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DSG jumping out of gear on take off

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Here's how it happens for me. Happens more often than not.

  • Engine start/stop enabled. Engine off.
  • Come to a complete stop on an incline or flat surface.
  • Take foot off brakes and then let the mechatronics proceed to jerk between N and 1st. It jerks between N and 1st because the mechatronics unit is trying to prevent the engine from stalling. Give it a touch of gas and it'll enter 1st relatively smoothly or it'll dump the clutch like you're using launch control.
I think I said it before in this thread but I'm fairly sure an ex-VW mechanic said to me that the DSG in my car needed replacing. He's seen this behaviour before and it's a mechatronics issue. However I couldn't get the DSG replaced because COVID hit and now my powertrain warranty is over due to the TCU tune.
That sounds quite a bit different than the main issue being discussed.
 

geokilla

Go Kart Champion
Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Car(s)
2018 VW GTI DSG
That sounds quite a bit different than the main issue being discussed.
It's not. It's the same thing thing as people described in this thread. Same problem, different way to trigger it.
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
So, of everyone experiencing this specific issue in this thread, how often do you use the handbrake when you park?

I had a thought recently when the issue became particularly bad... When I start the car and the first time going into reverse it does the drop&clunk, it then occurs pretty much constantly. I ALWAYS yank the handbrake when I park and in some instances without the handbrake the car has a dramatic amount of roll back until the gears hit the locking pin. We know this clunking is somewhat related to how the car uses the rear brakes, and the handbrake system on this car is the screw type design that only presses the pad forward and doesn't allow it to back out since that would involve "unscrewing" the pad.

The past two weeks or so the issue got particularly bad in cold weather. I did the various dsg resets and for the first 50 miles as the tcu relearn things, it keeps the revs a bit higher and prevents the clunk. Then it comes back. I decided to stop using the handbrake entirely and in some cases I pull it ever so slightly (parking on bigger hills). Since I stopped using the handbrake, the issue has not occurred at all. I'll keep avoiding it for a while to see how things go, but I'm curious what the work flow is for the rest of you guys when parking??
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Parking brake then put in park.
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
Okay, several weeks now I haven't used the parking brake at all, even in my driveway and the daycare parking lot where I get significant rollback when not using it. I slowly ease off the brake so it doesn't hard bump into the pin while parking, but I have not had the gear dance happen since.

It's not for lack of trying! I've been just dumping the brake trying to get it to act funny, and the worst that has happened is it goes into first quickly and the turbo lag takes a half second on throttle before it picks up and starts accelerating with a bit of authority.

After 15 years of driving manuals it took a lot of effort to unlearn the muscle memory of ripping the handbrake as soon as I stop, but that really seems to have done a lot. For the record, re-enabling brake assistant and setting the booster settings back to factory also had some positive effects, as did re-enabling hill start assist.

I'd love to get a bigger sample pool if anyone else is reading this and willing to give it a try!!
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Okay, several weeks now I haven't used the parking brake at all, even in my driveway and the daycare parking lot where I get significant rollback when not using it. I slowly ease off the brake so it doesn't hard bump into the pin while parking, but I have not had the gear dance happen since.

It's not for lack of trying! I've been just dumping the brake trying to get it to act funny, and the worst that has happened is it goes into first quickly and the turbo lag takes a half second on throttle before it picks up and starts accelerating with a bit of authority.

After 15 years of driving manuals it took a lot of effort to unlearn the muscle memory of ripping the handbrake as soon as I stop, but that really seems to have done a lot. For the record, re-enabling brake assistant and setting the booster settings back to factory also had some positive effects, as did re-enabling hill start assist.

I'd love to get a bigger sample pool if anyone else is reading this and willing to give it a try!!
The issue I have wtih this is that at least in my case, this is a v. rare thing so it could just be coincidence even though I do like the idea that it's all brake related and the DSG just "saving itself" against a stall from stickier brake pads/rotor in the back.
 

victorofhavoc

Autocross Champion
Location
Kansas City
The issue I have wtih this is that at least in my case, this is a v. rare thing so it could just be coincidence even though I do like the idea that it's all brake related and the DSG just "saving itself" against a stall from stickier brake pads/rotor in the back.
Yeah I understand that. It happened to me extremely consistently on second start after short stops. Like running to daycare, quick grocery run, gas station, etc. I also have a tendency to really yank on the handbrake and when I ran very aggressive rear pads it was a constant occurrence. My logic is that warm rear pads (especially sportier or aggressive ones) tend to grip harder. Very hot pads will bind to the rotor if you pull the handbrake while hot, and I've definitely seen the pad outline on my rear rotors when they've sat a bit.

I'll keep on testing it and see how it goes. It sucks for me because pulling the handbrake is so second nature... It takes real mental effort to avoid doing it.
 

zwalk

Drag Race Newbie
Location
United States
Car(s)
GSW 4motion
Add me to the list.
DQ250, liqui moly, EQT, only when I come off pedal into first. Sometimes it feels like I falls into gear, sometimes it feels like it stalls then finds it. Going to be gentler with my brake pedal and see if that helps.

I have not tried a clutch pack reset, just basic settings on a hot transmission.

Came up on a lifetime OBD Eleven recently so I’ll probably see if any settings are helpful. Need to turn SVR and Rough Road off anyhow

Did not occur until I changed the fluid and installed my BFI stage 1 insert.
 
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toothofwar

Autocross Champion
Location
KY
Car(s)
2018 Golf R

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Add me to the list.
DQ250, liqui moly, EQT, only when I come off pedal into first. Sometimes it feels like I falls into gear, sometimes it feels like it stalls then finds it. Going to be gentler with my brake pedal and see if that helps.

I have not tried a clutch pack reset, just basic settings on a hot transmission.

Came up on a lifetime OBD Eleven recently so I’ll probably see if any settings are helpful. Need to turn SVR and Rough Road off anyhow

Did not occur until I changed the fluid and installed my BFI stage 1 insert.
Do you watch the gear display on the dash when this happens? Does it momentarily change from D1 to D then back to D1? I don't think SVR or RR do a thing BTW.
 
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zwalk

Drag Race Newbie
Location
United States
Car(s)
GSW 4motion
Do you watch the gear display on the dadh when this happens? Does it momentarily change from D1 to D then back to D1? I don't think SVR or RR do a thing BTW.
Still need to do that, o can just feel it happening.

I thought SVR/RR could help with launch behavior but maybe it’s not worth messing with
 

tigeo

Autocross Champion
Still need to do that, o can just feel it happening.

I thought SVR/RR could help with launch behavior but maybe it’s not worth messing with
I tested all this stuff w/r to launching, 0-60s, etc. and never saw any difference I could discern. My fastest times are all with all the settings stock. I just think so many folks propagate these changes wihtout any idea of what they actually do. My other hypothesis is that at least for SVR, this impacts the manual guys moreso than DSG. Again, no difference I could ever feel or record with SVR. RR...that one I have no idea, played with it and never saw any differences and there was a whole thing about MK7.5 not having the ability to change SVR (mine can!) so someone came up wiht RR as the new SVR based on, what I can tell, bro-science.
 

zwalk

Drag Race Newbie
Location
United States
Car(s)
GSW 4motion
went a while without issue after the synchro reset and had a repeat incident today
 
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