Gear clash DSG

weasley

Active Member
May 19, 2017
137
4
South Oxfordshire
I had a couple of gear clashes last night, anybody else had this?

Situation: I was in a 30 limit, doing 30. Gearbox was in D5. As I approached the change of speed limit I manually selected 4 using the paddle, but maintained my speed at 30. Then, as I passed the limit sign I selected 3 and was rewarded with a 'crunch' as it shifted down - like if you mess up a manual gear change. It went into gear ok though. When I reached the next 30 limit I recreated the scenario and it happened again. However during normal 'D' operation it shifts ok and I subsequently shifted up and down a few times and it never happened again.

Any experience?
 

ray

Active Member
Jan 7, 2016
591
190
I used to wonder how the DSG gearboxes coped with this, as the way your driving the car is anticipating your going to change up, so when you change down manually it's not ready for the gear.

I can't imagine that it's normal for this to happen, how old is the car and is it out of warranty?


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weasley

Active Member
May 19, 2017
137
4
South Oxfordshire
It's 2 months old, about 1,200 miles on it. AFAIK the DSG is supposed to be able 'change its mind' rapidly but it looks like I managed to defeat the synchros this time around. You might be right though that it is only happening when I manually select a gear that it isn't anticipating.
 

ray

Active Member
Jan 7, 2016
591
190
I would absolutely be taking it back to the dealer or phoning the customer services first and see if there has been any other reports or available fixes.


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KXL

KXL
Dec 15, 2016
1,581
197
London, UK
Btw, is yours 6 speed or 7 speed box?

How did you mange to select 3 from D5?

I mean I have the paddles on mine as well, if it's on D5, to select 3, I press the left paddle 2 times in succession, but it goes to 4 first before 3.

I can only speculate that on my 7 speed box, gears 1,3,5,7 on one clutch, and the other is 2,4,6...

Maybe it got confused from 5 - 3, as it's on the same clutch hence 'crunch.' Shouldn't do that though.

I did however had a work colleague who 'knows his cars' and used to 'tune his cars' and when I said, the paddles are fun to use for downshifting/upshifting manually. He frowned and said, unless you need the engine downshift for engine braking (on long stretches where brakes may overhead), keep the gearbox in D. Playing with paddles frequently can mess up the gearbox. He said he was speaking from experience from the older DSGs, and mentioned as mine was still under warranty, it's ok...after that...good luck. He could have been unlucky on his, or maybe he used to use it all the time..but that's what he said...
 

silles

Active Member
May 4, 2017
517
88
Never had this a gear clash in mine, even if i double/triple click - like I'm in D5 and **** quickly down to 3 to use engine brake.

I have 7 speed and it's less than a year old with 3.5k on the clock
 

weasley

Active Member
May 19, 2017
137
4
South Oxfordshire
Btw, is yours 6 speed or 7 speed box?

7

How did you mange to select 3 from D5?

I didn't - I went from '4' to '3'.

I can only speculate that on my 7 speed box, gears 1,3,5,7 on one clutch, and the other is 2,4,6...

No need to speculate - that is correct.

Maybe it got confused from 5 - 3, as it's on the same clutch hence 'crunch.' Shouldn't do that though.

Effectively that is what it probably did. I was in '4' and the car had preselected '5', but I asked instead for '3' so it had to shift from '5' to '3' on the same shaft - essentially it did a block shift. These sorts of shifts are hard on the synchromeshes because of the increased shaft-to-gear speed differential. I think the gearbox basically outshifted itself and defeated the synchro - a person would probably be slower and more mechanically sympathetic and would therefore give the synchro time to work.

That said, it shouldn't do it though.

I did however had a work colleague who 'knows his cars' and used to 'tune his cars' and when I said, the paddles are fun to use for downshifting/upshifting manually. He frowned and said, unless you need the engine downshift for engine braking (on long stretches where brakes may overhead), keep the gearbox in D. Playing with paddles frequently can mess up the gearbox. He said he was speaking from experience from the older DSGs, and mentioned as mine was still under warranty, it's ok...after that...good luck. He could have been unlucky on his, or maybe he used to use it all the time..but that's what he said...

Given my experience, he may have a point in certain circumstances, although in most cases in manual mode I suspect that the DSG will preselect the gear you are wanting anyway, so no difference in 'M' mode than in 'D/S'.

It's still a pretty fresh 'box though, so I'll see if it happens again or runs in with time.
 

campbell_p30

Full Member
Feb 20, 2003
125
4
Belfast
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Sometimes on my 290 Cupra there is a loud clunk from 1st to 2nd. Has happened about 4x in the last 7 months.
Can't seem to replicate it deliberately. A couple of times was under brisk acceleration from the lights but the other two times were very light acceleration.
Always in manual mode with paddles 1st to 2nd.

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