SQ5 Throttle response driving me mad SQ5 2020

jdp1962 said:
I know, I have read the whole thread
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Then you'll already be aware that fuel consumption is a non-issue to me, and thus your comment about fuel consumption on a 2 TON SUV is irrelevant.

Oil consumption and throttle lag are however very relevant, so I thank you for those.
 
Mustard said:
Then you'll already be aware that fuel consumption is a non-issue to me, and thus your comment about fuel consumption on a 2 TON SUV is irrelevant.

Oil consumption and throttle lag are however very relevant, so I thank you for those.
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Forgive me; I was anticipating a question over the drop in mpg from diesel to petrol.
 
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"Average consumption over that time has been 27mpg; if that's too high for a luxurious and refined two-ton SUV that can do 0-60 in five seconds then an SQ5 is not the right car for you."

2022 Tdi SQ5 does 0-60 in 5 seconds and average since new of 35.3 mpg (inc. some horse trailer towing).
 
Interestingly, I decided to take the pedal box off today as I have made arrangements to have it properly remapped as a final attempt to love the car.

Anyways, back to learning to drive the car again (for the zillionth time) and was quite impressed by how it responded to being driven hard i.e. depressing the pedal with some gusto but not burying it into the mat. Even forgot I was in Individual mode (sound deactivated) for a while, and then it happened. The very reason this thing is dangerous.

I went to pull out into flowing traffic and it just sat there thinking about it for a second or two, which feels like an eternity and then moved off, with very little room to join the traffic. It may only be a second or two, but it's definitely the difference between being mullered and staying in one piece.

This is the very behaviour that brought me down this road of throttle hesitancy and I can't believe this thing is programmed to be this way, it's ridiculous.

Having also done some reading on DSG owners experiences, I think it's safe to say that the gearbox is a huge part of this hesitancy, and thus why a remap would need the TCU doing as well as the ECU.

So, I've just gotta wait my turn to get it into the reampping guy this week and see what difference that's going to make. I hope it revolutionises my driving experience so I can love the car once and for all. In the meantime I'll drive it around as stock so I can notice the difference the mapping will make.

I'll update the thread again once there's something to update about.
 
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Mustard said:
Interestingly, I decided to take the pedal box off today as I have made arrangements to have it properly remapped as a final attempt to love the car.

Anyways, back to learning to drive the car again (for the zillionth time) and was quite impressed by how it responded to being driven hard i.e. depressing the pedal with some gusto but not burying it into the mat. Even forgot I was in Individual mode (sound deactivated) for a while, and then it happened. The very reason this thing is dangerous.

I went to pull out into flowing traffic and it just sat there thinking about it for a second or two, which feels like an eternity and then moved off, with very little room to join the traffic. It may only be a second or two, but it's definitely the difference between being mullered and staying in one piece.

This is the very behaviour that brought me down this road of throttle hesitancy and I can't believe this thing is programmed to be this way, it's ridiculous.

Having also done some reading on DSG owners experiences, I think it's safe to say that the gearbox is a huge part of this hesitancy, and thus why a remap would need the TCU doing as well as the ECU.

So, I've just gotta wait my turn to get it into the reampping guy this week and see what difference that's going to make. I hope it revolutionises my driving experience so I can love the car once and for all. In the meantime I'll drive it around as stock so I can notice the difference the mapping will make.

I'll update the thread again once there's something to update about.
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DSG?
 
jdp1962 said:
DSG?
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Thought I would do some reading up on it as my previous Q5 had a DSG box in it and it also suffered with throttle hesitancy, but nowhere near as bad as this SQ5.

Despite this one having a ZF TipTronic box, it still behaves with similar symptoms, but apparently the only solution is a TCU remap.

Do you have something that may be helpful to add ?
 
Mustard said:
Thought I would do some reading up on it as my previous Q5 had a DSG box in it and it also suffered with throttle hesitancy, but nowhere near as bad as this SQ5.

Despite this one having a ZF TipTronic box, it still behaves with similar symptoms, but apparently the only solution is a TCU remap.

Do you have something that may be helpful to add ?
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Some threads I try to contribute to, others I try to learn from. In the case of your thread, it’s more the latter, my interest being that I’m three days away from taking ownership of the exact same model that you are facing such frustration with.
 
jdp1962 said:
Some threads I try to contribute to, others I try to learn from. In the case of your thread, it’s more the latter, my interest being that I’m three days away from taking ownership of the exact same model that you are facing such frustration with.
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Oh my days... if I was reading this thread, I would wait until the OP either solved the craziness via a professional remapper or deemed it a waste of time and moved on, before I parted with the cash. Especially as your petrol one does not have these issues.

Although, do bare in mind that it will take you a while to notice the hesitancy as that seems to be a common thing between people who've owned this model, so you could still enjoy it for a few months before the hate sets in.

I'm deliberately charting my journey with this one in the hope that it either saves someone else from the pain and frustration or offers a solid conclusion. Give it a week and I should have another update...

One thing I am interested by, is the guy will put it on the dyno first and get a baseline for it, so I will ask him if it has been interfered with previously - if he can determine such a thing - as mine could be extra stupid because the previous owner fiddled with it.
 
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Rick @ Unicorn Motor Dev. said:
And now it's fixed :D
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Ha Ha Ha Ha the cats out of the bag now....

I didn't want to prematurely write anything until I'd had a chance to properly drive the car around, but to the TLDR guys, in short Rick @ Unicorn Motor Developments has fixed it :trophy:


Bit more detail below for those who are interested

First thing Rick noticed was the gearbox was running on stock software, despite their being a factory update available, so it hadn't been previously fiddled with and he promptly ironed out that by bringing the software up to date.

Next was his custom mapping for the engine and gearbox, mixed with realtime Dyno testing and boy was that loud, really loud :sweatsmile: and it went on for an eternity ha ha ha but necessary to do the job properly.

Then Rick took it out on a quick road test, came back and then got me to take it out on a road test with him in the car to get my feedback.... and I could tell almost immediately that it was different, massively different.

He has turned the car into an absolute hooligan, I still can't stop laughing when its motorway time or I need to go fast in urban environments, its wild !! It's not like the car was a slouch beforehand, but now its so fast, I darent bury the pedal for fear of what will become ha ha ha.

The gearbox shifts so much faster, no longer needlessly holding onto the gears and acting retarded, it knows what's requested of it and when to deliver it.

The engine pulls like a train, and in the few days its been since Rick has fixed it, I seem to now need both hands on the wheel when giving it some beans as the power coming through everything is raw... this is what I expected when buying an Audi Sport, but it was clearly missing... until Rick got to work on it.

Keeping it real, Rick explained how this is all as a result of the VW emissions scandal and these auto/diesels are literally programmed to ignore the driver and deliver a mediocre experience. Therefore, completely omitting any of this programming is impossible, but it can be made better, much better and true to his word, that's exactly how it's become.

However, there's still an adaptation period for both myself and the car, and I'm learning to drive it yet again, but this time it's behaving as it should. Yes, there's still a tiny amount of throttle hesitancy from a dead stop, but I think this can be overcome by my learning of how much pressure the pedal needs from a dead stop, but it's nowhere near as bad as it was. Yet, even with that small amount of hesitancy, the box and engine respond so much faster that it leaves you with no time to complain about it as that time has passed and you're flying again.

The car feels happier, it wants to go, its happy to take off, overtake or just boot it. For example; those single lane roads approaching traffic lights that open up to two lanes just before the lights, but the car in front is braking too early to stop, so you just pull out into the second lane and give it a tiny squirt to get through the lights on time, which is now simply delightful. Instant masses of power, in the correct gear, all delivered on demand, the feeling is just wonderful, the complete opposite of the heap of ***** it was acting as before I took it to Rick.

Motorway driving, it just pulls, no matter of the gear, but if I want it to move a bit more, i.e. someone is up my chuff, then a little squirt makes it just just take off and leave them as a spec in the rearview mirror, and when I say a little squirt, I mean it, I still haven't buried the pedal yet as this thing can get you from 0 to a ban way quicker than before.

Anyways, without going on like an old boiler, I would summarise it as this; I'm still learning to drive it again but now it's a fun and delightful hooligan. It was definitely worth enlisting the services of a professional like Rick to iron out its stupidity, and kudos to DJAlix who called it from the very start, that this was the only true fix for this car. The pedal box is garbage for this car and for added fun noticeably ruins your fuel economy, also I wouldn't be surprised if it contributed to longer term issues based on how bad it makes the car react.

So, if you're in need of this service and able to travel to Manchester, then I wouldn't hesitate in recommending Rick to fix this issue for you.

Rick, you're a legend mate and I thank you for unlocking my car's true potential and also allowing me to love it again, this was worth spending the money on :sunglasses: also, best of luck with the move to your new unit - PS thanks also to Chloe for constantly offering me drinks and making my wait as painless as possible, if she could ping me through a receipt when operational again, that would be greatly appreciated.

And finally, hopefully my documenting of this journey will be useful to others at some point in space and time :sunface:
 
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Mustard said:
That sounds good, thanks for letting me know.

However, I already own a 2020 SQ5, but it has stupid throttle lag issues and that is primarily why I am hating the car.
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I agree - I also have a 2020 SQ5 and the throttle lag is terrible too. I leave it in dyn/sport 24/7 to minimize it as much as possible. I usually get about 19-20mph, but if you are worried about MPG then the SQ5 is probably not the right for you. LOL I feel your pain. Transmission tune sucks too. I wish I could pull the tranny tune out of my X5 and put it in my SQ5 - that would be a perfect combo. My SQ seems to be in a race with itself to get into 3rd gear as fast as possible - usually by 10mph. LOL
 
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