ESP error/ DSG wouldn't go into gear

[thebear29er]

Hi All

I've just been out for a drive in my 61 plate Vrs TDI DSG after the car sitting for 2 weeks as I have been on holiday. I did about 30 miles of driving all road types but just round the corner from home I went round a roundabout tried to accelerate (only up to 30mph) and a warning came up - ESP Error and the ESP light stayed on, the car also didn't want to seem to hold any gear it seemed like it was going into neutral although the car was in drive. The lights on the gear selector were also flashing and on the display it was just showing D not say D3 like it normally would. I stopped the car as couldn't actually drive then tried to fiddle with things like putting into park and back into drive but didn't do anything. I then turned off and on again and there was no longer an error and was able to drive off. I made it home but now a bit worried it might happen again.

I was wondering if anyone knows what this might be and if car is OK to drive. I read that some older vag group cars had an ESP issue but is this still likely on a newer car?

Thanks for help in advance.

[thebear29er]

Sorry to bump this but happened again today. Think I'm going to need to get it looked at but any ideas in advance?

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[kissifer]

Don't know if this helps or not but, I have a 2.0Tdi with the DSG on a 55 plate. My ESP/ABS light is permanently on but the gearbox functions normally. Maybe it depends on which sensor is throwing the fault as to whether it causes the DSG a problem. For instance if it is the sensor that it takes it's road speed reading from?

[thebear29er]

Right so this issue has come back 4 times in total now including one time in the outside lane of the M3 when the car suddenly lost all drive. I have had the Skoda assist folks come out 3 times and the car is currently in the garage for the second time, 2 of the Skoda assist folks diagnosed it as a communication issue between the ECU and Transmission Control unit. When the car went to the garage the first time, they did a wiring test and an updated the software for the dsg. They promised me it was sorted but obviously it occurred again and is back in the garage. They said they have checked it over this time and they can't find a fault so there is nothing wrong with the car.

Now as the car had had this issue 4 times and thrown an error code which gives an explanation for the fault. Shouldn't the Skoda dealer be able to identify the component that is faulty? As surely they can't deny there is something wrong with the car?

Personally I don't think the car is safe to drive and seeing as most of my miles are done on the motorway a sudden loss of all drive and be pretty dangerous not to mention scary.

Anyone know what might be the cause (one of the Skoda assist guys said it might be mechatronics unit)?

Anyone got suggestions to take this forward as personally don't feel the issue is sorted and the car is safe to drive?

[moley]

Now as the car had had this issue 4 times and thrown an error code which gives an explanation for the fault. Shouldn't the Skoda dealer be able to identify the component that is faulty? As surely they can't deny there is something wrong with the car?

To be fair to the dealer they have a fault code, which indicates what happened. If the they can't get the car to repeat the fault while they have the car in the dealership it's difficult to know which part to change, the control unit, the ECU or the cabling between the two.

On the other hand I guess you are a bit apprehensive when driving it in case it fails again.

[rover220]

Just wait till Mr ree sees this!

[Toxicvrs]

Just wait till Mr ree sees this!

Does it make the car sluggish at all :run:

[thebear29er]

Just wait till Mr ree sees this!

What will Mr Ree say?

Does it make the car sluggish at all :run:

No car performs absolutely normally apart from sudden loss of drive.

Surely they should have to start trying to replace parts to find the faulty one otherwise I will be constantly back and forth with the garage telling me nothing is wrong...?

[mannyo]

The dealer will not replace a thing until they know what to replace, any part they replace that does not fix it they will have to pay for. The only parts Skoda will pay for are the parts that actually fix the fault.

 

Its quiet possible you've had water ingress into the wiring loom or connectors/ECU etc. They need to know what to replace, if they cannot diagnose it they will get Skoda UK technical involved and at that point parts will start being replaced under guidance from Skoda HQ at no cost to the dealer.

[thebear29er]

Well have raised a case with Skoda customer services as there is clearly something wrong with car. It is a shame dealer can't identify fault and they are the face of Skoda so taking my frustration with the situation.

[m0bov]

Which dealer have you tried? Is it still under warranty? Do you have access or know anyone that has VCDS that can scan it for you?

[thebear29er]

Allams, Epsom, Surrey. Yes still under warranty and still paying for car under Skoda finance HP agreement. Well the Skoda assist folks came out and found the error code and diagnosed problem but dealership can't seem to find the codes in the memory. They do have the diagnostics log from when it went in before but mumbled something about it not being valid this time round. It was only a month ago though and is exact same issue... Anyway got Skoda customer services involved who are going to get the dealership to speak to the Skoda technical folks. Hopefully this will get it something sorted . I think the trouble is the potential fix is to replace mechantronics unit with apparently is a £2500 replacement for parts and labour..... Which is why I think the dealers are very reluctant to replace unless they know it will fix the issue.

[m0bov]

I found that dealer far from helpful and uninterested when I had an alarm problem some years ago. I'd suggest trying SG Smiths at Croydon, give them ago. Make sure you involve the Finance company as they can overide some of the restrictions stopping the dealer from being authorized to change parts. Make sure you tell finance who is dealing with the car and they will ok what's needed. That worked for me.

[thebear29er]

Cheers for advice. Will see where I get to and if I need to change dealer. Definitely will give the finance folks a call tomorrow.

[Turbobell]

Warranty process binds the workshop pretty tight. I can imagine that at all points of intervention the fault code will have been cleared in a soft reset attempt to get you going again in skoda assistance case, or in presuming the fault had been rectified in dealership case.

The dealership cannot make a warranty claim on a vehicle without a completed guided fault finding test plan which is generated by ODIS from a fault code. If the fault code is not present, then there is little they can do. They have to follow this test plan and rectify/replace whatever ODIS says.

The bill being £2500 or £2.50 is immaterial as the dealership will not be paying it. Don't let the cost of repair make you think your dealer is going to try to pull the wool over your eyes. Never have I done this on a warranty claim. I have however jumped through monumental hoops for Skoda technical, and have also badgered them for answers when a customer wants their car back and I can only tell them tiny bits of information. The guys in the workshop will be doing their best.

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[Turboexpress]

Hi,i had a similar problem with my Octavia 1.9TDI auto last year,driving great one minute then the engine management light appeared on the dash and all lights start flashing[P,R.N.D.S] and was left with one gear[could of been second gear] for me to crawl home with,i took it to my mechanic next morning and he put the computer on it and reset the transmission and got me to drive it in trip tronic for a half hour,and keep it in 3th 4th and 5th gear for 5 minutes at a time in the middle of 15 to 25,000 revs,i did this while his computer was still attached,the car lasted about a month and it started to happen again,so i dropped it back to him,he did sort the problem,cant remember what he said it was,BUT i will ring him later when he gets home from his holidays and find out  what the problem was for you,

Edited 28 July, 2014 by Turboexpress

[Turboexpress]

Sorry,my mechanic aint back from holidays till next monday.

[thebear29er]

Thanks for trying to find out Turboexpress but it does sound a little bit different as I can get no gear at all but may help.

 

I'm still having no luck with the dealership who say they cannot find a fault with the car even though the Skoda assist guys found a fault 3 times. I refuse to accept that I have to drive around an unsafe car which could lose drive with no warning! I haven't heard back from the customer services team for over a week and I have to keep contacting the dealer to get an update. Which I don't think is right as the car has been at the dealer for 2 weeks now. So last night I sent an email to the CEO of Skoda UK and this morning I had 2 separate calls from Skoda - one from a finance case manager and one from a new customer services manager who has taken the case over from the previous manager. I'm impressed so far that this seems to have got some movement. I just hope they agree there is a fault with the car and fix it.

 

Will let you know if I get an update.

[m0bov]

If the dealer is unwilling or not interested in fixing it then your going to get now where. I still (from experience) know that an unwilling dealer is a road to nowhere, try another one. It was Allams who said the ECU does'nt record alarm activations and I should call out breakdown next time it goes off....go figure. Another dealer found the fault in ten minutes and fixed it in 30. Skoda finance have (or at least had when I was using them) the power to bypass and authorize parts during a claim to "rush" it along. This is fact based on my alarm woes when I first got my vRS.

[Turboexpress]

Hi,i was in touch with my mechanic,he said it was the mechatronic on the gearbox,[the brains as he said]they always give problems when you get a bit of millage on them,once that was replaced it was as good as new and has,nt happened since,they can be very expensive,he got hold of a second hand dsg gearbox so i was very lucky.

[thebear29er]

Thanks turboexpress. That is exactly what they have agreed to replace now after quite a bit of pushing. The car has only done just over 40k and is only 3 years old so shouldn't really expect parts to fail. They said it is on back order though and have no idea how long until will be replaced quite frustrating as want car back!

[Turboexpress]

My Mechanic said that the brains of the gearbox [mechatronic ] is very expensive,and they are the first thing to go on a Automatic gearbox,as most cars are run off computers when a fault occurs anywhere along the lines in the gearbox the computer is the first to cut out any communication with the fault and in turn puts the gearbox into emergency mode