Hi

 

I bought my Karoq new in 2018. a 1.5 TSI DSG model. It has always had this small but annoying issue.

 

If I select 'ECO' driving mode on the infotainment system, after first starting the car, all is well, it runs perfectly in ECO mode until the ignition is switched off.

 

When restarting the car, the infotainment systems says it's in ECO, but actually it isn't!  The screen between rev counter and speedo shows that the car is in standard drive, i.e. in Normal Drive mode. For example the engine does not idle when coasting which it does in ECO mode.

 

If I go back and reselect ECO on the infotainment screen all is well again, the car drives in ECO mode. 

 

Same thing occurs on any driving mode other than Normal, essentially the car always selects Normal mode at start-up.

 

Is this normal for the Karoq (probably other Skoda DSG models as well) or am I missing something?

 

All the best

 

Colin

 

 

20 minutes ago, colinshead said:

..... essentially the car always selects Normal mode at start-up.

 

 

Hi Colin

 

Yes, my Karoq does that as well. It's a minor annoyance.

 

Before the Karoq, I had an Audi which always remembered which drive mode I'd left it in.

 

 

 

Hi

 

I found another topic on the forum, which seems to suggest that the car always reverts to normal, as that mode generates the least nasty emissions !

 

Personally I would have thought that ECO mode would be the best, rather than Normal mode.

 

All the best

 

Colin

Brim the tank & always put to ECO as you going about your driving & then brim and see how much fuel it takes then repeat and this time do the same not selecting ECO if you have a similar routine and the weather is the same, the you get an idea what is more economic or fuel efficient.

My SeL resets to normal every time the ignition is switched off,

 

tom

4 hours ago, P-J said:

Hi Colin

 

Yes, my Karoq does that as well. It's a minor annoyance.

 

Before the Karoq, I had an Audi which always remembered which drive mode I'd left it in.

What age was the Audi, from memory VW group changed it about 6 years ago so they default to normal on start up, (which is the mode used for the WLTP test).

 

There was even a time when the display didn't change, and would still show Eco on start up, although was back in normal (and possibly some cars still do it if that was the software at the time, might have been about 5 years ago)

 

 

38 minutes ago, SurreyJohn said:

What age was the Audi.......

 

 

The Audi was a 2018 model.

18 reg plate.

 

Emission regulations mean that the car has to start in the mode used for the tests - which is the normal drive mode since not all models have a choice. 

 

So regardless of whether you left in Sport or Eco, it will restart in normal. But my car MY21 does exactly that... it doesn't get confused and still try to kid me that it is in Eco when it isn't! 

 

Chris

Hi Chris,

 

Thanks for the explanation, my car also indulges in kidology with the infotainment system saying it's in ECO, when the car reverts to Normal mode.

 

Has anyone a view of how much you save in ECO mode? Initially I though about 5mpg, but more recently there seems to be little difference to driving 'light footed' in Normal mode.

 

In ECO mode I average 45 mpg in mixed driving, on long runs 50 mpg, sometimes a little more.

 

All the best

 

Colin

Quote

For example the engine does not idle when coasting which it does in ECO mode.

I believe MY21 DSG vehicles onwards 'coast' in NORMAL mode as well. Mine certainly does...

Edited 7 February, 20233 yr by NottsIan

Quote

I believe MY21 DSG vehicles onwards 'coast' in NORMAL mode as well. Mine certainly does

My 2022-built 2.0 petrol DSG certainly does. Frightened the daylights out of me when I first spotted the rev counter drop like a stone in Lane 3 of the M3! Yes, I know, I should have read the manual before driving any distance.......

I wonder why coasting is supposed to be more economical. If the engine is turning with a gear engaged it uses no fuel, as fuel is cut off. If the revs fall to idle at any speed, fuel is required to keep the engine running. Surely it can only save fuel if the clutches are disengaged and the engine stops.

I think the theory is that,  when trying to maintain a constant speed. on level or slightly downhill, the car decerates much slower with the clutches disengaged. So the small amount of fuel used in idle is less than would be used by constant throttle on off. That's the theory anyway...

Edited 7 February, 20233 yr by NottsIan

Can confirm that it does save fuel. I tested coasting vs normal over 50k miles up and down the A1. Long sections of the motorway are sloped enough to maintain 60-70 mph while coasting, equating to 200 + mpg. In gear overrun would cause the car to decelerate enough to require throttle input equating to 60 to 70 mpg. Car was 2017 Audi A3 1.6tdi s-tronic. Over the same journey there was around 5-10 mpg increase using eco. Quite a substantial saving over the 2 years I had the car.

 

Obviously other things will have had an impact, reduced fan speed in auto, softened throttle response etc.

On the MY21 cars they now coast in Normal as well as Eco. So one must assume that, at least in the WLTP test scenario, it does improve consumption. Otherwise they (VAG) would not have made the change

16 hours ago, Powerred said:

Can confirm that it does save fuel. I tested coasting vs normal over 50k miles up and down the A1. Long sections of the motorway are sloped enough to maintain 60-70 mph while coasting, equating to 200 + mpg. In gear overrun would cause the car to decelerate enough to require throttle input equating to 60 to 70 mpg. Car was 2017 Audi A3 1.6tdi s-tronic. Over the same journey there was around 5-10 mpg increase using eco. Quite a substantial saving over the 2 years I had the car.

 

Obviously other things will have had an impact, reduced fan speed in auto, softened throttle response etc.

Would there be a possible negative as well?  I would have thought that the clutch wear material will wear out quicker with constant engage / disengage.  If you were to keep the car for a long time it may mean an expensive bill that would wipe out any savings to the driver?? 

Unlikely any more wear with a Wet Clutch DSG or a dry clutch.

Coasting has been part of the set up for enough years now with VW vehicles.

 

As to the WLTP, lots help them when vehicles are under the test regime, but Real World WLTP / RDE2 is not really driving cars around for an hour or 3 on roads with real people other than a driver and actual weather and road conditions on the type that you get winter, spring, summer and autumn. 

 

 

 

Edited 27 February, 20233 yr by toot

On 06/02/2023 at 17:35, colinshead said:

I found another topic on the forum, which seems to suggest that the car always reverts to normal, as that mode generates the least nasty emissions !

 

Personally I would have thought that ECO mode would be the best, rather than Normal mode.

 

Eco is only a name. It's how you drive the car that determines the emissions and mpg etc.  You may find that if you have a fully loaded car or even if you're starting going up a hill, if you drive in the same manner, normal or even sport may produces better results as the engine is less likely to labour than if the mapping was in ECO mode.

 

Personally I think it sounds daft but this is what I read is the reasoning behind it. Your car's emissions and fuel consumption are based on WLTP results which were determined under 'normal' mode. For some completely unknown reason, they decided to pass a rule that that each time you start your car, it has to be in the same mode as the WLTP results were taken. In VW's case that was Normal mode, or say in BMW's case, Comfort mode.

 

Same rules apply to every manufacturer, all new cars registered in the UK after late 2019 ( or could have been very early 2020 ) had to start in it's default WLTP mode. Bonkers or what? Our Karoq registered Nov 2019 still retains it's previous mode.

 

Ever seen the film 12 Angry Men?  I reckon that's how the decision was arrived at. I can just see some EU committee sitting around a table when a Green Party member holds up their hand and says "I've got an idea!"  Rather than debate it, because they want home early the chairman said yeh, whatever.

 

I've yet to read of anyone who's tried to justify the ruling but yeh, it's one of these things that every new car sold in the EU has to adhere to.  ( Couldn't say what happens elsewhere in the world ).