# 3.6L Performance Upgrades



## Savvv (Apr 22, 2009)

Hello everyone. What has prompted me making this thread is the fact that while towing an empty 7x14 trailer, our 2019 SEL 4-Mo is struggling. Running in sport mode and it won’t ever make it to 8th gear on the freeway. Averaging about 8mpg. And I need to set the cruise about 5mph higher than what I want to be going, otherwise it’ll always be going slower. This pig needs some power/efficiency upgrades stat. 

What have you done?


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

Going on a diet to lose weight?

In all honesty, there is an air intake out there that claims some benefits, but they are focused at the top of the powerband. For your towing issue, I don't think it would help. What RPMs is the engine at when struggling?


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## Savvv (Apr 22, 2009)

speed51133! said:


> Going on a diet to lose weight?
> 
> In all honesty, there is an air intake out there that claims some benefits, but they are focused at the top of the powerband. For your towing issue, I don't think it would help. What RPMs is the engine at when struggling?


Ha! Not in the cards. Like I said it struggles with an empty 2,000lb trailer attached so when we have stuff inside it'll be worse.

Yea I'm looking at the AFe intake for starters and possibly even the resonator delete pipe even though there are no power figures associated. Even the Fluidampr pulley, which I know makes big differences on the big turbo cars but I'm looking to squeeze this thing to the max just so it's able to chug along smoothly. I actually ended up trying out running in manual mode later yesterday and found that if I noticed it struggling to maintain speed I could downshift and the cruise remained active and could bring it back up to speed. It's just awful how poorly managed the transmission is.


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## prettygood (Jun 19, 2002)

Savvv said:


> Hello everyone. What has prompted me making this thread is the fact that while towing an empty 7x14 trailer, our 2019 SEL 4-Mo is struggling. Running in sport mode and it won’t ever make it to 8th gear on the freeway. Averaging about 8mpg. And I need to set the cruise about 5mph higher than what I want to be going, otherwise it’ll always be going slower. This pig needs some power/efficiency upgrades stat.
> 
> What have you done?


Something isn’t right. My 2019 SEL-P does a great job towing my 2019 Airstream Sport 22’. 4500 pounds when fully loaded.










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## Col-Buddy-Greenleaf (Jun 27, 2007)

prettygood said:


> Something isn’t right. My 2019 SEL-P does a great job towing my 2019 Airstream Sport 22’. 4500 pounds when fully loaded.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


The atlas looks like it is poppin' a wheelie in that photo. Need beefier rear springs or something.


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## prettygood (Jun 19, 2002)

Col-Buddy-Greenleaf said:


> The atlas looks like it is poppin' a wheelie in that photo. Need beefier rear springs or something.


Not at all. 2” lift all around, 1.5 in drop in the rear when towing. The Atlas tows like a champ, and I do have helping springs installed to ensure I don’t overtax the rear.










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## Chris4789 (Nov 29, 2017)

I completely disagree with your belief “the Atlas is a pig towing a 2500 lb. empty trailer”. You are doing something wrong, not the Atlas.
-I tow a 3500 lb. ski boat and it does fine (using surge brakes), just as many, many have stated here.
-If you expected to break speed & fuel mileage records you should have purchased a vehicle with a nice diesel or V8, not the “V6 Atlas family fun machine.”
-If all you are trying to do is justify the changes you want to make to your Atlas, just do them without denigrating a good vehicle that tows well.


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## Barry T (Apr 23, 2020)

Savvv said:


> Hello everyone. What has prompted me making this thread is the fact that while towing an empty 7x14 trailer, our 2019 SEL 4-Mo is struggling. Running in sport mode and it won’t ever make it to 8th gear on the freeway. Averaging about 8mpg. And I need to set the cruise about 5mph higher than what I want to be going, otherwise it’ll always be going slower. This pig needs some power/efficiency upgrades stat.
> 
> What have you done?


You have some other issues going on. I would get the vehicle checked out.


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## Savvv (Apr 22, 2009)

Chris4789 said:


> I completely disagree with your belief “the Atlas is a pig towing a 2500 lb. empty trailer”. You are doing something wrong, not the Atlas.
> -I tow a 3500 lb. ski boat and it does fine, just as many, many have stated here.
> -If you expected to break speed & fuel mileage records you should have purchased a vehicle with a nice diesel or V8, not the “V6 Atlas family fun machine.”
> -If all you are trying to do is justify the changes you want to make to your Atlas, just do them without denigrating a good vehicle that tows well.


Do you think the trailer brakes are hanging up? The brake controller isn’t a proportional one. I forget the make and model but the will have to check. The trailer dealer is who put it in. Either way, for some reason in my case it doesn’t feel like it has the oomph to pull the trailer on the freeway.


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## prettygood (Jun 19, 2002)

Savvv said:


> Do you think the trailer brakes are hanging up? The brake controller isn’t a proportional one. I forget the make and model but the will have to check. The trailer dealer is who put it in. Either way, for some reason in my case it doesn’t feel like it has the oomph to pull the trailer on the freeway.


Really good thought and worth exploring. Assuming the trailer brakes themselves are not over tight or partly engaged, your brake controller may be passing some current to them even when you are not pressing the brakes. 

I use the Curt Echo, and it is a great controller. I did make a small coding mod to the Atlas to enable 12v power at the 7-pin when the car is on vs trailer detected. That made the calibration when plugged in much more smooth. 


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## Chimera21 (May 10, 2021)

Col-Buddy-Greenleaf said:


> The atlas looks like it is poppin' a wheelie in that photo. Need beefier rear springs or something.


hard to see in the pic if it has a "load dispersion" receiver....if not it should


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## edyvw (May 1, 2009)

Here in CO at altitude VR6 is struggling empty, let alone towing. 


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## prettygood (Jun 19, 2002)

Chimera21 said:


> hard to see in the pic if it has a "load dispersion" receiver....if not it should


You mean Weight Distribution Hitch, and yes it does, an Andersen. 


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## speed51133! (Aug 5, 2002)

prettygood said:


> You mean Weight Distribution Hitch, and yes it does, an Andersen.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


VW forbids use of this.


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## skydaman (Dec 16, 2005)

speed51133! said:


> VW forbids use of this.


They forbid lots of things people do 🤣


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## Col-Buddy-Greenleaf (Jun 27, 2007)

prettygood said:


> Not at all. 2” lift all around, 1.5 in drop in the rear when towing. The Atlas tows like a champ, and I do have helping springs installed to ensure I don’t overtax the rear.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ahh, ok. Its the lift that makes it look like that. I was thinking that was a stock suspension Atlas. Nice helper spring install! Atlas looks great, btw.


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## Savvv (Apr 22, 2009)

prettygood said:


> Really good thought and worth exploring. Assuming the trailer brakes themselves are not over tight or partly engaged, your brake controller may be passing some current to them even when you are not pressing the brakes.
> 
> I use the Curt Echo, and it is a great controller. I did make a small coding mod to the Atlas to enable 12v power at the 7-pin when the car is on vs trailer detected. That made the calibration when plugged in much more smooth.
> 
> ...


Care to share the details of the coding change?

I’m finding that 6th gear is the most optimal for the freeway honestly. 65mph is at about 2,700rpm and it’s much more capable of maintaining speed. 7th and 8th gear at that speed drops another 300rpm each. And given how this transmission is coded to optimize cruising RPM it makes sense why it would feel like it’s struggling.


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## prettygood (Jun 19, 2002)

Savvv said:


> Care to share the details of the coding change?
> 
> I’m finding that 6th gear is the most optimal for the freeway honestly. 65mph is at about 2,700rpm and it’s much more capable of maintaining speed. 7th and 8th gear at that speed drops another 300rpm each. And given how this transmission is coded to optimize cruising RPM it makes sense why it would feel like it’s struggling.


The Curt Echo does a calibration when plugged in and prior to the trailer being connected. The Atlas is coded to only provide 12v power when a trailer is connected, rather than when ignition is on. I used VCDS to change the coding in the trailer module to be ignition on, and now the calibration happens correctly and I’m not experiencing the issues I had before. 

The plug and play with no permanent install next to your knees is preferable to me, and it can be taken to any tow vehicle. Really happy with it, works well with the Atlas now. 


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## jimothy cricket (Jul 9, 2008)

prettygood said:


> Not at all. 2” lift all around, 1.5 in drop in the rear when towing. The Atlas tows like a champ, and I do have helping springs installed to ensure I don’t overtax the rear.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Wait a sec—that black Atlas is squating like that AND it's got helper springs? Maybe the photo was taken at a bad angle, but it does look to be squating pretty bad...which I cannot stand. I ask because I will me towing around my MK1 with a steel trailer and am considering installing helper springs like that to avoid any and all squat if possible.


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