DSG: Problems, Questions, Likes and Dislikes

[cameronp]

Did you get the basic VCDS dongle which only works with Golfs? Or the proper one which is only $100 more but works with every single VW/Audi model there is?

I'm getting just the basic one - couldn't really see the point in the expensive one when the cheaper one works with my car just fine and I don't know anyone with a VAG car that isn't a Mk5/Mk6 Golf.

Having said that I do not believe I am seeing or measuring the delay that scares people. I think this is something different and (I have a hunch) the additional torque available via the tune ameliorates this issue. Will keep looking. Will also do some timing from brake release to movement by holding accelerator against brake, to see if that is any quicker.

Thinking about this some more: After the first 100-200km or so (when I guess the DSG was still self-adjusting itself), I've only ever seen "scary" delays when trying to take off quickly from a near-standstill or walking pace, not from when actually stopped.

[skeep]

I've had the mk6 GTI for about 7000km now. Been pretty happy with the DSG.

It's had a few funny moments, or rather this driver has had a few funny moments with the gearbox. Generally I've got used to the manual shift, but occasionally i forget the orientation of the gear up and down. Makes more sense that you push forward to drop a gear and pull back to go up a gear, has led to an embarrassing 1st gear redline oppps.

Tested out launch control at 3,500 rpm for the first time about 2 weeks ago. Holy heck it was moving and thats with 3 people in the car. Nice smell of burnt rubber. Still love the down shift blips and the upshift farts.

Keep thinking I should get this thing chipped to stage 1, but living half way between syd and bris is a pain.

[rs73]

What I found is in a stop-start traffic crawl just before the car comes to a standstill, with DSG in first gear (e.g. D1) and I can feel the engine vibrates a little bit as the rev goes down to stall point before the clutch engages...

Not sure if that is normal operation or not... so far engine has never stalled but its the same feeling you get when driving a manual car and you didn't clutch in when you almost come to a stop, causing the engine to go near stall...

[Corey_R]

It's had a few funny moments, or rather this driver has had a few funny moments with the gearbox. Generally I've got used to the manual shift, but occasionally i forget the orientation of the gear up and down. Makes more sense that you push forward to drop a gear and pull back to go up a gear, has led to an embarrassing 1st gear redline oppps.

Yeah, it's frustratingly the wrong way around in Volkswagen cars

[Ryan_R]

Yeah, it stops me using the tiptronic since I know that as soon as I stop concentrating on the gear changes, I'll go back to instinct and shift the wrong way. Makes me want to get the paddles fitted to the car.

[rs73]

Don't the TSI model comes with steering wheel paddle shifter? or is that just on the GTI?

[Corey_R]

Don't the TSI model comes with steering wheel paddle shifter? or is that just on the GTI?

Trendline and Comfortline models do not contain the steering wheel paddle shifters.... only the performance models in the line (GTI/GTD/R)

[rs73]

I see...

previously I had a V35 Skyline with 5sp AT-X that has a tiptronic mode. so for me crossing over to my GTI's DSG is not a big deal as I have gotten used to shifting up by pushing forward and pulling back to shift down... I did have a few ga ga in the V35 in the first few weeks where instead of shifting up I shifted down but after a while it just get used to it...

[blanch0b]

What I found is in a stop-start traffic crawl just before the car comes to a standstill, with DSG in first gear (e.g. D1) and I can feel the engine vibrates a little bit as the rev goes down to stall point before the clutch engages...

Not sure if that is normal operation or not... so far engine has never stalled but its the same feeling you get when driving a manual car and you didn't clutch in when you almost come to a stop, causing the engine to go near stall...

mine does this occassionally too but never in traffic, only when i get home and put it in park, sometimes..... nothing to really be concerned about but will still say something to the dealer when i take it in for its first service

[shakespeare]

Been reading this thread and others for a while now, and I've been driving my wife's Jetta TFSI for the last two weeks. My only complaint of the DSG is the backwards up/down of the manual control on the stick. Yes there is hesitation, clunks and weird changes but most importantly it still has gear changes that are 99% of time better than I can do in my manual. Whilst I have more fun using a manual gearbox on the right bit of road for most of my driving which is around the city the manual gearbox is a PITA, DSG is so much easier. So I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my R so I can enjoy the DSG properly with the paddles

Thanks for the good reading guys

[logger]

... My only complaint of the DSG is the backwards up/down of the manual control on the stick.

Interesting that some of us perceive this to be the wrong way around, whereas others (including myself) find it perfectly intuitive. Very much a matter of preference it seems. If it helps, when moving the lever forward it is rotating upwards fractionally and when moving aft, downwards ever so slightly, in the same sense as the gear selection.

Its a bit like the European indicator placement on the left instead of the right of the wheel. There is probably no "correct" configuration. We can fairly readily adapt to how it is. Provided we are not routinely switching types of car.

On the other hand if you configured the steering wheel so you rotated the bottom arc in the direction of desired turn (more like a tiller), the consequences would be catostrophic

Anyway the paddles would be wasted on me, because I find the gear selector tiptronic just fine.

[cameronp]

for most of my driving which is around the city the manual gearbox is much more involving, DSG is so dull

IFYPFY devil's-advocate-style

Anyway the paddles would be wasted on me, because I find the gear selector tiptronic just fine.

The biggest thing that bugs me about it (more than the direction of the tiptronic selector, which I think is backwards) is that there's a delay of about a second between pushing the gear stick forwards and the DSG actually selecting the next gear, unless you're quite close to the redline. That makes it almost unusable for me in ordinary driving. Fortunately, "D" mode is very very good.

[logger]

The biggest thing that bugs me about it (more than the direction of the tiptronic selector, which I think is backwards) is that there's a delay of about a second between pushing the gear stick forwards and the DSG actually selecting the next gear, unless you're quite close to the redline. That makes it almost unusable for me in ordinary driving. Fortunately, "D" mode is very very good.

Yeah I think that is a fair criticism, there being a slight delay in tiptronic changes when going easy on the revs. At least there is with the DSG7. OTOH I tend to be driving in a more sporty manner and higher revs when using T so I do not really set the delay.


Sent from my Nexus One

[Corey_R]

logger, as far as I'm aware, all sequential gearboxes in race cars are push forward to shift down, pull back to shift up. This also matches the forces of gravity on your actions at the time, and also matches flight yokes, motorbike gearboxes, etc etc.

The shifter for the DSG is the opposite to all these, hence, completely unnatural to me, and the reason I've done things like start the S2TPP DSG Paddle Shift group buy to avoid using the shifter at all costs.

[HPSOV]

The 'Daytona' type games at Timezone when I was a kid, and the Selespeed in my Alfa 156 from about 8 years ago were both the same way round as the DSG, so it seems correct to me!