Sluggish 1.5 Dci?

[Dazz44]

Hi everyone...new member with a problem which hopefully someone will recognise. Bought a 2004 1.5 Dci (80) in good condition with about 95,000 on the clock...first time I had a test drive it felt pretty slow and there was not much in the way of a turbo boost feeling although it could be felt a bit...had a test drive in another which was apparently an 80 as well and it felt like a different car...nice boost and quick...the dealer with the first one had it fully serviced and diagnosed and nothing came up out of the ordinary...I drove it again and it felt the same...when you change gear and it drops to about 1800-2000 rpm nothing happens and then you gel a slight boost before it runs out of steam and you change gear again. There is no smoke...no warning lights and i don't know if it's just how they are or whether something is actually wrong? Any advice greatly appreciated.

ps I'm wondering if the second car I tried may have been a higher bhp model and the dealer just didn't know, but they were worlds apart in performance...

[AlexB]

Does it pull better at 4000rpm? These are underpowered cars by modern standards, where you will be exploring the higher end of the revs range all the time. If it doesn't feel right at high revs, then its the turbo...

Again, these are economy cars, which are often neglected and driven either by teenagers or people who don't like driving. The dealers and other garages use cheap oil, which causes damage... So, be prepared and investigate.

[Dazz44]

By 4000 rpm it's all over...when you change gear the car drops to about 1600 rpm but nothing happens until about 2200 rpm when you feel a bit of a pull from the turbo but not a lot...I've been driving our 1.4 TD Ibiza estates at work and they pull like a train! Can't see or hear anything wrong though and nothing seems to indicate any problems...

[AlexB]

It sounds like "how long is a piece of string" discussion. Just time 0 to 60 acceleration and draw conclusions. Does the engine keep the temperature? Don't drive if the oil is bad or low.

[DanDCI]

Depends what you are used to? I've got the 60 odd BHP model in Megane Estate, coming from a 2.0DTI mk4 Astra this doesn't feel any slower at all. In fact, considering the size of the car, the loads it sometimes has to pull around and the size of the engine I am pleasantly surprised at the spring in its step. That and the fact I can comfortably do 55 - 70 mph and easily achieve at least 60mpg, the engine and space inside is about the only good thing about it!

What are you coming from / comparing it to (apart from another apparently same model - check that on DVLA /insurance website,usually lists the model with bhp in brackets)

[mickeybo]

The 1.5 Renault dci engine when running properly is a very nippy vehicle. 1 of britains best sellers at the moment is the Nissan qashqai which has this engine fitted. The turbo on these is a allied signal turbo works on exhaust gases & should spool up immediately giving low speed torque. I would be checking out map sensor & its wiring not for getting maf sensor

[AlexB]

0 to 60 in 14 seconds is not "nippy". It is about the same as Lada Samara 1500 from 1984...