Just bought a pre reg 63 plate Yeti S DSG with 29 miles on the clock.

I've searched the forums but only seen a couple of things that nearly match my queries.

Only had it 4 days so very low miles and first impressions (apart from a short test drive) are very good. All the controls are familiar as I've had 4 fabia's.

 

My queries regarding the dsg are:

 

• Should it creep when stationary? I live semi rural so seldom get stuck in traffic but going into Blyth, Northumberland, this rush hour, in queuing traffic with handbrake on and still in D, the car was pulling very hard against the handbrake and making horrendous straining noises. If I just stop and take my foot off the brake it remains stationary for a couple of seconds then moves forward at probably 2 or 3 mph. It was a real pain, literally, having to keep my foot on the brake to keep it stationary and worse than having a manual. If I've got to keep putting it in and out of neutral what's the point of auto?

 

• The car can't decide if it wants to be in 4th or 5th between about 28 and 32mph on a steady throttle. Is this normal? Not really a problem as the change is very smooth just an irritation because I know it's happening.

 

It's put a bit of a dampener on my new car. I really wanted a Yeti and decided on dsg because of all the rave reviews on this forum. I never really noticed the above problems on my test drive. They are nothing major as I said just a nuisance.

 

It might be me. Am I driving it correctly? I've never driven a dsg before and will have to adapt. Any advice on driving dsg's would be most appreciated.

Regarding your first point, you either need to keep your foot on the brake pedal, or slip it into neutral and use the parking brake.  VAG realised that most car drivers never bother to use the parking brake, so the car is not set up to sense use of the parking brake.  It's not ideal, but after a little while you don't think about it any more.  I only go into neutral if I know I have a wait of 30+ seconds.

 

On the second point, the gearbox probably hasn't adjusted to your driving style yet.

All automatics creep so you do have to keep your foot on the brake. I have never found this to be a problem.

The brake hold for a few seconds is very useful when doing hill starts.

I have never experienced the hunting of gears that you refer to. I can, howver, replicate it if I am heavy on the throttle whilst trying to maintain a steady speed.

My Yeti has just had its first service since new (now almost 2 years old) and has performed faultlessly and is reasonably economic at around 39mpg on average.

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Thanks for the quick replies.

 

As you say I will get used to it, it's just that I thought autos were supposed to be more relaxing than manuals in heavy traffic, but, if it is as you say, then it's no different as you still have to change gears from N to D. Keeping the brake on in D I had to press quite hard to "hold back" the car so it became painful. Luckily heavy traffic should not happen very often.

 

I have read that the car learns you driving style.

.... I only go into neutral if I know I have a wait of 30+ seconds.....

Isn't it kind to the chap behind, after dark especially, if you don't keep the brake light on for more than necessary ? 

Agreed it does creep reasonably strongly and have got in to the regular habit of knocking it in to neutral every time I know I'm going to be stationary for more than a few seconds. I always use the handbrake in these circumstances and NEVER sit with foot on footbrake (strong disapproval of drivers sitting in traffic with footbrake on for long periods of time). I find that my hand finds the position of the gear selector accurately without looking down and it's no hardship.  That said there's something in the workings of the DSG that does seem to stop the fierceness of the creep if I leave it in gear with the handbrake on....I can hear and feel a certain release of drive somehow as though it's saving wear....I guess this is along the lines of the safety function that disconnects drive when creeping slowly uphill whereupon it senses that you're wearing the clutch and it cuts something out to stop this happening.

 

I do find that, compared to other cars I've owned, the handbrake requires more effort to pull it up (as has been discussed on here before) but nothing I can do about that.

 

Regarding reaching down for the selector, I often select SPORT mode when approaching hazards/junctions etc in order to get the engine braking which results from the SPORT mode selecting lower gears more readily than the normal mode and my hand finds the selector handle in a trice and is no inconvenience.

 

Re. your second point, I find that sometimes the thing has a mind of it's own and occasionally selects a gear which you might not have done but, after two years or more, I can live with it's oddities and can always over-ride it by occasionally using the manual selection in tricky areas (steep up or down or awkward, twisty bits where I'd like a bit more control) but 95% of the time it's fine for me.  Give it time and practise different situations and I'm sure you'll get used to it.  I say that purely as a point of advice from experience, not because I have a commercial reason to get you to like it.

Edited 25 October, 201312 yr by oldstan

Thanks oldstan.

 

On a more positive note as has been stated numerous times the 1.2 is a gem of an engine. It really surprised me on the test drive and the more I drive it the better I like it. I haven't had anything less than 125bhp and more usually 160+bhp for a couple of years now and this engine really impresses. Obviously fully loaded and above 60/70mph will show it's limitations but for my needs it's great.

Another new Yeti in Blyth?

 

Auto creep is normal. Afaik the clutches are wet like on a motorbike so it shouldn't be a problem. I think on the latest DSG box on the new octavia they are a dry clutch. The box therefore has an "Auto-hold" feature that gently holds the car in place on the brakes while both clutches are held disengaged. This stops the friction material chewing itself to pieces. As soon as you step on the accelerator it'll release the 1st gear clutch and let the rakes off.

Isn't it kind to the chap behind, after dark especially, if you don't keep the brake light on for more than necessary ? 

 

Oh, I agree.  However, where I live, no-one else does, so if you can't beat them...  Fortunately, the Yeti's brake lights are nothing like the overwhelming LED glare from some of the so-called premium brands.

Thanks for the quick replies.

 

As you say I will get used to it, it's just that I thought autos were supposed to be more relaxing than manuals in heavy traffic, but, if it is as you say, then it's no different as you still have to change gears from N to D. Keeping the brake on in D I had to press quite hard to "hold back" the car so it became painful. Luckily heavy traffic should not happen very often.

 

I have read that the car learns you driving style.

 

Autos save all the clutch-work in a traffic jam.  However, I'm puzzled.  Even the lightest touch on the brake pedal (enough to illuminate the brake lights) should disengage the DSG, so I'm wondering if you have a fault.  In my Yeti, I would only have to press harder if the car was on a bit of an incline.

Edited 25 October, 201312 yr by Zib

Just a thought - is your tick over set to high???

dc I live in Guidepost my son lives in Blyth.

 

Idle speed is normal.

 

As far as I know it is the 7 speed dry clutch.

 

If I brake to a stop, put the handbrake on, then release the foot brake (still in Drive) after a couple of seconds you can feel and hear the car really straining to move forward. I'm sure over time this would damage the clutch or gearbox. Putting the foot brake on does not appear to disengage the dsg as again I can feel the car trying to move forward with some force.

 

If someone knows the definite answer whether or not this is normal I'd like to know so I can sort it out.

I have the DSG box in an Octavia.

Car creeps forward if left in D

A slight touch on the foot brake puts the car into "neutral" and the revs drop, as soon as the brake is released the revs increase slightly and car starts to creep forward, perfect behaviour in stop start traffic

Mine will creep slowly up an incline.

Putting the handbrake on and leaving it in D is something I never do, it leaves the drive train/ clutch under strain.

If I have to stop for a few seconds I hold it on the footbrake, at red lights it's into neutral and hand brake on

Regards all

Juan

Sent from my iPhone using my thumbs

Edited 26 October, 201312 yr by Its me

I had a dsg on my leon. The dsg control system does not interface with the handbrake(nor has it on standard autos I have had). Therefore the resistance of the handbrake will cause the dsg electronics to perceive a need for extra power to maintain the forward motion of the vehicle at idle which is normal. adjust your driving to suit your car which is trying to behave as designed. Use the parking brake to park-the footbrake to pause and "N" for prolonged pauses.

I drive a lot of automatic cars in the US, and find the creep on the Yeti less than those autos.  I sense your creep is above average.  Like another contributor, I knock it into neutral and put the parking brake on only for delays that look like being 30+ seconds.  Probably lingering habit instilled by my driving instructor from years ago who insisted any stop for more than a a few seconds should be done in neutral with the parking brake on!

The electronic handbrake in my S4 does feedback to the ECU and monitors torque, accelerator position, gear selection, steering direction and incline.

This allows you to hold the car on the handbrake when you stop, just one quick button press. Even better you can go again by just pressing the accelerator as it knocks off the handbrake by itself.

This allows very lazy town driving and completely outweighs any downsides of loosing a manual handbrake. Something I will definitely spec on my next car

I drive a lot of automatic cars in the US, and find the creep on the Yeti less than those autos.  I sense your creep is above average.  Like another contributor, I knock it into neutral and put the parking brake on only for delays that look like being 30+ seconds.  Probably lingering habit instilled by my driving instructor from years ago who insisted any stop for more than a a few seconds should be done in neutral with the parking brake on!

The point with a conventional "Slush Box" auto is that holding the car in drive on the handbrake does no harm to the gearbox.  On an auto with dry clutches it must be wearing off the linings unless the system automatically selects neutral gear.

Personally I am really p'd off when siitting at night behind someone at traffic lights with their foot on the brake - this should not be legal as it is blinding.  So many modern cars have high level brake lights at the eye level of a following driver.

The electronic handbrake in my S4 does feedback to the ECU and monitors torque, accelerator position, gear selection, steering direction and incline.

This allows you to hold the car on the handbrake when you stop, just one quick button press. Even better you can go again by just pressing the accelerator as it knocks off the handbrake by itself.

This allows very lazy town driving and completely outweighs any downsides of loosing a manual handbrake. Something I will definitely spec on my next car

Great until the handbrake module becomes faulty and costs about £600 to replace!

Great until the handbrake module becomes faulty and costs about £600 to replace!

That's true! but that's where Mr Warranty comes in handy

I suppose we could all go back to the 70's with windy windows, no radio, no power steering........

Thanks for all the replies everyone. It's a learning curve for me.

 

I tried it again this morning on a quiet road and as said by several people pressing the footbrake does indeed take the drive off the dsg. I must of had a blonde moment yesterday afternoon :think: .

 

On another note, I gave a mate a try earlier and coming to a roundabout he did an emergency stop by pressing the brake thinking it was his clutch. Luckily no one was behind. Nearly shat meself. Sure I've got whiplash.

Isn't it kind to the chap behind, after dark especially, if you don't keep the brake light on for more than necessary ? 

Yes, it is.  I do tend to go into neutral (plus hand brake of course) at stops, e.g. traffic signals.  It feels kinder on the car and on the driver behind. 

 

John

dc I live in Guidepost my son lives in Blyth.

 

Idle speed is normal.

 

As far as I know it is the 7 speed dry clutch.

 

If I brake to a stop, put the handbrake on, then release the foot brake (still in Drive) after a couple of seconds you can feel and hear the car really straining to move forward. I'm sure over time this would damage the clutch or gearbox. Putting the foot brake on does not appear to disengage the dsg as again I can feel the car trying to move forward with some force.

 

If someone knows the definite answer whether or not this is normal I'd like to know so I can sort it out.

Yes - the "hand brake" is really a parking brake only to be used when the gearbox is in "P" or you are just moving off. The hill hold system negates the use of handbrake for hill starts - hold on foot brake then release foot brake when you are ready to move off, 'hill hold' holds the car while you apply power and the car moves smoothly off! Simple.

Don't put on the handbrake when the car is in 'D' because the gearbox fights the brake and inevitably something expensive will wear out!