New car throttle delay making it hard to set revs.

[Mscott4]

I recently switched cars to a Citroen DS3 Dsport 155 and I've been finding it hard to set the revs accurately before setting off in first because of the delay. When pushing down on the accelerator there is a lot of dead travel, then once I begin to open the throttle there is a 1-2 second delay where the revs wont move before suddenly shooting up. This means I often overshoot 1500rpm to around 2000rpm when pulling off, which can't be good for the clutch.

Is it just something I have to learn to compensate for? I can set off more smoothly by bringing the clutch up first then applying throttle as this seems to stop the revs shooting up but I'm not sure if this is bad practice. I've only been driving a couple of months so this is probably compounded by my inexperience.

[Haltamer]

Any different modes?

The Econ mode on my civic dampens the throttle response in a similar way, leading to pressing the accelerator, lifting the clutch and juddering forward as there hasn't been enough revs. Got used to it after a little while; Stick with it and see how it goes.

[Ranger 6]

Mscott4 said:

...Is it just something I have to learn to compensate for?

.....I've only been driving a couple of months so this is probably compounded by my inexperience.

Yes, unfortunately it is something you'll just have to get used to. We've got four cars in the family and jumping from one to another they're all different and respond in different ways. As you build your driving experience you'll come to learn how each car you drive reacts and you'll be able to change the way you drive to adjust to the foibles of each.

Driving is a constant learning experience - enjoy it

[waremark]

Mscott4 said:

I can set off more smoothly by bringing the clutch up first then applying throttle as this seems to stop the revs shooting up but I'm not sure if this is bad practice. I've only been driving a couple of months so this is probably compounded by my inexperience.

It is fine to do it that way. In some cars it is even possible to bring the clutch all the way up and start moving before applying the throttle.

[RobM77]

It's so nice to see drive by wire throttle lag openly talked about on PH now. In the early days of DBW I was laughed off here for moaning about it, and was even hounded in other parts of the internet (trolls on my You Tube channel, even my business connections on LinkedIn). The truth is that since DBW came in about 20 years ago, most cars have had some degree of lag at the top of the pedal. You can drive round the lag to some extent, but ultimately it does limit one's ability to drive a car with sympathy and finesse. For me it's a deal breaker when I buy a car - some cars do it more than others, and some don't do it at all.

[Len Woodman]

I have DBW in my Holden Astra 2.2 Direct and it is very irritating, making H&T at low speeds a little bit more demanding (compared to my previous 1990 Corolla with a very tight accelerator cable!). If I switch on the Sport mode it's better - but as Reg Local says that really just 'tightens up the accelerator cable'.

Some trucks with Road Ranger 10/13/16 speeds have the same problem - but heavier boots usually solve that !

[lyonspride]

Tends to get worse with age, as they're often driven by potentiometers mounted to the pedal, these are crude resistive devices, with a wiper scrubbing along a carbon track, fine as a volume knob, not so fine when in constant use. The position of the wiper equates roughly to the position of the throttle body valve, I say roughly because the ECU interferes with your throttle input make things smoother.

Some manufacturers use optical encoders for this purpose, which do the same job without any wearing parts.

On my Mondeo I have to rev before I move off, else it jumps forward and kangaroos a bit, have to be careful though, because people tend to think your revving impatiently, and i've occasions where the driver in front has started driving like a tool because of it. The Mondeo also does some weird stuff, like holding the throttle for a fraction of a second when dipping the clutch to make gear changes smoother, and holding a higher idle if your moving, Its really annoying not having full control tbh.

Edited by lyonspride on Monday 18th March 11:26

[Len Woodman]

lyonspride said:

Tends to get worse with age, as they're often driven by potentiometers mounted to the pedal, these are crude resistive devices, with a wiper scrubbing along a carbon track, fine as a volume knob, not so fine when in constant use. The position of the wiper equates roughly to the position of the throttle body valve, I say roughly because the ECU interferes with your throttle input make things smoother.

Edited by lyonspride on Monday 18th March 11:26

Glad I read that fully............. Thought you meant my age! Rheumatism can also lead to dodgy gas pedal use.............

Anyone any experience with the Nissan Leaf E-pedal? I am waiting on some for fleet pool cars.