I returned from 3 weeks holiday in January to find that the brake pads on my SEL 150 DSG had locked on to the disks. Fortunately they unstuck after rocking back and forward a couple of times. Driving it, there was a grinding noise that quickly improved to only happening when applying the brakes. After a fortnight and 350 miles it now settles to a quick grind every revolution of the left back wheel when the brakes are applied, either by me or ACC.

Previous cars I've had have had the same problem which I've averted by leaving the car in gear (or P for auto Skodas) and NOT applying the handbrake. 

However, this car has fly by wire gear selector that automatically applies the handbrake when I press P. Is it possible to have the gearbox locked without applying the handbrake?

In a manual, turning off auto hold stops the handbrake from being applied automatically when you turn the ignition off. Have you tried that?

If it comes on automatically, press the button down to release it again before you turn the engine off. I put mine in P and leave the electric brake off when it's in the garage and/or when the brakes are wet. 

My car doesn't get used very often, and only for very long journeys when it does so I clean the rear discs by pulling the handbrake button when moving and off the accelerator. Obviously only done on a quiet road when confident not going to affect other road users. Done that with my past 4 cars with electronic handbrakes, not comfortable with leaving the handbrake off even though I have a level drive.

Edited 16 February, 20251 yr by Longship

Thanks guys. Is this an undocumented feature or is it buried somewhere in the manual?

1 hour ago, chrisclin said:

Thanks guys. Is this an undocumented feature or is it buried somewhere in the manual?

It’s in the manual 

If you disable auto hold does that still lock the transmission? The manual implies the car is free to move.

Auto hold just applies the electric brake, it doesn't impact the transmission. P (PARK) locks the transmission. For parking on an incline, use of the electric brake as well as P is wise, on level ground P on its own is usually sufficient.

Autohold holds the Front & Rear brakes as the Brake Pedal does. And any movement applies more pressure.

It does not apply / use the Parking Brake / e-Brake so just the rears.  (no longer a HAND BRAKE just a finger brake.)

So yes, we're really talking about the e brake, my bad for even parroting auto hold. E brake is the electric 'handbrake' which does not affect the transmission.

The relevant thing is.

 

The DSG,s can be Parked or stopped with Engine Off and in P or N, 

as needed to Service them.  e-Brake on or not. 

So that they can be rolled / wheels turned,  winched onto a recovery truck etc.

 

DSG,s can be started in left in N as long as it is not below -8*oC.

(Or DQ200 7 speed Dry Clutch DSG,s could be.)

 

I rather think the last couple of comments refer to the older technology Skoda DSGs. My car is a 2024 post Facelift model where the selector just allows the options of R, N or D/S. There is no P for Park mode. When finishing driving I press the 'P' button that applies the handbrake.

I want to be able to leave my car for a couple of weeks WITHOUT the brakes on.

2 hours ago, chrisclin said:

There is no P for Park mode. When finishing driving I press the 'P' button that applies the handbrake.

You need to pay more attention to that space between the front seats! The post-facelift model also has a "P" - next to the gearbox selector, for gearbox-park (pin-locking the transmission) and also a second "P" - next to the "Auto Hold" button, for the Electronic Parking Brake (EPB).
So DO NOT press the blue-marked button in the attached picture, but DO press the red-marked one...
 

note: having the Auto-Hold engaged when you stop the car, will automatically apply the EPB also; therefore, if you want to have the EPB-OFF, disengage the Auto-Hold before stopping the car...
 

Would you like to offer your services to Skoda to write the next edition of the handbook? That is totally understandable- and has made me realise I've been pressing the wrong button for 4 months now!

It's impossible to identify which P button is which from the photos in the book.

Thanks very much.

Thanks SkoMk4. I understood the distinction between the transmission P and the EPB. It had been surprised a few times when I thought the EPB was automatically applied and then a few times when it wasn’t. The difference was indeed the auto hold button which I usually have on but take off when I reverse into my garage because there is a decline leading up to it and I want the car to roll down against the brake not stop itself.

As some of us will remember, there never used to be any confusion when most automatics (except for a couple of quirky exceptions) had a proper shift lever on the floor, or on the column: Park. Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low (sometimes 1,2 instead of Low) which controlled the transmission. Then you had an actual hand brake which acted on the rear brakes. End of story.

Nothing fundamental has changed except that now we have a bunch of buttons instead of levers. Until now it had never occurred to me that anyone would/could confuse P on the shifter 'button' with P on the e Brake 'button'...

10 minutes ago, SouthernComfort said:

As some of us will remember, there never used to be any confusion when most automatics (except for a couple of quirky exceptions) had a proper shift lever on the floor, or on the column: Park. Reverse, Neutral, Drive, Low (sometimes 1,2 instead of Low) which controlled the transmission. Then you had an actual hand brake which acted on the rear brakes. End of story.

Nothing fundamental has changed except that now we have a bunch of buttons instead of levers. Until now it had never occurred to me that anyone would/could confuse P on the shifter 'button' with P on the e Brake 'button'...

The Octavia is my first car with the tiny shifter thing.  To be honest I've found it quick and very intuitive to use and don't have any issues with it.  The P being at the top is just where you'd shift an old style lever to.

I'm the same, it's just instinctive to use the shifter button like a lever. At least the quadrant is in the same PRND sequence. I think I can see how someone unaccustomed to automatics might get the buttons and P's mixed up. I suppose we judge all things through the lens of our own experience.

Edited 17 February, 20251 yr by SouthernComfort
typo

Agreed.  I do like how fast the DSG it goes from D to R too.  My last car was an auto and there is always quite a delay between selecting R from D and being able to move.

Edited 17 February, 20251 yr by whippersnapper

To add to the confusion of some users, have a look at the message I get on my VC when I disengage the Auto-Hold in my car...
talk about idiots in charge of SW-development at VAG... 🤔