Coasting in Eco?

[Choclab]

On my 2018 TSI DSG, all gears show in the tell tale on the dash, but when in Eco, and going downhill or slowing for junctions, the gear number is missing, with just E showing. Does this mean the gearbox is in neutral and coasting? Does not happen with D or S, where the gear number still shows.

[Kenai]

Yes, that's what it's showing you when it displays no number, it's disengaged gears and is coasting. 

[Choclab]

Thanks for that. My old driving instructor would  have had kittens, if I put the gearbox in neutral and coasted (also “illegal”, if I remember that far back!). I suppose in auto, just touching a pedal brings it all back under driver control, better than a manual. Nice fuel saver, with engine in two cylinder mode as well.

[ExSEAT]

Always hated it, lifting off the accelerator to ease up if traffic speed was changing and not showing down at all 🤣 would never use it on the motorway!

[Gomezz]

I use the coasting mode, a bit of forword planing as you drive and you can see a difference to the economy on the eco screen.

A touch of the brake or throttle and you have full control.

 

[TDIum]

I use it in some stop-start traffic conditions it makes for smoother progress. 

The other use for ECO mode is motorway cruising but then I usually have the DSG in tiptronic so it doesn't coast

[Stewart7]

Is there more wear on the clutches with ECO mode?

[Baxlin]

I’ve recently noticed that my 1.4 tsi only allows coasting if I have selected Eco since starting the engine.  If the car’s been left in Eco mode and restarted, it won’t  ‘coast’ just shows consumption as a line of - - - when I lift off, as if it’s in normal mode.

Edited 25 April, 2022 by Baxlin

[Kenai]

11 minutes ago, Baxlin said:

I’ve recently noticed that my 1.4 tsi only allows coasting if I have selected Eco since starting the engine.  If the car’s been left in Eco mode and restarted, it won’t  ‘coast’ just shows consumption as a line of - - - when I lift off, as if it’s in normal mode.

 

The automatic gearbox will return to 'normal' configuration following an ignition cycle (it may not reset with a very short duration cycle, cant remember), regardless of the mode that the car may or may not have retained.

 

This is somewhat annoying behaviour if it's Eco you want it left in, as you need to reselect Eco mode, whereas Sport can be re-engaged with a simple pull back on the stick.

[Baxlin]

40 minutes ago, Kenai said:

 

The automatic gearbox will return to 'normal' configuration following an ignition cycle (it may not reset with a very short duration cycle, cant remember), regardless of the mode that the car may or may not have retained.

 

This is somewhat annoying behaviour if it's Eco you want it left in, as you need to reselect Eco mode, whereas Sport can be re-engaged with a simple pull back on the stick.

Many thanks, that explains it!  (I’ve also found that by pressing the Mode button 5 times it scrolls back to Eco, so I don’t have to select Eco from the screen.  A good short cut imo)

[Pilotguy]

On 02/03/2022 at 07:49, TDIum said:

I use it in some stop-start traffic conditions it makes for smoother progress. 

The other use for ECO mode is motorway cruising but then I usually have the DSG in tiptronic so it doesn't coast

 

The Coasting function isn't going to work in "stop-start" traffic though, unless you're leaving really big gaps, because as soon as you press the brake the smallest amount the appropriate gear will be re-engaged in =\=~ 500 ms to 1s!

 

And why use 'tiptronic' on a m-way cruise? (that is an old term for what Audi called the semi-auto system when fitted a fair time back, BTW. DSG is a wet dual clutch system, Tip was an auto torque converter) If you mean with the gear selector lever to M, what's the theory there? For me, it's Cruise control on and let the DSG does what it does best!

[TDIum]

Yes smoother progress if you can anticipate a bit, don't follow too close and therefore don't have to use the brake much in that stop/start traffic. 

OK then tiptronic M-mode. It's not theory, it's just what I do. Actually I have the "individual" driving mode set up as engine=eco and steering=sport just for motorways. 

But apart from the two situations of stop/start traffic and motorways, I don't find any other use for Eco mode. 

[Ootohere]

People really are comparing apple and pears here when talking about 2.0 TSI / DSG,s.

 

The OP shows at the side as having a 1.5 TSI, so that is an engine which has ACT (Active Cylinder Technology) Same as Audi COD (Cylinders on demand).

Also it has a DQ200 twin dry clutch 7 speed DSG.

 

So the engine can shut down 2 cylinders when off the accelerator.       2.0 TSI with Wet Clutch DSG's are doing things in a different way. 

[ords]

13 hours ago, TDIum said:

Yes smoother progress if you can anticipate a bit, don't follow too close and therefore don't have to use the brake much in that stop/start traffic. 

OK then tiptronic M-mode. It's not theory, it's just what I do. Actually I have the "individual" driving mode set up as engine=eco and steering=sport just for motorways. 

But apart from the two situations of stop/start traffic and motorways, I don't find any other use for Eco mode. 

I run mine in eco all the time because it gets into the higher gears more quickly. With all the 20mph zones everywhere I'm in 4th gear using CC.

It also stays in eco mode after a re-start, even overnight.

[Baxlin]

I’m a recent convert to Eco, and now tend to use it most of the time.  Having to reset to get it to coast, even though it stays in Eco after a restart is a pain, though.

Edited 27 April, 2022 by Baxlin

[Slick2097]

I tried to use eco mode when I first got mine, I liked the coast mode, and used it a fair bit on the motorway in to work and back.  I did notice that it failed to coast unless I cycled round to Eco again using the selector button after an ignition cycle.  The speed of the ACC was a bit too slow when catching up traffic for my liking so I tried to use the Individual mode to get the best of both worlds...

 

When I first set individual mode up (Drive was set to Eco, ACC in sport, Steering was I think normal), the gears shown on the little display between the rev counter and the speedo would show the gears in E mode (E1 - E7) which was fine.  When I stopped the car and got back in again and didn't touch anything, when I started it up, the gear display on that screen would revert back to showing "D" gears (as in normal mode, D1- D7) until I again cycled around the selection mode to get it back to "individual" mode. 

 

I'm not sure if this was by design or not, but it was blinking annoying.  Why have an "individual" driving mode (or any selectable driving mode) that deactivates when you stop and start the car unless you cycle around again?  It annoyed me so much I now just leave it in normal and use my right foot to catch up to traffic in ACC mode.

 

Slick2097.

[Jono]

My nerdy spreadsheet suggest that eco saves me no more than 5%.

 

Active eco-ing is likely a smidge slower too, so that might explain where the savings happen.

 

It's more effective on my commute where I have the prior-knowledge to micromanage the coasting zones.

 

Definitely a different drive and there *sorely* needs to be an option to easily flick from E to D, rather then E to S.

[TDIum]

20 hours ago, Jono said:

there *sorely* needs to be an option to easily flick from E to D, rather then E to S.

 

Agreed