In my S40 T4 (manual) I got wasted at lights by VW V10..

Toureg 4x4 ...And it kept pulling away!

My T4 felt underpowered big time!!

Maybe it is?

Should I take it on Rolling Road?

Also temperature gauge rises now and again (not quite to red but nearly) and fan comes on quite a lot! is this normal?

Thanks,

Neil B

There is definitely something wrong with your car mate, the specs for the V10 are as follows, according to vw's website.

Engine cubic capacity 4921
Fuel Consumption
Urban 17.0mpg - 16.6l/100km
Extra-urban 28.8mpg - 9.8l/100km
Combined 23.2mpg - 12.2l/100km
Engine emissions 329g/km
Engine noise levels 72.0dB
Engine maximum Speed 140mph - 225km/h
Engine acceleration 0-62mph 7.8secs
Maximum output PS 313
at RPM 3750
Maximum torque 553 lbs.ft / 750 Nm
at RPM 2000
Insurance group rating 19

Theres not necessarily anything wrong with your car.
If someone can afford to buy a V10, they can probably afford to turn it into a rocket by tuning it.

As for the temperature - I have the electronic gauge - it has never alerted me of a problem, and I don't really notice the fan.

Definitely worth investigating because it could be curtains if there is a cooling problem thats left too long.

The fan in mine comes on quite often, runs for a minute or two and then switches off. I do notice a slight fluctuation in the needle but rarely more than a needles width in either direction (once it's up to temperature)

Bear in mind that if you have AC on the compressor fan will come on a lot as well - make sure you don't get the two confused !!!

Mike

Then I must have a problem with cooling or something..

However the water level seems to be okay, just slight top up per week..

in long traffic or at lights, It nearly hits the red on temp and I can hear the fans spinning but once I start moving it cools down again to half.

Strange, but some days it doesn't do it at all?!


Fan usually always comes on even after engine is switched off after longish run..

Any ideas?

Neil

[Ross9]

It shouldnt be getting anywhere near the red on your temperature guage. No car should. Most sit happily around the half way stage, turbocharged cars fans will cut in and out, mines (yes plural, two big feck off ones), come on all the time in traffic, just the way the engine is crammed into the Rover, but they will sit around half way varying up and down slightly, ie a needles width as was said as the fan cools the engine a bit and turns off, heats up again, turns off.

You say you also have to top up the water a bit each week, sounds iffy, you shouldnt really lose enough to have to top it up every week. As far as I know Jacs T4 has never needed a water top up yet, though the probably added some at a service, or changed the coolant etc is mor likely.

Also, a car with a 7.8 0-60 should not have you off the lights, the VW Tourag doesnt come across as the type of vehicle to be tuned, but you never know. I know I'd be crushed if one had me, the 0-60 as standard of mine is 6.2 according to Rover, 6.3 in Autocars testing, the T4's is what 7.0? However, after an excursion last night in which I happened to be accelerating from a set of traffic lights at the same time as Jacqs T4 did next to me, never saw here their either ;), The Volvo was actually a foot in front by 100 units of speed. Over the 3 figure number and there wasnt anything in it but I couldnt make any ground on it, long and short, Volvo underestimate the car, or have different ways of testing 0-60, some companies do it with a passenger and half a tank of fuel in order to reflect the real world, either way, the T4 definately did the sprint in a time around 6.5 or below.

So to sum up, if you can launch your car properly you should have beaten the V10 thing due to its huge mass, that coupled with the temperature problem definately indicates some sort of fault, perhapos the HG has failed or is at least on its way out, what does the water and oil look like? You could be losing compression due to baking the engine, get it checked ASAP or it will only end up costing more to repair.

PS, one day I will learn to write short replies.

[SG]

I wouldn't get too upset at being beaten out-dragged by that particular Touareg.

It might weigh 50% more than your T4 but it develops 50% more power and over twice the torque. On paper that gives it a similar power-to-weight ratio and an acceleration 'index' of 1.33 compared to your car's 1.0.

On top of that, it's 4-wheel drive so will have better traction and it was probably an automatic. Once you get above a certain power level, automatics are often faster than manuals because the efficiency losses are negligible compared to the time saved during shifts (look at the Merc range for example). They're also extremely consistent. All the driver has to do is plant the throttle and the gearbox / traction control will guarantee an optimum getaway time after time.

I know the quoted 0-60 time is slower than your car but my own experience is that Volvo tend to be a bit optimistic with their quoted times (I've also read a number of road tests which have come to the same conclusion - look at the 'actual' figures quoted at the back of most popular car magazines).

No idea about the 0-60 times, but after reading the TopGear.com review of the T4 I wouldn't trust their 0-60 figures one bit, the reviewer couldn't outperform a 960 from the lights as he couldn't stop the wheels from spinning. If this is the same guy doing the 'Actuals' then they are gonna come out wrong, very wrong.

Stu

Get your car checked out - my water level hasn't moved in a year of ownership!

[Ross9]

>
>It might weigh 50% more than your T4 but it develops 50% more
>power and over twice the torque. On paper that gives it a
>similar power-to-weight ratio and an acceleration 'index' of
>1.33 compared to your car's 1.0.
>
>On top of that, it's 4-wheel drive so will have better
>traction and it was probably an automatic. Once you get above
>a certain power level, automatics are often faster than
>manuals because the efficiency losses are negligible compared
>to the time saved during shifts (look at the Merc range for
>example). They're also extremely consistent. All the driver
>has to do is plant the throttle and the gearbox / traction
>control will guarantee an optimum getaway time after time.
>
>I know the quoted 0-60 time is slower than your car but my
>own experience is that Volvo tend to be a bit optimistic with
>their quoted times (I've also read a number of road tests
>which have come to the same conclusion - look at the 'actual'
>figures quoted at the back of most popular car magazines).

The figures for the Tourag do indicate that it should be pretty quick, though the transmission losses will be huge, 4wd and automatic transmission will soak lots of power up, I disagree on the fact not having to change gear outweighs it, as long as your a competent driver when it comes to drag racing the car your shifts will be quick enough. Traction control on most car's is actually a hinderence, you dont need it on 4wd cars, and on RWD FWD it just cuts the power, again it's only use is to gloss over lack of driver skill, cars are made to be safe for the masses remember, cars like Volvo's etc will have safey as their priority, you will get a better launch doing it properly without traction control. Racelogic Launch control/Traction control systems and similar are the way to go, these are much more advanced.

As for optimistic figures on the 0-60's etc, I have found it to be totally the opposite with Volvo, only ever had 1 car to compare to, an unmodified S40 T4, and it was almost identical to 60 as my own car, if not slightly quicker, to the 100 mark it was definately quicker, 3rd gear was very strong. My own car is easily under 6.5 0-60 even if I dont get it right. 6.2/6.3 depending who you ask as standard, with a perfect launch, and the car is modified. There is nothing wrong with my own car that would make it down on performance, as it's 1/4 mile times are correct for the spec when compared to others.

PS-in regards my comments on TC, a wet road will make it much more useful, but a skilled driver would still get away cleaner using the clutch. Another pet hate I have with traction control is that if you were to hit a bit of greasy road mid corner, or simply touch the throttle in 2nd gear, the car might come on boost etc, the TC could pick up on the loss of grip on the wheels and resulting understeer, and cut the power, which is the worst thing to do mid-corner, the weight shifts and the back end will go light, encouraging it to step out, if you get the hang of doing this just be lifting off you can have some fun on b-roads, but if the TC system does it for you unexpectedly it's a bit hairy.