DSG GEARBOX :- reversing problems no drive then slams backward

[Keith J Drury]

Hi all, I have a 204 DSG Ocean 4000 Mel's and feb 2017
Just bought this . My first trip out needed me to reverse up a hill to park , I select R , release brakes and it just rolls forward , then apply brakes and add a little throttle (1000 rpm ) brake off and still rolls forward add another 100 rpm brake of seems to hold its own but no sign of reverse movement ! Add another 100 rpm still no rearward movement . Add another 100 and then at same revs BANG shoots in reverse as if hit from the front , damaging rear bumper ,
Knew it was ot me but a lesson learnt
Last week an identical situation to reverse up a steep incline EXACTLY THE SAME Problem and end result but smart enough not to have an obstacle within meters ,
This vehicle is unrivaled in reverse on steep incline ,
Really wishing I had manual .
In speaking to VW UK yesterday they say no knowledge of any problem of sudden snap drive and shooting backwards ( my wife has indents all in her DSG 1.4 polo 2016 .
VW say that if they receive 5 complaints the same they instantly launch an Enauiry ( I have 2 vehicles with it )
When googling VW DSG reverse problems and snap uncontrolled reversing the pages are endless .
I therefore need to hear from any DSG PROBLEMS inc I read on need the 1st gear snap and then loss of power then it's back again .
I have a 5 year apprenticeship at Rolls Royce cars so not just a stupid driver . Thank you

 

[Jabberwocky]

Hi all, I have a 204 DSG Ocean 4000 Mel's and feb 2017
Just bought this . My first trip out needed me to reverse up a hill to park , I select R , release brakes and it just rolls forward , then apply brakes and add a little throttle (1000 rpm ) brake off and still rolls forward add another 100 rpm brake of seems to hold its own but no sign of reverse movement ! Add another 100 rpm still no rearward movement . Add another 100 and then at same revs BANG shoots in reverse as if hit from the front , damaging rear bumper ,
Knew it was ot me but a lesson learnt
Last week an identical situation to reverse up a steep incline EXACTLY THE SAME Problem and end result but smart enough not to have an obstacle within meters ,
This vehicle is unrivaled in reverse on steep incline ,
Really wishing I had manual .
In speaking to VW UK yesterday they say no knowledge of any problem of sudden snap drive and shooting backwards ( my wife has indents all in her DSG 1.4 polo 2016 .
VW say that if they receive 5 complaints the same they instantly launch an Enauiry ( I have 2 vehicles with it )
When googling VW DSG reverse problems and snap uncontrolled reversing the pages are endless .
I therefore need to hear from any DSG PROBLEMS inc I read on need the 1st gear snap and then loss of power then it's back again .
I have a 5 year apprenticeship at Rolls Royce cars so not just a stupid driver . Thank you

Really interesting story. Had this happen on a small incline in our first months of ownership from new. Thought it was me and been extra careful since with only the odd concern. Yes it makes me wish I had not been seduced by the DSG option. I feel more in control in a manual (sounds like a thread title)! Don’t talk to me about descending hills............!

 

[Meoncoast]

I have reversed up and out of my drive with our DSG Cali(s) since 2012 without issue. Thus happy with ours.

 

[kp64zl]

do you think this is a specific DSG thing or something relevant to all automatic gearboxes? Never had this with various automatic cars I've driven (mostly a Holden Kingswood Trimatic)

 

[WelshGas]

Not a 204 but same Gearbox. Trouble free, even when reversing up a very steep hill 12% or more.

 

[T6 CFO]

I have a Jan 2017 204 4 Motion and have not had any problems. I will though give it a good test on my next outing in Bristol which has some spectacularly steeps hills.
Won’t be for a few days but will report back. I’ve been driving a DSG for 14 years so if I get a problem then there’s an issue. If not then the OP has a fault.



Mike

 

[VW Guru]

Sounds to me like your clutches have lost there basic settings and your vehicle requires an adaption drive. As it’s still under warranty visit your local vw dealer and have them look at it

 

[Jabberwocky]

Sounds to me like your clutches have lost there basic settings and your vehicle requires an adaption drive. As it’s still under warranty visit your local vw dealer and have them look at it

“Adaption drive”. Can you please explain for me. Thanks.

 

[VW Guru]

Hi @Jabberwocky an adaption drive begins with plugging in the diag machine and erasing all the learned data from your gearbox control unit (mechatronics),the test program then continues and the bite point of the clutches are learned buy the control unit. The vehicle is then taken on a test drive for about 30 minuets going through a process Of learning each gear position in the box first in tiptronic going through each gear then in 4and 6 for a period of around 10 mins then 5th and 7th for 10 mins with a engine rev range around the 2000rpm mark. until the test plan is complete and the box is shifting correctly.

 

[Moakesy]

I had this exact same thing last weekend. 204 dsg 4Motion. I thought it was me.

Did it about three times and then it was ok again. One to watch I think.

 

[Jabberwocky]

Hi @Jabberwocky an adaption drive begins with plugging in the diag machine and erasing all the learned data from your gearbox control unit (mechatronics),the test program then continues and the bite point of the clutches are learned buy the control unit. The vehicle is then taken on a test drive for about 30 minuets going through a process Of learning each gear position in the box first in tiptronic going through each gear then in 4and 6 for a period of around 10 mins then 5th and 7th for 10 mins with a engine rev range around the 2000rpm mark. until the test plan is complete and the box is shifting correctly.

Really interesting and helpful, thank you. When you say eraseing all learned data do you mean data the control unit learns from my driving? If that is the case does the control unit continually lean from the driver such as a different driver?

 

[Hotel California]

Lots of existing threads , every once a while one brings this up .

 

[Ciki62]

204 Cali (2.0l diesel) is TERRIBLE in reverse on steep or difficult terrain. Not enough torque so you need to “burn” the clutch. On DSG I have very often temperature warnings whenever reversing on steep terrain.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[WelshGas]

204 Cali (2.0l diesel) is TERRIBLE in reverse on steep or difficult terrain. Not enough torque so you need to “burn” the clutch. On DSG I have very often temperature warnings whenever reversing on steep terrain.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

According to your Avatar you have a 180 4Motion. Which is correct?

If you have had both then did you have the same problem with the 180 4Motion.?

 

[B J G]

Mine is similar and can be quite maddening when trying to reverse park uphill in a carpark.
Best solution is to use the handbrake and gentle right foot to ease the revs up.

DSG in formerly owned EOS behaved like a standard automatic, ie it would set off slowly and keep moving. On the same bit of road the Cali either moves suddenly or with a series of stop starts.

I had to give up trying to reverse my trailer up hill as sensory overload was experienced trying to keep moving and control the trailer on a curve.

Brought up with the Dealer but no solution offered.

Rolls would have had a Torque converter rather than Cali's twin mechanical clutch system, much easier to creep back or forward.

 

[inthemidnighthour]

We have a steepish drive and our first Cali 180 dsg reversed up it no probs however our 2nd Cali 204 dsg does struggle to get going in reverse up the drive but once it starts no problems
And as already mentioned the revs are quite high
Me thinks trip to vw required
Dave and lisa

 

[Meoncoast]

So reading the posts so far glad we went for a 150 van dsg with our drive.

 

[B J G]

We have a steepish drive and our first Cali 180 dsg reversed up it no probs however our 2nd Cali 204 dsg does struggle to get going in reverse up the drive but once it starts no problems
And as already mentioned the revs are quite high
Me thinks trip to vw required
Dave and lisa

Remember to update how you get on with your VW visit.
As I said above I got no help when I brought the issue up with my dealer.

 

[WelshGas]

Remember to update how you get on with your VW visit.
As I said above I got no help when I brought the issue up with my dealer.

Just ask them to put it in writing that this is Normal. Confirmation required for Insurance Company.

 

[Keith J Drury]

PROBLEMS WITH REVERSING INCLINES WITH DSG Gearbox
I posted last week about my 2017 204 ocean , darting backwards in reverse after what seems like failure to select reverse
I have spoken with VW UK HEADQUARTERS
They say they need 5 people to complain and then they will open a case to look into the problem and rectify accordingly .
So please if you have ANY DRIVE issues with the DSG . Please answer my thread and I will take up the case from there .
My wife's 1.4 polo DSG has almost the same issue but Weighs much less .
Thank you for your time

 

[Meoncoast]

As said before no issue backing up and out of my drive.
If your van and your wife's Polo DSG has the same issue that is 2 of your 5, How steep is your drive most odd 2 DSG's in the family with the same issue. Are you sure it is not a pilot error? (just thinking out loud)

 

[Loz]

PROBLEMS WITH REVERSING INCLINES WITH DSG Gearbox
I posted last week about my 2017 204 ocean , darting backwards in reverse after what seems like failure to select reverse
I have spoken with VW UK HEADQUARTERS
They say they need 5 people to complain and then they will open a case to look into the problem and rectify accordingly .
So please if you have ANY DRIVE issues with the DSG . Please answer my thread and I will take up the case from there .
My wife's 1.4 polo DSG has almost the same issue but Weighs much less .
Thank you for your time

Please read post #7 and #9 of this thread and then book you Cali into the dealer to have the DSG gearbox "Adapted".

 

[Cloudbreak]

Just taken receipt of a 199 4motion dsg. First attempt at reversing a very slight incline I thought I was going to have to give it 10,000revs. It eventually reverses but makes a hi pitch noise. The vehicle has only 4k on the clock so suspect its dealer issue.

 

[B J G]

I think that the 'hill hold' and reverse combination gives the problem. I seem to have control by using the handbrake as in a pure manual car with no 'hill hold'.

 

[zinglefiffy]

I think that the 'hill hold' and reverse combination gives the problem. I seem to have control by using the handbrake as in a pure manual car with no 'hill hold'.

i park nose down a steep hill on the school run and thought i was seeing this too - it would roll forward when i released the foot brake then ram backwards when i paniced and tried to catch it on the accelerator. I dont think i'm experienced enough with DSGs to say its exactly the same thats described here - but the thing that really helped was @Loz explaining on a thread somewhere that the hill hold was a delayed-pressure-release system not a binary on-off, so I started to play with the brake while parked on the hill and found that the light touch I needed to hold the van on the foot brake wasn't enough to engage the hill-hold while nose down and in reverse. If i pushed the brake right down, the hill hold would hold the van so i could get on the revs and wait for the hill hold to release it's pressure and the van starts to slowly move backwards up hill - slow enough for a lot of fine control.

Im entirely happy to be told I was just a newbie learning my way around the van but knowing how the hill-hold was interacting with the dsg made a huge difference to my confidence with the vans behaviour so maybe it'll help someone else too