Following a recent exchange on this forum I thought I would have a go at using the manual function today. I gave up quite quickly as I just couldn't find any advantage. I'm a great fan of DSG and I'm wondering whether Skoda just incorporate the manual option to draw people in knowing that they will be instantly seduced by the automatic function. So - if you have DSG do you ever use the manual function and, if so, when and why? Also if you are an occasional DSG driver, do you instinctively go for manual or just settle back and use automatic?

If it had paddles, I would occasionally to get more engine braking for slowing down rather than using the brakes.

But as it hasn't... no.

It's such a good gearbox I don't see the point.

An auto box of any sort can only read conditions from moment to moment; it can't think ahead. Example: With a big caravan behind, I'm used to dropping one or two cogs when approaching a steep descent so that braking isn't necessary. I'm not expecting the DSG box to do this for me.

IMHO (just in case I offend anyone.)

An auto box of any sort can only read conditions from moment to moment; it can't think ahead. Example: With a big caravan behind, I'm used to dropping one or two cogs when approaching a steep descent so that braking isn't necessary. I'm not expecting the DSG box to do this for me.

IMHO (just in case I offend anyone.)

I'm sure you haven't offended anyone. Am I right in thinking that you are not actually using DSG at the moment? If so, I will be interested to see if your views change when you are. (If they do - I don't know anything about towing.)

I'm sure you haven't offended anyone...

Thanks.

Nearly got a DSG (see left) but not quite. But, when towing, the old adage 'Be in the right gear at the right time' has added importance and I would hate to be caught out. The manual option would give me a fail-safe, I think.

(The DSG was specced to give my left foot a bit of a rest. I'm looking forward to the new experience.)

To some extent the DSG box does think ahead, in that it changes up very quickly when accelerating, but also changes down if you are coming down a steepish hill and braking. That is something I hadn't noticed with my previous cars with the normal slushmatic.

Just for a play I sometimes use the manual function, but usually the DSG box does most things far quicker than you would, particularly with the 140 TDi engine

I think if the Yeti had the flappy paddles, I probably would use them more. My last car had them, so would use them to prepare to storm past a slower vehicle on country roads.

IMHO the DSG box is the best 'auto' box I've had - engage warp drive takes on a whole new meaning.

Edited 14 August, 201213 yr by MikeWales

To echo BossFox and MikeWales with regards to flappy paddles, having been driving an Octavia vRS DSG for sometime I do get the occassional 'need' to drive using either these or the shift itself and having driven numerous Yetis (mainly 1.2 DSG) do find myself having the odd switchover to gearshift. Not for any real purpose, just to feel like I'm driving once in a while.

....flappy paddles....

Off-topic for a moment, if I won't get jumped on for putting it in the wrong forum:

In the general environment of DSG, ICE, CR, vRS, FL, VCDS, PTO, JIT and the rest, the term 'flappy paddles' is a real oddity...

Edited 14 August, 201213 yr by brijo

Where it originated from I don't know, but the tall mop haired bloke from Top Gear often uses this term to describe the 2 paddles either side of the steering wheel.

Hardly ever is the short answer. Well not to row through the gears anyway. BUT when coming up to a roundabout you can easily catch the DSG out if you see a gap and need to accelarate quickly. It is sensing the car slowing down so when in 2nd it will have 1st ready and the DSG is expecting you to stop perhaps. But then you see the gap and put your foot down and very quickly you might need 3rd, yet the box had 1st ready... so some seconds for it to release 1st and select 3rd... So just before the roundabout you tap the lever left, tap down twice, the car is in 2nd and ready to pounce into that gap - or to stop.

The other scenario (which many will argue is not a good thing to do since brake pads are cheaper to replace than gearboxes) is to slow the car on a motorway / dual carriageway without using the brake lights. Every one knows using your brake lights on these roads cause ripple effects in the flow of traffic and should be avoided at all costs. So to slow down ever so slightly I nudge the lever to the left and tap it down once.

I've tried to use it manually when driving from A to B and hated it. Maybe with paddles but even then I think I prefer it to do its own thing.

Permission to enter the conversation please (I don’t drive a Yeti)

Permission to enter the conversation please (I don’t drive a Yeti)

Only if you have a black and gold car Brimma! Ah. Drat I thought that would exclude most... Hehehe. So yes of course you can enter!!!

Permission to enter the conversation please (I don’t drive a Yeti)

Permission granted, providing you behave yourself

Thank you, then I’ll begin

I drive my Octavia vRS DSG (the black and gold one, in case no-one’s noticed) mainly in semi-auto mode, but have used the paddles occasionally when the ’box gets caught out and changes down too early braking downhill, or when experimenting on a particularly twisty back road

As Richard said above though, the gearbox is that damn good there really is little need to use it manually

Was that sensible enough?

...the gearbox is that damn good there really is little need to use it manually...

In 'normal' driving, that's just what I'm hoping for.

brijo, you won't be disappointed. Take note of Johanns post about the bit of hesitation where the gearbox thinks it needs 1st but you want to squeeze in to that gap in traffic and it needs 3rd, it's just the DSG being a bit too clever. Once you've got it out on the road a few times you will realise how refined it is compared to some boxes out there.

If it had paddles, I would occasionally to get more engine braking for slowing down rather than using the brakes.

But as it hasn't... no.

It's such a good gearbox I don't see the point.

+1

Have driven some miles in a Superb II 170 DSG with paddles and tried both 'manual' stick and paddle shift. Personally preferred the stick to paddle operation but that might be me coming from only ever owning manual cars, mind I did keep getting up and down the wrong way round with the paddles

TP

Have driven some miles in a Superb II 170 DSG with paddles and tried both 'manual' stick and paddle shift. Personally preferred the stick to paddle operation but that might be me coming from only ever owning manual cars, mind I did keep getting up and down the wrong way round with the paddles

TP

On my octavia vrs, I leave it most of the time in "D". Copes quite well. Only tend to use the paddles when approaching roundabouts. As for manual, tend to stick it into manual when driving up some of the winding hill roads here in south Wales as in "D" it tends to keep changing up and down. So each mode has it's advantages

I've driven a variety of Automatics over the years, interspersed with manuals, and have for a long time bemoaned the lack of 'control' of gear selection that you get with an auto. I went as far as modifying the selector mechanism on a BMW 318i auto (back in the mid 90s) so I could flick from D to 3 without having to squeeze the selection button; to get a quicker shift.

At the time I had my Octavis vRS we bought an '08 Roomster 1.6 Tip (OK I know it has a traditional auto and not DSG) and revelled in the ability to use the tiptronic manual selection as I find the gerbox change pattern too economy orientated. Overall though, for general driving, the auto is actually quite good.

Moving forward a couple of years I switched my Octy vRS for a Yeti CR140 with DSG. Overall the DSG is a revalation and any comparison with a traditional auto is almost chalk vs cheese. For general driving the gear selection and response is excellent and the feeling of driving an (automated) manual is very satisfying.

However, I feel the programing in D is too economy oriented and S hold the gears too long at times. I therefore started using the manual selection but found the the factor of having to move hand from steering wheel to gearshift irritating and somewhat defeating the convenience and ease of the auto 'box.

Solution was to get an Octavia vRS steering wheel with 'flappy paddles' - Brilliant! If I want to use manual selection its a flick of the finger.

Overall, I use manual (flappy paddle) for something like 75% of my driving. Essentially, I use auto for urban driving and manual on open roads and Motorways. I like manual on the motorway, for example, to be able to hold 6th rather than the auto dropping to 5th, on an incline (particularly useful in Roomster which is less gutsy than my Yeti). Additioanlly, I use the manual/flappy paddles to drive economically by changing up earlier than the auto might when pressing on. The other, and primary, reason for using manual is 'control' which has brought me back to where I started.

Two final point;

1. My flappy paddles have an interesting characteristic, which I'm not sure is avalable is availabe on, say, an Octy vRS, which is I can have the gear selector in D, using auto, but the gearbox will respond to manual input from the paddles for as long as they are used; if not used for a few minutes the selection reverts to auto, and

2. I find the forward for up change and back for downchange, of the manual selection on the gearlever counter intuative. I'd prefer back to change up and forward to change down. I dare say that motor manufactures have studied the psycology of this but IMHO, I'd prefer it the other way around.

My wife's car is a Passat 170 TDI DSG. When driving on the motorway, I've noticed it uses slightly less fuel when running in manual 6th, so I tend to switch to manual and cruise when up to speed, dropping back to semi-auto when gear-changing is needed. When my Yeti DSG arrives, I'll be interested to see if the same thing happens. Has anyone else found this?

1. My flappy paddles have an interesting characteristic, which I'm not sure is avalable is availabe on, say, an Octy vRS, which is I can have the gear selector in D, using auto, but the gearbox will respond to manual input from the paddles for as long as they are used; if not used for a few minutes the selection reverts to auto, and

Mine does that too

For those who don't know, I also have a DSG Yeti.

Before I took delivery I wanted flappy paddles. I believe I was the guinea pig!

I use D around town and manual outside of town.

I have had flappy paddles for nearly 18 months now and use them all the time.

Just as Bahnstormer described.

I did have a problem a year ago when I would get false neutrals when going down several gears for a bend, but it has been fine now for over a year.

I tow a caravan and use the paddles all the time to make sure I'm in the sweet spot of the massive torque range of the remapped engine. Pulls like it would climb a vertical wall :lol:

So in answer to OP question: yes I use manual a large proportion of the time when not in town.

Mike

Mine does that too

I thought that was normal behaviour.

(you are welcome any time Brimma)

Have any DSG Yeti owners had any of the problems that seem to crop up with other VAG DSG owners. I have had 2 DSG VW cars with no issues (although both only owned for a short time), and would agree that it is a superb box. I would have liked my Urban with DSG but it was not an option. Bearing in mind the relative few Yetis sold in total since launch (9000 ish?), I would estimate that probably around a third will have DSG, so I guess that there may have been a few problems.

Reason I ask is that a friend who had a new 2010 VW Scirocco with DSG, lost all drive on his car when on the Motorway - luckily he was in the inside lane and managed to coast onto the hard shoulder, otherwise I shudder to think of the outcome. Turned out to be a software issue. While the problem was being sorted, he trawled the VAG forums and was surprised at the number of complaints/problems there were with the DSG. Anyway, he traded the car immediately for a manual version as the experience really shook him up.