1.6 FSI driving

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runboy

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Just wanted to post my thoughts on the 1.6 FSI I currently have as a courtesy car.
And before I start, can you believe that when I took the technician out for a drive this morning, and all today whilst they had the car, not once did any of the three squeaks/creaks occur!. Talk about sods law-I could have kicked it's wheels and poured boiling water over the car in anger. So the dealer is keeping it overnight to do more tests tomorrow.

Anyway, I was given a 1.6FSI with about 350 miles on it. First impressions were good-nice and nippy and quieter than I thought. But the more I've been driving it today I've noticed:

A distinct diesel drumming coming through the pedals at rest, and sometimes you do hear loud knocking just like a diesel.
It has no power below 2500rpm-above that and at speed it flies and I was very impressed. But around town unless you rev the do-da's off it my 1.4 is quicker.
I don't like the gear change. Everytime you depress the clutch the car will jerk for a split second as if you have dabbed the brakes. Very annoying as to beat it you have to change gear slowly. This doesn't happen in my 1.4.
The cabin was fairly well screwed together-just one rattle from the rear. But the service flap at the front wouldn't shut properly and just flapped about no matter how hard you tried to shut it.

And although the light interior looks posh, in only 350 miles it looked grubby and dirty. Glad I didn't go for it.

So in all I like the performance but the engine and drivetrain need a lot of improving. You can't have your cake and eat it Audi would say!.

Steve - 2003 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior
 
Is it worth spending the extra money on though?

2002, 1.4, azure blue, 2 tone leather, concert II single cd. Member of A2OC site.
 
If I am totally honest then no, I'd probably go for the diesel as you then expect the refinement issues. I felt that the FSI was taking the A2 back to square one and in a couple of years it will be a cracking car when these little problems are sorted (like the petrol/diesel A2's today).

I can't deny the speed increase is a boon over the 1.4, but the delivery around town leaves a lot to be desired!.

Steve - 2003 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior
 
Has anyone tried using super premium petrol - does it make a difference to driveability?
The low sulphur variety that tesco sells is I guess 95Ron equivalent.
Which garage chain sells the super premium stuff anyway?
 
I think most of the main stream pterol stations sell the super premium stuff, it's just they may only have it on a few pumps.

2001 TDI SE, Open Sky System, 16" six spoke alloys, Kenwood Mask CD.
Please support the A2OC & Forum: www.Audi-A2.co.uk/support.htm
 
hehe the super premium stuff is 14p more, thats even more expensive than diesel at 89.9p/l. Felt like getting some once but the free tank of petrol coupons I get from my dealer only work at a station that only has normal grade petrol.

1.4SE petrol 2001, Dark interior, Sat cloth, Brilliant Silver, 3 spoke Steering wheel, Rear electric windows and Panasonic MR555 stereo, Panasonic 8CD changer, 10 speakers (2 extra 13" 190 watt each.)
 
Tesco's doesn't, Neither does my regular local 12 pump Esso.
Before I bought mine, one salesman in another dealership was adamant that the 1.6 would need to be "modified" in the workshop so I could run it on normal grades. Other dealer said had never heard of this and have always run their 1.6's on ordinary unleaded.
I took this to mean that another EMS chip with a different advance/retard profile would need to be fitted - but neglected to ask - I am wary of asking technical questions of salesmen.

mw 1.6FSI
 
I have to say that I have become greatly confused over fuels for the FSI. First off magazine reviews stated that the model needed to run on Shell “Optimax” and at that time they made a big deal that it was only rarely available. This to me was slightly strange when for 12 months I had been using “Optimax” in my 1.4 model.

Moving on to only around one or two months ago, I then read another magazine article/road test in which it stated that a high octane fuel was needed in order to gain the best in performance – but that such fuels were not yet available in the UK. My view at that time was how crazy it was of Audi to sell a car where the fuel which it was designed to burn was not yet available. What I never could find out is what the desired fuel was to be called – is it “Tesco FSI Clean Burn” ?

Regards
John Disdale
 
I understand optimax to be a 95ron fuel but somehow delivering better performance. It would not however incur the extra tax applied to 98 ron so is not that expensive.

My experience is 98 ron high octane fuel is widely available on nearly every petrol pump but much more expensive due to higher tax. Subaru Impretzas only run on 98 ron high octane fuel running badly on 95 and you see enough of them. Whereas the FSI is able to run on 95 but runs better on 98.

Clear as mud

Phil
 
OK - I was so intrigued by the above comments on Optimax that I paid the Shell.com website a visit. Found out loads!

For the Optimax non Optimax debate - this is Shells point of view....

"Shell Optimax is designed to enable fuel and air to flow smoothly and quickly to your engine. This means that Optimax burns more cleanly and efficiently than regular petrols to give you increased performance and a quicker response. It also protects your engine better than any other unleaded petrol.

Shell Optimax has the highest octane specification of any petrol in the UK. It is greater than 98 Research Octane Number (RON).

Customers in other countries where we've introduced similar fuels have reported fuel consumption benefits. And the West Midlands Police, who tested Optimax in their in their vehicles, noticed an improvement in fuel economy alongside the performance benefits of the fuel. So while we are not claiming fuel economy improvements in all cases, there is every reason to believe that many customers will see a benefit. This is because Optimax removes performance-sapping deposits from the engine as you drive.

You should find that the recommended pump price for Shell Optimax is similar to prices for super unleaded, which it replaces at the pump".

So - is that clear then? Especially like the bit about being more than 98 RON! Does ANYONE out there just use Optimax? What MPG are you getting and is it worth the extra you pay at the pump??[}:)]??

Take Care y'all

Kit

Soon to be the owner of a Dolphin Grey 1.6 FSI SE with Red Leather, ECC, DIS & Symphony 6 CD
 
Well I've been using Optimax in our A2 1.4 for the last 6 months and intend to use it in our new 1.6 FSI from the start.

Its probably added 10/20 miles range to our A2 over standard Shell 95.
For the FSI the difference should be bigger.

For 10,000 miles a year it works out an extra £50 or so - seems a worthwhile investment to me. Hardest part is finding Optimax in certain parts of the country (e.g. North Devon)

Note that there is an expected laucnh of non sulphur petrol next year which will aid the FSI even more. Interesting to see if Optimax goes this route.

Obviously the longer you keep the car, the more benefit you should receive. Evo magazine did a test of Optimax 6 months or so ago and the results from both performance figures and stripping the heads was impressive.

Dave

1.4->1.6 1 week to go
 
Sorry, but returning to my key point that “Optimax” is not reckoned to be the best for the FSI (in spite of being 98 octane) might I be correct in guessing that the future “Non Sulphur” fuel mentioned by “Dave S” is what is really needed, and is what it's all about ?

Regards
John Disdale
 
DaveS – Thanks for the link, which says it all. Of course the only unknown factor is will “sulphur free” be available in January or December 2003.
 
My FSI has done 1,300 miles, it has good performance below 2,500 rpm, although it obviously has more at higher revs. I use Shell Optimax, for which I pay a 3p per litre premium. I'm currently getting 42mpg with lots of time spent in traffic.
My experience doesn't tally with Steve's - I don't think the engine or the drivetrain are in need of improvement - I find them both good and am thoroughly enjoying the car.

JR

A2 1.6 FSI, Cobalt blue, OpenSky, etc.
 
JR-I wonder if it's another example of the A2 patchy build quality?.
OK, from a 36 hour ownership of the 1.6 I wasn't going to get to know the car fully, but it did suprise me that where I could put my foot down in my 1.4 and get movement, in the FSI I had to change down a gear or two to get the thing moving, hence the mention that I felt it better above 2500rpm. I find that if I drop speed in my 1.4 in heavy traffic I can put my foot back on the gas and it will respond, whereas the 1.6 would take an age to wind up or I had to change down. Plus I doubt it had 98ron in it.

How do you find refinement-do you notice a diesel type clatter at times?.

Steve - 2003 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior
 
Steve,

I have noticed that the engine is slightly louder than normal at tick-over, but I wouldn't describe it as diesel-like.
My car's engine really loosened up at about 800 miles, before that I would agree that there was a lack of performance - since then everything's been most acceptable.

JR

A2 1.6 FSI, Cobalt blue, OpenSky, etc.
 
I will admit to being pleased with how quiet the engine was at idle and a steady speed. I'd read on the forum other people saying it was noisier than the 1.4, but I thought it was as good as, if not less so. Only once did it give a big diesel clatter episode when I was waiting at a junction and apart from that there was a slight thruming through the pedals when you were at traffic lights etc. But overall I was impressed with the noise level as a whole after reading some not-so-good reports here on the forum.

Steve - 2003 1.4SE petrol, Silver, black/black interior
 
Steve,

I was very interested in your comments, and although I appreciate you was not driving the FSI for a long period this in itself is no sin, because you were able to record first impressions. Its very easy (for any of us) to drive a car over many months and in doing so become conditioned that it behaves normal – or even good. What I did feel was that your comments on town driving (low revs) matched that which I have read in different magazine articles.

The fact that the FSI is said not to wake up until the revs are well and truly wound up is not unique, and numerous quick cars are said to have this drawback. By example my diesel Golf can handle keeping on the move at low revs in a high gear, but if suddenly some decent acceleration is required it can seem like a dead slug. This all dramatically changes if the revs are in the 1800/2000 range because then its like a rocket – perhaps this is why some drivers have a policy of town cruising in 3rd gear, when the power is closer to always being more available.

Regards
John Disdale
 
John,

your grammar does seem to have fallen from its usually high pedestal in your last post - could the forum have been hacked by your cousin, one Mr Dusdale?

JR

A2 1.6 FSI, Cobalt blue, OpenSky, etc.
 
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