Coming back from Canterbury yesterday and spending an hour in traffic jams at every choke point on the North Circular, I decided it would be better to take our 2.0TDi DSG out of gear every now and then at the lights and stick it in neutral to give the clutch (and my right foot) a rest.

I then realised that every time I took my foot off the brake - or put it on again - there was a distinct click/clunk which you could not hear but very clearly feel with your hand on the gearlever or handbrake.

Now there is obviously a foot switch for the brakelights, but that is purely electrical. This was definitely something mechanical doing its thing. I thought it might be the clutches disengaging, but after all I was in neutral, so they should not have been involved.

No problem - just curious. Any of you technical experts know what causes the click/clunk? If it's a solenoid, it's a damn powerful one!

As a non-DSG driver here's my thoughts. The DSG box tried to guess what gear you'r egoing to choose next and pre-selects it for you - does it not.

Perhaps the system is pre-selecting first for you? then when you apply the brake again it un-selects it incase you want to reverse ?

I think it is a lockout to stop you selecting any gear without having the brake pedal pressed. My S6 did the same. Something to do with Audi in the States years ago. I wouldn't worry.

Not worried, just interested. And that sounds like a very plausible explanation.....

It is the solenoid to stop you dropping it into drive with no brakes on as Hedge correctly said.

It is the solenoid to stop you dropping it into drive with no brakes on as Hedge correctly said.

And if Lummox says it's so, it's so! End of thread.

JohnMorr... the thing that u are feeling is actually a MECHANICAL lock that is being controlled electronically. u can easily experiment with it as whenever u keep the car in neutral and then apply the brake or realese it, the lock comes in place, and u are not able to change the gears.