ECO on VRS

[D 1029]

I know most of VRS owners may not be aware that the vehicle has an eco setting. I have owned my VRS since the end of February and being a good citizen i have used the eco mode at various times on my 12 miles journey to work on A roads.I always record my m.p.g. and my best fuel performances have always been in Sports mode by a considerable distance.Anyone else found the same results?

[sworrall]

Always get more mpg in econ

[billybskoda]

I tried it once... on a motorway, my mpg got worse. never going to be stupid enough to touch the button ever again.

 

Sworrall, make sure youre not confusing eco mode with using econ rather than aircon....

[MoggyTech]

Yup, best MPG sports mode worst is in Eco mode.

[flyingpigvrs]

I think I put my vRS in Eco once....

It stays in sport mode now. It's supposed to be a sporty-ish car so it stays in sport mode. Mpg differences are negligible between sport and normal for me.

[sworrall]

I tried it once... on a motorway, my mpg got worse. never going to be stupid enough to touch the button ever again.

Sworrall, make sure youre not confusing eco mode with using econ rather than aircon....

sorry typo. It was Eco

I use it when it's appropriate. On motorways or long hills where I can take advantage of the coasting function and the mpg climbs up. Never use it on normal roads or when "making progress"as its too sluggish

[billybskoda]

sorry typo. It was Eco

I use it when it's appropriate. On motorways or long hills where I can take advantage of the coasting function and the mpg climbs up. Never use it on normal roads or when "making progress"as its too sluggish

Thought Id check to help the op.... I think I used aircon once on my mk2......  Im always attempting to make progress as ive been taught to......

[SnailUK]

My vRS stays in eco most of the time.

 

That said, i spend most of my time in traffic, or on motorways, where even in eco, i spend most of my time held up by others.

 

I personally enjoy the fact that 10% of the time i can whack the car in sport, and it feels like a very different beast.

[sniperpenguin]

My vRS stays in eco most of the time.

 

That said, i spend most of my time in traffic, or on motorways, where even in eco, i spend most of my time held up by others.

 

I personally enjoy the fact that 10% of the time i can whack the car in sport, and it feels like a very different beast.

 

I've got to say that this is me... Although I have made a custom mode instead that has the Aircon in ECO but the steering in SPORTS.

 

So it stays in Custom for motorways / about town, and gets put into sports for the blasts around the A/B-Roads,

[themanwithnoaim]

OP, I think you've missed the point, Eco really only shows savings with a DSG and the DSG ain't particular well suited to the TDI vRS, it goes like a (proper muslim) of a shove in the TSI vRS but, the only one I've been in had a tuning box fitted so, it was gonna really.

[flyingpigvrs]

OP, I think you've missed the point, Eco really only shows savings with a DSG and the DSG ain't particular well suited to the TDI vRS, it goes like a (proper muslim) of a shove in the TSI vRS but, the only one I've been in had a tuning box fitted so, it was gonna really.

Apologies to the op for going slightly off topic.

Can I just ask what it is (in your opinion) that makes the DSG not well suited to the TDi?

I have a TDi with DSG and I can't fault it, but I've never driven a TSi with one so I have no basis for comparison.

I've seen a few people saying the DSG isn't suited to the diesel. I can't see why myself.

Thanks

[andyvee]

I have no problems either with a TDi DSG (albeit the lowly CR150), but the general complaint from others is that in Sport mode it revs too high before changing gear.

[Rodge]

I have no problems either with a TDi DSG (albeit the lowly CR150), but the general complaint from others is that in Sport mode it revs too high before changing gear.

Isn't that the point of Sport mode, to get maximum performance? For maximum acceleration you don't want to change up until you're going to get as much power in the new gear as you had in the old gear, which is what will give most torque at the wheels, where it matters. For most of the diesels that probably means changing up around 4000 rpm, although it depends on how close the gear ratios are. Unless the DSG is waiting until well after 4000 rpm? Or is it hanging onto the gears for gentle acceleration as well as for foot to the floor?

[andyvee]

It goes past 4k rpm before changing and you can feel the power drop off.

 

Not an issue if you have flappy paddles though.

[themanwithnoaim]

Isn't that the point of Sport mode, to get maximum performance? For maximum acceleration you don't want to change up until you're going to get as much power in the new gear as you had in the old gear, which is what will give most torque at the wheels, where it matters. For most of the diesels that probably means changing up around 4000 rpm, although it depends on how close the gear ratios are. Unless the DSG is waiting until well after 4000 rpm? Or is it hanging onto the gears for gentle acceleration as well as for foot to the floor?

Rodge, there is a balance point your look for when remaping a DSG box, for each gear ratio you are looking for a point at which the torque is dropping from the current gear yet will be climbing in the next gear up, the balance point is where the torque is equal.  With a 6 speed box that may mean going beyond the maximum torque in the current gear and falling from say 600Nm to 535Nm before changing up to ensure you've something close to 475-525Nm in the new gear, this ensures smooth effortless torque throwing you down the road.  Until you've rolling road tested your car you can't be sure just where that torque band is but, I'll lay good money, its lower and a lot lower than you think on a diesel.

 

What happens in the TDI vRS IIRC, is a holding of the current gear till 4,200revs with torque falling back to 275-300Nm and when the DSG finally changes up the revs fallback to 3,000 but with 425-450Nm of torque, not very smooth at all just, irritating making you think really is this right ?

 

Whereas the TSI has a larger torque band than the relavatively small/short torque band of the TDI which in turn, make the TSI smoother giving the immpression that the DSG box suits it far more.  If you start throwing engine tuningboxes and remap into the equation things get slightly better due to entire purpose of engine tuning is to make torque bands higher/bigger/longer although, the excessive power can still throw up some issues on the TDI.

[billybskoda]

It goes past 4k rpm before changing and you can feel the power drop off.

 

Not an issue if you have flappy paddles though.

Get down the gym if you have flappy paddles...

[TheWanderer]

I need more than a gym, I have flabby or flappy everything.  :(

[billybskoda]

I need more than a gym, I have flabby or flappy everything.  :(

That's bad considering parking spaces in Guildford are so narrow....

[themanwithnoaim]

You should try Mothercare's carpark in Reading, how they think expectant/pregnant/elephant size soon to be mothers to get outta cars I'll never know and they fine you for parking outside the bay. Beggars belief !!!

[billybskoda]

You should try Mothercare's carpark in Reading, how they think expectant/pregnant/elephant size soon to be mothers to get outta cars I'll never know and they fine you for parking outside the bay. Beggars belief !!!

Ive never managed to park in Reading... Been there many times, got sucked into the one way systems and 40 minutes later, got spat out heading the opposite way, its a mystery to me... :-), and never in eco mode either...

 

What on earth are you doing hanging around in the Mothercare car park in Reading, by the way?????

[themanwithnoaim]

Wife was expectant/pregnant/elephant size soon to be mother.

[Gabbo]

I know most of VRS owners may not be aware that the vehicle has an eco setting. I have owned my VRS since the end of February and being a good citizen i have used the eco mode at various times on my 12 miles journey to work on A roads.I always record my m.p.g. and my best fuel performances have always been in Sports mode by a considerable distance.Anyone else found the same results?

 

I don't have it on the Octavia but I do have it on the BMW 320d & ECO mode work very well.

Of course, its not just a magic button that gives you 5mpg better.

You have to change your driving style to match the goal of eco mode. If you have ACC it makes this task much easier as the car can do more for you.

 

Activating the mode will generally make the pedal map longer (you have to press further to get the same torque) but if you try to drive in the same way as before (maintaining the same acceleration) you will naturally just press the pedal harder & therefore lose most of the benefit of ECO mode.

Likewise if you are constantly on-off-on-off the accelerator pedal or often brake hard instead of coasting you will lose any eco benefit.

 

ECO mode will econurage you to drive more economically but you have to play your part too.

I think it is best suited when using cruise control or ACC.

 

I like the BMW system which shows you the scale of your accelerator pedal torque request so you can see how hard you are driving/pressing it.