A3 gearing

Amchlolor

Amchlolor

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Anyone know the gearing of an older A3 ?

The reason I ask is that some bloke on the older A3 forum is claiming he got an indicated 136mph from his A3 tdi at 3500rpm.

Now,ignoring the fact that he also claims it was still pulling hard /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif,I would have thought 3500rpm was too low for 136mph,unless top is really high-geared,which makes his "still pulling hard" comment even sillier.
 
Don't diesels red-line at 4k anyway, so it might be possible. But to say it was still pulling hard, hmmm my 3.2 never pulled 'hard' after 130, so i doubt it.
It would have run out of puff by then, easily.
 
Just found some info from Audi Driver mag...

TDi 110, 27.5mph/1000rpm in top
TDi 130 Q, 30.8 mph/1000rpm in top....

Quoted top speed for these are 121/126 mph

I have had my TDi 130 Q chipped and up to 202 khm on the autobahn, thats Road Angel speed, not dashboard speed.

It was going to go faster but pulling hard, I think not.... 3500 rpm in top = 107 mph at best. Do the math.

The only things I have driven where pulling hard and numbers above 130 were in the same sentence, had two wheels and 1200cc motors. Race cars/heavily modded/RS models may be different but I havn't had a chance to pilot one of these.

Maybe pulling hard is a reference to the TT problems thread... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

If its pulling that hard, he better pull off quickly....
 
Ive got a 1.9 Tdi. On flat motorway I had it at 125mph at about 4300 revs. It didnt have much left in it!
 
I had my 2.0 TDI showing an indicated 135mph @ 4000rpm on the autobahn on the way back from Austria last year. According to my GPS my speedo is reading about 10% over so that would be an actual speed of 122mph. That is of course with a DSG gearbox and I've not seen any figures for the mph/1000 rpm for the DSG.
 
8L 130 PD's are geared at approx 35MPH per 1000RPM in 6th.

3500RPM therefore around 122.5 MPH by my calcs. Car could still be pulling at that speed, but would not have thought 'hard' unless substantially chipped...
 
[ QUOTE ]
The only things I have driven where pulling hard and numbers above 130 were in the same sentence, had two wheels and 1200cc motors.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm the same.

I've been over 160mph on various bikes on dozens of occasions,and felt perfectly safe whilst doing so.

I've never been over 130mph in a car,and even then I wasn't happy doing it.

Whether it was my Golf 1.8T or my Alfa 156,there was a sense of "ooooh dear this doesn't feel nice at all" doing it on A roads (even empty scottish ones).

Might be better on a nice smooth motorway/autobahn though.

Never been over 110mph in the A3,as there are few occasions when I don't have the wife and/or my daughter in the car.

It takes so bleeding long to get to anywhere near 100mph that you inevitably run out of room anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
8L 130 PD's are geared at approx 35MPH per 1000RPM in 6th.

3500RPM therefore around 122.5 MPH by my calcs. Car could still be pulling at that speed, but would not have thought 'hard' unless substantially chipped...

[/ QUOTE ]

That doesn't sound right.
Sounds too high.
The previously posted 30.8mph per 1000rpm sounds more realistic.

3500 revs at 122.5 mph is more like an overdrive gear.
 
[ QUOTE ]

I've been over 160mph on various bikes on dozens of occasions,and felt perfectly safe whilst doing so.



there was a sense of "ooooh dear this doesn't feel nice at all" doing it on A roads (even empty scottish ones).

Might be better on a nice smooth motorway/autobahn though.

It takes so bleeding long to get to anywhere near 100mph that you inevitably run out of room anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely, bike perfectly planted even in the turns at big speeds.

Autobahn was fine but the car was loaded to the gills and still felt floaty.

One day I will clock this for myself, Edi bypass has a good section...
 
bowfer, you feel safer at 150+ on a bike than 110 in the A3 ?. i'd sell it mate cause you got a lemon for sure. There are lots of roads around here that ( in the middle of the night ) 100+ speeds are EASILY achievable in the A3.

You're so focused on the auto up change, that you're forgetting that the throttle goes ALL the way down /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Hmmm.

Dunno as 30.8 quoted was for a quatty. Maybe theyr'e lower geared?

I know you can't go by the instruments alone, but mine does read exactly 35MPH per 1000 RPM in top, and pretty much exactly 30 in 5th.

Standard 51 reg, 130PD, 2 wheel drive etc.

I'll have a look through the manual tonight. If it gives any info I'll post it up tomorrow.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

I've been over 160mph on various bikes on dozens of occasions,and felt perfectly safe whilst doing so.



there was a sense of "ooooh dear this doesn't feel nice at all" doing it on A roads (even empty scottish ones).

Might be better on a nice smooth motorway/autobahn though.

It takes so bleeding long to get to anywhere near 100mph that you inevitably run out of room anyway. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

[/ QUOTE ]
Absolutely, bike perfectly planted even in the turns at big speeds.

Autobahn was fine but the car was loaded to the gills and still felt floaty.

One day I will clock this for myself, Edi bypass has a good section...

[/ QUOTE ]

Edi bypass has a good section on New Years Eve only. Otherwise it's a great carpark /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
bowfer, you feel safer at 150+ on a bike than 110 in the A3 ?. i'd sell it mate cause you got a lemon for sure. There are lots of roads around here that ( in the middle of the night ) 100+ speeds are EASILY achievable in the A3.

You're so focused on the auto up change, that you're forgetting that the throttle goes ALL the way down /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

That's not quite what I said Japper.
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I said I feel happier at 150+ on a bike than I have done at 130 in a Golf or Alfa.

110 feels fine in the A3,but I've little desire to try 130 in it,on the roads around here anyway.

Bikes can get to 'silly' speeds so much quicker than cars,that it's easily attainable without needing loads of room or time. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ok.gif
 
Only yoking matey /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif

Taken from Autocar test results on a Golf mk5 2.0TDI DSG ( although it states manual below )

I think DSG boxes are geared lower than manual so 35mph / 1000 could be possible in manual versions.

Gearbox
Type 6-speed Manual
1st 3.46/5.2
2nd 2.05/8.8
3rd 1.3/13.8
4th 0.9/20
5th 0.68/26.4
6th 0.56/32.1
Final drive 4.12
 
I've once,only once,hit the rev limiter in top on a Suzuki GSXR1000.

That's an electronically governed 186mph.

I was getting double vision with the buffeting and bumps.

Helluva experience though,and it took an astonishingly little stretch of tarmac to do it.
 
Taken from Autocar test results for a VW Passat 2.0TDI SE manual box.

Gearbox
Type 6-speed Manual
1st 3.77/5.8
2nd 2.09/10.4
3rd 1.32/16.5
4th 0.98/22.3
5th 0.78/28
6th 0.65/33.6
Final drive no data
 
Peak power is around 3800-4000 in the 2.0tdi isn't it ?
So they gear them for around 125mph in top ?
Sounds about right eh ?
 
[ QUOTE ]


Edi bypass has a good section on New Years Eve only. Otherwise it's a great carpark /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed, especially the bit towards Sheriffhall from the A1, and keep eyes peeled on the A1 past Haddington for Talivans and sneaky camera's,

Now then, back to gearing... I got the speed/mph figure from Audi driver and the 110 bhp must be 5 speed as it has a lower figure than the 130 which is a six speed..

Don't know if the 35mph/1000rpm is printed though Les seems to be sure its that.
 
Does make for interesting reading guys.

I hear you say it takes ages to get to 100MPH, even when my car was in a non remapped state, I would constantly sh!t myself at how quickly and effortlessly I would be cruising at over 100MPH. The BMW 120d is built for speed and I do hate it because it’s so so stable and quiet. It's going to get me into trouble. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anyways back to topic, yeah I agree that "pulling hard" is not an accurate at all. My car goes flat after 143MPH in remap state and in normal state I would say 130MPH. It pulled, but deffo not hard!
 
[ QUOTE ]
Does make for interesting reading guys.

I hear you say it takes ages to get to 100MPH, even when my car was in a non remapped state, I would constantly sh!t myself at how quickly and effortlessly I would be cruising at over 100MPH. The BMW 120d is built for speed and I do hate it because it’s so so stable and quiet. It's going to get me into trouble. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anyways back to topic, yeah I agree that "pulling hard" is not an accurate at all. My car goes flat after 143MPH in remap state and in normal state I would say 130MPH. It pulled, but deffo not hard!

[/ QUOTE ]

NSD, takes ages to get to 100mph......anything when compared to a bike takes ages. I wouldn't have thought they would be much difference between a std A3 2.0TDI and a std BM. Mine's certainly quicker than my Golf 150pd in all scenarios and that wasn't too shabby for a diesel.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Does make for interesting reading guys.

I hear you say it takes ages to get to 100MPH, even when my car was in a non remapped state, I would constantly sh!t myself at how quickly and effortlessly I would be cruising at over 100MPH. The BMW 120d is built for speed and I do hate it because it’s so so stable and quiet. It's going to get me into trouble. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Anyways back to topic, yeah I agree that "pulling hard" is not an accurate at all. My car goes flat after 143MPH in remap state and in normal state I would say 130MPH. It pulled, but deffo not hard!

[/ QUOTE ]

NSD, takes ages to get to 100mph......anything when compared to a bike takes ages. I wouldn't have thought they would be much difference between a std A3 2.0TDI and a std BM. Mine's certainly quicker than my Golf 150pd in all scenarios and that wasn't too shabby for a diesel.

[/ QUOTE ]

26 seconds from a standing start to 100mph is pretty poor even by car standards,so it's not just slow compared with a bike.

However,that is from a standing start,which is hardly an everyday experience.

It's easy enough to hit 100mph once you're actually rolling.

The 0-60 time of the A3 is competitive enough,but I would lay money on the fact a 120d would start leaving it behind quite comfortably from 60 onwards.

As I've said before,it's the change from 3rd to 4th (at more or less bang on 60mph) that absolutely kills the acceleration of the A3.

They've geared 1,2,3 for an impressive 0-60 time,but then given it a jump to 4th that the engine simply cannot handle easily.

Given that it's a 6 speeder (manual or DSG),it's weird that they've done this and not kept the ratios closer.
 
Back to the gearing...

There was no info in my user manual apart from a suggested top speed of 205kph (128.125MPH). However, according to Diesel Car magazine who tested an A3 TDI 130 SE in Feb 2002, top gear (6th) equates to 33.3 / 1000RPM, so not too different from Jappers figs.

At the 3500RPM mentioned on the older A3 forum, this would equate to 116.55MPH.

Somebodies instruments must be out of wack...
 
[ QUOTE ]

The only things I have driven where pulling hard and numbers above 130 were in the same sentence, had two wheels and 1200cc motors. Race cars/heavily modded/RS models may be different but I havn't had a chance to pilot one of these.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agree to get up there and still pull is a hard one... Old man had a modded Lotus Carlton (750bhp) managed to get upto 195mph and it was still going.... Fun fun fun.... More like blur blur blur /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cry.gif

Got there pretty quickly tho.... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

h
 
Autocar also says 27.8secs. to 100mph in a 2.0TDI Sportback manual. These are manufacturer figures and must be conservative / heavily loaded for sure.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Autocar also says 27.8secs. to 100mph in a 2.0TDI Sportback manual. These are manufacturer figures and must be conservative / heavily loaded for sure.

[/ QUOTE ]

Unfortunately not Japper,try it sometime.
I couldn't get under 26 seconds.
Maybe shave a second off for the lesser weight of your 3 door though.
 
[ QUOTE ]
no info for 1 series, but 22.8secs for 3 series.

[/ QUOTE ]

The BMW has 23bhp more than the A3 in standard trim,but that's not (in itself) enough to shave 4+ seconds off the 0-100 time,I don't think.(especially in the bigger body of the 3 series)

I suspect the BMW has closer/better gear ratios,avoiding the helluva drop in revs between 3rd and 4th that stifles the A3's acceleration.
 
[ QUOTE ]
do bmw use 6 speed boxes as well, or are they still on 5s?

[/ QUOTE ]

6 speeders on the 120d and 320d, not sure on 118d.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
no info for 1 series, but 22.8secs for 3 series.

[/ QUOTE ]

The BMW has 23bhp more than the A3 in standard trim,but that's not (in itself) enough to shave 4+ seconds off the 0-100 time,I don't think.(especially in the bigger body of the 3 series)

I suspect the BMW has closer/better gear ratios,avoiding the helluva drop in revs between 3rd and 4th that stifles the A3's acceleration.

[/ QUOTE ]

Next time I get a chance i'll give it a go. Must admit that most times you're already rolling, which makesa big difference.
 
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