Morning all,

Just lately my car feels a bit under powered, sort of like its struggling. I've checked everything & all is well. I've always thought the car seemed underpowerd for a 2.8 strait 6 but have to say I'm noticing a struggle. No misfires or rough idle etc, just seems hesitant in first & second. Also I've sussed the annoying squeek at idle to be clutch related, If I depress the clutch pedal to the point when I can feel the clutch engage, roughly an inch before you feel any resistance on the pedal the squeek stops? Anyone got any ideas or a similar thing on their car? Car is a 95 manual model, 88k & in good nick. Gonna give it an inspection 1 service & change the plugs while I'm at it tomorrow which might perk it up a it. Maybe madam indoors is right & I expect too much from the car, is nearly 11 years old but seems like a lot of cars 1.8T Mk4 Golfs for instance can take it without much of a strauggle. BTW would love but dont have funds for the manifold & BBTB mod.

Your car should have no trouble keeping up with a 1.8T Golf, in fact a 328 should be quite a bit faster than a standard Golf T GTi.

Is it using an oil? Does it still have the original Nikasil block or has it been replaced under warranty at some point in the cars life?

The heisitaion in low gears may be an indication of a problem, perhaps with one of the sensors.

You have to be careful racing 1.8T cars. They are very easy to tune up and the leon Cupra can easilly be tuned to over 220bhp.

I would get an engine diagnostic done on the car. That will tell you if any of the sensors is playing up.

How about the cam position sensor?

If this fails then you loose the benefit of the VANOS and hence low down torque is lost.  Mine was change by previous owner with remarkable improvements to performance and response.

By the way BBTB and Manifold is a must.  Together with Dave F induction kit the car is completely changed.  Wife has a standard 328i tourer so I have a good comparison.  My 328 sport kept up with an ST fiesta in a 30-90 shoot out yesterday.  The ST has a 0.60 time of 6.6 secs, 2.5lt, 221bhp so it was fair game. 90 and above would have been interesting but we were running out of road.

Save the pennies for the mods you will not regret it.

Mine is the same age and the clutch squeaks too.  I'd forgotten about it till you mentioned it !

I don't have a problem with any 1.8Ts but mine was fettled by an Alpina technician from new so it's probably not the best yardstick for a 328.

If you have suspicions based on the bum-dyno, try a couple of 0-60 runs and see what the stopwatch says...

Chas C wrote: If you have suspicions based on the bum-dyno, try a couple of 0-60 runs and see what the stopwatch says...

Or get it on a roliong road. That will give you an idea how much power it's making and a decnet place should have all the correct diagnostic equipement to tell you if anythings wrong.

ian M635UK wrote: My 328 sport kept up with an ST fiesta in a 30-90 shoot out yesterday.  The ST has a 0.60 time of 6.6 secs, 2.5lt, 221bhp so it was fair game. 90 and above would have been interesting but we were running out of road.

Surely you mean Focus ST, not fiesta?

Peter Fenwick wrote: ian M635UK wrote: My 328 sport kept up with an ST fiesta in a 30-90 shoot out yesterday.  The ST has a 0.60 time of 6.6 secs, 2.5lt, 221bhp so it was fair game. 90 and above would have been interesting but we were running out of road. Surely you mean Focus ST, not fiesta?

yes

had same problem put my diagnstic code reader on turn out to be cam postion sensor £70 Later drives like new and a noticable mpg improvement.hth