Hi!

 

This is my first post, so I'll try to keep it simple.

 

I've recently bought a Skoda Fabia 1.6 TDI (2011 plate 22k miles) and I've noticed that between 50 - 70mph in 5th, I'll get vibration coming through from the accelerator pedal if I try and accelerate. It won't do this at any other speeds, and it feels similar to when a car is fighting for grip on a loose surface, instead of a 'juddering' when you're in a high gear at low speed. There's no feedback through the wheel or movement from the car, it's just through the pedal.

 

The garage I bought it from said they'd not experienced it when they took it for a test drive and recommended I stay in 4th up until about 60/65 mph.

 

Does anyone have any suggestions on what it could be, or if the garage are correct?

 

There were no advisories on the MOT and it's got a full service history with no notes of such an issue (never been crashed either). The diesel vans I used to drive never did this.

 

 

Thanks,

Welcome to the forum, 

Sorry no idea about the 1.6 TDI CR Manuals.

 but hopefully some of the members with them will be along to help.

Does it feel like the engine is labouring when you put your foot down? Is this on any road, uphill, downhill or flat?

Sounds odd. The garages diagnosis of staying in 4th till 65 sounds even odder. You shouldnt have to do that... My HTP petrol pulls well in 5th down to 45 or so. And thats with the higher ratio box and less torque than the derv

What revs is it doing at 65mph in fifth? Surely it's in the 2000+ range? Can you video it all?

And is it all pedals or just the accelerator?

Hi guys, thanks for the replies! Extra info as requested:

 

 

It's on flat ground when it occurs, haven't had it on any hills in 5th.

 

There's no engine labouring as such like you'd get if in too high of a gear or lack of revs. In terms of revs, then it's doing around 1700 in fifth (I think, I will double check tomorrow). There's certainly no noise from the engine to suggest it's struggling.

 

It's only though the accelerator pedal, the clutch or brakes aren't affected. There's no wheel movement during it.

 

I have checked through all it's MOT documentation, and the front two tires were replaced on it's last MOT due to wear on the inside, so the wheels do need to be tracked by the sounds of it.

 

I can video it on a Go-Pro if that's of any help!

 

Thanks,

I have had this issue with a number of vehicles and was experienced in an almost identical way.

Transit van - 56,000 miles - think the previous owner had chipped from 110 to 130 bhp. Still in last few months of Ford warrenty. Took it in and they did some magic and it stopped but the vehicle felt down on power after they'd had it. I queried this and they denied knowledge of it being less powerful and said that what they'd done wouldn't affect the power output. I suspect that whatever they did (they weren't forthcoming on this and I didn't push it because I was young and thought people in the motor industry actually wanted to help me - oh so naive!!) reduced the power to reduce stress on the dual mass flywheel. Never got an answer sorry but it appeared to sort it. I got rid of it shortly after anyway as it no longer suited my purposes.

Mondeo - 99,000 miles (30,000 very harsh by me hammering everywhere - oh to be wreckless again!) took it to local garage who referred it to local clutch specialist. Nobody had an answer other than "you could spend £900 on x part and fitment but we can't guarantee it will be sorted". Swapped it for my Dad's Saab 9-3 he was about to trade in and they offered the same money for.

Saab 3-3 - 98,000 miles (again, 30,000 harsh miles by me - I had a long commute for a couple of years!) - local garage reckoned Dual Mass Flywheel. Estimated £800ish to sort it. I wasn't convinced by their assessment on the forecourt. Kept it and swapped it for my Monte (which friggin pulls left - argh somebody shoot me!)

 

In short, the common denominator that all garages suggested for similar sounding issue is Dual Mass Flywheel (DMF). However, I had been pretty harsh on the 2nd 2 vehicles and suspect the previous owner had been with the Transit (it was an ex lease one so may have been treated pretty rough, especially if it had been chipped as I suspect (suspicions increased by the 130 badge on the back that although a genuine Ford part was on a vehicle registered as a 110 bhp van)) The issue was always moderate acceleration in a high gear, off turbo, but not an unacceptably high gear, vibration only really through foot pedals but increasingly through car as issues worsened.

 

I never spent the money getting any of them fixed so can't say for sure that that is what the issue is. I'd also be surprised that such a lightweight car would have this sort of issue...

 

As you can probably tell, I'm not mechanically minded, there may well be numerous other explanations. Do you find the issue goes if you simply change to either softer or harder acceleration? (mine did)