Are all DSG Bad?

[the_winner]

Hi to everyone here.
I am new here, My name is John and i am from Greece.
I have order a VW Scirocco 1.4 TSI with DSG Gearbox . I am very ''sick'' now because i fear that my dsg will have problem because at all forums i read about issues.
At USA all guys have the 2.0 TSI with the DSG6 which i read has a lot of failures at the Mechatronics...
At the 7 speed DSG i read at euro forums about ''tin can'' sounds and a very strange shudder from 1st gear to 2nd...
My question is , all DSG at the earth have problem? I am very scared... I study mechanical engineering and i have learn that at every part you make even at the most cheap and simple you can see via tests and computer programms the failures it maybe have in the future and then you upgrade this part after the test. A So big company like VW i dont think that it has no good machines and mechanics...
Sorry for my bad english,
Thanks
John

[the_winner]

anyone to help?

[steve111b]

Hi John,
Two years ago I looked on the forums and discovered problems with the DSG. However, I believe that VW improved the DSG and I purchased a 2010 Audi A3.
During the break-in period I drove slowly and found that the DSG worked perfectly. When I drove the car at faster speeds I found these 3 problems:
Hesitation (from a dead stop)
Slips into neutral (when DSG is confused)
Jerking, lurching, or slamming at low speeds
The hesitation happpened once and the slipping into neutral occurred twice. Eventually I figured out why these problems occur and I changed my driving style to suit the DSG. The hesitation and slipping into neutral have been banished for over a year.
You mention a background in engineering. I would expect you to easily match your driving style to a DSG. When you hear drivers complain about a 2011 car, I suspect they want the dealer "to fix the car" instead of changing their driving style. The DSG is a new technology and requires a fresh approach. I am happy with the DSG.
Steve

[silentdub]

anyone to help?

I would still opt for the 5/6 speed manual. Rock solid. When I see some DSG boxes with 225K+ miles on them with no failures, then I may consider one.

[VWRedux]

I would still opt for the 5/6 speed manual. Rock solid. When I see some DSG boxes with 225K+ miles on them with no failures, then I may consider one.

That may not be for a long long time....

[bmw511]

I just have to chime in... I love my DSG! I have 40k miles on my 2010 A3... have the HPA flash and its been rock solid! Just perform a DSG Adaptation (with VCDS) regularly whenever you get the car serviced. Made a huge difference for me.

[mowyang]

The hesitation happpened once and the slipping into neutral occurred twice. Eventually I figured out why these problems occur and I changed my driving style to suit the DSG. The hesitation and slipping into neutral have been banished for over a year. . . When you hear drivers complain about a 2011 car, I suspect they want the dealer "to fix the car" instead of changing their driving style. The DSG is a new technology and requires a fresh approach. I am happy with the DSG.

Steve -
I'd love to hear more about the adaptations you made to your driving style. I'm in the market for a DSG GTI and the reports of the "false neutral" have been a concern of mine. What steps can a driver take to avoid it?
Thanks.

Mark

[steve111b]

Hi Mark,

I decided I did not want to be surprised by the DSG suddenly going into neutral. I came up with the game plan you see below. The solutions have served me well for over a year.

DSG hesitates when starting under heavy throttle.
Release brake First command
Throttle at default (idle speed) Second command
Go! Heavy throttle Third command
DSG hesitates making the transition from the second command to the third.

Solution
Go! Heavy throttle One command
Don"t let the car creep before a heavy throttle start.

DSG slips into neutral at speeds faster than those in a parking lot.
What if at the exact instant that you decide to go, the DSG is performing a routine upshift or
downshift.
Routine shift First command
Go! Heavy throttle Second command
No go. No throttle (idle speed) Third command
Go! Heavy throttle Fourth command
DSG goes into neutral because it has received too many commands in too short a time frame.

Solution
Go! Heavy throttle First command
No go. No throttle (idle speed) Second command
The DSG works best with the minimum number of commands.

Good luck buying your car.

[mowyang]

Thanks, Steve.
I think I understand your first example, but am having a harder time with the second one. The routine shift (first command) that you eliminate in your solution. Is that a manual shift you're eliminating?

[steve111b]

I see your point. A routine shift is not a manual one. I would say a routine shift is one that occurs in Drive, with the DSG selecting the appropriate gear. Think of it as a computer program running in the background.
Say you are driving on a crowded two lane road. You see a chance to pass, but you are not close enough to the car ahead. So you need to do two things, catch up to the car ahead and then do your passing move.
So, a heavy throttle commands the DSG to kickdown 2 gears to fourth. There is still a car in the opposing lane as you approach the car ahead. You must release the gas and at that very moment the lane becomes clear for your passing move.
By releasing the gas the DSG will shift to fifth and then sixth. Meanwhile you are ready to proceed with your passing move. The question becomes can the DSG shift two gears before you hit the throttle, which is a new command for the DSG to go into kickdown for a gear or two.
I find it best to avoid a lot of commands in a very short time frame. Just to make things even more complex, a cold DSG will not shift as fast as a hot one. I suspect most complaints about the DSG occur with a cold DSG. By the time the driver gets to the dealer the DSG is hot and everything works smoothly.

[mowyang]

Thanks Steve. Good explanation, it makes sense to me now. I'll be looking forward to seeing how much I end up changing my own driving style.
Maybe adapting one's driving habits like that is a way to get back a bit of the driver involvement some say is missing when driving a DSG instead of a manual! Although in your passing example, sounds like it would be more natural to just use the paddles to downshift.

[87socorro]

he has made it a science. i believe its like the first time your with a girl your just trying to mash that thing .the whole time she's in pain and looking up at you like this dude has no clue. then after a few runs you learn how to make it do what you want and eventually you become a pornstar