Help: Sports mode not retained after turning off engine.

[Torafugu888]

Hi.

 

I have a MY14 racing blue vRS.  Just got it a couple of weeks, have only just clocked 1000km.

 

I haven't played much with the different modes until most recently.  And this is my experience below: 

• The owner's manual page 161. " The set driving mode remains stored even after switching the ignition on and off"
• scenario: I set the mode to "sport" you can see the gears running through on maxi dot "S1, S2, S3...".  left it in "sport" turn off car, come back, start car again.
  • "mode" button still lit up, still says on "sport" mode on columbus screen
  • puting car in drive, whilst the mode setting says "sports" it runs in "normal" mode, I can see the maxi dot "D1, D2, D3....." and yes, the sound, steering and gear change is in "normal" even though the mode is on sport.
  • so I have to press mode and go back to normal, then go back to mode and set to sport again.

 

Have other ppl had this experienced? am I doing something wrong? this works fine in the Eco mode, I can turn off and restart and the display says Eco mode and the maxi dot runs through E1, E2.... and runs like Eco.  Problem seems to only be the sports mode.

 

Thanks

 

Eric.

[JoseDB]

Gearbox sport mode is separate from the drive mode. What you are describing is normal behaviour for all VAG cars.

When you get back in the car will remain with sport mode with respect to steering/throttle response but the gearbox will be back to normal. Quickest way to get back to S is to knock the gear lever back to S rather than cycle through the drive modes.

Edited 30 August, 2014 by josedebardi

[andyvee]

Are you sure the sound generator and the steering (as well as the Xenons) are in normal mode?

 

As josedebardi said, the gearbox is separate - just by taking it out of D and putting it in P you have cancelled S-mode. Eco mode is different as you can only select that with the driving mode, S mode on the gearbox is completely independent to Sports mode - you can select S mode in Normal, and select D mode in Sports.

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Gearbox sport mode is separate from the drive mode. What you are describing is normal behaviour for all VAG cars.

When you get back in the car will remain with sport mode with respect to steering/throttle response but the gearbox will be back to normal. Quickest way to get back to S is to knock the gear lever back to S rather than cycle through the drive modes.

Not on mine.

 

If the ignition is turned off in sport then when it's turned back on the display says 'sport' but the only thing in sport is the steering response.

 

Engine and gearbox both in 'normal' mode.

 

I get the EXACT same as Torafugu888.  Eco stays in eco, normal stays in normal.  Sport reverts to normal.  Sounds like a software bug.

[andyvee]

How do you know the engine is in normal mode out of interest. The gearbox on a DSG is expected to be in D and not S.

 

What mode are your Xenons in?

 

Mine behaves exactly the same, but I am pretty sure the throttle response still feels like Sports mode and the Xenons appear to be in Sports mode as well.

[JoseDB]

Not on mine.

If the ignition is turned off in sport then when it's turned back on the display says 'sport' but the only thing in sport is the steering response.

Engine and gearbox both in 'normal' mode.

I get the EXACT same as Torafugu888. Eco stays in eco, normal stays in normal. Sport reverts to normal. Sounds like a software bug.

It sounds like you are describing the same as the OP and me and I still say its normal...

The OP's drive mode stays in sport, but the gearbox reverts to D rather than stay in S. So yours does the same thing as the OP and all other VAG cars...

To be clear 'drive mode' is everything expect the gear shift points, and D/S is the gear shift points only.

Can someone post a pic of the drive mode screen individual settings to see if it is changing individual parameters of the drive mode or as I suspect leaving them all in sport and only the gearbox is reverting.

[Sheldon.Cooper]

Gearbox reverts to normal, throttle response returns to normal.

 

Everything on infotainment says in sport mode

 

That is definitely not " The set driving mode remains stored even after switching the ignition on and off"

[andyvee]

How do you know that the throttle response reverts to normal? I am intrigued as I can't find a way of determining this, other than perception. The gearbox setting is independent, select drive and flick it backwards, and voila S mode on the gearbox. As I said earlier, Eco mode is different as you can't manually put the gearbox in E mode.

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[Sheldon.Cooper]

Because in sport throttle mode you have 0-100% throttle on about 0-50% throttle pedal movement.  In normal the same takes full movement of pedal.

 

Very easy to know the difference.

[Torafugu888]

Well this is an interesting reply so far:

• Sheldon.cooper - understands where I am coming from - if the manual says it stays in that mode the gear should be in "S"
• josedebardi/andyvee - if that is how it's suppose to act even in sports mode it's switches D/S gear shift back to D, then it should explicitly say that in the owner's manual.

My experience is the same as Sheldon.cooper.  You go back into the car, the setting are all sports mode, but you drive and it's in D, it's got the sound generation of a normal, and it run through the gears like in normal mode, and it has steering like normal.  so as far as I am concern it is normal mode not sports.

 

I will test it a little more:

• if do all the same things and whilst it's still in "sports" I will toggle the gear stick to S and see what happens; I see two potential things:
  1. It runs like normal mode with S on the gear shift; therefore, it has normal steering, normal engine (sound generation), normal lighting
  2. It runs like sports mode with S on the gear shift and has all the sports steering, engine and sports lighting.

However, an additional info, I nagged the dealer about this, the dude went out and tested his other RS and says it doesn't happen in the other ones? what the? 

 

I'll let you know, the outcome of my test, I will also let you know the outcome of my other discussion with the dealer.

 

Eric.

[JoseDB]

I agree it's stupid behaviour, the proper solution would be for the gearbox to stay in S, or as you say, at least document it properly (but given the complexities I'd hate to read how the attempted this!).

 

Insist on trying it on a dealer RS yourself so you can be sure you are reproducing it exactly the same and not taking some jerk salesman's opinion...

[andyvee]

Because in sport throttle mode you have 0-100% throttle on about 0-50% throttle pedal movement. In normal the same takes full movement of pedal.

Very easy to know the difference.

Yours seems to be behaving differently to mine then. Given the vast number of controller and software revisions I have seen to date, that is hardly a surprise!

I have just tested mine again and I am pretty sure that the only thing not staying in sports is the gearbox. Mines not a vRS so can't comment on the sound generator.

I'll try and see if I can see any measuring block differences with VCDS between the modes then we stick a chance of getting to the bottom of this!

I agree though, stupid behaviour, it should stay in Sports for everything.

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[andyvee]

Done a bit more playing, but not had time to look with VCDS yet.

My conclusion so far is that both behaviours are happening, depending on how long the car has been left between journeys.

If the car hasn't gone to sleep i.e. less than 20 mins then I think the accelerator is still in sports mode (gearbox isn't though). Longer than that and it reverts to normal mode but still displays Sports mode on the infotainment.

I'll get round to verifying this with VCDS at some point.

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[themanwithnoaim]

Is this some kinda engine protection thing VAG have put in, would you inadvertently want your wife to rev a cold engine to the redline before the DSG changed gears ?

[Torafugu888]

Ok everybody, upon the advises I received here I went back to testing the cars under different scenarios... finally had the chance, instead of saying you were right and you were right etc.... you are all correct.

 

1. Tried under 3 scenarios: turn off engine and turn on, turn off and turn on after about 15 mins, turn off and turn on after 8hrs, of course the engine was turned off in sports mode: infotainment says sports mode, and gear shift has S on it.
2. After starting car as I mentioned, the infotainment is in Sports and Gear Shift is "D" and it drives off like its in normal mode.
3. and, as ppl have stated here, I popped the Gear Shift back into Sport "S" and the whole Sports mode is restored.

So all good guys, at least now I no what to expect I won't get so anal about it.

 

 

Is this some kinda engine protection thing VAG have put in, would you inadvertently want your wife to rev a cold engine to the redline before the DSG changed gears ?

 

Good point, you're probably right re safety feature.  On the other point, I would expect the wife to accelerate normally from stand still like she was driving any other car... oh wait just tripped on my own logic, I forget she likes to plant her foot..... also on my back.... not just the car... 

Edited 5 September, 2014 by Torafugu888

[Yogi-Bear]

Am I right in thinking that, on the DSG box, you have to move it to one side to engage Sport mode?  If so, then surely you move it out of Sport mode when moving it to Neutral and then Park... which would explain why it's not in Sport mode when you restart the car.

 

Or am I missing the point?

[Torafugu888]

Am I right in thinking that, on the DSG box, you have to move it to one side to engage Sport mode?  If so, then surely you move it out of Sport mode when moving it to Neutral and then Park... which would explain why it's not in Sport mode when you restart the car.

 

Or am I missing the point?

 

That's incorrect in the MkIII vRS, I am not sure about the earlier model since this is my first vRS.

 

When in D, if you push the gear stick to the left it moves to manual gear shift +/-, and you must change the gears manually.  if you return it to the normal position it becomes automatic shift again.  BTW if you are in Drive and you have NOT pushed the gear stick it into manual, you can still manually override the auto by using the paddles.

 

When in D, if you tap down the gear shift, it will switch it to S (sports mode) but is automatic, it you tap down again on the gear shift it will switch back to D (normal/drive mode)

Edited 5 September, 2014 by Torafugu888

[Yogi-Bear]

When in D, if you tap down the gear shift, it will switch it to S (sports mode) but is automatic, it you tap down again on the gear shift it will switch back to D (normal/drive mode)

 

Rightyho - that's the bit I didn't know, having a manual myself.  The only auto I've driven recently was a BMW, where you push it sideways to put it into sport + semi-auto mode.

[themanwithnoaim]

However, when you push the gear stick left yes it engages manual BUT and its a big but (maybe the but needs a second t if we're still taking about the wife Torafugu888) even in manual the DSG will not let the engine over-rev and will change up at the redline automatically.  However, first and second being so low geared I don't recommend using this method when ambitiously pulling out of junctions, the engine/gearbox/management still won't let you over-rev but the DSG won't change quickly enough and you get more torque further down the rev-range, at T-junctions the traction control gets in the way too.

 

In some off road tests I've seen, add a pedal box to overcome the pedal-lag and eco mode changes up at about 3-1/2k revs which seems to be roughly where the torque is just beyond its peak although if you've got it, Launch Control is the quickest "getaway" but, it wear your rubber faster than the wife well, at least before we got kids and family cars.

[barqqsanu]

I have the same behaviour on a manual 1.8tsi. I select sport mode, stop the engine, restart the engine, bolero displays sport mode but the engine is in normal mode. I have to press again sport mode to come back to sport. Did you managed to get a response from dealers? Is this normal?

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[andyvee]

Completely normal.

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[barqqsanu]

Do you know the reason why?

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[Torafugu888]

@barqqsanu, nuh mate didn't bother annoying the dealer since we figured it out with the forum here.

[BATVANVRS]

I just tried this out in my vRS as my screen was saying sport with the mode button lit-up but the maxidot in D & what I have found by doing a quick test is the following:

 

• put it in sport mode via the button & everything is in sport, screen, button, maxidot (S1) but it seems to hold out the gears longer, S1 to S2 changes as normal but from S2 to S3 its like it holds out the gear all the way to the revs? like it wants you to red-line the gear in-order to automatically change? I didn't want to red-line in-order to find out if it will change gear or not but boy is it quick does anyone know the answer to this to why it wants to hold the gears out? or is it me!

 

• So with the above I then tapped to D as I did not want to red-line in-order to find out if the gears change automatically as in D the gears do change automatically, while I'm in D3 etc it still says sport on the screen & the button is still lit-up

 

•  I then parked up but with the engine still running, took sport mode off to normal then back to sport, put it in the D/S & everything was in sport, button, screen & maxidot S1 etc, so put the car into P, looked the doors & returned 5 minutes later.

 

• Now when I returned back to unlock the car, key in the ignition, start up, I noticed the screen & button was in sport mode but the maxidot was not, so maybe it's just a one time thing that you have to set every-time, especially once you lock the car it must take the sport away from the gearbox (maxidot) so I'm thinking your car is still in sport mode but not the gearbox, maybe it still gives you sport but 80% throttle as opposed to normal 50% and full throttle response 100% if the gear lever is tapped to S?

 

This is just my findings from what I have tried today plus I'm still a noobie (learning the car etc) so if anyone can correct, assist or has any information on the subject, it would be nice to know

 

Thanks 

 

Also I still think the mode is in sport even thou the maxidot says D1 as the steering still feels heavy & the throttle still seems to rev responsively! with the sound still sounding like its also in sports? 

 

Maybe as said before, it might be a safety feature for the gearbox to come out of sport when the car is locked or turned off etc...but the rest of the sport functions should still be in sport?

Edited 16 August, 2015 by BATVANVRS

[beecoh]

I have heard of the Economy mode being selected and display shows D1, etc. This is on a January 2018 Octavia S. There are also problems displaying media data