VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note

Honest John Back Room » Motoring discussion
View Threaded
Wed 23 Jun 2010 15:29
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}

Now the VW PD diesel sounds just fine to me (see below). Had a 1.9 100ps and now a 2.0 140ps and I love them both.
If the overpowering road noise could just be removed I could hear that characterful PD growl in my Octavia.
Talking of non-sweet sounding diesels. I was in the engine room of my fathers ship at about 8 years old. I was (am) interested in engines, and my father, the Chief Engineer, told me to stay put while the full starting sequence (required by Lloyds insurance) for all the auxiliary generators and compressors, then the main engine was run through. By the time the main engine was running, a two stroke blown British Polar, I was absolutely deafened (no ear defenders in the 1950s) and could not really hear anything but could feel the air throbbing. Amazed that Dad was not deafened after decades at sea.

My uncle who was the Chief in much larger, quieter, vessels dismissed the Polar as a rock crusher!

Edited by Glaikit Wee Scunner {P} on 23/06/2010 at 15:30

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 23 Jun 2010 16:22
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - 659FBE

The PD seems to be a variable beast, both from engine to engine and according to installation. I think the N-S installations are quieter than the E-W - but these tend to be in the bigger cars. PD Golfs are noisy by my standards.

The AWX in my Superb is quiet - much quieter inside and out than an M-B B class diesel and unless you press on, road noise is a major component of the overall sound level.

In the rear seats (I like travelling in the back of this machine) road noise definitely predominates and a quieter engine would be almost pointless - especially as any other would use more fuel.

I wish the fuel system on the CR engines was as durable as the PD. I am hearing of a disturbing number of fuel pump failures...

659.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Jun 2010 11:06
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - craig-pd130

I always enjoyed the guttural growl from the PD in my old Passat when booting the throttle in 4th gear at around 40mph, when the motor was right at the peak of the torque curve.

The growl combined nicely with the instant throttle response and shove :)

My current Mondeo's motor is much quieter inside the car, but makes a characteristic double-edged warble, it souns strangely reminiscent of an Audi 5-pot.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Jun 2010 21:32
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - Roly93
The PD seems to be a variable beast, both from engine to engine and according to installation. I think the N-S installations are quieter than the E-W - but these tend to be in the bigger cars. PD Golfs are noisy by my standards.

I have had 2 PD engined A4's and you're dead right. Old shape Passats with the same engine see quieter as do Glfs with the same engine. MY car has been well looked after and has a driving regime almost totally centerd around morotway cruising from new, but always seems more externally noisy than other A4's I seem to see around town. My dad has a Passat with the 100BHP PD engine and that is dead quiet, however it is driven so unbelievably gently its probably the gum inside the engine thats making it quiet !

I've never seen any plausible theories as to why idfentical diesels vary so much in tickover noise. Do cars driven hard have quieter engines or the opposite ? Do cars that do mostly town work have quieter engines ??

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Wed 23 Jun 2010 17:05
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - oilrag

Enjoyed your post, Glaikit. I like diesel engine sounds ( I know) the 1.3 multijet in the Punto van is nowhere near as satisfying as the Perkins Prima, in the Maestro, I once had.

Mrs O`s sees it differently of course ;-)

I actually took the under bonnet insulation off, so I could more clearly hear the engine... (bet no one has ever done that)

There`s a rat tat tat, briefly sometimes when cold (with the Multijet van) and the revs are low. i`m informed that`s due to the fancy multi injection process suddenly giving one big shot instead of muli injections to keep things going. At any rate I like the sound of it and only this morning with a cold engine in the City it stopped someone stepping off a pavement as I let the clutch out for a green light.

I belong on Das Boot really, in the engine room...............

missed my way.

Edited by oilrag on 23/06/2010 at 17:06

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Jun 2010 00:34
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - Avant

"The AWX in my Superb is quiet - much quieter inside and out than an M-B B class diesel"

ANYTHING - even a 1950s Commer lorry - is quieter than an MB B-class diesel. I don't have all that many regrets in life, but changing an Audi A4 for a B-class is one of them.

The Commer lorry is of course, as some of us have said before on this forum, one of the great noises of motoring history. I'm sure someone unearthed some recordings of Commers, but I can't find anything on Google.

Edited by Avant on 24/06/2010 at 00:36

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Jun 2010 08:48
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - dieseldogg

Was that a two stroke ( Detroit) diesel in the Commer?

PS

I was ONLY born in 1959

sniff!

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Jun 2010 14:08
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - Herr Sandwichmann
I think that one of the nicest sounding diesels around at the moment is the Volvo five cylinder.

Possibly the sweetest one to my ears was the 2.4 litre six cylinder fitted to the old VW LT vans.

I have a Toyota 2.2 diesel, and it's very smooth indeed under hard acceleration, and reasonably quiet at cruising speed. You can really tell it's an oil burner at tick-over, though.
Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Thu 24 Jun 2010 14:42
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - dieseldogg

Probably not a lot of exposure to 6 cyl diesels but i think the old Mercedes 352 sounds "just right", Or a Gardnier?

am i showing my age?

sigh

Reply | Report as offensive | Link
Fri 25 Jun 2010 01:16
VW Group - Characterful PD Engine Note - Avant

"I'm sure someone unearthed some recordings of Commers, but I can't find anything on Google."

Found it - it's on Youtube: put 'Commer diesel lorry' in and you'll hear that nostalgic happy sound again. It was certainly two-stroke - not sure about Detroit.

Reply | Report as offensive | Link

We give you the low down on how to save on insurance, little-known tricks and tips, what insurance groups mean and how to use insurance aggregators to beat insurers.

Insurance group finder and how to save on insurance

Looking for a garage you can trust? Honest John's Good Garage Guide has thousands of reader recommended garages, plus how-to guides and tips on servicing.

The Good Garage Guide