Clunky 7 Speed DSG Box Golf TCR

Clunky 7 Speed DSG Box Golf TCR

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Peter_booker2003

Original Poster:

36 posts

99 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
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Evening all,

Long time lurker so thought it was about time to asked for some assistance and try and help others where I can too.

I recently picked up a 2020 (69) TCR and have been really enjoying the car. A few things with the gearbox have unsettled me and whilst the cars still under VW warranty I thought it was worth getting it sorted sooner rather than later. Having come from a 2012 Edition 35 with a Revo Stage 1 ECU and TCU, I expected the later 7 speed box to be superior but so far I have found it to be quite clunky. The car has only done 30k miles so not loads.

For example, sometimes when I put the car from Park to Drive its quite hard to get it out of park. Once it goes past Reverse it is smooth but coming-out of park can be quite clunky. I have driven other 7.5 GTI's with the same box and its always been fairly easy to move the gear lever out of Park and into the other gears. Second to this, when going into park it is sometimes clunky too.

Again sometimes, when I'm sat at a junction before changing it into neutral it feels as though the car is wanting to pull away and the clutches haven't disengaged. It also sounds as though the engine is labouring whereas I always understood it to disengage the clutches when stopped with your foot on the brake.

Thirdly, and whilst this may not be related but when I come to a stop with the brakes, the car feels like it rocks forwards and backwards rather than just smoothly stopping.

Finally, when I pull away from a junction in Drive, the car goes into second gear and it seems to sit at a set RPM for longer than it should before dropping down into third and then carrying on. Its hard to explain but its almost as though you pull away and it doesn't change into third as quick as you'd expect it too.

I do plan on taking it to my local independent for them to take a look at before taking it to VW but can anyone assist me with any ideas of what the problem may be? Or if the issues I'm having are completely normal.

Thanks
Pete

trevalvole

1,270 posts

40 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
quotequote all
I presume the gear selector is not mechanically connected to the gearbox, so perhaps some of the issues are associated with the selector itself, or perhaps sensors associated with the selector e.g. if it is not always getting a signal from the brake pedal that your foot is on the brake, then perhaps it won't allow you to shift out of park?

budgie smuggler

5,539 posts

166 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
quotequote all
Peter_booker2003 said:
Evening all,

Long time lurker so thought it was about time to asked for some assistance and try and help others where I can too.

I recently picked up a 2020 (69) TCR and have been really enjoying the car. A few things with the gearbox have unsettled me and whilst the cars still under VW warranty I thought it was worth getting it sorted sooner rather than later. Having come from a 2012 Edition 35 with a Revo Stage 1 ECU and TCU, I expected the later 7 speed box to be superior but so far I have found it to be quite clunky. The car has only done 30k miles so not loads.

For example, sometimes when I put the car from Park to Drive its quite hard to get it out of park. Once it goes past Reverse it is smooth but coming-out of park can be quite clunky. I have driven other 7.5 GTI's with the same box and its always been fairly easy to move the gear lever out of Park and into the other gears. Second to this, when going into park it is sometimes clunky too.

Again sometimes, when I'm sat at a junction before changing it into neutral it feels as though the car is wanting to pull away and the clutches haven't disengaged. It also sounds as though the engine is labouring whereas I always understood it to disengage the clutches when stopped with your foot on the brake.

Thirdly, and whilst this may not be related but when I come to a stop with the brakes, the car feels like it rocks forwards and backwards rather than just smoothly stopping.

Finally, when I pull away from a junction in Drive, the car goes into second gear and it seems to sit at a set RPM for longer than it should before dropping down into third and then carrying on. Its hard to explain but its almost as though you pull away and it doesn't change into third as quick as you'd expect it too.

I do plan on taking it to my local independent for them to take a look at before taking it to VW but can anyone assist me with any ideas of what the problem may be? Or if the issues I'm having are completely normal.

Thanks
Pete
Hi mate can't help on the other points but on the 'labouring when stopped on the brakes' point - i have a 6sp DSG Octavia '18 plate and it does the same thing. You can feel/hear it putting slight load on the engine. Putting it into neutral stops the noise.
I asked at a main dealer, they assured me that it is entirely normal. However it does seem wrong, surely it would cause wear and tear?

ninjag

1,874 posts

126 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
quotequote all
Also thinking the parking pawl could be damaged? Maybe the previous owner didn't use the handbrake and let the car move against the pawl instead. It would explain all your issues though, I would definitely take it in under warranty.

Wills2

24,414 posts

182 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
quotequote all

I had a TCR and none of what you describe is normal, if it's under warranty then straight to the dealer, do you know the cars history is possible it has had a remap prior?




Peter_booker2003

Original Poster:

36 posts

99 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
quotequote all
Thanks all for your replies.

Glad to hear it’s not just me and seems to be an actual issue.

I’ve emailed the dealer and will follow up with a phone call tomorrow.

Thanks

Simon_GH

405 posts

87 months

Tuesday 13th September 2022
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budgie smuggler said:
Hi mate can't help on the other points but on the 'labouring when stopped on the brakes' point - i have a 6sp DSG Octavia '18 plate and it does the same thing. You can feel/hear it putting slight load on the engine. Putting it into neutral stops the noise.
I asked at a main dealer, they assured me that it is entirely normal. However it does seem wrong, surely it would cause wear and tear?
I believe at least some DSG gearboxes let the clutch drag when stopped in drive to simulate the creep from a torque converter. You’re right though, it does cause unnecessary wear and some experts advise putting in neutral when stopped unless moving off again is imminent.

rlw

3,413 posts

244 months

Wednesday 14th September 2022
quotequote all
Scirocco R. Re putting the box into neutral when stationary, surely this is just common sense. Maybe it's my age but I stop, push the lever into neutral and put the handbrake on unless I can see that I'll be moving again in a few seconds.

I did the same with torque converter gearboxes too. It only takes a second but saves wear on everything. And sitting in front of someone with your brakes lights on unnecessarily is just annoying....

ninjag

1,874 posts

126 months

Wednesday 14th September 2022
quotequote all
The 7-speed 0B5 DSG (not sure if this is the one in question) disengages when stationary, so it's fine to leave in Drive. Safe for a torque convertor as well, it's just fluid.

There's an argument that it can be worse to shift into N or P and apply handbrake each time because those actions cause physical wear. A further argument against using P whilst at the lights is if you are hit or nudged from the rear (or reversed into) it could damage the parking pawl in the gearbox.

I just sit in D whilst at lights etc, although my only dislike it blinding people behind with the brake lights, but it's so common now what with so many auto boxes about.

Dr G

15,403 posts

249 months

Thursday 15th September 2022
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ninjag said:
The 7-speed 0B5 DSG (not sure if this is the one in question) disengages when stationary, so it's fine to leave in Drive. Safe for a torque convertor as well, it's just fluid.
Correct; leave it in drive and let the hold assist take care of it.

Gazzab

21,232 posts

289 months

Thursday 15th September 2022
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I have a 7.5 DSG R that I’ve had for almost 4.5 years - not had any issues with the selector.