Hi 

 

Just got a 2016 Fabia 1.2TSI Monte Carlo Estate with 54k on the clock.  Liking the feel of the car so far, seems to have enough power to be interesting - but not too dangerous for my children who will mainly drive it!

 

The feel of the clutch worries me though. Feels quite juddery / rough on take off and especially reversing. Is there any adjustment on the clutch itself or does it point to another issue?

 

Phil

Don't think there is an adjustment on the clutch.

The car has an anti stall function that momentarily raises the idle speed when you first lift the clutch.

It takes practice to get a smooth take of, this is my method:-

 

When you first bring the clutch up do not use not throttle at all.

Use the anti stall to help you first raise the engine revs.

Then when the clutch is up then start to use the throttle.

 

A lot of people have lost the skill to do this.

Don't forget a clutch is not a switch and not a throttle.

 

Thanks AG Falco

With no throttle input, the revs rise from idle (about 750) to around 900 as the clutch is lifted but before the biting point. In my experience the 1.2 powertrain does produce harsh vibrations as it takes up the drive, unless the revs are raised further. And if you try to do this, a little throttle input produces a big increase in revs.

 

Moving away on 'idle' is sorta-OK for low-speed manoeuvring. I'd regard doing it as a means of getting going on the road to be insufficiently progressive (or: it's too slow).

 

With reasonable gas set (e.g. to 1100-1200 rpm) with the clutch disengaged, as the clutch is lifted the ECU suddenly (and in a frankly unrefined manner) boosts the engine revs to 1700rpm to either try and provide unwanted launch assistance (it's not anti-stall as the engine is nowhere near stalling) or get some boost to make the car feel sprightly. This uncommanded extra power is abruptly cut again when the car reaches 3-4mph, leading to a nosedive if you're not careful. Tellingly, the 1.0 TSI does not do this.

 

The best way I found to get a smoothish takeoff with the 1.2 is to find the correct balance and timing of simultaneously lifting the clutch and depressing the throttle. Tricky I know, takes practise; listen to the engine. And learn to live with the fact that you'll never get the 1.2 completely smooth because VAG's engineers for whatever reason seem to have made some very bizarre decisions with the control law on this engine.

Edited 2 June, 20197 yr by ettlz

Thanks @AGFalco and @ettlz - we'd already had an incidence of nose diving and the other points ring true too. So we will have to experiment and work on finessing our clutchmanship with this. My eldest came from a Fiat 500 which also had anti-stall and that didn't seem as harsh, but we also got used to that too.

 

Now need to find a workshop manual in case we need a tinker!

 

Thanks, Phil

 

 

I can only add that the DSG version is much the same; a barely discernable vibration as the clutch engages.