2018 R DSG slipping out of gear?!

[Jtvwr]

2018 R, bought new, <15k miles, generally gently driven.

Around 4 times now over several months,when starting from a stop, it's slipped out of gear into neutral. NOT the shifter - the transmission. It's a DSG, but feeling is exactly like a manual popping out of gear to neutral.

The first few times were very gentle starts. Today I was making a left turn out of a gas station Across 4 lanes of traffic (intended medium accel in S), and was left coasting across the road in neutral. It occurred to me that this could get me killed. Previous occasions I think the car was cold, today or was warm, had driven ~15 miles before stopping for gas.

Before I go to the dealer, wondering if this is a known problem, anything I should know etc.

Thanks for any pointers.

 

[Mike B.]

I have a 2018 DSG with 60 K miles. This has happened 15-20 times and it scares the heck out of me. Only going from 1st to 2nd gear and most often when coming out of a gas station and turning onto traffic. Definitely not stomping hard on the gas.
Has happened when I have not just gassed up. Have asked the dealer and they said it was "normal".
Asked my local shop and they had no answers either.

 

[Diggs24]

The lever actually moves into neutral?

 

[kevinkar]

I have posted about this on my 18R as well. It's not a slip out and stay thing rather it pops out and back in and sounds like the drive train is exploding. The loud bang is likely it slamming back into gear since my foot is on the accelerator pedal and is an awful lot like dumping the clutch in a manual (and since a DSG is an "auto" manual, it makes sense it's a clutch plate slamming.)

It most definitely is a safety thing as it happened to me as I was turning out of parking lots into oncoming traffic. I don't cut off the oncoming traffic like an a-hole but, if the car approaching is faster than I think it is and it thinks I'm gonna be taking off but don't..... They could hit me.

It has happened maybe 3 or 4 times but has not happened in the last year I think. It's the definition of intermittent and there's no way to replicate it for the dealer to diagnose. So I just have to hope it does not get me killed.

Note this is similar to the stupid front assist engaging as I leave a parking lot as well - if the exit is a bit more sloped than normal and the front assist starts beeping it has definitely hit the brakes and left my nose sticking out in traffic and, when it engages, you have to give it a second or two to disengage the brakes before you continue on. Even then it sometimes engages a second time! WTF? I have gotten into the habit of deactivating front assist before I leave a parking lot now. Friggin' stupid programming.

 

[toothofwar]

Finally!!! Some one else is having my problem!!! Has happened multiple times now. From normal driving in d, to spirited driving in s, to on the drag strip launching it (this one scared the crap out of me). Always the one two shift. I have had it happen with stock tune, Unitronic tune, cobb sport tune, and even recently with eqt stage 2 tune. Definitely subbed for info!!!!

 

[Jtvwr]

My car is stock, with maybe 16k miles.

@Diggs24 no the shifter does not move. You're in D but mechanically in neutral, free revving and unable to accelerate.

@toothofwar @Mike B. @kevinkar if you haven't already, suggest going to nhtsa.gov and filing a vehicle complaint, I just did so.

I'll take it to a dealer this week. should have done that the first time it happened...

 

[GolfRRRR1]

It happened to me yesterday, '16 R, cold, backing out of driveway into street, noticed a car coming so I quickly put it into D and gave it ¼ throttle, maybe a touch more to get going quickly, and the engine free-revved, quickly got off the gas, then the DSG grabbed and I went. That was my first very noticeable slip. It drove normal after that. When I got back home I ran the DSG re-learn program on my Cobb Accessport, so we'll see how it is later today.

 

[jimlloyd40]

It happened to me yesterday, '16 R, cold, backing out of driveway into street, noticed a car coming so I quickly put it into D and gave it ¼ throttle, maybe a touch more to get going quickly, and the engine free-revved, quickly got off the gas, then the DSG grabbed and I went. That was my first very noticeable slip. It drove normal after that. When I got back home I ran the DSG re-learn program on my Cobb Accessport, so we'll see how it is later today.

Wait a minute or so for DSG fluid to warm up.

 

[kevinkar]

Wait a minute or so for DSG fluid to warm up.

I don't think anyone should expect a transmission to let go like this ever even if you just started the car. Only thing that I've ever let warm up is an old car with a choke or a diesel with glow plugs that take 5 seconds or so to heat up. Otherwise every modern car should be expected to be a start and go proposition. Definitely not an explosive-like dropping out of gear like this. Warm or cold fluid aside, this is a definite drop out of gear and right back into gear event and I don't see the temperature of the fluid controlling this. It's got to be some DSG programming glitch and it's "confused" somehow. Should never happen.

 

[RudyH]

what did the dealer say?
any codes in the system? also it sounds like happens to both stock and TCU tuned?

They are relatively new, but reminds me of my mech unit problems of old

 

[Mike B.]

Happens when the car has been driven for 30-60 minutes. Not a cold DSG fluid issue. Happens more often after filling up the tank, but has also happened without the refill.
I will log on to nhtsa and log it in as it is clearly not normal and is potentially dangerous.

 

[The Fed]

I take it everyone changed their fluid and filter at the prescribed intervals if the cars are more than 3 years old? Keep in mind nothing mechanical will always perform the way you think it should. The programming can't account for every condition yet.

 

[toothofwar]

My car had 3336 miles on the clock when I purchased it. First time it happened was at 4167 miles. Even today, the car only has 18k miles on it. Fluid change is supposed to happen at 40k.

 

[RudyH]

I would be interested in codes.

It's very similar symptoms on my old B8 S4 - DL501, before the mech unit went

 

[Dog Dad Wagon]

My moms 2011 CC did this from the day she got it new till the day she sold it @ 90K miles, after 2 DSG flushes. Definitely a TCU / Mechatronics issue