Put DSG into neutral at the lights?

[Guest001]

Not only that, but it is an INSTANT fail if you did this in a driving test. This is known as "dead sticking", and it does not matter whether it is a manual or automatic or DSG. When coasting in neutral (does not matter for how long), you are not deemed to have full control of the vehicle.

There is a reason not to put it in N at the lights.

When you come to a stop and the foot on the foot brake, both clutches are disengaged. When you put it in N and then into drive, even with the foot on the foot brake, there is a momentary engaging and disengaging of the clutches.

Basically, there is no reason to put a DSG into N at lights as a matter of course. Yes, you may have to do it from time to time for a whole range of other reasons, but you are not going to extend the life of the clutches.

When you do stop at the lights in a DSG it seems the worst thing to do is creep it up a bit like you would in a slushbox auto.

That is like holding on a hill on the clutch in a manual.

As soon as you release the brake beyond a certain point the clutch starts to engage and will slip till you fully release the pedal.

Do it for too long and you will have that old funny familiar feeling of Whats burning.

[wai]

When you do stop at the lights in a DSG it seems the worst thing to do is creep it up a bit like you would in a slushbox auto.

That is like holding on a hill on the clutch in a manual.

As soon as you release the brake beyond a certain point the clutch starts to engage and will slip till you fully release the pedal.

Do it for too long and you will have that old funny familiar feeling of Whats burning.

Yep. That's why you MUST have your foot on the foot brake and you hold your speed at ZERO

You drive it like a manual and you have no problems (well other than the design ones).

You do need to have/develop some mechanical sensitivity. I remember when I had a test drive of my Maxi Life. I came to a stop, set the hand brake and took my foot off the foot brake. Well, I could "feel" the clutch engage and the engine speed dropped. It did not feel right and knowing the basics of a DSG, put 2 and 2 together and realised how it needed to be used. Again, not everyone will be able to work that out, and so, this is where just a little good instruction when you buy it new would have gone a LONG way to minimising the issues VW now face. It would not have fixed the issues they knew were present, just not made them worse.

Digressing a bit, but even the dreaded shudder is made worse first thing in the morning, with the dry clutch and humidity. A fine film of rust can develop on the clutch face, and this can make the clutch shudder. My Torana had something similar with the brakes. Overnight, the discs would develop a thin film of rust. The first application of the brakes would be extremely harsh. It did not take long to work out to "trail brake" for around 10 m first thing in the morning. That got rid of the rust and no further harsh braking. By the way, this is made worse with metal filled pads. The asbestos ones are only able to be sold with the car new. After that they have to be asbestos free.

[brad]

The asbestos ones are only able to be sold with the car new. .

Don't think so. No asbestos allowed at all since Dec 2003. Why would asbestos fibres from a new vehicle be safer than those on a vehicle that's had their friction material replaced?

Wasn't it Chery & Great Wall that recently had to replace an exhaust manifold gasket & an exhaust joint gasket because they contained asbestos ex-factory (despite the factory assuring the importer there was no asbestos used in the vehicles)?

[wai]

Don't think so. No asbestos allowed at all since Dec 2003. Why would asbestos fibres from a new vehicle be safer than those on a vehicle that's had their friction material replaced?

Wasn't it Chery & Great Wall that recently had to replace an exhaust manifold gasket & an exhaust joint gasket because they contained asbestos ex-factory (despite the factory assuring the importer there was no asbestos used in the vehicles)?

They may well have closed things off, but I do know that manufacturers were allowed to use asbestos linings on new vehicles because they complained that they were getting too many customers reporting abnormal brake noise and harshness with alternatives. A concession was given for new vehicles only.

[kaanage]

For safety sake, i really hope most drivers (if not all) leave their car in gear with clutch depressed or in D/S, for an auto box, whilst stationary in traffic/at lights/at intersection etc.

Referring to the previous comment about motorbikes and always being in gear, I have had a car come barreling up behind me, failing to notice that the lights were red (it was a close set of two lights, the first was green, the second that I was at was red), I had to move forward and to the side into the intersection whilst the screech of brakes and smoke from the car behind indicated the driver was attempting to stop but way too late. The car eventually pulled up, 1m over the white line in the intersection, and well past where I originally was. I was well out of the way at this stage......fortunately.

Now, if you have your car in N/P and hand brake on, your brain has to process..... oh S**t that car insn't going to stop, I have to move, now press accelerator, oh I am in N, must move gear lever, oh park brake on, must move that too. We process quickly, but if all that takes 1 sec, do you know how far a car traveling at 60km/h travels in 1 sec?

You are also throwing in, that the release park brake and move to D/S is not automatic/reflex, as you dont do it you stop, it adds time (even part of a second) to actually do the action.

I really hope no one has to use the get out of jail card, as I have had to, but for just in case, the possible wear and tear on the DSG or possible wear and tear on a manual becomes irrelevant if it saves being hit by another vehicle.

I'm guessing the manufacturers don't agree since they fit auto start/stop to so many cars these days for increased mileage and what you advocate doesn't allow those systems to work.