Sudden Power Surge - Is It Normal?

Hello,
It's about a Volkswagen Golf A4 1.9 TDI with 96 kW (approximately 130 horsepower), manufactured in 2001.

You start in first gear and shift to second, then floor the accelerator. Between 1000 and 2200 RPM, you don't really get much power. But then suddenly it kicks in, the wheels spin, and the car takes off.
Is it normal for there to be so little power at low RPMs?
The VTG (Variable Torque Gradient) should help to partially prevent a torque dip.
In my opinion, the power delivery should be more "gradual" and not kick in so abruptly... could something be broken, or is this normal?

Hello, if it's working correctly (which isn't always the case), it suddenly starts at 1900 RPM. Of course, this also happens in first gear. If you give it full throttle in first gear, it gets even worse than in second gear (*obviously*). You have to learn how to deal with it so that the tires don't wear out too quickly .


Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'CU Thomas' translates to 'See you, Thomas.'

Hello,
It's about a Volkswagen Golf A4 1.9 TDI with 96 kW (approximately 130 horsepower), manufactured in 2001.

You start in first gear and drive slowly, then shift to second. You floor the accelerator, but between 1000 and 2200 RPM, there's not much power. But then suddenly, it kicks in – the wheels spin, and the car takes off.
Is it normal for there to be so little power at low RPMs?
The VTG (Variable Torque Gradient) should help to partially prevent a torque dip.
Furthermore, in my opinion, the power delivery should be more 'gradual' and not start so abruptly... could something be broken, or is this normal?

Hello,
Why don't you buy a 'less powerful' car, or practice using your right foot?
Best regards,
Günther.

Hello,

The person above is right. Buy a 100 HP TDI engine. Its power delivery is more harmonious. I would never think of complaining about this characteristic. In fact, I chose this engine precisely because of it .
I also want to make sure my vehicle has sufficient power.


Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'CU Thomas' translates to 'See you, Thomas.'

I'm not complaining, and I don't think it's bad that things are the way they are *g*... I just wanted to know if this is also normal, since I haven't driven any other comparable TDI models yet.

I'm not complaining either, and I don't think it's bad that things are the way they are *g*... I just wanted to know if this is also normal, since I haven't driven any comparable TDI models before.

Hello.
One should adjust to the car they are going to drive.
If you had bought a Porsche, you probably wouldn't be 'alive' anymore!
Best regards,
Günther.

Damn, now I finally understand what kind of feeling the automatic transmission gives me!

Damn, now I finally understand the kind of feeling this automatic transmission gives me!

Hello,
Build that 'thing'!
Best regards,
Günther

@tuner01

It should have started abruptly at 1,500 RPM. What about in third gear? Does it start late there too, or sooner?

Best regards, WarLord.

Hello,

So, as WarLord mentioned, it usually works well in the second gear, especially in the lower RPM range. It would be interesting to see what happens with the other gears, for example, in fifth gear.

Best regards, Christian.

Hello tuner01.

Okay, just forget everything that Moby and Günther wrote for now.
The PD-TDI engine should have good power output even at 1500 rpm, especially the 96 kW version.
The AXR engine (74 kW; mine) also pulls strongly from as low as 1500 rpm. Unfortunately, I've had the problem several times in recent weeks that my AXR engine didn't produce any noticeable power until 2000 rpm. This lack of power was particularly pronounced in the higher gears. After replacing the mass airflow sensor and the turbocharger pressure control valve (I still have warranty until 09/2005), I took the car back to VW today. The diagnostic tests finally revealed a faulty turbocharger. During the diagnostic process (the engine is held at 1400 rpm via the VAS 5052), it wasn't generating enough pressure when the variable turbine geometry (VTG) was fully activated.

Since your response behavior exactly matches mine, I would investigate for a fault in the VTG area: measure the vacuum of the tandem pump, check the boost pressure control valve, look for leaks in the 'hosing' to the VTG, check for sticking or jerky VTG operation, and measure the boost pressure. For the latter, a diagnostic tool (available here in the shop; @Rainer, will I get a discount now ) can help you.

Hello Hati,
I myself drive an A3 TDI with 131 horsepower and have driven it for 28,000 kilometers. I've also driven about 10 other vehicles with a 131 horsepower TDI engine. None of them start accelerating forcefully below 1900 RPM.
I was just talking to a colleague on the phone, and he told me that his A3 TDI with 131 horsepower also starts boosting at around 1900 RPM. He's never had any issues with it, and everything is fine for him. I've driven several other TDI models with over 100 horsepower in Polos, Golfs, and A3s, and I can confirm that they all start boosting around 1900 RPM as well.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

'CU Thomas' translates to 'See you, Thomas.'

@Thomas.

Ask Bertil when his AXR will become strong...
You can test drive the new loader next week if you like.

Hati wrote:

Hi tuner01. Okay, just forget everything that Moby and Günther wrote for now. The PD-TDI engine should have good power output even at 1500 rpm, especially the 96 kW version. The AXR engine (74 kW; mine) also pulls strongly from as low as 1500 rpm. Unfortunately, I've had the problem several times in recent weeks that my AXR engine didn't produce any noticeable power until 2000 rpm. This lack of power was particularly pronounced in the higher gears. After replacing the mass airflow sensor and the turbocharger pressure control valve (I still have warranty until 09/2005), I took the car back to VW today. The diagnostic tests finally revealed a faulty turbocharger. During the diagnostic process (the engine is held at 1400 rpm via the VAS 5052), it wasn't generating enough pressure when the variable turbine geometry (VTG) was fully activated. Since your response behavior exactly matches mine, I would investigate for a fault in the VTG area: measure the vacuum of the tandem pump, check the boost pressure control valve, look for leaks in the "hosing" to the VTG, check for sticking or jerky VTG operation, and measure the boost pressure. For the latter, a diagnostic tool (available here in the shop; @Rainer, will I get a discount now ) can help you.

Thank you for your detailed response. I will probably build one of those diagnostic devices myself soon (in the worst-case scenario), and then try to verify the things you mentioned.

@moby
According to the torque curve, the ASZ engine already produces 250 Nm of torque at 1500 rpm and a maximum torque of 310 Nm at 1900 rpm. This level of torque should therefore provide adequate acceleration even at 1500 rpm. If not, there is likely a problem.

Okay, I understand. Please provide the German text you want me to translate into English. I will only provide the translation.