Clutch in cold weather

[robv160]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone else with a 1.9tdi finds the car easy to stall in the cold weather? Mines a cupra don't know if that would make any difference?

When I start up from cold especially at this time of year the car is mega easy to stall if I have to do say a standing hill start before the engine is properly warmed up-dose anyone have similar problems or am I just a gash driver

Never really have any issues in the warmer weather and I'd say in the two years I've owned the car it has never got any worse and that I probably give the clutch a bit of stick now and then but not much really.

When I first bought the car the clutch bite point always felt a bit vague, is that a characteristic of the clutch or dose it sound like mine could have had some hammer from previous owner??

Any help would be appreciated guys, Cheers.

 

[darkhorse]

My cupra does the same. The engine seems to lack torque at low revs when cold. It's fine if it idles for a couple of minutes before setting off (I start up then clear the glass whilst the engine is running) and its slightly better if I turn the climate to ECON mode. I've driven a lot of vag 1.9tdi cars and a couple of 2.0tdi and they are pretty much the same. The worst being a Passat with the electronic handbrake thing

 

[TazB]

i have this problem too. nearly got hit by a bus the other day cos of it lol. jumped in the car, started up, seat belt on, check mirror, saw the bus indicate to leave the bus stop a couple metres behind so i pulled out at the same time and bang i stalled half out the parking space. bus had stopped so was ok.

i forgot to rev the engine a little before pulling away. im too used to having to scrape the windscreen which is enough time to not have the stalling problem.

 

[borderboy]

same here, just leave it to tick over for 5 minutes before i drive her though, seems to work !

 

[krussel]

I cant say i ve noticed this on my Fr tdi. Maybe its a Cupra thing

 

[great_kahn]

Not really noticed with mine, ive been very pleased with how she fires up. I do tend to start the engine and then go about defrosting (Really shouldnt do that, what with opportunistic thieves etc).

 

[joesmad4it]

i have this problem too. nearly got hit by a bus the other day cos of it lol. jumped in the car, started up, seat belt on, check mirror, saw the bus indicate to leave the bus stop a couple metres behind so i pulled out at the same time and bang i stalled half out the parking space. bus had stopped so was ok.

i forgot to rev the engine a little before pulling away. im too used to having to scrape the windscreen which is enough time to not have the stalling problem.

I think it must be a cupra thing, i live on a bit of a hill and when I pull onto it when cold I find I have to give it plenty of revs (like a pensioner finding the biting point) but when warm it has no problems!

 

[andypandypoos]

mine's pretty stall-happy (everyone I know that's driven it has stalled it at least once) but it hasn't been any better or worse in the recent cold weather. it's a Cupra TDI

 

[RUM4MO]

The worst being a Passat with the electronic handbrake thing

Well the electronic handbrake thing is enough to put you off a car - a VAG car with the basic system anyway. I had a Passat 2.0TDI as a loan car when my B5 4Motion was getting a new bumper cover - and it was a dog in the cold to move up my drive way - and when you add to that the electronic handbrake you have a situation where getting the bus sounded like a good idea! I think that it was safe to say, that when the engine was cold in cold weather, that engine had the low down torque of a 1990's multivalve petrol engine - aka "a gutless wonder"!

 

[Aimez]

I have this on my FR too I have to remember to not pull away straight away is best onyl the past two week in Sussex it has been below freezing the car slightly struggles on starting and then sounds a bit tired for a about 2 seconds then is fine.

 

[robv160]

I think it must be a cupra thing, i live on a bit of a hill and when I pull onto it when cold I find I have to give it plenty of revs (like a pensioner finding the biting point) but when warm it has no problems!

I know what you mean with the pensioner bit. Where my lass lives I have to do the most awful standing hill start that’s on a junction with very limited visibility so it's an absolute barstool to get out of at the best of times never mind having a stall happy car so to ensure this doesn’t happen I over compensate with the throttle and end up looking like a tool as I make loads a noise and plenty of wheel spin

If I don't then it either stalls or dose this weird thing where somehow it keeps going even though I completly muck it up and it crawls up the bank with no power what so ever till the turbo wakes up then it rips yer head off!!

Cheers guys it's nice to see that a few people have the same issue and it's just one of them 'lovely' characteristics of the car-has this issue gone in the 'you know you've got a mk4 when' thread? It should be!

Has any one gone from a standard clutch to a uprated one e.g sachs etc say when they've had a remap? I was wondering if an uprated clutch would solve this and give the car a more definitive bite point???

By the way Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[andypandypoos]

mine has a sachs clutch and jabba smf and it's at best the same, although the smf wont be helping matters

 

[Aimez]

Is it the clutch thou or just the engine being cold, most cars will struggle in this weather?

 

[joesmad4it]

Is it the clutch thou or just the engine being cold, most cars will struggle in this weather?

Not really anything clutch related, sounds like the tdi engines are very much like us! love to be nice and warm before being asked to do too much work!

 

[Deleted member 13581]

I havent noticed this on mine, but i have noticed how well the car has been performing in the frost and snow with regards to never getting bogged down. Keep the revs down let the engine do the work and its away.

 

[kripteksi]

Mines pretty good in this way...no problems But I'm allways putting a high quality diesel additives for winter and for engine cleaning They will help you! I'm using Wurth additive. Try it, maybe will slove your problem.

 

[Aimez]

Why what does it do? I am very sceptical about that kind of thing.

 

[darkhorse]

Mine has done this from the day I drove out of the showroom 5 years ago. It's a characteristic of the engine. As I already said, other diesel vags I've driven have been the same. Nothing to worry about, let it idle for 2 mins before setting off
Maybe it's down to glow plugs on certain cars being less efficient than others?

 

[RUM4MO]

A guess from a petrol-head would be "emissions" - or at least smoke (same thing), weasal engines like extra fuel to start - just like petrol engines, but this quickly shows up as visible exhaust smoke on these engines - when last did you see a smoking modern TDI (unmodified) engine? That is progress for you maybe!

 

[kripteksi]

Hi Aimez , If you are asking about additives....They are like lubrificants for diesel and petrol engines, like antifriz for diesel(winter versions), they also will clean your injectors too ;-) It's pretty helpfull ;-) Have a nice time ;-)