Hi all, after searching everywhere in the sales brochures and the sales invoice for my new Octavia with DSG, I was unable to find out exactly what it stands for. I have just Googled it and found out it is Direct-shift gearbox.

I have also found out that the 7 speed DSG has been the subject of problems and re-calls around the world. (Guess which derivative my car has got!!!) The recalls were for cars built up to 2011. Mine is a 2012 (62 reg.) car.

Now I am not the type of guy to get totally paranoid about such things and run screaming to the dealer demanding answers, but this car was meant to be the car that saw us out of these mortal coils, in terms of service.

I have also detected, since I've got used to driving it a bit, a very, very  slight 'roughness' in the drivetrain. So far I have just put it down to the type of transmission it is, having never driven an automatic before, but now I am beginning to wonder if there is something that I should be concerned about.

Can anyone shed any light on this problem and put my mind at rest please?

Not sure about your specific issues but my experience of the DSG is one of clunks, it is very smooth and works extremely well but does make some clunks and noises like nothing I have heard before, especially if your window is open!

 So far we have about 8000 miles on our Fabia, some of these have been under full load on the race track and some on the road tickling along with wife driving, our car is a 2011 and I am not worried at all by the reviews.

 

 Here is a clip of how the DSG box works

 

http://youtu.be/96CqXnx0QNI

Thanks for that james1. Mine will have an easier life than that as I'm looking for MPG!

16000 miles at the moment.

If it helps, driving both wet 6speed and dry 7speed, the 7 speed in my opinion is not as smooth as the 6.

Thanks for that M12MKD. I wasn't too worried but after reading about the recalls it just put some doubts in my mind. This helps, thanks.

Yes all DSG boxes in my experience wet or dry clutched can have their moments where they are no particularly smooth or make odd noises. I find mine clunks a bit going from 2nd to 1st, also the locking pin engaging when being put into Park more often than not makes a thunk.

at the end of the day its a set of moving mechanicals being controlled by electronics, itll always have its moments and by its very nature will never be quite so refined as a regular auto box.

unless it is doing something extremely wierd or dangerous id personally just forget worrying about it and just enjoy the car.

Just for record I had a Fabia vRS with the 7 speed box in and found it wasnt as smooth as the 6 speed wet box I have now, much worse in slow stop/start traffic but it was better and made what i feel are cleaner shifts when the car was really being pushed, the change on the wet box dont seem quite so quick with the same ferocity; probably makes for a more relaxing drive though.

Hi pipsyp, thanks for all that info.. I will take your advice and enjoy the car.

+1 to what pipsyp wrote. I can hear some noises from the transmission every now and then. I've noticed that ambient temperature influences the way the box works especially before it warms up to working temperature. Octavias are not the best when it comes to being quiet so a lot of mechanical noises are audible in the cockpit. In the end I guess it's supposed to be fun to use it, so don't switch of the radio and the fans to listen to its clunks and bumps

I have a 1.6CRD with 7DSG.

In the past I experienced all kinds of auto's: traditional (torque converters) and variomatic (belt).

 

Obiviously the variomatic has no clunks at all... having no gears to shift. Somebody find it annoying, the way it drives engine revs up. To me it was not a big issue. Only, it's not the most efficient consumption-wise.

 

The trad torque converter is smooth but heavy on fuel, expecially if you don't have a luxury item with 6 or 7 gears to choose from.

 

The DSG (Doppel Schnellgang Getriebe, as far as I knew) combines the fuel efficiency of a "manual" (no torque converter power losses) with the ease and comfort of a trad auto.

I find mine (having driven around 4000km in it since purchase) very smooth, aparte from a "step" between 1st and 2nd and very lightly between 2nd and 3rd. Upper gearshift occur so smoothly you have to keep an eye on the rev counter to see them happen.)

My best friend has a BMW 520d with 7DSP (or whatevere BMW calls them) and reports exactly the same impression. So, I think this should be the regular behaviour of a well sorted DSG. If yours is clunking through gears, it could have something wrong, I'm afraid.

Just for the record, DSG stands for Direkt-Schalt-Getriebe.

I have a 1.6CRD with 7DSG.

In the past I experienced all kinds of auto's: traditional (torque converters) and variomatic (belt).

The DSG (Doppel Schnellgang Getriebe, as far as I knew) combines the fuel efficiency of a "manual" (no torque converter power losses) with the ease and comfort of a trad auto.

I find mine (having driven around 4000km in it since purchase) very smooth, aparte from a "step" between 1st and 2nd and very lightly between 2nd and 3rd. Upper gearshift occur so smoothly you have to keep an eye on the rev counter to see them happen.)

My best friend has a BMW 520d with 7DSP (or whatevere BMW calls them) and reports exactly the same impression. So, I think this should be the regular behaviour of a well sorted DSG. If yours is clunking through gears, it could have something wrong, I'm afraid.

 

Duro, thanks for this explanation of everything 'automatic'. I am much enlightened!!

I obviously read the wrong thing first and it put certain doubts in my mind.

Rest assured that I have had my doubts erased and will never again worry about my cars transmission.

My transmission didn't clunk at any time, it was just a very, very, very slightly detectable 'transmission feel' which I will no longer worry about.

I have since shown the car to my cousin, who is Volvo automatic man, and he is incredibly impressed with it and said he could feel no transmission roughness at all.

Thanks to all who have posted on this thread. I will now really enjoy my car for many, many miles and years.

Regards, John.

DSG in its present form will never be as smooth as a traditional torque converter auto but then a torque converter auto would never achieve the fuel figures of a DSG.

I would enjoy the car for all its clunks etc and if you are looking at keeping it, why not extend the manufactures warranty for good measure?

Regards

DSG in its present form will never be as smooth as a traditional torque converter auto but then a torque converter auto would never achieve the fuel figures of a DSG.

I would enjoy the car for all its clunks etc and if you are looking at keeping it, why not extend the manufactures warranty for good measure?

Regards

Good idea Defenderben!!