Ok, so I a driving my 2011 Vrs cr tdi, got the gearlever pushed over to the left for 'manual' control and I slo on the approach to an open junction, now around 5 -8mph. I have car in 2nd and as I am just about to accelerate and car gearbox overides it and selects 1st. Is this normal? If so how the hell will I cope in any snow. Told the dealerwho performed a reset and said it was fine, advice please?

.....just further to the above. Should it be possible to set off in 2nd gear because my car won't let me which I find odd?

With the DSG if you are in manual mode and reduce speed to a speed considered too slow for the selected gear then the box will change down.  The gearbox will not start off in 2nd - if you try it will change down to 1st.  My car is the same as yours (except March 2012) and acts exactly as you describe.

Thanks Philbes. I would have thought That you would gave been able to set off in 2nd for times when it was slippery? What indo nit understand is that if the car is in d, it will not select 1st unless basically stationary, so why does it feel the need to chuck it into 1st when it is theoretically still able to stay in 2nd, when in manual?

Only had my car since June so yet to drive in slippery conditions so not yet discovered if starting off in 1st is actually a problem.. I have fitted winter tyres though.

 

Not noticed the difference in the use of 1st gear between Drive and Manual mode, but then I have never driven in manual mode.  I will try to replicate what you report next time I am out in the car (not today - at the moment my wife thinks I am painting a wall!).  Perhaps it is because you accelerate in manual mode that the car changes down from 2nd to 1st - does it happen with gentle acceleration?.

Manual isn't completely manual so if you redline it it changes up, if it thinks you are likely to stall it changes down. You cannot shift whilst stationary so always start in first. Once moving it will let you change into second at quite low revs, a very light left foot is needed in the snow....

My 2007 acts in exactly the same way.

 

You're right about the difference in D or Manual.

 

In D when crawling or coming to an almost stop the car shows 2 on the dash. What you might be able to tell is that when you set off again it's not actually fully in 2nd. It's actually in 1st and will then slip the clutch for 2nd gear to smooth out the change (it can slip the clutch as it's lubricated with oil).

 

You can't do this in Manual and it will either be in 1st or 2nd without slipping the clutch and kind of driving in both.

 

Hope that makes sense.

 

Phil

I love my car but wish I had gone manual as still not convinced it is as smooth as it should / could be, especially when cold!? Perhaps I am being too picky. It actually feels smoother when accelerating hard as opposed to driving gently?

My car does exactly this too, what am not surprised by either is your feeling that accelerating hard produces a smoother change than pottering, remember that there is no torque converter in these gearboxes just 2 sets of clutches and what you are doing is encouraging the clutch for the next higher gear to just slip a little bit more as it is engaging when you are going for it. The OP says they have fitted winter tyres to the car, I can't see there being much of a problem pulling away on a slippery surface this winter with those tyres fitted.

Ian

This is the exact reason I have winter tyres. All the haters over winter tyres really need to try pulling off on snow in first gear with 18inch tyres on then pull off with winter tyres and then tell me they're pointless. I wouldn't be without them now even if the dsg could pull off in second.

Something i really dislike about my 2013 mk2 Blackline DSG.

Had a Fabia vRS estate with the 7 speed box prior to this car and in manual mode it would only change into first when practically stationary; it had so much low end go it didnt need 1st.

Thought the vRS TDi would behave the same but it changes into first at about 5-8 mph as described above, bloody nuisance

Quite normal, I drive mine around town like this ( Tsi Vrs ), I only change up and let the gear box change down

The DSG can be felt more at lower speeds. I find it can be down to driving style. To drive it smoothly you need to know what it's going to do. I now know exactly when it will change up or down a gear and how hard I can press the throttle before it will kick down etc.

 

If you don't pay attention to this then you end up pressing too hard or doing funny things with the throttle while it's chaging gear and makes it feel very odd.

 

My other half seems to have a knack for making an otherwise very smooth car feel very un-smooth... the DSG is no exception to this rule. Just mindlessly mashes the throttle whenever they choose and it really throws the box out of whack... downshifts while still in the middle of changing and lumpy changes due to varying throttle input through the gearchange. It's awful.

 

But then I get behind the wheel and peace in restored!

 

Something i really dislike about my 2013 mk2 Blackline DSG.

Had a Fabia vRS estate with the 7 speed box prior to this car and in manual mode it would only change into first when practically stationary; it had so much low end go it didnt need 1st.

Thought the vRS TDi would behave the same but it changes into first at about 5-8 mph as described above, bloody nuisance

 

The 7 speed has much shorter ratios though. It's basically just 7 gears squeezed into the space of 6 for economy reasons.

 

So what you describe above isn't a shortfall of the 6 speed but rather one of the 7 that the ratios are so short you can set off in second. Just like a lorry where 1st in a crawler and pretty much useless for anything else.

 

I think it also does it to save the DMF due to the torque from the TDI.

 

Phil

This is the exact reason I have winter tyres. All the haters over winter tyres really need to try pulling off on snow in first gear with 18inch tyres on then pull off with winter tyres and then tell me they're pointless. I wouldn't be without them now even if the dsg could pull off in second.

 

Same for me. Never had a problem on winter tyres.

Cheers guys. I am thankful some of you report that my car is behaving 'normal' even if it is a little irritating at times, more so around town. What really annoys me is it's knack of selecting gears so early in order to achieve economy and the 1st gear lurch when slowing in manual as described by several others.  With the risk of sounding a bit of a plum, and with the greatest of respect,  I really do know how to drive smoothly due to the huge amount of 'specialist' instruction I have had, but it is still a lumpy transmission compared to many vehicles when it is cold or at low speed. Never mind, the rest of the car is proving to be a big hit :) It is however nice to know I am not the only person suffering from these little foibles !!!! (oh yeah and my speedo needle wobbles a little bit at certain speeds but that's another issue. For info the skoda mechanic said "no chance of fixing that mate !" )

Same for me. Never had a problem on winter tyres.

 

Me neither, my Vrs runs around on 205/55/16 Winters, there a dream