Volkswagen 1.5 TSI engine. Soft start problem. Does this motor have a factory defect?

Owners of Volkswagen Group vehicles (VW, Audi, Skoda, Seat) equipped with a 1.5 TSI petrol engine in combination with a manual transmission have often complained about the so-called "Kangaroo effect".

The 1.5 TSI engine appeared in Volkswagen Group vehicles in 2017. You can find it, for example, in Golf, Passat, Superba, Kodiaqu, Leon or Audi A5. This powertrain is a constructive development of the 1.4 TSI project, which gained many supporters many years after its debut, despite initial technical problems. Unfortunately, over time, users of new generation motorcycles began to signal the problem of not being able to start smoothly.

There were more and more questions on internet forums, with owners complaining that their car started too hard and that they couldn't completely prevent it. Even worse, the services shrugged their shoulders and could not answer the question why the car was behaving this way. So, let's check where the reason lies and how to deal with it.

Volkswagen 1.5 TSI engine. Malfunction symptoms

If we chose a car with a DSG automatic transmission, the problem does not apply to us, although there are sometimes exceptions to this rule. In general, the problem arose when comparing 1.5 TSI with manual transmission. Initially, the engineers thought that it was a matter of a small number of copies, but in fact, drivers from almost all over Europe regularly reported a defect, and their number grew day by day.

The symptoms were described almost identically each time, i.e. difficulty in controlling the engine speed, which at start-up ranges from 800 to 1900 rpm. when the engine has not yet reached operating temperature. The mentioned range depended on the car model. Also, many noted a slow response to pressing the accelerator pedal. As we already mentioned, the consequence of this was quite strong jerks, which are commonly called the “kangaroo effect”.

Volkswagen 1.5 TSI engine. Factory defect? How to deal with it?

Many months after the first reports were recorded, the manufacturer said that the software is to blame for everything (fortunately), which needs to be finalized. Tests were carried out, and then the services began to upload its new version to vehicles. The Volkswagen Group has announced recall actions, and customers have received letters with a cordial request to come to the nearest authorized service station to have the defect repaired. Today, the owner can check if the promotion applies to his car, and then have it repaired at a selected authorized service center. The update improves the performance of the powertrain, although we will find claims on the Internet forums that it has become better, but the car is still nervous or unsteady to start.

Volkswagen 1.5 TSI engine. What is the problem?

According to the theory of some experts, the described "kangaroo effect" is the primary result of the torque curve and its interaction with Auto Hold. At the moment of launch, between 1000 and 1300 rpm, the torque was very low, and jerking occurred with a drop and a sudden increase in the boost pressure created by the turbocharger. In addition, the gearboxes fitted to the 1.5 TSI engine have relatively "long" gear ratios, which heightened the feel. Simply put, the engine literally stalled for a moment, then received a “shot” of boost pressure and began to accelerate sharply.

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Some users have dealt with this problem before a software update by adding a little more gas before starting, thus increasing the pressure in the intake manifold, making more torque available. In addition, it was possible to hold the clutch a little longer before adding gas in order to disengage Auto Hold first.

Volkswagen 1.5 TSI engine. What cars are we talking about?

New cars leaving dealerships today should no longer have this problem. However, when picking up a newly purchased copy with a 1.5 TSI engine, you should make sure that everything is in order at startup - for your own peace of mind. If we talk about used cars, then almost every car with this engine can have the ailment in question if the software has not been updated in it before. Simply put, when buying a used car, you need to remember that where a 1.5 TSI is combined with a manual transmission, there can be a “kangaroo effect”.  

Volkswagen 1.5 TSI engine. Summary

Needless to say, some owners of 1.5 TSI cars were very worried that something was clearly wrong with their copy. It was often feared that the power unit had a factory defect and would soon seriously fail, and the manufacturer did not know how to deal with it. Fortunately, a solution has appeared, and, hopefully, with the update it will definitely end. So far everything points to it.

Skoda. Presentation of the line of SUVs: Kodiaq, Kamiq and Karoq