Hate the idea of selecting with a switch. Also it's there a N to leave it on while stationery in traffic. The lights on MK4 at least aren't split but not as nice as MK3 pre face lift. Don't like the trend for the sat nav screen to be less integrated. Now just looks like a tablet glued into position. Just my opinion though

I thought I would but the switch works. Why on earth would you put an automatic with start stop in neutral? Disengages to autohold for one. 

The first thing do when I start my car is turn off the on/off

1 hour ago, rit said:

The first thing do when I start my car is turn off the on/off

Same here. I turn off the start/stop system and lane assist.

Still no need to put it in neutral. It's an automatic.

 

 

Not intending to be pedantic but DSG is not an automatic, it's a semi-auto. An automatic uses a torque convertor to transfer power where as our DSG gearboxes use a clutch (or rather two of them).

 

Two questions then

 

1: If you come to a stop and the autobrake is engaged, does this disengage the clutch?

 

2: And this is one for Jmagee to answer.  What is the purpose of having Neutral on an full or semi automatic gearbox?

 

There are a whole number of posts on the subject, the majority of them ( if not all of them) rapidly decending on to the subject of blinding the car behind with your stop lights and nobody answers the original question which is probably because they don't really know themselves. And that's because VW Group do not supply information. This is how I understand the DSG works:

 

You approach a traffic light that's at red and you stop the car. The stop/start kicks in and the engine stops. If the engine stops then the clutch is disconnected and it's happy days. And the owners manual tells you to leave the gearbox in 'D' so it must be the correct thing to do, right?

 

Trouble is, thats all in theory, life isn't as simple as that. Stop/start sometimes doesn't kick in for whatever reason, or say the car in front moves a little or the your radar picks up other movement and fires back in to life - the clutch is then engaged and ready to rock and roll. Now do you want to sit stationary with the clutch engaged? I don't. So by placing the DSG in to neutral, you're guaranteeing the clutch will not engage whether the engine is running or not.  You could of course achieve the same result by placing the car in P (park) and the clutch will not engage, but then you're having to go thru the whole gait rather than just flick between N and D.

 

Is there a right and wrong way to operate a DSG? Feck'd if I know, I'm sure we'll all have our own theories, but I will tell you something, I have two Skoda's, one with the DQ200 7 speed dry clutch and the other with the DQ380 7 speed wet clutch. I'm not all that fussed about the DQ380 but given it's reputation, I always select N on the DQ200 if waiting for a short spell at a traffic light. I've read too many stories about DQ200's requiring early clutch changes so regardless of what the manual says or what any armchair experts tells me how the gearbox works, this armchair expert places the box in N to re-assure myself that clutch isn't engaged. Perhaps I'm wasting my time, I dunno, but is placing the gearbox in N causing harm? no but theres a risk of premature wear if you leave it in D.

Dry Clutch DSG & Wet Clutch DSG will come to no harm when stopped in D or S and Autohold engages. No issue if Stop / Start is functioning.

No harm to them either if the shifter is put to N and the e-Brake or a manual Parking Brake is applied.

The Clutches are disengaged and the car is not fighting against the Autohold.  (if the car moves a little the autohold applies the brakes a bit harder.) 

 

Some VW Models have the brake lights when stopped with Autohold on and some do not.

 

There is N & P with Autos and Semi Auto's & the engine can be started in P or in N, starting in N can be inhibited in low temperatures, what temp might be in the Owners Manual as is how to drive using a Semi Auto Gearbox.

There is N because you may not want to go into P and lock the drive wheels. Also not go through R from D.

(They are Automated Manuals / Semi Automatics after all.)

 

Armchair experts maybe use remote control for their TV, & car or vehicle drivers that drive Auto's, Semi Autos, CVT's etc might have an idea about how they drive and have looked into what might reduce the life of their vehicles components or not. 

Edited 12 March, 20215 yr by e-Roottoot

I like having a N position, it allows me to put the car there whilst sitting at lights or traffic and not keeping my foot on the brake pedal which means dazzling the driver behind. 

8 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

I like having a N position, it allows me to put the car there whilst sitting at lights or traffic and not keeping my foot on the brake pedal which means dazzling the driver behind. 

 

 

Ah, just realised you don't have an auto handbrake!

Edited 12 March, 20215 yr by ItalianJob
change of info

Yeah. I've got a MY 19. Due to change late this year, not keen on the switch arrangement. 

 

Like I said my existing car has N which I use at lights with the handbrake (I hate electric parking brakes too), so I don't dazzle the driver behind. 

 

I don't know what my next car will be yet. I'd like to think that it'll be a Mk4, however with the way I feel about the existing car and all of the glitches and issues that other drivers are having with it, it has put doubts in my mind. 

I'm sure when you put it in neutral the auto hold disengages?

 

Surely my car needs to in neutral if I'm being towed? Not that I'm anticipating that happening but surely that's a reason to keep it?

Good point, unless there's a manual override to the gearbox.

 

I had to use it two weeks ago when my car had to be towed away (non startable due to smashed oil sump) and for two of us it was quiet easy to do by putting it in N, without it I don't see how you can do it, as you're going to be fighting the gearbox & engine.

I’ve just downloaded the owners manual for the mk4. Below images should help the understanding of the new auto box. 👍🏼

Yes, thanks for that. I thought it would be very strange if an DSG boxed car (or any auto car) didn't have a N position on the gear selection, for the reasons I stated above. 

 

Just went to netcarshow and found a picture of the selector. As you can see there's an N position. 

 

Edited 12 March, 20215 yr by TheWanderer