2010 Golf Wagen TDI, engine 'numbness'?

babaji · November 2nd, 2009, 14:58

Yeah weird title eh? For the lack of better terms. Perhaps I should describe this. Has anyone noticed if you are zipping along and crest a hill, just as you come down off of the peak and over the other side, the engine seems to go into 'hibernation mode'. It's a weird sensation. It's almost like it goes to sleep with a slight hint of engine compression, but not much. The accelerator pedal seems unresponsive to slight pushes, you have to really 'punch it' (relatively speaking) to wake it up again. Then it seems to power up again.

I am guessing it has something to do with it shutting off the injectors since no more fuel is needed to maintain the same speed on the down hill. Some kind of a fuel saving strategy?

I am sorry if this has already been discussed and I have missed it.

dieseldorf · November 2nd, 2009, 15:02

Baba, it this TDI your first?

Welcome aboard!

babaji · November 2nd, 2009, 15:14

dieseldorf,

Thanks for the welcome! I am 'upgrading' from a beat up '97 1.9 turbo diesel 5 door. Drove it once from Montreal to Toronto(almost) with no alternator belt. but i digress Not really a TDI is it?

I guess this is my first fully electronic Diesel. Yeah.

dieseldorf · November 2nd, 2009, 15:18

No, that was not a TDI...you're correct.

I'm wondering if you what you are experiencing is the fuel cutoff in over-run (while coasting). I haven't driven the newest cars, but the earlier cars certainly have a point where it feels like you are giving it more pedal and nothing is happening under the hood. Fueling does drop to 0 under certain conditions.

babaji · November 2nd, 2009, 15:41

Yeah, that's likely what it is. Just seems kind of extreme. But then again, i am not used to it. I am sure it will become second nature soon. Thanks for your help!

frugality · November 2nd, 2009, 16:08

Do you have a manual or a DSG transmission?

babaji · November 2nd, 2009, 16:17

frugality,

It has a manual tranny.

frugality · November 2nd, 2009, 16:27

Had to ask. There are a number of threads about jerky/hesitation/lag behaviors with the DSG transmission, so I thought that's what you might have been experiencing.

babaji · November 2nd, 2009, 16:34

frugality,

Hey , thanks! Good question! I appreciate the input!

aenea · November 2nd, 2009, 17:34

Sounds like this was happening in the 09's too.

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=228411

babaji · November 2nd, 2009, 18:06

aenea,

Yeah great thread, lots of reading there, thanks!

jalanrr · November 3rd, 2009, 14:01

My '10 w/ a manual trans does this when cresting a hill sometimes too. I also figured that it was the fuel cutoff and that it's 'normal'. I do think it is kind of odd how pronounced it is though- I have a Duramax and it also cuts the fuel when the engine load is zero and I never noticed it like I do with this car. The first couple times it happened, it really startled me.

babaji · November 3rd, 2009, 16:33

jalanrr,

Well said. Guess it will just take some getting used to.