1.4 TSI DSG and hills

[MidlifeC]

Hi

 

I wonder if what is happening with my car is normal. When we go downhill the gearing goes down to "3" going down a hill at 30 and the revs going into overdrive and up till about 3,000 rev. When I was going down another hill at 60 it did the same and was over 3000 rev. never had it happen with any of my other automatic cars. if a manual people would think I was raving the nuts off the car, embarrassing! 

[logiclee]

If you are lightly touching the brakes this can happen but shouldn't otherwise.

 

The DSG is trying to assist the brakes with engine braking.

 

Lee

[MidlifeC]

Thanks Lee for your reply and advise 

 

I know I have to use the brakes when going down hill at the 30 mph so that is possible but it sound like the engine is just right in 4th but the bugger just whacks it into 3. when i was doing 60 downhill there was no braking.

 

I think I need to take it to the dealer and get them to look at it. they can also check why the full beam does not always come on when the stick is moved and why it turned itself off once.

 

A trp to Workington is coming on

 

Graham

[stepdavi]

Pop it in eco mode. It'll go in neutral when rolling down hill.

[logiclee]

On the 60mph downhill where you on cruise control?

 

Also your SEL should have automatic highbeam assist so pushing the stick just turns on the automatic system and the car will turn high beam on and off itself.

 

You will see a highbeam symbol with an A at the side.

 

To switch high beam on manually you have to operate the stick twice.

 

Lee

[MidlifeC]

Hi Lee again thank you for taking the time

 

No I was just in normal driving mode and not in cruise control I have not used it yet.

 

Also not tried eco or sport modes yet want to try the car for about 1500 to 2000 miles in normal first but no clever reason for that!!!

 

Automate highbeam assist bloody hell thats clever how does it know when to go full beam? I will give it a try thank you and how did you know I cannot read a manual (old man syndrome)

 

Graham

[stepdavi]

The eco won't harm your car mate. Makes throttle response slow, gears change earlier and when you let off throttle it goes into neutral. I don't use it but I think this is the long and short of what it does. Hope you get it sorted anyway.

[logiclee]

17 minutes ago, MidlifeC said:

 

 

Automate highbeam assist bloody hell thats clever how does it know when to go full beam? I will give it a try thank you and how did you know I cannot read a manual (old man syndrome)

 

Graham

 

The car has a camera in the windscreen, if you have the lights in Auto, highbeam showing the A symbol, and are going fast enough the car will determine when highbeam is required and automatically dip the lights if other vehicles are detected.

 

 

Lee

Edited 15 February, 2018 by logiclee

[Gti Jazz Blue]

Considering enabling HBA on my vRS - one question how does it handle coming up behind a car if it has full beam on - say on an unlit Country Lane NSL and you come up behind a slower car - will it dip - or blind them from behind? 

[pist0nbr0ke]

Just now, Gti Jazz Blue said:

Considering enabling HBA on my vRS - one question how does it handle coming up behind a car if it has full beam on - say on an unlit Country Lane NSL and you come up behind a slower car - will it dip - or blind them from behind? 

 

It dips. Works extremely well in my experience.

 

The odd time it will pick up a reflection on a road sign, or even a light on/outside a house on a dark country road and dip unnecessarily, but in general - excellent.

[wyx087]

The DSG dropping a few gear for down hill is desired behaviour. My previous Mercedes TC auto also did the same, although not by that much. In sport mode DSG may drop more gears, I often pull the stick for S mode when slowing down to try to get more engine braking and reduce brake wear.

 

3000rpm is not much by petrol standards. I often see 2500rpm when slowing down in S mode in my diesel. It's good to use as much engine braking as possible.

 

If you want a quiet ride, buy an EV.

[Gabbo]

As above, its normal. Even my manual octavia has an inclination sensor so is able to tell when you a decending a hill.

With the DSG, If you brake whilst decending the hill, the gearbox will change down a few gears to give some engine braking to help maintain a constant speed.

I have the same functionality in the Volvo & it very useful driving around the mountain roads.

 

You can override this behaviour by selecting manual mode or selecting ECO which will let the engine speed go to idle instead of holding a gear (which is strange for me because this is not really economic).

 

If I was driving behind you, i would think you were a better driver than the guy who sits on his brakes for the whole way down the hill.

[Gerrycan]

The 1.4tsi in the Octavia offers the least engine braking of any vehicle I have driven.

A steepish hill with 90kph limit I have to use 2nd on my manual with revs around 5k and still have to dab the brakes to keep under the limit. Other cars would maintain the speed easily in 3rd or 4th.

[MidlifeC]

Thank you all, I used the high beam assist last night and it was brilliant dipped when there were cars coming towards and also when there were cars ahead going the same way then went back on full beam. no idea how it is that clever but it did it, getting too close to driverless cars which I hope will only start to come in commercially after I have gone!!!

 

I laid off the brakes going down the 30 mph hill today and just taped them when needed and it stayed in D4 which was fine!.

 

What a great forum where people are so willing to help a dumb old baldy!

 

Graham

[Rodge]

On 16/02/2018 at 12:03, Gabbo said:

You can override this behaviour by selecting manual mode or selecting ECO which will let the engine speed go to idle instead of holding a gear (which is strange for me because this is not really economic).

I thought Eco mode put it back in gear when you pressed the brakes? Neutral is more economic when you don't want to slow down, in gear is more economic when you do want to slow down.