The time has come... out with the old, in with a new Passat.

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
The new Jetta Hybrid is supposed to do this up to 80 MPH or so. My first experience with freewheeling was when riding in 2-stroke Saabs.
 

IndigoBlueWagon

TDIClub Enthusiast, Principal IDParts, Vendor , w/
Joined
Aug 16, 2004
Location
South of Boston
TDI
'97 Passat, '99.5 Golf, '02 Jetta Wagon, '15 GSW
I was going to add, "Yes, I'm that old." I was going back and forth to high school, if that's any consolation.
 

TheGrove

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Location
S Central PA (Breezewood)
TDI
2012 Passat SEL Premium Opera Red - Dieselgate Fix, KermaTDI Tune, 2004 Passat GLS Northern Green-RIP
Are you driving in S or D mode? Freewheeling only works in D mode.
I think it also works in S mode if you are in 6th gear. I've been driving mine in S mode since last Thursday and when I go downhill in 6th it is coasting along like it did when I was in D.

It doesn't do it in D either.

Considering buying a VCDS today... I'd love to compare soft coding with someone who has an early car.

-J
Something's not right. If you are in the Rockville area between 7am and 4pm your welcome to come check mine out.

I drive in D normally. I am aware of how freewheeling is supposed to function, but our car just doesn't do it.

I suspect that VW turned off the freewheeling function due to complaints from owners who are used to conventional automatics. If you read previous freewheeling posts/threads, you'll notice a cutoff point in time (manufacturing dates) where people have stopped referencing the freewheeling function. Before that point in time, several people were making comments about it.
Maybe, I know I don't notice that the RPM's drop just that the speed stays the same or slightly increases when freewheeling downhill.

I don't recall freewheeling in the Passat we had here last August. And I would have noticed.
Mine, which should have a build date in June/July has it. But anything is possible.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
I think it also works in S mode if you are in 6th gear. I've been driving mine in S mode since last Thursday and when I go downhill in 6th it is coasting along like it did when I was in D.
No 6th gear available in S mode...
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Looks like you got the new/Jetta mirrors. Not sure if that is better or worse yet.
Good eye! I like the mirrors, but it's a bummer that the Euro glass won't work with them. Some convex (aspherical?) mirrors like Jason put on our Mk4 would be awesome on the Passat.

I have drive with them pointed way out on the Passat to cover the blind spot but wish I could see a little bit more.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
I think it also works in S mode if you are in 6th gear. I've been driving mine in S mode since last Thursday and when I go downhill in 6th it is coasting along like it did when I was in D.



Something's not right. If you are in the Rockville area between 7am and 4pm your welcome to come check mine out.



Maybe, I know I don't notice that the RPM's drop just that the speed stays the same or slightly increases when freewheeling downhill.



Mine, which should have a build date in June/July has it. But anything is possible.
I've noticed that the 2.0 has very little engine braking compared to the ALH. When freewheeling, the RPMs should drop to idle, similar to putting a manual trans in neutral and letting off the accelerator... someone whose car does this, please confirm.
 

Niner

duplicate account, banned
Joined
Jun 3, 2011
Well, the 2.0 does have 16.5:1 compression instead of 19.5:1...

Yeah, and Matt-98AHU logged 2.5 bars from the turbo... that's 22 psi or there abouts. And it gets it really early, low in the rpm's, too.
 

TheGrove

TDIClub Enthusiast, Veteran Member
Joined
May 17, 2006
Location
S Central PA (Breezewood)
TDI
2012 Passat SEL Premium Opera Red - Dieselgate Fix, KermaTDI Tune, 2004 Passat GLS Northern Green-RIP
I've noticed that the 2.0 has very little engine braking compared to the ALH. When freewheeling, the RPMs should drop to idle, similar to putting a manual trans in neutral and letting off the accelerator... someone whose car does this, please confirm.
Mine has never dropped to idle. When I am going down Town Hill on my way in and cancel cruse and am not touching the accellerator or brake my rpm's stay where they normally would yet the car doesn't slow down, especially like my '04 did.

My opinion, so take it for what you want, is that they keep the rpm's up to match the transmission speed so that if it needs to re-engage there is no abnormal feel because everything is "in sync".

S does use 6th but you have to be going quite fast.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I see mine switch into 6th around 65 or so. When I'm crusing at my normal 75 the rpm's are the same in S as in D.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
The whole point of freewheeling is so the engine can drop back to idle so it doesn't suffer pumping losses. Also, the DSG is good at seamless rev-matching, so reengaging after freewheeling should be unnoticed by the driver aside from the tachometer change. Disclaimer, I could certainly be wrong about this, as our car certainly doesn't freewheel and I haven't ridden in one that does.

This is all very interesting to me. I'd love to go for a ride in your car, but I can't think of a time when I'll be around Rockville during the day.
 

tdiatlast

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Jan 21, 2009
Location
Fort Worth, Texas
TDI
2009 Sportwagen (boughtback); 2014 Passat TDI SEL (boughtback)
Yo...neighbor...howzabout we take our cars out, side-by-side, and find a nice long hill (?) and check them out. Oh...I see...nevermind...you don't want to ride in my early-production Passat for fear of some sort of catastrophic failure...I understand...
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Are you proposing a road trip GTG up to the mountains? Group drive, perhaps? I'll make sure to have a tow truck on standby for you. ;)

In all seriousness, a day trip up to Skyline would be sweet.
 

VeeDubTDI

Wanderluster, Traveler, TDIClub Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 2, 2000
Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
‘18 Tesla Model 3D+, ‘14 Cadillac ELR, ‘13 Fiat 500e
Mine has never dropped to idle. When I am going down Town Hill on my way in and cancel cruse and am not touching the accellerator or brake my rpm's stay where they normally would yet the car doesn't slow down, especially like my '04 did.

My opinion, so take it for what you want, is that they keep the rpm's up to match the transmission speed so that if it needs to re-engage there is no abnormal feel because everything is "in sync".



I see mine switch into 6th around 65 or so. When I'm crusing at my normal 75 the rpm's are the same in S as in D.
Bill,

I think you may be right about the freewheeling. I think I feel the transmission engage/disengage at high speed when I transition from on to off the accelerator. Very interesting.
 
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