I have just bought a Fabia with a DSG7 gearbox clocked with 82.000 miles. Running fine, but in the “D” position it seems that it changes gears way to early. Sometimes around 1500-1600 RPM. I’m obviously not a gearbox rookie, so I would like to know if it is possible to adjust the DSG gearbox? Or is this just common wear?

Edited 26 September, 20241 yr by FabiaBuddy

Welcome.

You have 7 gears and it is set to try and use least fuel.

It will be out of 1st by 10 kmph and in 7th before 100 kmph so it will be changing gear early.

How long do you want it to be between changing up?

 

Put it in S if you want it holding gears to a higher rpm. 

48 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

Welcome.

You have 7 gears and it is set to try and use least fuel.

It will be out of 1st by 10 kmph and in 7th before 100 kmph so it will be changing gear early.

How long do you want it to be between changing up?

 

Put it in S if you want it holding gears to a higher rpm. 

Thanks for reply. I will use S-mode for sure most of the time, because D-mode doesn't seem very well harmonized when you'are accelerating from 1200 RPM or so in every gear. 7th gear is already around 75 kmph 🙂

Is the engine in any sort of Eco drive mode?

 

Hi, nta16 - No such thing exist in that model. It's only D (Drive) and S (Sport - which is not so sporty but nevertheless with more RPM in each gear)

3 hours ago, FabiaBuddy said:

I have just bought a Fabia with a DSG7 gearbox clocked with 82.000 miles. Running fine, but in the “D” position it seems that it changes gears way to early. Sometimes around 1500-1600 RPM. I’m obviously not a gearbox rookie, so I would like to know if it is possible to adjust the DSG gearbox? Or is this just common wear?

I think you have a preference, not a problem.

But as @Ootohere said, changing to sport mode should be preferable to drive mode for you.

I've never driven one of these DSC things so have no experience of them, sounds like D is probably more set for 'Eco mode'  how about have tried giving it more and quicker on the accelerator pedal to see if it can obey what you want from it in D.  Or leave it in S and lift off accelerator to get it to change up where you prefer in the revs (I assume you can do this, might be wrong).  I've driven a hired 2023 SEAT Arona, 1.0 litre, 3-cylinder turbo, 110hp, 6-speed manual that had 'Eco', 'Standard' and 'Sports' settings, I found 'Eco' was fine if not in traffic that wants to rush about and ''Sport' did seemed to sharpen they way it accelerated (or might just have been my perception.  I found it best to drive in 'Standard' which it defaulted to, as I could dictate the revs and gear selection, because it manual, I take little notice of the recommended gear as I seem to have more idea of traffic and road conditions than the on-board computers.

 

Yes, maybe i'll just go for Sport mode every time or get used to the Tiptronic where I can let it run for the RPM i like.

Actually if you put to manual and then choose a gear it does not like as in drop 2 gears of r 3 at whatever speed the DSG might ignore you. Self preservation. Or if you select Manual 1st and floor the accelerator and not shift up it might shift automatically.   Preservation again.  It is an Automated Manual.   Then there is accelerator position. I do not mean the Kickdown but 1/3 rd pedal and how driven. Dynamic driving and how the DSG reacts.  Play about with it and see how things are. You will not break it. 

Unfortunately the car doesn't read traffic and road conditions like the human can which is why I generally prefer a manual gearbox.  Driving different makes and models of cars (with manual gearboxes) I often find the computer suggested gear isn't the one I might want or use, I might go from 3 to 6 instead of the suggested 5 as the road is clear of traffic and on a downhill and other things like the opposite, not going to a higher gear as I approach slower traffic and an uphill.

 

The VW (and others) computer programming is more concern about recorded mpg rather than engine or gearbox life and some/many may prefer it that way.

 

Thanks for answering!  😊What about a DSG gearbox adapting and learning of you're driving style? Is that for real or is everything settled by the computer frem the begining? And is it possible for a DSG technician to program the gearbox?

Edited 27 September, 20241 yr by FabiaBuddy

First question I will leave to others to answer.  Second question, many things can be 'coded' or altered with the correct level of appropriate scan tool but whether this can be and whether it would be a good idea to is a different matter I would guess it would be a change or update of software as the programs are so intertwined.  Whether this type of thing is included in a tuning package I don't know.

 

As suggested I would just experiment with my driving of the car and see what works for me and how much I get used to what the car wants to do, see how it reacts to right foot input (accelerator pedal position).  You can also flick the gear lever as required.  Keep it in the power band and you should be OK, push it too high and you will probably get fed up with the engine sound and want lower revs (subject to you and others not being deafen by the infotainment up loud so you don't hear the car).

 

You have to live with a car for a while to find out what you really want and expect from it, what you initially want or expect may change when you get more used to the car, you get more used to accepting its to you good, no-so-good and bad elements and adjust to them.  If you don't then seek to do something.  Give it time, what seems undesirable now may later seem comfortable.  If you had a 6-speed manual you might wish you had a 7 gear DSG on many or all occasions even I sometimes wish I was in an automatic.

 

Edited 28 September, 20241 yr by nta16
spelling

My partner has the same DQ200 & speed DSG in her Fabia (1.2 110bhp) - your right the box does change up through the gears quite quickly . This engine produce max torque quite low down between 1400 to 400 rpm hence why it changes up at what might seem like low revs. I suspect the 1.0 TSI engine is also optimised for max torque at a low revs.  Having said that pressing the the accelerator harder will cause the DSG to hold on to lower gears,  Sport mode will rev almost to the red line before changing up.. When I drive the Fabia (and I my own car has a DSG box)  I flip in and out of Sport mode, typically as I approach a roundabout I tap the gear lever to select Sport mode, as I come off the roundabout tap the gear lever again to switch back to D. 

 

VW used to say that the DSG box used fuzzy logic, no idea if it does or not. But the DSG boxes do adapt to the drivers style, so if the previous driver was just pottering about in 20 and 30 mph areas in traffic that might be totally different to the type of roads you use. I can give you an actual example of how the DSG adapts. I tow a 1300 kg trailer with my DSG car, with the trailer attached the car has to hold on to the lower gears longer and change down sooner when slowing down to get maximum engine braking. This continues for a while after I stop towing the trailer, while the DSG adapts to a different style of use.

 

The DSG also preselects the next gear either up or down, When accelerating in 1 it will already have selected 2, when 2 is engaged 3 is selected and so on. When 7 is engaged 6 will be selected as 6 is the only gear that can be required next.  This process works perfectly most of the time, the exception being when the car is accelerating through the gears for example engages 4th, 5 is selected traffic conditions or a hill slow the car now it needs 3rd which means deselecting 5th and selecting 3rd which is sometimes noticeable as a lag.

 

Something that sometimes catches new DSG owners out is a delay when pulling away from traffic lights or out of a junction. The natural reaction is to press harder on the accelerator -  the car leaps forward usually much quicker than intended.  There are a couple of reasons for this. - either or both could apply depending on circumstances. Firstly the DQ200 has a dry clutch, this means it disengages when stationary, so when the footbrake is released and the accelerator pressed the clutch has to engage before the car can move, secondly the DSG often attempts to pull away in 2nd gear pressing the accelerator can cause it to decide to select 1st (and it will have preselected 3rd)  hence a delay, more throttle. The upshot  can be a more rapid pull away than originally intended. Stop/Start cutting in can add a further delay. The S/S delay can be avoided by reducing the brake pedal pressure very slightly just before you want to pull away, which will restart the engine, a further reduction in brake pedal pressure will cause the clutches to engage so that the moment the footbrake is released the car will start to move. A slight movement of the steering wheel will also restart the engine, on our Fabia reducing the footbrake pedal pressure slightly when coming to a stop will prevent the S/S for stopping the engine.

 

Other DSG gearboxes are Wet Clutch, which means the clutch plates are in an oil bath, this stops them overheating which allows the clutches to be engaged when stationary and the car pulls away instantly. My previous car had a wet clutch DQ250, my current car has a wet clutch DQ382.

Perhaps when appropriate using the handbrake instead of footbrake would help certainly if the start/stop has operated.  Sitting at traffic lights I often see a row of brake lights in front of me regardless of the type of gearbox in the vehicles.

 

OFF TOPIC

@thamestrader as you've given a comprehensive answer to the thread question, a brief post on your 1.3 Austin 1.3 HLE that you have owned from new would interest me, and I'm sure others, as until a couple of years ago I had a 1275 Midget that I used as my daily and only car for the previous 16 years.

  

My Karoq has auto hold which does exactly that applied the parking brake which automatically release when accelerator is pressed. I use as much as possible to avoid blinding people behind with brake lights.

thamestrader - I might say that I fully agree about your experiences and and advice about D and S mode, When I´m near a roundabout (or in some kind of tricky traffic) i pull down in S. It gives me more control and less "hesitation". It seems kind of weird that Tiptronic up-gears are pushing away and down-gears are pulling, but it is really fun and smooth with tiptronic and it really maximizes your control if you want to drive a little sporty 😉

7 hours ago, nta16 said:

OFF TOPIC

@thamestrader as you've given a comprehensive answer to the thread question, a brief post on your 1.3 Austin 1.3 HLE that you have owned from new would interest me, and I'm sure others, as until a couple of years ago I had a 1275 Midget that I used as my daily and only car for the previous 16 years.

  

If this post is not allowed in a Skoda Forum, I apologise in advance. I also apologise for the lack of brevity -  after 40 years as a software developer its hard to leave out details.

 

The Metro was bought new from Hartwells of Banbury, still in existence but now a Ford Dealer. It was obtained through the BL Employee purchase scheme, as a relative worked at the Gaydon Research Centre, which is now the location of the British Motor Museum. In daily use from Feb 83 to Aug 83, when I started a new job that included a company car.  Very little use until my partner passed her test in April 85 and it became her daily driver until Feb 1999 when it failed an MOT. Having amassed a grand total of 34,500 miles in 16 years the Metro was  tucked away in a relative's empty garage until March 2018 when I had it transported up to my house and set about recommissioning it. Drained the oil, changed the oil filter and 2/3 filled it with fresh oil, with the spark plugs removed I spun the engine over on the starter whilst pouring the remainder of the oil  in. Replaced the plugs and then spun it over to see if it would start, and it did on the 5th attempt, on old leaded fuel that still remained in the tank from 1999. It wouldn't idle very well, was smoking a bit, and the exhaust was blowing badly! I replaced the Hydagas suspension units with refurbished ones, had new rear wheel brake cylinders fitted, four new tyres  fitted a temporary used exhaust system, had two 1p sized wholes welded up and it passed its MOT and has passed every MOT since. The item it failed on in 1999, the rear brake compensator valve, is still on the car, not been touched and not even mentioned  by the MOT Testers. Having got  it road worthy I drove around  during the summer, in the autumn of 2018 I sent the carb off to be cleaned and refurbished, fitted a new offisde front wing, repainted front and rear bumpers myself, dealt with rust blemishes on the front and rear valances which were resprayed along with the new front wing. I took the old front wing to LKQ to be scanned to produce a paint that would match the colour of the 35 year old faded paint. I paid extra to have a paint code allocated for the custom shade that was produced. Its also had a Maniflow big bore exhaust fitted to replace the temporary used one, new clutch and engine mountings and the steel wheels refurbished.  In the photos below its shown assisting with Food Bank deliveries during COVID lockdown in 2020 (I was a volunteer driver of the Foodbank van at that time). There are 9 Tesco plastic crates in the back I could have got 2 more in !The Metro was featured in the June 2020 issue of Practical Classics. There are two photos of the Metro outside my house , the first taken in 1989 when 6 years old the next a recreation of the previous photo taken in 2020. Everything on the car is exactly as it was in daily use back in 1983.

.

21 hours ago, FabiaBuddy said:

It seems kind of weird that Tiptronic up-gears are pushing away and down-gears are pulling

We had this in the smart at the turn of the century and when we went to a smart car national meet that was going on 3 miles from where we lived we increased the average age by about 20 years and we were 40 then.  A young man asked me which generation model we had, I hadn't a clue but I said about the gearbox shifts being opposite to what was intuitive to me and he told me it was just a matter of going under the gear lever gaiter and turning the switch the opposite way round.  I never bothered with this as it was my wife's car at the time, I took it on later.  Unfortunately I don't think VW make things that easy for you and from what I've read here it'd probably be best to leave the plastic assembly mechanism alone.  It's like finding the indicators and wipers on opposite sides to what you've got used to before you soon get used to the new way (well mostly).

 

The smarts also had flaps on the steering wheel, like the Fezzas of the time IIRC, same as when I had a (non-VW) Škoda in the late 1980s and IIRC it had the radio aerial in the rear window only one other expensive car had the same feature, IIRC not such a good idea when you put the heated rear window on ("to keep your hands warm whilst pushing the car"). 🙂