Smallfrog's Blog

I think I might be able to agree with this. The Skoda will, I expect, have the same TDi series of engines as Volkswagen, and whether this is a feature of all diesels I don't know but we have a Polo (Bluemotion, we're environment saving ) with a diesel engine and I had exactly the same experience when we first got it. You cannot, ever, take off in 2nd, even if you are already rolling, and starting off requires good left foot control. And yes, you need to be one gear lower than you do in a petrol car (although part of that is because it is set up with long gear ratios in order to save fuel).

I think I might be able to agree with this. The Skoda will, I expect, have the same TDi series of engines as Volkswagen, and whether this is a feature of all diesels I don't know but we have a Polo (Bluemotion, we're environment saving ) with a diesel engine and I had exactly the same experience when we first got it. You cannot, ever, take off in 2nd, even if you are already rolling, and starting off requires good left foot control. And yes, you need to be one gear lower than you do in a petrol car (although part of that is because it is set up with long gear ratios in order to save fuel).

Playing around in the empty car park of a supermarket this evening my dad got me to pull away in second just to prove it is possible. It's just about possible if you ease the clutch up very slowly and will only work if the car is on a flat.

The car I've been learning in is a diesel so I already know the pull away in first or stall thing, but in that car you have to use the accelerator to get it to move. So I think this only applys to the more powerful diesels. And yes it is the same TDI series as Volkswagen.