Erratic Dsg gear box

Baylinerjersey · Jan 22, 2023

Hi and Happy New year

I have had my California from new this July 2022, one thing I have noticed is when going down hill the gear box does not seem to settle into gear. I accelerate a little and it revs up then back down again, soon as I break it will rev up for a few seconds, sounds like the engine is desperate to change gear, then it revs down and sort of settles. But any journey down hill is not particularly nice.

Is this normal , when I spoke to the garage they said this is normal and happens with cars. Which is defiantly not the case as I have no issues with my car which is a automatic.

Any advice would be grateful

Thanks

Paolo

WelshGas · Jan 23, 2023

Baylinerjersey said:
Hi and Happy New year

I have had my California from new this July 2022, one thing I have noticed is when going down hill the gear box does not seem to settle into gear. I accelerate a little and it revs up then back down again, soon as I break it will rev up for a few seconds, sounds like the engine is desperate to change gear, then it revs down and sort of settles. But any journey down hill is not particularly nice.

Is this normal , when I spoke to the garage they said this is normal and happens with cars. Which is defiantly not the case as I have no issues with my car which is a automatic.

Any advice would be grateful

Thanks

Paolo

But does your car have a DSG gearbox.
The DSG is not a traditional autobox with a torque converter.

DSG stands for 'Direct-Shift Gearbox' (luckily enough, the German translation has the same initials – Direkt-Schalt Getriebe). Without getting too technical, this special gearbox is effectively two separate clutches that work together as one unit, without a clutch pedal and with full automatic or semi-manual control.

B J G · Jan 23, 2023

Have you watched the gear selection number during this process?

Sounds like it's using the engine to assist with the braking by changing down a gear and then when no braking required it changes back up.
My DSG does that but other than seeing the revs change and gear number in unison there is no other noticeable effect other than a slight change in engine sound.

bungiebananahead · Jan 23, 2023

Could it be going into coast mode

Alan Andrews · Jan 23, 2023

Yes if you are going downhill, and you apply the brake, then the van will automatically brake the engine...much like when you selected a lower gear in a manual gearbox. If you then press the accelerator then the engine will assume that you no longer want engine braking and will accelerate...until you apply the brake pedal again.

The DSG system does take a little to get used to, but once you understand how it will operate, then it does really work. It perhaps took me a year to appreciate this.

Calimili · Jan 23, 2023

Well the DSG isn't perfect. I've noticed this problem too. Sometimes it wants to be too smart, remembering your latest driving style, how much you pressed the gas. Sometimes when I start from a standing position going down hill, where just very little gas is needed, It changes 1->2 without major hesitation, but then 2->3 it doesn't want to change even if, by giving a little gas, it has already reached 2500+ revs... At that point if you take away gas it goes into coasting or keeps it in 2 to use the motor to brake sensing the slope. You would have to be a bit more deliberate with the gas in order for the DSG to shift 1->2->3 but then yo may be faster downhill that you wanted to. On my way down to the village from where i live, the speed limit and the common sense dictates 30km/h. 3rd gear is perfect given the slope gradient. But automatically it won't do it.
I've just got the habit to put it into manual to sing into 3rd gear and keeping it there with no coasting.
In particular I notice this issue with cold engine, when I am certainly not happy for it to run at 2500+revs.

Ch1pbutty · Jan 23, 2023

Alan Andrews said:
Yes if you are going downhill, and you apply the brake, then the van will automatically brake the engine...much like when you selected a lower gear in a manual gearbox. If you then press the accelerator then the engine will assume that you no longer want engine braking and will accelerate...until you apply the brake pedal again.

The DSG system does take a little to get used to, but once you understand how it will operate, then it does really work. It perhaps took me a year to appreciate this.

Our old Audi had a DSG box, you could overide the engine by manually shifting the gear using flappy paddles on the steering wheel,or, on the gear shifter itself..worked well when going down the steep hill near us (Ditchling Beacon), otherwise the car would run away, forcing you to brake...using the gearbox did a better job & kept the brakes cool for when you really needed them. Also someone constantly hitting the brakes in front of you when there is no need is annoying.

Alan Andrews · Jan 23, 2023

Calimili said:
Well the DSG isn't perfect. I've noticed this problem too. Sometimes it wants to be too smart, remembering your latest driving style, how much you pressed the gas. Sometimes when I start from a standing position going down hill, where just very little gas is needed, It changes 1->2 without major hesitation, but then 2->3 it doesn't want to change even if, by giving a little gas, it has already reached 2500+ revs... At that point if you take away gas it goes into coasting or keeps it in 2 to use the motor to brake sensing the slope. You would have to be a bit more deliberate with the gas in order for the DSG to shift 1->2->3 but then yo may be faster downhill that you wanted to. On my way down to the village from where i live, the speed limit and the common sense dictates 30km/h. 3rd gear is perfect given the slope gradient. But automatically it won't do it.
I've just got the habit to put it into manual to sing into 3rd gear and keeping it there with no coasting.
In particular I notice this issue with cold engine, when I am certainly not happy for it to run at 2500+revs.

I think that VW has done away with the manual gear switching on the T6.1 DSG. It is certainly a useful feature on the T6 DSG

Corradobrit · Jan 23, 2023

Alan Andrews said:
I think that VW has done away with the manual gear switching on the T6.1 DSG. It is certainly a useful feature on the T6 DSG

The controls on the steering wheel have gone but manual shifting is still possible via the lever.

Alan Andrews · Jan 23, 2023

Corradobrit said:
The controls on the steering wheel have gone but manual shifting is still possible via the lever.

Thanks. So the same as my T6 then. I wonder how many ever to get to play with these?

Corradobrit · Jan 23, 2023

Alan Andrews said:
Thanks. So the same as my T6 then. I wonder how many ever to get to play with these?

I will be using it. Not as convenient as paddle shifters which I used 99% of the time on my Audi S4. Manual control of upshifts and let the ECU take care of the downshifts.

Baylinerjersey · Jan 23, 2023

Thanks all. Yes like Calimili explained my is similar. For me it’s certainly not a smooth drive when going down hill. It also tends to go into coasting, then picks up speed at this point a break and the revs shoot up.. I will try and look at my driving style while going down hill and see if there is anything I can do.

kurienp · Jan 24, 2023

Now that you know the reasons - You can try some things

Simpler - reset the DSG (Copied from an old post by @Perfectos )
turn ignition on (do not start the van)
press the accelerator full down & hold for 20 seconds
the gearbox may make a noise
you feel a click through the accelerator pedal.
Start the van and drive normally.

A bit time consuming -
Ask the dealer to update the software

A bit expensive
Get the TVS DSG gearbox software upgrade.

.. and enjoy the van!

Baylinerjersey · Jan 27, 2023

kurienp said:
Now that you know the reasons - You can try some things

Simpler - reset the DSG (Copied from an old post by @Perfectos )
turn ignition on (do not start the van)
press the accelerator full down & hold for 20 seconds
the gearbox may make a noise
you feel a click through the accelerator pedal.
Start the van and drive normally.

A bit time consuming -
Ask the dealer to update the software

A bit expensive
Get the TVS DSG gearbox software upgrade.

.. and enjoy the van!

Thanks I have just returned from the local dealer. They said there is nothing wrong but the engine needs a software update so will get that done in the next couple of weeks. I may do the reset this week end and see what happens thanks

Maelstrom · Jan 28, 2023

There's only a couple of hills steep enough near me for this to happen and I think the problem is that it feels counter-intuitive. You're going downhill, the revs are unnecessarily high and it won't let you coast. I think popping it quickly into manual and back again bypassed it and let's it coast

Perfectos · Jan 28, 2023

Maelstrom said:
You're going downhill, the revs are unnecessarily high and it won't let you coast.

Blip the throttle momentarily the coasting function should kick in.

Baylinerjersey · Jan 29, 2023

Maelstrom said:
There's only a couple of hills steep enough near me for this to happen and I think the problem is that it feels counter-intuitive. You're going downhill, the revs are unnecessarily high and it won't let you coast. I think popping it quickly into manual and back again bypassed it and let's it coast

Perfectos said:
Blip the throttle momentarily the coasting function should kick in.

Yes I have noticed this but before you know it you need to break as you coming to a bend or your picking up speed in coasting function so again hit the breaks and it’s all over the place …

Hawthorn37 · Jan 29, 2023

Baylinerjersey said:
Yes I have noticed this but before you know it you need to break as you coming to a bend or your picking up speed in coasting function so again hit the breaks and it’s all over the place …

Just use the semi auto shift stick and select a lower gear (or two), simples.