Free Wheel systems

[Dustydog]

The Touareg has an electronic method of selecting free wheel rather than throttle off over run with engine braking. Don’t like it at all.

I drove an old Saab two stroke early 70s with free wheel. Why are VW bringing it back? Have I missed a trick?

 

[Kevin M]

My dad had a 1976 Saab 96 that had that, no different to dipping the clutch and pretty dangerous to me.
Don’t know why VW have revived it, just another feature I guess.

Kev

 

[otherclive]

Does the Touareg give you the option to deselect it at all. It’s clearly an economy measure but no doubt leads to wishy-washy control on some roads such as nice flowing A or B roads. In general autos can feel more wishy-washy on some roads even when they have engine braking available. On such roads if I want to I use paddles to drop the gear ratio or go into manual mode. In the two sports modes it gives better engine braking on its own. It never used to be this complex, but it keeps your attention level high.

 

[otherclive]

My dad had a 1976 Saab 96 that had that, no different to dipping the clutch and pretty dangerous to me.
Don’t know why VW have revived it, just another feature I guess.

Kev

My father in law used to knock his cars into neutral on lots of occasions. Used to scare the daylights out of us especially when going downhill with oncoming bends.

 

[Dustydog]

The Touareg is driver choice. Usual mode is non free wheel. The torque converter fully locks up once on the move so full engine braking is available identical to a manual. I understand on the over run no fuel is used. So I really don’t understand why I can have free wheel. Not for me.

 

[JezzerB]

Why don't you like it-it saves fuel and wear and tear-things have changed and engine braking to slow a modern car is a thing of the past-and enhances engine and gearbox wear-better to wear the brakes which these days don't fail.
And as above I used to knock my car into neutral down hills etc-no need these days due the free wheeling and the fuel cut off on the overun.

 

[Parksy]

Coasting in neutral is a driving test fail.
It reduces driver control over the car, especially on bends where it could be dangerous.
The amount of fuel saved and wear and tear reduction engine and gearbox components by coasting is negligible.

 

[JezzerB]

Modern cars coast. Our mini auto disconnected drive in 'green mode' and coasts. Driving tests allow you to coast up to junctions clutch in . Yes putting a car in neutral and coasting is not the same thing .

 

[Dustydog]

The Touareg is different. If you brake going down hill, it changes to a lower gear offering engine braking, fuel cut off, and helps decent at a sensible speed without using brakes..The torque convertor doesn’t slip but remains locked

 

[ProfJohnL]

I had two Saab 2 strokes with freewheel. Interesting... The free wheel was important for the two strokes because the lubrication for the engine is delivered with the fuel.

Without freewheel if the car was coasting the wheels would be driving the engine which wasn't receiving lubrication, and as I discovered on the M6 the engine cracked its crank case.

4 stroke engines have a separate lubrication circuit which do allow it to provide engine braking.

 

[Beachball]

But when going downhill in a steep incline the Tiguan automatic goes to a lower gear offering engine braking it probably does exactly like DD

 

[otherclive]

I had two Saab 2 strokes with freewheel. Interesting... The free wheel was important for the two strokes because the lubrication for the engine is delivered with the fuel.

Without freewheel if the car was coasting the wheels would be driving the engine which wasn't receiving lubrication, and as I discovered on the M6 the engine cracked its crank case.

4 stroke engines have a separate lubrication circuit which do allow it to provide engine braking.

My two Yamaha two strokes had autolube lubrication where oil was injected directly into the engine. Without engine braking I don’t think I’d be here now as the brakes weren’t really up to countering the 39 bhp and 49 bhp from the tiddly 350 cc engines. Still better than Suzuki or Kawasaki’s of the time.

 

[Buckman]

Anyone remember the old DKW which had a free wheel system. If you did not know about it, it was a bit scary especially if you are used to using the engine to slow down before braking.

 

[Dustydog]

A plausible reason Prof but that doesn’t explain why three of my Villiers engined motorbikes had no freewheel. They were two strokes where oil was added to the petrol.Even on over run a fuel oil mixture was still entering the crankcase and combustion chamber for lube.

 

[Beachball]

My wife use to own this Piaggio Vespa LX 50cc 2 Stroke she love it for going to work it was a good runner until i brought her a Yamaha 125cc motorcycle she said it was faster when it ran other times she had to run with it and put it in first gear after a 12 hour shift as a nurse