tdci - overtaking is scary ?

I'm having trouble getting overtaking traffic safely in my new ( to me ) Tdci Focus..

Yesterday I left it in 4th gear at 35 MPH and it was a struggle to get passed the car in front, so today I dropped it from 5th to 3rd at about 45 MPH which was even worse..

There is such little power above 3K RPM in 3rd ( or any gear ) that I just barely got past the car after having to change to 4th.

The power output V RPM curve is certainly taking some getting used to.. From 2-3K RPM it goes like a rocket and I think I#m driving a fast car, however you have to remember it just stops at 3K ! It's nice while it lasts and nippy around town but scares the life out of me when overtaking !

Si

Reply to
srp
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This mirrors my experience when I first got my TDCi, being used to petrol engined cars. I've now more or less got the hang of it, but it's back to petrol for me next time, without a doubt. I'd rather have (slightly) higher fuel bills and no medical bills.

Reply to
David Millen

In alt.autos.ford.focus snipped-for-privacy@lycos.co.uk:

Seems you have to possibilities:

a) Get used to driving a turbo diesel engine

b) Sell it and get a car with fuel engine

Good luck

BTW Yep, I had both and no problems, though I prefer a petrol because engines just run more smooth.

Reply to
Michael Heiming

Which particular engine have you got? My 1750 100hp unit revs to the red line without hesitation or loosing any grunt!

Gotta love those Italian tune-ups!

Reply to
Chris Game

You have a serious problem.

You dont say which engine you have, but if its the 1.6 (90), 1.6 (110), 1.8 (100), 1.8 (115) or 2.0 (136) then they should all come on boost at around

1700-1900rpm and pull vigourously until at least 3600rpm, and then with slightly less enthusiasm to the red line.

Get back to your dealer, you car is ill.

Tim..

Reply to
Tim..

it's the 1.8 (115) Tdci, i'll have a closer look at the Rev. counter on the way home tonight.. maybe it does pull a bit higher than 3000rpm but the power drops off quite quickly.

Reply to
srp

I'll take that as a suggestion.. :)

I've done some serious speed in 5th gear, but it does not seem to get the revs into 'italian tune up' teritory.. 70MPH= 2000rpm !!

Reply to
srp

'tune up' complete... I really think she seems a little less reluctant above 3000rpm now. My old Pugeot D gets thrashed all the time I use it so never has this problem cheers for suggestion.

Reply to
srp

Same as mine then. Max power's (115ps) supposed to be at 3800rpm, so if yours is dying before then it could be a problem. I had major issues with mine a couple of months ago, which turned out to be a tiny kink in a tube somewhere, which was doing funny things to the pressure of the gas in the tube, and hence funny things to the turbo. Like, it wasn't working at all.

Mine's now absolutely fine for overtaking - way better than petrol, just a pain in the butt for driving well on windy roads - I drove from Macclesfield to Buxton and back the other day (over the Pennines, Cat and Fiddle pass, UK), and it was really tedious - I shouldn't have to shift into 2nd gear on an open road!?! It just takes forever to get from 1200rpm to 1800rpm in anything other than 1st gear! Also really annoying that in 5th gear, at 60 or even 70mph, the turbo doesn't really kick in - have to wait til 75-80...

Reply to
Stu

Reply to
Pop-N-Fresh

Yeah but then my weekly fuel bill would be way higher than =A325 for 300 miles :-D

Of course, if I was in the US where "gas" is cheaper than bottled water, I'd have had the 2 litre petrol any day :-P

You lot moan about "gas" prices, you don't know you're born, hehehe! Currently ~$6.83/gallon for diesel here, $6.63 for unleaded (95 octane's the cheapest you can get here). 50mpg diesel vs 30mpg petrol over 15000 miles saves me $1,266 a year...

Reply to
Stu

Reply to
Pop-N-Fresh

In alt.autos.ford.focus Stu :

LOL...Full ack! I have a 2l petrol.

Those are UK gallons?

1 gallon (US) == 3.785 l 1 gallon (UK) == 4.546 l

We had been already up to 1.40 Euro/l (super - needed for 2l petrol engine) recently, though it is now about 1.25 Euro/l.

1.40 Euro/l = 6.8 US $ per gallon (US) 8.2 US $ per gallon (UK)

Get around 8.5l/100km without A/C and a little care.

33 mpg (imperial) 28 mpg (US)
Reply to
Michael Heiming

Reply to
Pop-N-Fresh

No, I did the US conversion :-) Prices based on =A30.96/litre for Diesel, and =A30.93/litre for Petrol. We've been over =A31/litre for Diesel, and on =A30.99/litre for Petrol a couple of times in the past 12 months (and boy did people get unhappy)

That said, I did my MPG conversion in imperial... which actually means my 1.8 (115) TDCi saves me more like $1520 a year over my old car (2 litre petrol Laguna, also 115bhp)

Reply to
Stu

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