Hi, first post!

I have a Scala which I love! 2022 model only had it a couple of months it's fab!

It's an automatic.. but it occured to me I don't know when to use the N gear.

Can anyone advise??? Thanks!

When you’ve parked up

It neutral and cuts drive to the wheels

Just now, Redestate said:

When you’ve parked up

It neutral and cuts drive to the wheels

Thank you for your reply. But when I am parked I go to "p"..

18 minutes ago, Yaffl3 said:

Thank you for your reply. But when I am parked I go to "p"..

Thank you for your reply! Much appreciated. I have just been reading and it says to keep it in D and p when parked. For mid stops to use N ..

On 25/05/2025 at 22:06, Yaffl3 said:

Hi, first post!

I have a Scala which I love! 2022 model only had it a couple of months it's fab!

It's an automatic.. but it occured to me I don't know when to use the N gear.

Can anyone advise??? Thanks!

Hello there and welcome!

Well this isn't quite as straightforward as some might think. (There's a bit of debate on the issue, TBH.)

I think it's worth doing a test.

With just you in the car, drive then come to a halt and stop the car with your foot holding the car stationary on the brake, with the gearbox in Drive. Hold stationary a couple of seconds, and then put the DSG into Neutral.

1) If the car relaxes back, as though you've just lifted the clutch of a manual gearbox from light biting point to completely off, then IMO, the time to put your DSG in neutral is whenever you come to a halt for more than a few seconds. Frankly I put my car in neutral EVERY time I come to a stop. I do it without thinking now, it's just an instinctive thing.

2) If you can feel nothing in the car when you put the DSG into neutral, then the time to put the DSG into neutral is when you shift between Drive and Reverse. Beyond that, it's not strictly necessary. (I'd still put it into neutral if sitting stationary for ages, though.)

If you disable stop start then when you stop at traffic lights, as an example, then put the car into N until you are ready to pull away. This will, in theory, help to reduce clutch drag (yes a DSG has clutches) and prolong the life of the clutches.

If stop start is functioning then you don't need N.

12 minutes ago, Aldfort said:

If you disable stop start then when you stop at traffic lights, as an example, then put the car into N until you are ready to pull away. This will, in theory, help to reduce clutch drag (yes a DSG has clutches) and prolong the life of the clutches.

If stop start is functioning then you don't need N.

This is a good point that I overlooked because I have S/S switched off.

It is a Twin Dry Clutch DQ200 DSG and foot on the brake pedal and no issue wearing out clutches.

But UK Highway code, if stopped don't dazzle if sat awhile and brake lights on.

Manual / Parking Hand Brake, not a e-Brake and no Autohold. (Brake lights on with ones that have.

So N and Hand / Parking brake on is Simply Clever.

With no e-Brake / or Autohold, with Stop / Start active i apply the Parking Brake.

8 hours ago, EnterName said:

Frankly I put my car in neutral EVERY time I come to a stop. I do it without thinking now, it's just an instinctive thing.

Me too .......

well almost every time ....... unless I think traffic is about to move off then I may keep foot lightly on brake pedal (but without activating auto brake) but yes, very easy to put it back in 'Drive' from 'N'.

The only time I use neutral is when I'll be stopped for a while, as my car has a manual handbrake. I also use it when parking on a hill (to allow the handbrake to take the load, not the parking pawl). Aside from that I leave it in D. When the car is stopped, the clutch is disengaged by the computer. If the computer wants to keep some pressure on there, then that's fine by me. There are hundreds of millions of DSG cars on the road. I would imagine VW have thought about this.

Some info here -

https://www.vwroc.com/forums/topic/17773-dsg-slight-clutch-drag-when-auto-holdpark-engaged/

And a post from here -

https://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/443750-dsg-in-neutral/

Good stuff. ^^^ Relevant.

But the OP has not got a Wet Clutch DSG, so does much the same.

One oil in the Wet Clutch DSG,s, 2 in the DQ200,s. & different heat dispersal.

7 hours ago, OccyVRS said:

Aside from that I leave it in D.

It will let you start the engine other than in N or P!!?

17 hours ago, Ootohere said:

Good stuff. ^^^ Relevant.

But the OP has not got a Wet Clutch DSG, so does much the same.

One oil in the Wet Clutch DSG,s, 2 in the DQ200,s. & different heat dispersal.

Very true, however might I possibly suggest that far less people care about their DQ200 than a DQ381? As in, IMO the vast majority of people that are overly concerned about their transmissions are those with 'enthusiast' cars, often with the DQ381/250 (GTI, R, vRS, Cupra, etc). The DQ200 comes in more average cars, that most people just get in and go. My mum has a 2022 Ibiza FR - it's the 1.0 3cyl with a DQ200. I doubt she cares what gear it's in, as long as it goes forward. I don't force any issues developing with it.

It goes back to the old argument of (old) people moaning about 3 cylinder engines being 'mechanically unbalanced' and prone to failure. Sure, the idle in my 2013 Focus was a little less than perfect, but having driven both a 3cyl 118i and GR Yaris (I love my old neighbours) both were very nice and smooth engines. Often, people are afraid of change.

These cars are general passenger cars, even if some of them like the vRS have a bit more power. They aren't heavily tuned M5CS' or LaFerrari's. Proper maintenance aside, I think an approach of 'get in it and go' is perhaps needed. I am guilty of it, of course, but there is a tendency to overthink these things.

10 hours ago, Paws4Thot said:

It will let you start the engine other than in N or P!!?

You should be a comedian!

FWIW, in case you aren't joking - every DSG I've ever been in only allows the car to start in park. Sometimes, if I'm in a rush, I'll start the car with my left hand and shift into D with the right. If I'm too fast, the action of taking it out of P will kill the engine.

@OccyVRS Have you tried starting every vehicle you have been in in N? Do you you drive many different ones?

Try again next time to start them in N if left in N.

They do start in N. You could leave them in N and be servicing, pushing them back or fore & start in N.

If newer ones can not do that then that is a PITA.

A Small point.

The thread is in the Scala Section and really any 6 or 7 speed wet clutch DSG,s having nothing to do with the Scala, the Kamiq or Fabia.

So as far as enthusiasts does that mean unless it is a DQ381 DSG in the car they are just to be sidelined?

The OP,s car will have a DQ200 DSG.

Edited 28 May28 May by Ootohere

44 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

@OccyVRS Have you tried starting every vehicle you have been in in N? Do you you drive many different ones?

Try again next time to start them in N if left in N.

They do start in N. You could leave them in N and be servicing, pushing them back or fore & start in N.

If newer ones can not do that then that is a PITA.

A Small point.

The thread is in the Scala Section and really any 6 or 7 speed wet clutch DSG,s having nothing to do with the Scala, the Kamiq or Fabia.

So as far as enthusiasts does that mean unless it is a DQ381 DSG in the car they are just to be sidelined?

The OP,s car will have a DQ200 DSG.

Maybe I'm missing the point here. In order to move the selector out of P in my car, the engine has to be running. I'm sure the engine will start in N, however in order to get there you would need to first start it in P (hence my point about it cutting out if I take it out of P too quickly when starting). It won't even let you take the key out if you aren't in P. Thus, whether it starts in N or not, is a rather moot point. The only time I've started it in N is when it was in neutral in a traffic jam with start/stop and the engine and to be started manually.

None of the cars I've driven have allowed the selector to be taken out of P, until the engine was running. This includes a 2014 A3, 2024 Leon, 2024 Arona, 2020 vRS, 2022 Ibiza, 2019 Golf, 2012 Passat, 2020 Passat and a 2017 T130.

To the second part - I fear I was misunderstood. In my first reply, I mentioned about VW taking obvious steps to ensure the DSG gearbox would last a while, with the average person behind the wheel. With a DQ381 car, it is likely a bit performance-ish, meaning maintenance and the like is perhaps more likely to be focused on. The DQ200 is fitted to normal cars, for most people that want to just get in and go.

In other words, I would assume that VW have thought of this, and taken into consideration that the majority of people in a Scala. Kamiq, Fabia, Polo, Golf, Ibiza, Leon, Arona, Karoq, Ateca, etc etc aren't going to care about whether the car is in D or N, as long as it goes. By contrast, more people that have GTI/R/S3/vRS are more likely to care about that sort of thing. I'm not saying all DQ200 owners don't care, or that all people in a DQ381/250 care, but I would say is it simply more likely.

VW aren't going to design a gearbox that has to be treated specially, in an average passenger car. Maybe in an RS6 with a ZF box they will, but for the most part I argue the D/N discussion is a totally moot point in such a widely produced average consumer gearbox.

Edited 28 May28 May by OccyVRS

DQ200,s fitted to 132-136 1.4 TSI / TFSI,s and quite nippy, crap handling. Polo, A1, Ibiza, Fabia, Beetle.

& then the 1.8 TSI 192 ps Polo GTI with 250 Nm only while the manual was 320 Nm. funnily the S-A was quicker.

As to Octavia vRS, 230 / 245, They really are what that are, taxi sized family car with so so handling and traction.

The newer, bigger, heavier over 250 Nm vehicles with a DQ381 are almost always coming with S/S, e-Brake & Autohold, not a Manual Parking Brake & maybe Hill Hold Assist..

Apples and pears, oranges and lemons, Launch Control or not, and less need or want to be putting into N maybe for the Joes & Janes just getting in and driving, and not driving gods. On UK NSL,s.

Edited 28 May28 May by Ootohere

I have to disagree. I found the Ibiza FR to handle really nicely. Obviously, this is relative to the type of car it is, but I found it really nippy, responsive and just a really tidy, peppy package. Certainly, I would far rather have it, than any of the newer VAG cars I've driven. Both the Leon and Arona, in particular, were terrible cars - mainly due to the gearbox and steering.

I can't comment on the vRS 230, but the handling in my vRS 245 (with the diff) is really not bad at all. Of course, it's not a RWD sports car, but compared to other stuff in the segment, I find the handling to be very satisfactory. Certainly, someone I know has his vRS 230 hatch modded and ran a sub 8 BTG on the Ring - that's pretty damn fast for a FWD sedan.

The traction is an issue, but that's just any FWD car - I didn't find the FWD Cupra 290 I test drove to grip any better. I wish these cars came with 235 or 245.

The beauty of such cars is that they can be put on sticky tyres, fancy pads and taken onto a track on the weekend, whilst still being able to go around in traffic to the shops during the week.

My vRS comes with a manual handbrake. I can't say I really care, but I think an e-brake would suit the gearbox better. I had a Golf with autohold - I loved it for the first few days and then promptly hated it, especially in stop start traffic. S/S is a pretty pointless feature IMO. I seem to either be trying to get the car up to temperature, or wanting it to keep running as it's hot. The Launch Programme really is pointless - even with the LSD and warm PS5s, it seems to do nothing more than leave rubber on the road.

Just so we care clear, most professional gearbox re-manufacturers recommend the following for 7 speed DQ200 transmissions.

"Stop-and-Go Traffic: The DSG7 dry clutch system is particularly susceptible to overheating in frequent stop-and-go traffic. Prolonged use in these conditions can lead to premature wear of the clutch packs. Avoid heavy traffic or allow the gearbox to cool during long stops by shifting into neutral to mitigate this."

@Aldfort Are you intending having regular maintenance carried out on your DQ200, and at what period or miles are you going to have both oil changed?

Imagine the potential issues in really hot countries, middle / far Easter, Arabic, Australia etc.

Europe 11 years back the Service Campaign. Synthetic oil changed for mineral & a software update. New MCU,s in New Zealand back in 2012. 100,000 mile / 10 year warranty given in China.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/315115-service-campaign-dq200-dsg-oilchangeecu-update-fabias-in-uk

Imagine the Global Recall in 2012, EXCLUDING EUROPE UNTIL THE SERVICE CAMPAIGN STARTED IN 2014, then the service campaigns 2017 on and software updates, then Clutch Upgrades and from 2015 the millions of DQ200,s Skoda produce for VW models.

Yet never has VW Group revised advice, recommendations or specification for Oil changes of the 2 oils.

Edited 29 May29 May by Ootohere

Odd question, I have a full service plan so I'll be expecting full service at Skoda specified intervals and I'll be checking.

@Aldfort It's not an odd question. He was asking as for the DQ200 gearbox, there is no specified interval - it is a 'sealed for life' box, so having a service plan is largely irrelevant as Skoda won't touch it. You can change the gearbox oil and the MCU (mechatronics) oil, so technically it's not sealed for life.

Realistically, if your're bothering to shift into neutral to prolong the life, logical says you would also bother to service it.

Skoda say my gearbox should be serviced at 80k, but I don't know anyone that leaves it that long. This is the same company that tells us a certain DSG filter will last 160,000 miles, so sometimes you have to take the reccommended intervals with a pinch of salt.

The DQ200 is not SEALED for life. The Oil was changed in over 6 million recalled in 2012.

People do have both oils changed, members here have it done or do it their selves.

@Aldfort you were the one that posted what advice remanufacturers give.

I posted further to that.

Their recommendation of regular maintenance and software updates.

@OccyVRS Skoda Main Dealers will service a DQ200, and some say needed just because the Service Desk staff have no idea about them and that there is no service schedule.

10 minutes ago, Ootohere said:

The DQ200 is not SEALED for life. The Oil was changed in over 6 million recalled in 2012.

People do have both oils changed, members here have it done or do it their selves.

@Aldfort you were the one that posted what advice remanufacturers give.

I posted further to that.

Their recommendation of regular maintenance and software updates.

@OccyVRS Skoda Main Dealers will service a DQ200, and some say needed just because the Service Desk staff have no idea about them and that there is no service schedule.

Ahhh... service advisors. Walking proof that 'a little knowledge can be dangerous'.

I rang up seven different dealers (across the country, I should add) when I was trying to find out some info on something and got four different answers. Absolutely no disrespect to them - they are simply working with the (lack of) training they were given.

That said, I wouldn't trust a main dealer as far as I could throw the rock jammed in my subframe a master tech called 'age related NVH'. Perhaps I'm not the best person to ask.

FWIW, I'll be doing my Mum's Ibiza DQ200 on about 70k, if she still has it then. That'll be a lot of London miles.

What there is is lots of mess beside the clutches.

As to oil colour there are various posts on here showing the colour changes.

The 'Famous DQ200 Clutch Slip thread' in the Fabia mk3 section is good.

That issue came in from 2015 once the DQ200,s were being turned out in big numbers by the Skoda Factory.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/470446-precautionary-dq200-oil-change

Edited 30 May30 May by Ootohere