acceleration of 1.8T

Re: acceleration of 1.8T (jeffreynimz)

Hello Jeffrey - let me be the first to welcome you to the Vortex, and congratulate you on your purchase! Wagons are great, and Passat wagons are even better.
In reference to your query, many here will post that you should upgrade the OEM ECU chip, to allow greater boost values. While this will certainly solve your 'sloooow' acceleration problems, you may/may not wish to tamper with this delicate piece of your new car's fuel management system.
Passat's will seem slower than the boosted Jettas, primarily (as you mentioned) because of weight, but also gearing (if I'm not mistaken). Your wagon (Tip?) has a fairly tall 5 gear, but not a very torquey 1st gear. You'll quickly develop a feel for the acceleration characteristics, and adjust your driving style accordingly. I've found that a gradual yet strong depression of the throttle from dead stop yeilds better results than mashing the throttle (which you probably shouldn't be doing at all until your break in period is complete!)
On the other hand, if you notice greater slowness than what you experienced during your test drive, perhaps a problem exists with the blow off valve. Can anyone here shed some light on what could mechanically cause Jeffrey's car to drag abnormally? Whatever the reason, if there indeed is a problem - you are fully covered under warranty.
Lastly, remember that the Passat 20V (unless heavily modified) is not a drag racer. It is - however - a very stable and nimble car at speed.


[Modified by Bill, 5:20 PM 11-26-2001]

Re: acceleration of 1.8T (jeffreynimz)

Chip the car with a spare ECU so that you can swape them for dealer visits.
Then buy a KO4 turbo and an exhaust after warrenty is up and your talking.
That's the gameplan for my A4 at least.
A 2002 APR chip alone will give you 215hp/245lb crank @ 93 octane, all three could land would at 230hp/255lb or so.
Not too bad for a stock manifolds, of course you could get one of those too. . . but Inconel steel is really expensive yet would land you in the realm of 250 hp or so. (crank remember)

Re: acceleration of 1.8T (Bill)

Very well stated Bill.
In my experience with the 1.8t, I thought my manual was slow at first. However this changes once you adjust your driving style.
The 1.8t is a great motor. While an Auto Wagon with the 1.8t is not going to knock your socks off, you will find that it should have pretty decent power once above say 2600 rpm, and should pull very evenly all the way to about 5700rpm where the power peak is. Though, the motor remains smooth well beyond that in my opinion.
The issue here is the tiptronic. Sluggish in the name of refinement.
Here a chip designed for your transmission's computer will help greatly. Improving responsiveness and it will shifting will be crisper.
A chip designed for the Engines computer or ECU(Engine Control Unit) will also help. A chip for the ECU basically allows the turbo to built more pressure, there by compressing air to a greater degree, thereby increasing HP!
Say the stock motor makes 170hp you will gain maybe a bit over 20hp with a chip in most cases. This will make the car more responsive and ultimately faster, but a fair margin.
Upgrading ECUs like Bill said is like tampering. You need to be careful, and be certain that your dealer will not give you a hassle if you do decide to chip.
To some Chips are a no brainer. Others leave well enough alone. I say go through the break in period. Give the car a couple of thousand miles to break in.
During this period, all of these computer controlled devices are going to adapt slightly to your driving style, and you to theirs. You will notice an increase in performance during this period.
If at that point you want more then the chip or chips will be justified.
Previously I had a 1.8t and I added a chip. I had no problems, and there was a very noticeable increase in power.