Low Power in First Gear

I bought my 02 Golf a couple months ago, and it has 173k miles on it. It has the original tranny in it, and it was driven by two very OCD drivers (like myself) before me. So the car is still in fantastic condition, and it shifts fantastically (manual).

My question is probably more about the general characteristics of MKIV TDI's. When I start off in first gear, I feel like the engine isn't really transferring a lot of power to the wheels. Second gear has loads of torque, and feels great for getting away from traffic, but first is just so so. Also, the second I push the clutch pedal to shift up to second, the car REALLY loses power (I know, it obviously should since the wheels are no longer connected to the engine).

Is this just a normal trait of the ALH TDI's? I don't feel any other symptoms that would indicate the clutch is slipping, and it's even buttery smooth into each gear - I'm just wondering if this is a clutch issue, or if this is something a tune could fix, giving me some more torque in first gear.

...your OCD notwithstanding, but if counting is your thing then try letting out the clutch pedal without using the go pedal...
when the clutch pedal is fully released then add a little go pedal and count out 5 seconds then shift into 2nd gear between 2200~2400 rpm...
I like that rpm range for the 1-2 shift because the rpm will drop to about 1800 which is the sweet spot for the 1.9 TDI so it allows me to give it the beans or slowly accelerate up to 2200-2400 rpm for the 2-3 shift.
Conversely, it's possible to dump the clutch in 1st at 1800 rpm and smoke the tires through the intersection

So based on what you're saying, I'm just experiencing the normal acceleration of the car. Once I get up to about 3500 or 4000 rpm in first, it just feels like the car isn't accelerating any more, but then again, when I shift into second, I've got power like nobody's business. (Well, my 06 GTI had a bit more power, but you know what I'm saying.)

"Give it the beans" - I like that. Never heard it before. Yeah, I always try to shift into about 2000 rpm or so for whatever the next gear is, to give it plenty of head room to be pushed.

caseyfriday said:

Once I get up to about 3500 or 4000 rpm in first, it just feels like the car isn't accelerating any more

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You're probably used to gas engines that rely on Horsepower for getaway... that HP isn't available until higher RPM.

Your TDI is making the most torque right around 2k rpm.
So as Lens_dude mentioned, I find the best shift point is the spot where you can complete the shift and get that next gear engaged just below 2k. Depending on how quick you are with your shift, that would put you well below 3k to start your 1-2 change.
In short... shift earlier.

CopaMundial said:

You're probably used to gas engines that rely on Horsepower for getaway... that HP isn't available until higher RPM.

Your TDI is making the most torque right around 2k rpm.
So as Lens_dude mentioned, I find the best shift point is the spot where you can complete the shift and get that next gear engaged just below 2k. Depending on how quick you are with your shift, that would put you well below 3k to start your 1-2 change.
In short... shift earlier.

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OOOH! I get it now! I don't know what you said differently, but I can actually understand what you're saying. So basically, after I get above 3k rpm, it's just useless revving that will cause me to lose out on valuable torque in the next gear, thus why it feels like the car is almost stopping when I push in the clutch after revving up to 3500 or more rpm.

Thanks to both of you for that explanation - this will definitely change the way I drive!

caseyfriday said:

this will definitely change the way I drive!

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Now don't be afraid to get into a little in the higher gears. An excursion up to 4k rpm every now and then is good for the overall maintenance of the turbo.

Just listen to what the feedback from the car is telling you. This engine's 'sweet spot' is at a lower rpm range than most gas alternatives.

CopaMundial said:

Now don't be afraid to get into a little in the higher gears. An excursion up to 4k rpm every now and then is good for the overall maintenance of the turbo.

Just listen to what the feedback from the car is telling you. This engine's 'sweet spot' is at a lower rpm range than most gas alternatives.

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I definitely get into it in higher gears.

My last car was an 06 NB TDI auto (VERY slow), so I'm familiar with diesels, but this is my first manual tranny car. I've been driving it since August '13, so I'm quite good at it now. I personally count my shifting smoother than some autos I ride in.

And I've heard of the "Italian Tune Up". Always good to get the vanes flowing.

Yeah, shifting so that the next gear ends up just under 2k makes for a lot more linear acceleration. My main focus is usually to get the hell out of a 4-way stop, as others start accelerating aggressively the second I start going, so I end up shifting out of 1st at too high an rpm.

However, I'll be using this new shifting method, and others at the stop can wait their turn while I take my sweet time.

Loving my 2015 TDI Sportwagen! I'm just wondering if the computer opens the waste gate in 1st. I can see that might be a traction control measure. I got to drive a Fiat Tipo Estate in Italy this last September, and the setup was remarkably similar. 2 liter turbo diesel, 6 speed manual, and the combination just pulls like a train from 2nd gear up.

EdHawke said:

Loving my 2015 TDI Sportwagen! I'm just wondering if the computer opens the waste gate in 1st. I can see that might be a traction control measure. I got to drive a Fiat Tipo Estate in Italy this last September, and the setup was remarkably similar. 2 liter turbo diesel, 6 speed manual, and the combination just pulls like a train from 2nd gear up.

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Bit off topic, but yea, pretty sure the 2015 still uses a VNT actuator (not wastegate), that's variable, opens and closes throughout the RPM range.