Turbo Lag

[geedee]

We have a E320 cdi (06 3ltr version )and C220 cdi (08)

The E class take up is instant but the C class is pitiful.
Car was taken to MB last week and allegedly had a software update which
has improved matters very slightly.

My son in laws 5 series BM 2.0ltr diesel suffers the same as the C class, is this peculiar
to 4 cylinder diesels ?

 

[jberks]

Not sure. Generally the older generation cdis had more turbo lag than more modern ones. The V6 320 is a revelation and hardly feels like it has a turbo, whereas my earlier generation cdi has quite a lot of lag.
The newer 220cdi as I understand it, was upped from 150 ro 170 bhp. I wonder if they did this by increasing the size of the turbo. The bigger the turbo, relative to the cc, the larger the lag - hence by improving the bhp, the increased the lag. Look at the 300+bhp Impretzas for example. Small engines and huge turbos. Sure they're fast but as Clarkson demonstrated, put on in 4th at 20mph and floor it and it will take so long for the turbo to spin up that it willl be outrun by a 1.6 golf over a 1 mile track.

 

[geedee]

Interesting point.

Not sure about the turbo size though as the new E Class has a 2.2 cdi version giving
201 bhp. It would be interesting to hear from owners as and when they get this version, if they also have this problem.

I have in fact fitted the Brabus chip to the C 220 giving a 50 bhp increase, which again in theory gives the car 220 bhp, only 4 bhp less than the E 320 !

The lag problem was there before the chip was fitted and according to Brabus, the power does not kick in until the car is doing around 30 mph or whatever the rev equivalent is. Not a lot of use trying to get out of a side street in the rush hour !

 

[rf065]

Interesting point.

Not sure about the turbo size though as the new E Class has a 2.2 cdi version giving
201 bhp. It would be interesting to hear from owners as and when they get this version, if they also have this problem.

I think the new engine has two turbos, one large & one small.
All the extra power with none of the turbo lag.

Russ

 

[clive-cls]

My CLS lag has been dramaticly reduced by a remap

The turbo is much smoother but with a massive pull in all gears.


Clive

 

[meb]

My CLS lag has been dramaticly reduced by a remap

The turbo is much smoother but with a massive pull in all gears.


Clive

Hi Clive, can you let me know where you got your CLS engine remap done, what it was and has it affected the MPG?

Thanks, Mike

 

[SQ_W211]

He used another forum member, I think GCL???

 

[st4]

I think the new engine has two turbos, one large & one small.
All the extra power with none of the turbo lag.

Russ

Nope. Your thinking of the 250cdi. The 220cdi engine is the same as in hawks car. 1 turbo.

WRT to the OP - the turbo lag is more noticable because the engine is smaller. The 320 will make enough torque before the turbo "kicks" in so you aren't aware of it as a lot of the time you're driving "off boost".

In the smaller engined car you need the turbo "spooled up" to get any real kick out the car, hence you are aware of it. In a kick down (i've briefly sampled the I6 E320cdi) you know when the turbo kicks in as it lunges forward.

 

[rf065]

Nope. Your thinking of the 250cdi. The 220cdi engine is the same as in hawks car. 1 turbo.

I was thinking of the 2.2litre 201HP version, is that not a twin turbo & available in the new E Class?

Russ

 

[st4]

I was thinking of the 2.2litre 201HP version, is that not a twin turbo & available in the new E Class?

Russ

Yes, its badged 250cdi and is in the 212 and 204 now - I completely misread your post BTW - sorry. It will not have this problem but roadtests have criticised the engine for poor refinement.

 

[LYNALL]

Basically theres no replacement for displacement!

Seriously any small engine making decent power is going to be flat off the boost as its got to ramp up, its even worse in a manual.

 

[turbopete]

i tried dads c220 cdi manual (51 plate 150bhp i think) and i had to be pretty stupid to get it to run OFF BOOST! only turbo lag i noticed was below 1200 rpm! unless youre crawling along in heavy traffic, i dont know anyone who drives that way! the engine sounded and felt laboured in 3rd gear so to be honest, if theyre all like this, im surprised anyone even noticed the lag!

 

[rf065]

Turbo's can have full boost from very low revs nowadays.
The worse cars for lag are normally aspirated high revving 16v engines which are gutless below 4500rpm.

Russ

 

[turbopete]

true. especially with the variable vane turbos fitted nowadays. thats why im surprised the OP noticed the lag! dads has only seen the inside of the local stealers twice since he bought it (from a toyota garage!) almost 6 years ago! 1 was a warranty job, the other was a bit of a f@@k up by the dealer! i do the work if i have the equipment to do it.

 

[Alex M Grieve]

i tried dads c220 cdi manual (51 plate 150bhp i think) and i had to be pretty stupid to get it to run OFF BOOST! only turbo lag i noticed was below 1200 rpm! unless youre crawling along in heavy traffic, i dont know anyone who drives that way! the engine sounded and felt laboured in 3rd gear so to be honest, if theyre all like this, im surprised anyone even noticed the lag!

Absolutely, and with the automatic it is, I believe, undetectable.

 

[turbopete]

quite probably. dad isnt a fan of automatics though and even though ive had mine a year, i still find myself waving my hand around to change gear before remembering its an auto! i wonder if theres a manual conversion...........