DSG Help. Using it properly

[Top Cat]

1.   Can i coast in neutral with a DSG box,and what problem's will it cause if i cannot do this. 

2.  If i hold my foot on the brake for too long can this cause any problem's to my DSG. 

3.  Would there be any long term damage if i accidently knock it into neutral while say driving at 60 MPH. 

4.  Would you recommend a different service regime for my DSG box if the car was remapped. 

5. What is the difference between D-mode & S-mode. 

6.  Is it safe to use S-mode regularly. 

7.  How many times can i use launch control.   

8.  Can VW use excessive use of launch control to negate paying out on warranty work. 

9.  Is there a safe limit to added BHP, which wont affect the DSG box adversely.

10.  How much is the DSG service.? 

11.  How much £ am i looking at for a replacement clutch pack. 

[Hurdy]

This is STRICTLY a Q & A sticky.

Spamming and off-topic posts will be cleaned off

[RedRobin]

....

1 - Definitely don't coast in N neutral. Handbook advises against and T_T has posted detailed info elsewhere.

2 - No problems, in my experience, are caused to DSG by keeping foot on brake while at standstill. I have done it continually for 52k miles without signs of any problem.

3 - I don't think you can knock it into N but have to use the gearknob button. I think I have changed into N once and immediately shifted out and no problems if just for an instant.

4 - If remapped it would be a sensible precaution to change the DSG oil and filter more often. Frequency is on my list of questions for VW Racing soon.

5 - D-mode shifts the gears at the first rpm opportunity and so keeps your revs low. S-mode is Sports mode and takes your revs to kiss the red zone before shifting gear and shifts down to deliver optimum power and revs. It's also influenced by your use of the brake pedal - All very clever stuff.

6 - Quite safe to use S-mode regularly. For my first 15,000 miles I only used D and S. I used S for overtakes and going fast in the twisties.

7 - Launch Control frequency of use? - Hmm, I don't know for certain but the process will obviously add stress to your transmission by its very nature.

8 - VW vs You using Launch Control? - If it's logged in the ECU you might have some lengthy disputes which can only be settled by the technicalities of law - All complicated and a legal case potentially expensive. VW have much much deeper pockets than you or I.

9 - High bhp won't overstress the DSG but torque over a certain limit will. The well established tuners limit torque on DSG GTI's to about 300 ft lb / 400 Nm. The Ed30 uses the same DSG. High bhp on a quattro with DSG will potentially stress the clutches because there is less 'give'/slippage than with FWD.

10 - How much is the DSG service? - Ask your VW dealer.

11 - How much a replacement clutch pack? - I dunno - They aren't commonly available at this time.



N.B.: I have answered all these questions to the best of my knowledge and stand to be corrected.

Hope this helps,

[Top Cat]

RED your answer to question 2 is disputed by TT on page 4, reply 7, of the DSG coasting thread Which is why i started this thread because i gave the same answer as you. 

[RedRobin]

RED your answer to question 2 is disputed by TT on page 4, reply 7, of the DSG coasting thread Which is why i started this thread because i gave the same answer as you. 

.... Somehow I just knew that at least one of my answers might contradict TT's posts! I can't categorically say TT is wrong - he may be right - but it's another question I'll be asking VWR and their gearbox boffin later this month.

[Teutonic_Tamer]

Red, I think you need to read your manual again.  Whilst it is perfectly reasonable to hold the car stationary in gear with the footbrake for short periods, IIRC, the manual recommends shifting into neutal.  Furthermore, to keep a car stationary car in gear, with the footbrake is a definate failure of the driving test - "when stationary, apply the handbrake, shift into neutral, and lift off the footbrake" - and this is irrespective of a manual or automatic driving test.

Ill try and give these points some detailed answers later.

[RedRobin]

....Who said anything about me passing a driving test?

The only time I use the handbrake is when parking and leaving the car.

If it's more than a traffic light I sometimes shift to N but still hold the footbrake.

[JonnyG]

The only time I use the handbrake is when parking and leaving the car.

If it's more than a traffic light I sometimes shift to N but still hold the footbrake.

I think the manual tends to agree with you RR 

Quote :

"Stopping Briefly

- Use the foot brake to prevent the car "creeping" forwards, e.g at traffic lights.  The selector lever does not need to be put into the positions P or N for this". 

The question is - how long a time is briefly ?

[RedRobin]

....Jonny - I think it probably says "briefly" because, as TT points out, strictly speaking if a stop is longer than 'brief' we are meant to use the handbrake but I think this is only for driving test passing purposes.

With some modern cars having DSG and Hill Assistants etc, I'm not convinced that the authorities have got up to speed on such systems yet. Isn't the original reason for insisting we use our handbrakes relating to safety on cars without such technology?

I used to do the same on my automatic BMW - For over 120,000 miles without a single transmission problem throughout its life.

However, in using the traffic lights stop as an example, the handbook is defining "briefly" as quite a long time and such stops can be also very frequent.

Until TT puts forward different reasoning to say otherwise, I'm not convinced it's a problem.

[arletty69]

There is an important technicality here that perhaps not many people appreciate.  The DSG box 'knows' when the brake pedal is depressed with the car at rest and totally disengages the clutch.  You will notice that when you release the brake, there is a brief moment before the clutch starts to bite and the car start to move forward.  Equally, when on an incline, note that the car will roll back imediately after releasing the brake before the clutch realises that the brake is off and starts to engage (obviously some use of the handbrake is required here to avoid rolling back).  Anyway, this all suggests to me that there is absolutely no danger in leaving the car in D with the foot on the brake for as long as required.  Having said that, however, I do personally shift to N but this is force of habit as I have done this for all my cars.........manual, auto and now DSG!