VW - 7 Speed DSG Transmission with Dry Clutches. Both manual and automatic gearboxes have their own advantages. While manual gearbox allows slotting of gears for sheer fun, automatic transmissions provides far less tiring and fatigue free driving. Direct Shift Gearboxes combines the advantages of manual as well as automatic gearbox providing ultimate driving pleasure.

The transverse six-speed DSG transmission, also known as DQ250, is a dual-clutch automatic transmission that is found in vehicles by a number of manufacturers. These manufacturers include Audi, Volkswagen, Skoda, and Seat. The DQ250 is a dual-clutch transmission that employs a combination of manual transmission gears and automatic transmission clutches in order to gain the benefits of both.This particular transmission is old news, having been replaced by newer versions, but it has been used in so many vehicles that are still on the road today that it is most definitely still relevant.So, what happens when this very popular transmission goes bad? Before we get into the faults, we’ll briefly touch on how the DSG transmission works, and how it’s different from other transmissions.A traditional automatic transmission uses a number of clutch packs to produce the desired output ratio.

This works fine, but it has drawbacks, one of the biggest being fuel efficiency. Conversely, manual transmissions use solid metal gears and a single manually operated clutch. This setup creates less resistance and better fuel efficiency, but it means the driver has to deal with pesky clutch pedals and gear levers. DSG stands for Direct-Shift Gearbox, and it incorporates the best of both worlds into its design.

Using an advanced electro-hydraulic control module to control clutch application and gear shifting, the DSG can bring the driving comfort of a full automatic to the table while still getting the greater efficiency of the manual-style gears. Furthermore, it makes use of a dual clutch assembly, where one clutch is responsible for even numbered gears and the other for odd-numbered gears, improving shifting quality further.Note: This article is concerned specifically with the DQ250 variant of DSG transmission.

There are other variants, such as the 7 speed DQ200, and the inline 0B5 transmission. Before we get into the transmission fault here, there is another cause of juddering which is far more common, and it is outside of the transmission itself. If you experience the juddering mainly when you start the engine and when the car is idling, often accompanied by a loud clattering noise, the problem is likely in the dual mass flywheel which sits between the transmission and the engine. The flywheel consists of two plates that can move a small amount in relation to each other.

This provides a cushioning effect when torque is transferred from the engine to the transmission. When that flywheel wears down, and the amount of movement is too great, you get a juddering/shuddering sensation.It’s important not to leave this fault for too long. If the two flywheel plates sheer off from each other, your vehicle will lose drive entirely. If your flywheel is fine, however, and the juddering sensation is most noticeable on gearshifts—particularly at lower speeds—the problem likely lies in the dual clutch assembly.

Unfortunately, it’s a simple matter of wear and tear, and there’s not much to be done for it other than replace it.There are kits available that allow for the replacement of many of the components of the clutch assembly, and oftentimes that will cure the fault. However, sometimes the wear and tear is in the non-replaceable components, and a new assembly is needed. In my experience, it’s much more practical to just replace the whole assembly. You might save money by getting a repair kit rather than a clutch, but if the damage ends up being in the non-replaceable components, you’ll still need to buy a complete assembly and that money saved becomes money wasted. Default Mode—also known as limp mode and failsafe mode—is a failure state of the transmission where it detects a fault and limits itself to one gear (typically third) to limit damage to the transmission.

This will often be accompanied by an indicator on the dashboard, such as flashing “PRNDS” lights. If your transmission has gone into default, there will be trouble codes in there to explain why it’s done this. You’ll need to get your vehicle scanned with a good diagnostic machine to find out what those codes are.If the codes mention “clutch limits reached” (or something similar), there’s a good chance the problem is your clutch. Typically (though not always) this won’t occur until after the aforementioned juddering/shuddering fault. If the codes mention “adaptations,” it’s possible that your problem may be fixed with an adaptation reset.

You’ll need to find someone with a good VAG diagnostic tool for this. If the codes mention any sensors, gear ratios, or unexpected mechanical disengagements, the problem is almost certainly your mechatronic. The mechatronic is the name given to the electro-hydraulic control unit that is responsible for controlling the gearbox, and it’s a very expensive lump. Fortunately, there are many companies that can repair this fault, and a quick search of “DSG Mechatronic Repair” should yield plenty of results. It should be noted, however, that these companies are limited in what they can test for and repair in these mechatronic units. I have been involved in a number of situations where the repair company tested the mechatronic and found to be “ok,” yet the fault was eventually cured with a replacement mechatronic. Bear in mind, with these repair companies, “tested ok” means they couldn’t find a fault.

Not that there’s nothing wrong with it.One particularly common symptom of a faulty DQ250 mechatronic is a partial or total loss of reverse, so be on the lookout for that as a strong indicator that the mechatronic is failing. The mechanical workings of the DSG—the physical gears and syncros—don’t tend to fail very often in my experience.

I have seen a number of instances of bearings wearing down, however. This typically results in a metallic noise when driving.I have known DSG transmissions with this symptom to be driven for quite some time with no ill-effects other than quite irritating driving noise.

However, I most definitely wouldn’t recommend you leave this problem unattended. If the mechanical components of the DSG did fail, it would be pretty catastrophic for the transmission.The fix is a bearing kit, assuming the problem is dealt with promptly, and no other damage has been caused. One fault I have seen a few times in DSG vehicles is the loss of ability to start the vehicle, accompanied by a fault code relating to the park/neutral switch. The problem is that the mechatronic is getting bad information regarding the position of the gear selector, and won’t let you start the car because it can’t be sure you are in park or neutral. The affected part here is actually in the gear selector itself, rather than the transmission. Though it could also be a wiring or communication fault.

Not sure if you're still answering here now, but certainly like me, a lot of people like your article.My enquiry is very simple and you may know off the top of your head. My DSG (02E) in 2.0 TDI whines in fifth gear and a little in 6th when cold but much less when warm.I found my thermostat might be opening too early and looking to replace that. But should I be otherwise concerned about the whine. Its not a grating or metallic grinding noise. Its more like the noise of an underground train motor. It comes in just as the box changes to 5th and largely goes away in 6th. When the car is warm, the noise is barely detectable in 6th and only slight in 5th.

Do you know what's going on.An Auto Trans shop told me the whole thing needs to be stripped down for new shafts and bearings. They say the gears are worn out and the bearings are breaking up. They say if I don't deal with it that one day it will just suddenly lock up or sending a gear shaft our through the side of the box and could write off the engine. Its around £1700 +VAT. Naturally I don't want to drive anywhere near that shop for as long as possible and would look at perhaps a low mileage box if that was the best solution. But someone else I was reading a thread from somewhere else said their DSG made this underground train noise for last 50,000 miles and they got used to it and eventuially even quite liked it.

Unfortunately I don't really like it very much. My mechatronic is working fine and I added a small amount of metal treatment ZX1 when I last changed the box oil. ZX1 penetrates into the metal at the particle level and changes it putting a super slippery coating on it. Well, actually I have that wrong.

Its not a coating but it makes the metal extra smooth shall I say. The oil that came out was like white whine which surprised me. There were no bits or metal. I couldn't see anything that looked like the results of wear and tear. The new oil going in is actually darker than what came out. Mind you I have elected to buy a premium third party oil from Millers.

Apart from these issues the car is great. The performance is great, The gear changes are good - just dont do a manual shift from 2 to 1! That's never great even with foot on brake or accelerator. Very bad on overrun alone. Not mechanically considerate action in my opinion.I hope you are doing fine and still answering here.

Looks like quite a few people are looking for a little advice. My wife has a 2017 Alltrack Allwheel Drive. Upon coming to a stop are nearly stopping the transmission does not downshift into first and upon accelerating the transmission hesitates then drops into first gear making the car scary to drive.

After taking it to dealer twice they say it drives just like the other ones on the lot and is ok! Being a mechanic I know it’s not. However the last time we took it in and complained again they said that if they found nothing wrong we would be charged.

This car was new at the time. Anyone had a similar problem, I’m assuming this is tied to the all wheel drive. Hey John,I have a 2009 Passat cc,it’s a 190bhp and is a cracking car.We have had the oil and filter changed but before it was done,the car would stall before selecting reverse and take more than a few seconds. Sometimes needing to turn off the ignition and then back on again. I truly hope the problem isn’t terminal as it’s my baby!!! Any help or assistance would be very much appreciated!!!

My email address is yrrab111@hotmail.com. Look forward to hearing from you,kind regards,Barry and Sally. Hi I have a 2014 a6 ultra black edition Auto 50k on clock. Iv noticed over last few months a slight judder wich now seams to be happening more especially when cold when setting off. Sometimes if i start it then set off straight away for work it almost stops for a Split second Then picks back up almost instantly and Carey’s on as normal more In lower speeds 1st/2nd Gear. Seems to happen in reverse sometimes as well if on a slight incline usually as it’s trying to compensate for the hill or incline Almost. I thought it could be to do with the start stop Function as on a handful of occasions has stopped completely when my girlfriend has been driving when setting off from a hill and says something like stop start disabled even though it’s not been on then won’t start till turned off ignition and then on again.

Then it’s fine. Have a 2012 GTI that experiences the shuddering at low RPM only when the gear box has reached temp.took the car to dealer and they claimed it was clutch packs.had them changed and the problem although slightly better when picked up is back after less then 100 miles.took the car back and now dealer claims its the mech unit.spoke to the tech that actually did the clutch pack and he stated that the clutches were in extremely good condition.car has only 86000 miles.Question.they never mentioned the flywheel. Would the flywheel get worse when hot.This is my 2nd dsg with the same problem.1st one had mech unit replaced and within 500 miles same issue returned.adaptations were done on both cars multiple times and yet issues remains.rather frustrated and would love to know your opinion.the car shits perfect under heavy power on up shifts but bangs hard on downshifts only in 3rd and 2nd in low rpms.then feels like its just confused when trying to start from a stop under normal.to.light acceleration.pause engage with a bang. Pause.engage with a bang.again if your extremely hard almost launching car if shifts fine and if cold runs fine.cpuld this be the flywheel?????Your opinion would be very much appreciated.

I have read through the post and i want to acknowledge that i have learnt a lot.However, my concern is i have a VW Tiguan 2.0 TSI 2009 model. Recently it started misfiring. I changed the ignition Coils and plugs and the misfiring stoped. But sadly it has a 'hard start' and it can't pull. The pick-up is so slow and dragging.

I have tried to diagnise the problem with my OBDll but nothing is being detected. So am being advised to buy a complete gearbox, is it necessary to buy the complete gearbox?. Hi,good day for all. I read Your comments on possibility DSG faults and I would like to find out if You can possibly help me identity mine. I have Audi A3 Tfsi 2009 85k miles automatic transmission running very well no problem at all changing gears properly. Up to yesterday when after day tip I decide quick car hand wash. No power wash just simple water from hose.

After this within 2 hours I was try start engine and when i turn ignition on dashboard shows ESP fault and my car loss ability to start and on Park P position gear selector is motionless to position D and P letter just flashing pulsing read. My opinion that water caused problem One fuse from the engine compartment was gone so I replace a fuse next day after all day drying a car in full sunny day and new fuse gone as well.I read all Your suggestion and the loss ability to start the vehicle when mechatronic is getting bad information and won't let me start the car it is Yours words.What would your advice be electrician first or seeking a specialist for DSGThank YouBest RegardsRobert.

HiI have a ford galaxy 1.9 tdi automatic 2006. I am a mechanic but i dont have much knowledge about automatic transmission. I replaced the mechatronic.

There is a long green rod that is connected to the gear lever and its wires behind the mechatronic. Somehow the rod turned to the opposite direction and because of this when i start the car and shift gears (2,3,4,D,N,P) it doesnt let the car move and no gear engages.

When i move the rod, which has different round edges for each gear to lock in place, to the right position the gear lever above that doesnt connect to the wire properly as there is a difference in length between the screw and round rubber part connected to the gear lever wire. Just bought a 06 GTi for my daughter. PO advised has had jerky starts and judder shifting in lower gears for years. Also said that it was not noticeable during colder months. In the States so cannot confirm due to summer time.There are no transmission faults. I previously owned a 06 GLI w/DSG and never had these issues.If a Mech goes bad, it should throw a code, correct?So far, I have not been able to locate a decent US supplier of mech's or re-manufacturer's.Do you have a link to a source that you trust?Regards.

Thanks John for that insite. My 2010 VW Jetta is at the dealer with a transmission fault. The service representative said it will cost CAD$7500 to replace after importing from Germany. My question was, 'What happened to the old crusty mechanics who used to take them apart and replace with various cogs, crowns and pinions?' The answer I got was technicians for this work are not qualified to repair them.

I like the mechatronic replacement idea. I'll suggest it as a plonker with five minutes of internet instruction.:). On start up in the morning i get a bad shuddering when driving for about the first 1/2 mile. After coming up to temperature everything smooths out and i have no further problems. I took it in to the VW agent here and after diagnostics they told me i have to change clutch and flywheel. I asked the senior tech how does he explain the problems going away when the car comes up to temperature and he says he cant explain.

What can i do. This is very costly if i have to change clutch, flywheel and pilot bearing.Thanks in advance.Peter. I have an 08 jetta 2.0 wolfsberg, it stalled 4 times the other day, when it stalled the EPC light would flash when it lost power. But would start right back up.

I noticed that the prnds was flashing when i started the car and put it in gear. But was not doing any of the shakking or symptoms that were listed above. Had a code for mass airflow sensor. Seems better well at least the car did not stall or loose power, it did act like it was going to stall twice but did not.

Drove about 10 miles with no stalls or loss of power. Hello John, Thank you for your clear explaination! I have a question though. I have an audi tt 3.2 with the dsg DQ250. The old mechatronic was broken (the ECU in te mechatronic itself).

Now i placed another one but the car drives only in reverse and 1st gear when its about to shift it goes in limp mode PRNDS flashing. Is it maybe the coding that is wrong? It gives two databus faultcodes in vcds.

And if so, is it possible to code it the rightway without the need to acces and retrieve data (coding) from the old Mechatronic?I look forward to your insight.Kind regards. Hi and thank you for your replies.With the cost of parts so high in Aus A$1900 for ta dual mass flywheel.We are now looking at doing a replacement of the whole DSG system.I agree the dual mass flywheel needs to be replaced the mechatronic. And the wiring are the possible all the faulty parts. We have found a very low milage Sports 2L Golf of mid 2007 as our parts donor.

The dual mass flywheel in the golf and the caddy measure exactly the same as each other but have one digit different part numbers. Every thing else seems the same like 02E 301 107 gearbox numbers. If this exchange works out a going car that will be great.

Of course over our winter months in Australia. (Your Summer) I intend to test and rebuild the mega replace the wiring and order a dual mass flywheel on line.Have you any warning about the dual mass flywheel for the 2L Golf being different to the Caddy one. The Caddy is Dec 2006 and the golf May 2007.Best WishesPeter. If there is nothing mechanical broken in the transmission (ie; bits of metal in the oil) then the speed sensor fault would indicate a faulty ECU/Mechatronic. However the ECU doesn't typically cause a noise like you described, so it's possible you could have multiple faults on your hands. The dual mass fly wheel would seem to be the most likely culprit for the noise you described. The state of the flywheel can be checked before replacing.

Though you would need to remove the transmission to do so. Hello And Best wishes.These DSG boxes for me are not at all straight forward. And my friend doing the work is in the same boat.WE have a big problem in finding the fault from the symptoms we have found in 2006 1.9 Diesel Caddy 02E box. That went into limp mode.1 When the box is cold it works fine in all gears.2 when it gets hot then no reverse.

But still travels at 80kph or 50mph.3 Then a little further Limp Mode.3 We had a 2 solenoid faults in Mega unit and replaced them. And those faults cleared.

One had a low elect power.5 We put in new oil and filter 2 years from last oil change.6 We have a 18154 fault that does not go away. AutelOn my friends Scanner it gives a 0609 ECU speed sensor fault7 When I listen to the box in Park engine on I can hear some thing like a kitchen sieve and Cutlery Knives, Forks, rotating. Not as loud as the engine. The stethoscope cannot narrow down the area of the sound because of the engine sound is too strong. So i think it is in the clutch area. Away from the outside of the Engine & gearbox.

One cannot hear this sound with the window open sitting in side the cab.I think we will need to do a clutch job. And Not the flywheel job.But we would like to make shore it is not a flaky relay or some dumb thing causing it. The thing that comes to mind is the internal wiring in the box that may be the fault this was a known problem in earlier VWs. No thing hurts like throwing parts and money at something we are not shore is the problem!!!Here is the limp mode description1. When it first occurs you are traveling at 60kPH2.

Engine flared to 5000RPM3. Speed dropped to 20kPH.4. In this state it could flare to 5000RPM but would not go faster than 20 kPH.5.

The whole multi-function Display flashingAny ideasWe are in Perth West Australia. Hello And Best wishes.These DSG boxes for me are not at all straight forward. And my friend doing the work is in the same boat.WE have a big problem in finding the fault from the symptoms we have found in 2006 1.9 Diesel Caddy 02E box.1 When the box is cold it works fine in all gears.2 when it gets hot then no reverse. But still travels at 80kph or 50mph.3 We had a 2 sensor faults in Mega unit and replaced them. And those faults cleared. One had a low elect power.4 We put in new oil and filter 2 years from last oil change.5 We have a 18154 fault that does not go away. AutelOn my friends Scanner it gives a 0609 ECU speed sensor fault6 When I listen to the box in Park engine on I can hear some thing like a kitchen sieve and Cutlery Knives, Forks, rotating.

Not as loud as the engine. The stethoscope cannot narrow down the area of the sound because of the engine sound is too strong. So i think it is in the clutch area.

Away from the outside of the Engine & gearbox. One cannot hear this sound with the window open sitting in side the cab.I think we will need to do a clutch job. And Not the flywheel job.But we would like to make shore it is not a flaky relay or some dumb thing causing it. The thing that comes to mind is the internal wiring in the box that may be the fault this was a known problem in earler VWs.Any ideasWe are in Perth West Australia. I have bought a 2012 golf R with a stage 2+ tune. The car goes well with 0-100 klm/hr in about 4 seconds. The shifting is very precise and no issues with maximum effort fast driving on a dirt track.

But, on start up before the engine and gearbox comes to normal operating temperature it can be jerky sometimes when you pull off, particularly in reverse and sometimes even kangaroo hops, so that I have to bring the car to a full stop and start off again. Is this a clutch pack issue or is it the flywheel issue?. I have a VW Scirocco 2009. 2.0 Tdi, DSG 02E gearbox which had this code 19143/P2711/010001-Unexpected disengagement gear.

2937-Fault code in transmission. 9708-Sensor for actuator 2. P17E1 00 ( 096 ) mechanical malfunction. 8090-Gear selector 2 can not be regulated. Problem is some time Reverser is lost. At ther beginning I send Mechatronic to a holland company ACTronics and say it is ok 100% but I do not believe them.

I have rebuilt gearbor whit new clutch kit, gaskets, filters and oil and after assembly and installed in the car and erase codes now it has this other one: C06E4- unknown code.I have drive car aroubnd 100 kms and at the moment reverse is ok but after to see your web site I am not very happy. What do you thionk? Mechatronic may be yet wrong?Thanks in advanceRegardsJose.

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The simplicity debate was one I had with my partner when we switched to DSG cars. She felt the same as you about the potential costs and hassles if problems arise but my feeling is that simplicity if and when things go wrong is more than outweighed by the everyday simplicity of driving a car that doesn't need gear changes and gives you the simplest and smoothest possible ride. When we bought our last car the VW dealer said he now sells more DSGs than manuals in mid range models. This can only bode well for developing more expertise and hopefully pushing maintenance prices down in the long run. I'd be interested to know how many new T6 owners have chosen one over the other. We hired a manual 5 speed Cali and also hired a manual 6 speed Transporter conversion and I liked them both, probably the 6 gear had the edge and I wasn't fussed about DSG. Then we found a new Cali available for immediate collection which happened to have DSG which we snapped up.

Well, now am I glad I got the DSG, I absolutely love it and consider myself very lucky to have accidentally ended up with this gearbox over the manual one. I have a manual van for work and a manual Audi TT and I thought I would have major problems swapping between vehicles but I haven't found it a problem at all.