I am completely serious that I like the Octavia.

I intend to keep it 12 years/250,000 miles

However I am convinced that there is a substantive flaw in the operation of our transmission (along with a number of exactly similar described other transmissions)

Having scoured the internet and ignoring the nutters, focussing on finding others describing similar problems to our own.

I will describe the issue as one of "false neutral" being selected, while attempting to slowly manouver out of a tight parking space on an incline.

With my left foot firmly planted on the floor, and my right foot steady on the throttle, car after starting to creep forward, freely runs back, judiciously apply a little more throttle, creeps forward, but repeats the run back.

The revs do not increase in line with increasing throttle input.

After 3 or 4 repititions and NEVER having backed off the throttle, bring the car to a halt using the parking brake.

Still without moving the right foot on the throttle, ease the selector from Drive to Neutral.

Engine revs immediately jump from tick-over to 2000-2500..

The true throttle pentiometer input being ignored by the ECU/computer that "manages" the transmission.

This make fine control impossible as there is no corrolation between the movement of ones foot on the throttle and the behavouir of the car.

Has anyone any thoughts.

Regards

Marcus

PS

I like my SKODA

I like the brand values.

BUT!!

Edited 22 May, 201313 yr by dieseldogg

Mine has a similar party trick. Backing up my steeply sloping drve it sometimes starts to move but then gives up. It opens the clutch and starts to roll down the hill. Worst thing you can do is apply throttle cos it leaps back like a scalded cat.

I am ready for it now. I feel it about to happen, apply the footbrake and try again with a bit more throttle.

I too tend to keep my cars until they die. I managed 12 years with my previous Peugeot.

This is why I wouldn't buy an auto. The DSG is a pretty tough box by all accounts but there are too many complaints on here for me to risk an out-of-warranty fix.

Mechatronics?

"Has anyone any thoughts.

Regards

Marcus

PS

I like my SKODA

I like the brand values.

BUT!!"

But its time to change mate.... cut your losses

Hmmm,

Exactly what a middle aged, middle managment level headed intelligent mechanic mate said.

Sniff!

PS

Eccleshill,

Exactly my reaction, I cannot bring myself to apply more throttle to attempt to counteract this behavouir.

It is however, precisly the unpredictibility I find "actionable"

No car should be put on the road exhibiting such abbarent behavouir.

I cannot believe any automotive engineer would deem it to be acceptable behavouir either.

Edited 23 May, 201313 yr by dieseldogg

I think their has been a software update for these DSG boxes.

Go to your local dealer and ask

I have repeatedly asked.

I finally, after first reporting the issue at about 8 or 9 months old

got

(i) a mechatronic unit fitted

(ii) a second mechatronic unit fitted

(iii) a clutch pack fitted

and

(iv) finally while still with the dealer, a complete new transmission unit.

All the while while the Skoda boffins were interrogating the car remotely.

However a couple of weeks after the car was returned to me

Exactly the same behavouir.

Which continues.

Happened tonight, very blatently, whilst reversing up a VERY slight incline.

Hence quoting SOGA.

Cheers

Marcus

Edited 23 May, 201313 yr by dieseldogg

"Has anyone any thoughts.

Regards

Marcus

PS

I like my SKODA

I like the brand values.

BUT!!"

But its time to change mate.... cut your losses

Sounds like the sensible option to me as with it as it is you're unlikely to keep it as long as you intended anyway. A manual would seem the way to go unless you're set on staying with the dsg option. Because of the issue with the box getting rid of it while it still has some warrenty on it makes sense too.

What most Octavia DSGs sorely lack is Hill Hold Control; had this on my previous Fabia vRS and it more or less solved the problems.

I find with my Octavia vRS CR DSG estate it is absolutely horrendous at reversing uphill, always rolling forward if moving off footbrake to accelerator; have to put in reverse; hold on handbrake and stab throttle to the point it shoots back a foot or two. Its poor but they are all like it pretty much; just shoddy as hell what amounts to a 23.5k car has something missing that was standard on what was technically a lesser (17.5k) vehicle

Ours has hill holder control.

Car moves just sufficient to disengage hill holder then runs back.

With 5 years warranty and 5 years free servicing I intend to keep the car a while yet.

cheers

m

Whilst my Octavia (without hill hold) was in for service I was given a bog standard VW Polo courtesy car - with hill hold!

Mine has hill hold as standard but it doesn't help here. HH works perfectly, its after it has released that the issue arises.

Unlike Dieseldogg I have never considered it a fault. I put it down to a clumsy anti-stall process that just opens the clutch if the driver is a little short on throttle.

Ours has hill holder control.

Car moves just sufficient to disengage hill holder then runs back.

With 5 years warranty and 5 years free servicing I intend to keep the car a while yet.

cheers

m

I wasn't aware you had 5 years free servicing and warrenty which changes things as I thought from the OP that your warrenty was up this year. How did you get both servicing and warrenty for that long.

Cheers

Nth Co Antrim agricultural negeotating skills.

Backed by by a soliceter at the hinder end.

Plus hire car for 3 full months

Plus £600.00 cash ( to put the Steyr Puch back on the road, for rough lane access)

i am sure there was something on the honest john website the other day re this issue.

My octavia vRS with DSG has hill hold and I am not 100% confident in it whilst reversing up my steep drive. The garage door is very close and I don't fancy the risk of a split second mistake leading to me rolling into it. To reduce to chance I just treat it like a manual and hold it on the handbrake till I feel it wanting to move on the throttle. The split second it takes to automatically apply the hold is a bit too long for me in those circumstances.

Edited 24 May, 201313 yr by Floridadaz

Is there not something about the Chinese government making vag put 10 year warranty on the dsg gear boxes. Yes I know the boxes are made there, but they are the same design.

Mine has hill hold as standard but it doesn't help here. HH works perfectly, its after it has released that the issue arises.

Unlike Dieseldogg I have never considered it a fault. I put it down to a clumsy anti-stall process that just opens the clutch if the driver is a little short on throttle.

+1

Exactly!

The DSG 'box is very clever, but not perfect at low speed when manoeuvring, especially on an incline (like my drive).

I just use the handbrake to fill the gaps. No issues. As above, treat it like a manual while the clutch bites.

Love DSG. Happy to forgive its foibles.

My take on this is that its always more difficult to control take off in reverse gear. After all, I have 7 forward gears and one reverse gear so theres no automatic breaking power in reverse. Add in the rather bizarre feel of hill hold which is odd until you realise with practice that the cars going nowhere for two seconds, then there's a real need to have plenty of practice at dealing with the DSG gearbox in reverse particularly on a 1.8 tsi or a high torque diesel.

To summarise gentlemen are you sure the faults not with us rather than the gearbox which must be consistent in its approach!!

Indeed DSG is great but not perfect. It does a great job of pretending to be a torque converter auto most of the time but at the end of the day it is a robotised manual with two clutches and as a consequence will have some strange characteristics. Something people need to accept is that theyll nevervbe as smooth as a good torque converter box, particularly at low speeds.

Something ive noticed going from a 7 speed dry to 6 speed wet is that the wet box slips the clutches alot more to smooth out pulling off in lower gears or suddenly calling on a lower gear at speed. I guess it can do this as the clutch plates are lubricated and so its not recieving the hammering a dry clutch would do.

I also have a steep driveway and every now and again i could smell the clutches burning on my old Fabia vRS after driving up the slope; never happens with my Octavia vRS.

Many of the oddities with DSG boxes just take some getting used to, on the most part they can be driven around. Suprises me so many people are claiming to have HHC on their DSG Octavias, my 2013 Blackline DSG doesnt have it and its not even a factory option on a late model vRS.

Gentlemen,

(i) I have kept the 253,000 mile towball fitted and used 1.9 TDI Galaxy parked up.

This car is still on its origional clutch.

(ii) Despite driving this past 35 years, incl towing and reversing trailers I have NEVER slipped a clutch to the point of burning, being quite unfamiliar with that very distinctive smell.(and see above)

(iii) I can however appreciate that VW found it necessary to protect its automated clutch packs against driver abuse, since many other drivers appear to treat the clutch as a torque convertor.

(iv) My issue occurs when attempting to move off forward, on an incline, at low speed.

(v) IT happens with a stone cold clutch pack.

(vi)It happens despite the 7 speed DSG being fitted with a super low ratio 1st gear, which if engaged should allow just such low speed manouvering on a slope.

(vii) It happens despite my left foot ALWAYS remaining firmly planted on the floor.

(viii)I happens despite the footbrake NEVER being touched.

(ix) It happens because the transmission overrides my very gradually, but definately well applied, applied throttle, just sufficient to overcome the hill. Proven by revs jumping to 2500 (from tickover) when car stopped on handbrake during roll-back, and neutral selected.i.e I HAVE tried to get the clutch pack to fully close engage as I like to think that I do not slip clutchs/being possessed of mechanical sympathies.

(x) It has happened to myself, my wife and 20 year old Son(who said something QUITE rude)

(xi) Self same level headed mechanic mate, who said to trade her in, also is adamant that this is a definate glitch/boo-boo/no-no/fubar/fault/dead parrot.

(xii) Why has the VW group fitted replacment transmissions to multiple vehicles across the group in an attemp to cure a non existent problem, that they now (in desperation I can only presume)are choosing to describe as "a normal operational characteristic"

(xiii) Why do Skoda carefully avoid accurately or properly describing the fault, rather choosing to call it " a slight hesitation in pulling away", a very delibrate re-wording of my carefully detailled in writing explanation.

(xiv)I look forward to seeing them being well rotated in a clockwise direction at court.

Cheers

Marcus

Edited 25 May, 201313 yr by dieseldogg

Good luck with it!

OK.

I am back on here

Mods, feel free to delete my more recent thread re DSG "issues"

cheers all

marcus

Is there not something about the Chinese government making vag put 10 year warranty on the dsg gear boxes. Yes I know the boxes are made there, but they are the same design.

I am told that in USA there is a similar warranty extension for dsg. Of course consumer protection there is stronger than UK and possibly elsewhere in Euroland.

As always in Europe the French are apparently Revolting first.

A campaign running on French Facebook at present.

Yes Nth America is sommat like 8 years /200,000 miles, China, did someone say 10 years, Australia 5 years.

So why does the home market get shat on by VW.