Mk7 Golf TSI & TDI - Observations and Questions

[Mountainman]

Curious about the 103TSI as compared to the Mk6 118TSI (which eventually got hobbled back to a 103TSI when it was de-tuned) .
Obviously the Supercharger has gone, but apart from this is there any other significant difference in the power plant?

The only thing the Mk6 1.4 engines have in common with the Mk7 1.4 engines is the bore centre. The new range has a different coding - EA 211 instead of EA 111 (I think), it's an all alloy (not iron block of old), with different placement of turbo, exhaust placed at rear of engine bay, water cooled intercooler and back to belt instead of chain for timing belt. Also different bore/stroke - now slightly long stroke. Peak torque arrives earlier and lasts longer and is much more economical.

[Mountainman]

Has anyone around here ECU tuned their MK7 103TSI? If so are the gains essentially the same as they were on the MK6?
Seems the 103TSI only comes mated with DSG7. No manual option. Is this correct?

That's right, unless you want to get the Skoda Octavia, where the 103 TSI comes standard with the manual. All this info is available on the VW website Volkswagen Australia Also I haven't heard of any tunes being available, but then why would they? Anyone wanting more power would have surely been shopping for a GTI. I think it's a shame that VW doesn't offer the 132kW 1.8 TSI instead of the 103 TSI. It would be a more realistic step up from the 90 TSI to the GTI. Have you seen the difference in performance that "Wheels" magazine got when testing the 90 TSI DSG and the 103 TSI DSG? There really isn't any except that the 90 was more economical (which is opposite to what VW claim).

[logger]

Thanks for the explanation re the differences in TSI Engines between the Mk 6 and 7.

In regard to your comment about ECU tunes..

..Also I haven't heard of any tunes being available, but then why would they? Anyone wanting more power would have surely been shopping for a GTI.

With the MK6 TSI118, the ECU tune increased the engine output to something similar to the GTI. Cost about 1K instead of the 10K leap up to a GTI, so it was cost effective. I thought perhaps a similar tune might be available for the Mk7.

[zardoz]

Also I haven't heard of any tunes being available, but then why would they? Anyone wanting more power would have surely been shopping for a GTI

As VW aren't making a GTI wagon and the R may not even be released (and if it is, possibly not here), 103TSI will have to do!

[brad]

but then why would they? Anyone wanting more power would have surely been shopping for a GTI.

People don't necessarily get a tune just for power. I got mine (1.8tsi) because I wanted to get rid of the artificial torque limit of 250nm and also wanted better economy & driveability. vRS was another $8k over what the 1.8tsi cost and I didn't need/want the other extras just to do a relatively straight highway commute of 100km every day. Tune cost me $660 and achieved all my objectives.

Also, when I bought the car it was my intention to pass it on to my daughter when she got her licence. GTI wouldn't be legal with P-Plates but I can get an exemption for the 1.8tsi if I remove the tune (5 minutes work).

[BCK]

I desperately would love more power out of my 103, especially top end.

But the 7 speed dsg wouldn't be able to handle more that the 250nm it already has.

I hope oped the polo gti comes out with this motor, so that APR can release a tune that I can take advantage of!

[brad]

But the 7 speed dsg wouldn't be able to handle more that the 250nm it already has.

The 250Nm is a rating not an absolute. It's like a road bridge that has an engineering rating of 10 tonnes - if you drive a 12 tonne truck over it, it won't collapse or do immediate damage. Maybe as a result you have to upgrade the preventive maintenance schedule or similar but it isn't a show-stopper.

I think DKtuning & revo might have a map for the 1.4tsi

[bennjamin]

The 250Nm is a rating not an absolute. It's like a road bridge that has an engineering rating of 10 tonnes - if you drive a 12 tonne truck over it, it won't collapse or do immediate damage...

Limits are limits for a reason - If you push it , it simply will not last as designed. Like a bridge - it will break

[brad]

Limits are limits for a reason - If you push it , it simply will not last as designed. Like a bridge - it will break

You don't know the difference between an engineering rating & a limit

[DV52]

Limits are limits for a reason - If you push it , it simply will not last as designed. Like a bridge - it will break

Bennjamin: I do agree with you that "limits" (however they are intended to be applied) should not be ignored. You make a good point but, except in the most basic circumstances, I don't believe that limits are "absolute" values.

In engineering terms, absolute limits apply generally only when isolated components are involved. For example, the absolute breaking limit (under tension) for a simple steel wire which is of a certain diameter and is made of a known grade of steel can be determined quite accurately. But, put that same piece of wire in the wheels of a road bike (say) and the limit of the bike as a whole gets much more complex!

I suspect that the NM rating on a car suffers pretty much from the same problem. The rated limit that the good Burghers in Germany apply to the Golf has to be a compromise between a lot of contradicting factors (maintenance interval, component replacement times, stress on individual components, driving conditions over time, etc). It's difficult to say whether the engineering in a bridge is any more (or less) complex than a car, but with something like a car "limits ain't limits" (IMO).

[ecka]

Seeking feedback

I have a 2013 Mk7 Highline diesel DSG.
I have noted the following and would like to find out if others are experiencing the same and advice on what can/should be done
1) Slow take off and have to push the accelerator down considerably before car moves off.
2) Uses more Fuel economy than my previous Mk6 diesel Comfortline DSG
3) First start up of engine of a day have noticed intermittent rattling noise, metallic in nature but seems to go away after a while

Any assistance/advice greatly appreciated. Thanks

[godzilla_110TDI]

1) personall have not noticed this in ours
2) yep, can agree. Pretty disappointing. We initially purchased ours hoping for good economy, especially at the time when diesel was heaps cheaper than petrol. Having said that, we are lucky to drive more than 15k twice daily. Diesels hate that. Our current long term is 6.9 and average speed is in the 20's
3) pretty normal for initial startup of a diesel to be noisy.

[veew]

I have a 2013 Mk7 Highline diesel DSG.
I have noted the following and would like to find out if others are experiencing the same and advice on what can/should be done
1) Slow take off and have to push the accelerator down considerably before car moves off.

I have adjusted to this annoying trait by anticipating lights or openings in traffic and releasing the brake 1 second earlier. Once you feel the car moving forward, application of the throttle should be the same as a normal torque converter automatic. This minimises excessive throttle application and experiencing driveline shunt and chirping of the wheels.
It still annoys me but the remainder of the DSG driving experience has been great otherwise (with the exception of the occasional squeak I've had recently when changing from 2nd to 3rd gear).

[DV52]

I have a 2013 Mk7 Highline diesel DSG.
I have noted the following and would like to find out if others are experiencing the same and advice on what can/should be done
1) Slow take off and have to push the accelerator down considerably before car moves

Ecka: regarding your (1) point, I think that you are referring to the car's "turbo-lag". I suspect that the mk6 had this also but that it was masked by the super-charger which kicked-in much earlier in the rev range . I have the petrol engine and the same thing happens, but I'm not sure if the effect is more pronounced in a diesel motor. Like "veew" I also have found that with time, I've learnt to find the sweet-spot on the pedal's travel thereby by-passing the dead part of car"s acceleration. Now I don't notice the turbo-lag at all.

[Splashalot]

From what I've read the EA211 is direct injection only - not port/direct as per the EA888. Can anyone confirm this is definitely the case? If this is the case, I assume the EA211 will suffer the same coking issues afflicting all other VAG DI-only engines?