Have a 2014 Octavia estate, 1.4 petrol, with the dq200 7 speed DSG.

 

Today I was stopped with the ignition on (in Neutral, handbrake up, stop-start was activated so the engine was off), got out of the car for a couple minutes, got back in and had to turn the key to get the engine to restart. At this point, it made a starter-motor type rattle, and it took me two or three turns of the key to actually get the engine started, as if the battery was flat - this never happened before.

 

Directly since then, the gearbox has been acting up, as if the clutch isn't engaging, like it's slipping.

 

From neutral it would not creep on releasing the brake or tapping the accelerator lightly. Gear changes take too long and the revs overshoot on upshift, again, like a typical slipping clutch (not specific to any gear groups - consistent from 1-7).

 

In short, car no longer creeps in drive from a standstill. Revs will fluctuate if I give it a bit of throttle, and car will jerk forward eventually if I step on it.

Overall car feels slow to react to throttle inputs, and as if it's a bit down on power.

Revs overshoot on all upshifts.

 

Previously had an issue with the accumulator housing cracking, but I fixed this with a mechatronics repair kit and mechatronics oil change (about 30k kms ago).

 

No error codes/warning lights at the moment. Doesn't matter whether the car is hot/cold.

 

Video of what's happening below. Anyone experience anything similar? Assuming it's a clutch pack issue, tempted to source VCDS and recalibrate the clutches in the first instance.

 

Video here

 

 

Have you tried the different drive modes?  How does it react when reverse is selected?

You are right suspecting that it needs the clutch packs replaced, but maybe it needs just a reset of the DQ200 bite point. 

?

How many miles has it done?

Was Service Campaign '34H5' ever carried out since 2017, this was a Software Update as a preventative against the issue you had with pressure and cracking / leaks or failure of the accumulator? 

7 hours ago, ords said:

Have you tried the different drive modes?  How does it react when reverse is selected?

I did indeed, all the same, including in manual mode, though manual mode was a bit more "normal" feeling with less slip between upshifts. Reverse engages without issue or any slip.

 

 

3 hours ago, Ootohere said:

You are right suspecting that it needs the clutch packs replaced, but maybe it needs just a reset of the DQ200 bite point. 

?

How many miles has it done?

Was Service Campaign '34H5' ever carried out since 2017, this was a Software Update as a preventative against the issue you had with pressure and cracking / leaks or failure of the accumulator? 

Yeah it did have 34h5 applied, the repair kit seems to have done the job anyway (assuming what I'm experiencing now isn't another mechatronics issue!)

 

The car is coming up on 100k miles now (about 159k km)

 

I'm going to try someone with VCDS to run a gearbox adaptation 

 

Edited 3 November, 20241 yr by i384

Quick update. 

 

Earlier today I decided to disconnect the battery for a couple minutes to see if the issue would resolve itself in case it was something stored in the ECU memory (shot in the dark, no idea if that's how the gearbox even works).

No effect. 

 

 

However I then took the car for a 70km round trip to, of all things, pick up VCDS gear - and on the way back the issue seemed to have resolved itself. The car is setting off fine from a standstill and it's now shifting ok. So I wonder if it had relearned the clutch positions etc on the long drive after some sort of electrical/ software glitch (perhaps hence why it took me a few goes to start the car prior to the issue occurring yesterday.... maybe low battery voltage. The battery does appear to be the factory unit from 2014).

 

I'll run VCDS anyway to see how much clutch I have left and will update here.

39 minutes ago, i384 said:

I'll run VCDS anyway to see how much clutch I have left and will update here.

Would be very interested in what you find and what action, if any, is needed to fix it. Although by the sound of it, it may have fixed itself.

Based on the symptoms listed in your first post I'd be very surprised if the clutch pack is responsible. More a software/TCM glitch caused by the battery/non start scenario.

Skoda would do resets on the clutch-pack anyway - and ask you to drive it.  Yes, if you can get VCDS to do that for you, that saves you a visit to the dealer.

 

Leaving the car in neutral is not good.  Best to leave it in Park.  The DSG can get confused.  As with most MK3's, most of their factory batteries will now be EOL, so best get a CCA test on the battery and if its 20% below the CCA value, get a new battery (coding needed) installed, clear out the codes and start again.

Now that the gearbox is shifting fine, I'm almost afraid to do a gearbox adaptation 🙈 - I read some forum posts that said that recalibrating the dsg with potentially worm clutches can actually make things worse. Not sure how true this is, but I'm tempted to leave it.

 

Going to get the battery checked out as suggested 👍

The DSG does not get confused leaving it in N and not in park.

The car has not got the drive wheels locked obviously.

 

The DSG,s can start in N as long as the temperature is not -8*oC or lower.

Leaving or putting in N and engine off is what might get done during maintenance / servicing, when you need to turn the wheels / hubs etc. 

Edited 4 November, 20241 yr by Ootohere