Vauxhall Zafira CDTI 150 Sport Button

[SimonLS]

Hi folks,

I'm borrowing the pool car from work this weekend, and it's an 08 Zafira with the pokey 150 bhp diesel engine.

It has a sport button, and when pressed, it does deliver better torque and throttle response is improved.

My question is, does the car have 150 bhp with the sport button turned on or off? Does the sport button give the car more than the manufacturer states as standard when pressed?

SimonLS

[SimonLS]

Or does it have around 130-140 bhp without it pressed and the full 150 bhp and 236 lb ft when pressed?

[SimonLS]

There is, surprisingly, a noticeable difference.. more boost

[SimonLS]

The Crack Fox said:

It's a mass-produced, diesel, people carrier. Don't get too excited about what the placebo button might do...

True, but i've been driving a 1.4 corolla for the last year, so it is nice to have some torque for once

[Chrisw666]

It simply sharpens the throttle response by altering the mapping to be a little more aggressive. My mate had a 1.8 insignia or astra with one and it did just that but the car wasn't any faster.

[Accelebrate]

I swear most manufacturers seem to design a car properly and then numb the throttle and steering response down so you have to press a stupid button whenever you drive it.

[r11co]

It does exactly the same as what the 'sport' button does on Alfa Romeos that have the same engine.

The accelerator pedal is a variable resistor - think like an old-fashioned volume control knob. No pressure on the pedal is like volume = 0 and foot to floor is 10.

The sports button bypasses a resistor placed in series with the variable resistor so that half-travel then equals the same as full travel without the button switched on, so position 0 is the same, 1 now does what 2 used to, 2 the same as 4 etc. up to new 5 being the same as old 10. Everything after new 5 is still 10.

No improvement in performance at all, just less pedal pressure before you reach the max. Does nothing to the 'mapping' whatsoever as the button is connected directly to the pedal box.

Edited by r11co on Friday 16th March 15:10

[SimonLS]

r11co said:

It does exactly the same as what the 'sport' button does on Alfa Romeos that have the same engine.

The accelerator pedal is a variable resistor - think like an old-fashioned volume control knob. No pressure on the pedal is like volume = 0 and foot to floor is 10.

The sports button applies a resistance offset to the variable resistor so that half-travel equals the same as full travel without the button switched on, so position 1 is now the same as position 2, 2 the same as 4 etc. up to new 5 being the same as old 10. Everything after new 5 is still 10.

No improvement in performance at all, just less pedal pressure before you reach the max. Does nothing to the 'mapping' whatsoever as the button is connected directly to the pedal box.

Edited by r11co on Friday 16th March 15:07

Cracking answer, and thanks very much for the explanation

[Chrisw666]

r11co said:

The sports button bypasses a resistor placed in series with the variable resistor so that half-travel then equals the same as full travel without the button switched on, so position 0 is the same, 1 now does what 2 used to, 2 the same as 4 etc. up to new 5 being the same as old 10. Everything after new 5 is still 10.

Really a good throttle would have an 11 only accessible via the sport button.

[r11co]

Chrisw666 said:

Really a good throttle would have an 11 only accessible via the sport button.

It wouldn't be a button, but a tap surely?!