2 Cylinder Mode - Query

[RCC49]

I wonder if anyone could help me with a query.  Prior to the Karoq, I had a Passat 1.4Tsi ACT with manual gearbox.  With the Passat, I could travel on motorways under cruise control at up to 75 mph, and the engine would be operating in 2 cylinder mode.  That’s not what I am experiencing with the Karoq, and above 40 mph, I don’t seem to see any 2 cylinder mode operation.  Is this what other owners are experiencing?  Perhaps comparing my experience with the Passat is unreasonable.

[MJ1]

I do get some 2 cylinder action on the motorway, tends to be on declines.

 

So you should at times see it switch...

 

I will be driving down the M5 from M42 today and I will try and note areas where I get a bit of 2 cylinder action. Off top of my head I think the slope down from the M50 is good as you head South.

 

[Kenny R]

Does the eco icon not light up when in 2 cylinder mode and when in freewheel mode on a DSG. So if it illuminates when going down hill it’s probably the freewheel mode and not the engine in 2 cylinders mode you are seeing.

[MJ1]

2 different things,

 

"E" is displayed on dash  more when free wheeling dashboard shows E and only in Eco mode when you have gears shown as E1 etc...

 

I rarely see that if at all on the motorway as I have cruise control set for the entire trip.

 

I do see the 2cyl notification quite a bit and that is in any of the modes. I forget exact letters on dash but it is very clear when it goes to 2.

 

For the OP you should be seeing 2 Cylinder but maybe not as much as you saw previously. The MPG threads should give you an idea on what is really possible... Lots of discussion if you search the threads..

Edited 9 December, 2019 by MJ1
sodding auto correct

[Gigi_BC]

I saw that if I'm using Cruise Control, I rarely get the 2 cylinder; whereas, if I drive it myself I get it most of the times.

[Apprentice]

@Gigi_BC

 

Yes I've noticed that too.

[Hairball]

OK I have the DSG box in my car, in normal mode I can often see the (ECO) symbol in the centre display between the dials also showing D7 gear that is not changed to E7 (in eco drive mode)  when I'm showing current speed. If I change to a different option to display for instance average economy then I get the test two cylinder mode appear on the display. I can quite often see this at motorway speeds but more so if I have ACC on.

[silver1011]

There are two different 'Eco' modes.

 

ACT or Active Cylinder Technology is only available on the 1.4 TSI (150PS) and 1.5 TSI petrol engines (not when you have both DSG and 4x4 together), not the diesels, when ACT is active you'll see the word Eco with an arrow circled around it. It'll flash off and on as you press and depress the accelerator, as these are typically the conditions that determine when the cylinders shut down or come back online...

 

 

 

The other 'Eco' mode is on both the petrol and diesel engines and is selectable, it will remain on for the duration of that journey, or until you select a different mode (i.e. Comfort, Normal or Sports mode)...

 

 

Note the specific parameters that apply to vehicles fitted with an automatic (DSG) gearbox...

 

 

You can select the different driving modes either by pressing the 'MODE' button down by the gear lever, or directly via the infotainment screen...

 

 

 

It's not a Karoq, but my manual 1.4TSI 150PS Kodiaq will happily activate 2-cylinder mode at motorway speeds.

 

 

Edited 10 December, 2019 by silver1011

[RCC49]

Thanks for all the replies.  I probably didn’t word my initial query too clearly.  I understand the different ways in which the car displays that it is operating in 2 cylinder mode.  My point was that my car doesn’t operate in 2 cylinder mode quite as much as I might perhaps have expected, and certainly not at motorway speeds.  My Passat, on the other hand, would operate in 2 cylinder mode virtually all the time at motorway speeds, unless under acceleration or driving up an incline.

[silver1011]

The 1.5 TSI is well documented as being strangled, or restricted, due to the latest WLTP / emissions regulations, at least compared to the 1.4 TSI.

 

Chances are the 1.4 TSI isn't needing to produce quite as much torque in order to maintain motorway speeds as the 1.5 TSI might be.

[iriches]

I'm guessing your Karoq is considerably less aerodynamic than your Passat was.  It will likely need a fair bit more power to push it through the air at motorways speeds.  That could account for at least some of the differences that you are experiencing.

[silver1011]

That crossed my mind too, but the 1.4 TSI drops into 2-cylinder mode regularly in our bigger, heavier and less aerodynamic Kodiaq at motorway speeds.

 

It might simply be that Skoda have tweaked the parameters that determine when ACT works and when it doesn't. VAG engineers are constantly changing the settings, just look at the number of running software changes we see being implemented.

[MJ1]

1 hour ago, RCC49 said:

Thanks for all the replies.  I probably didn’t word my initial query too clearly.  I understand the different ways in which the car displays that it is operating in 2 cylinder mode.  My point was that my car doesn’t operate in 2 cylinder mode quite as much as I might perhaps have expected, and certainly not at motorway speeds.  My Passat, on the other hand, would operate in 2 cylinder mode virtually all the time at motorway speeds, unless under acceleration or driving up an incline.

 

I would say that is right, it does not activate as much.

 

I drove down M5 from M42 to WSM junction in cruise control Econo mode.

 

E never displayed so no free wheeling down the hills

 

Eco did display but only occasionally the main sections being M50 downhill over it then the Avonmouth hill after Cribs Causeway and then final hill down to Clevedon junction.

 

Overall I got 46mpg and average temperature was around 2% with little wind and no rain.

 

With my old Eco Octi I would have got 60mpg....

 

This is just to give you a comparison to reassure you that your car is performing similar to others...

[Guest]

My tuppence worth - after using the 1.4 with ACT, my conclusion is the only difference it makes is a message on the dashboard. I'll assume it makes a difference to emissions but I don't know for sure (if it does it's sure to be minimal). But as for fuel economy savings - that's not been my experience.

 

Personally I think it more an advertising gimmick to appease Greta Thunberg supporters.

Edited 10 December, 2019 by Guest

[silver1011]

The ACT on my Kodiaq is occasionally noticeable, the engine note changes slightly. I've also managed to catch it out on occasion, resulting in the restarting of the idle cylinders causing a slight interruption in the power delivery.

[xlray]

You don't say how many miles you have done. That engine in our A3 was dropping in to two cylinder mode more and more, and leveled off after about 10,000 miles. I think that corresponded to when the engine was properly loosened up.

 

 

 

[MJ1]

A final update I did the return journey last night, the  rain had pretty much stopped and temperature average higher around 11%. Lots of water on the motorway with some really bad spray as you passed the lorries. Up from WSM M5 - M42- M40. About 140mile trip.

 

Speedo showed 46.7 mpg at end.

 

Eco mode was again mainly down hill bits, I did experiment with switching out of cruise downhill and got both "E" and Eco displayed but speed was difficult to maintain even on steep hill. I guess resistance from standing water did not help.

 

I did note Eco mode kicked in on some spots where I was passing a line of lorries and guess I was benefiting from wind direction / slipstream. This was different from journey down and on spots of road more level...

 

My car has now done over 20,000 miles and subjectively I think when in cruise the car drops into Eco better than when I am on the pedal. Of course YMMV....

[edbostan]

So, so complicated. The only Eco mode I know is  the control of my right foot.

[RCC49]

Thanks for the replies.  It’s particularly interesting to hear MJ1’s comments regarding his return trip and overall fuel consumption.  I think that’s the kind of consumption I would have expected in my Passat, which would have been operating in 2 cylinder mode for much of the motorway driving, so maybe 2 cylinder mode isn’t much of a saver.  My Karoq has currently done just over 3,000 miles, so it will be interesting to see if anything changed as the mileage increases - probably not, though.  In any event, I’m reassured by the comments received.

[MJ1]

Hi RCC please Bear in mind my SOP on motorway is 65mph on cruise. I find it less stressful than playing bumper cars on outside lane and at 6:30pm onwards on motorway I just have to do an occasional boost to get past lorries.

 

I am lucky that at the moment I don't have to be in the rat race of who can get closer to your rear to force their way past because they are more important... Gladly those days are passing me by, just an occasional **** who forces there way off too late at a junction and slam there breaks on as they cut you up to get off the motorway.

[DIYoda]

On 10/12/2019 at 10:40, silver1011 said:

There are two different 'Eco' modes.

 

ACT or Active Cylinder Technology is only available on the 1.4 TSI (150PS) and 1.5 TSI petrol engines (not when you have both DSG and 4x4 together), not the diesels, when ACT is active you'll see the word Eco with an arrow circled around it. It'll flash off and on as you press and depress the accelerator, as these are typically the conditions that determine when the cylinders shut down or come back online...

 

 

 

The other 'Eco' mode is on both the petrol and diesel engines and is selectable, it will remain on for the duration of that journey, or until you select a different mode (i.e. Comfort, Normal or Sports mode)...

 

 

Note the specific parameters that apply to vehicles fitted with an automatic (DSG) gearbox...

 

 

You can select the different driving modes either by pressing the 'MODE' button down by the gear lever, or directly via the infotainment screen...

 

 

http://master.skoda-auto.com/shared/SiteCollectionImages/models/kodiaq/kodiaq-scout/overview/kodiaq-scout-interior-07.jpg

 

It's not a Karoq, but my manual 1.4TSI 150PS Kodiaq will happily activate 2-cylinder mode at motorway speeds.

 

 

 

My dad's Karoq Scout 1.5 TSI 4x4 DSG (built 12/2018) certainly is equipped with ACT..