was back in 2013 though. Not sure how the gen would sound against the diesel background noise

You can't here the engine over the sound generator!

Rumbly then :-D