Question for DSG owners

[hilmar2k]

How do you guys use your gearbox? I have had my '14 for a couple weeks, and the transmission is the one part I haven't quite figured out. In D, it's ridiculous. Seems like all the car wants to do is hurry up and get to 7th, even in dynamic mode. Driving in S is great, but no 7th gear at all, apparently. So I can drive in D and have zero fun, drive in S and have a 6 speed, or use the flappy paddles all the time.

So what are you guys doing?

[blackfunk]

How do you guys use your gearbox? I have had my '14 for a couple weeks, and the transmission is the one part I haven't quite figured out. In D, it's ridiculous. Seems like all the car wants to do is hurry up and get to 7th, even in dynamic mode. Driving in S is great, but no 7th gear at all, apparently. So I can drive in D and have zero fun, drive in S and have a 6 speed, or use the flappy paddles all the time.

So what are you guys doing?

The car WILL upshift to 7th in S mode. Its just a little more aggressive and holds gears longer. You can manually upshift if you want and it will stay in gear as long as needed.

[whiped]

The car WILL upshift to 7th in S mode. Its just a little more aggressive and holds gears longer. You can manually upshift if you want and it will stay in gear as long as needed.

TCU tune related. My car will never go into "S7".

I use all the modes it just depends what I'm doing.

Commuting: D
Aggressive Street Driving/Drags: S
Backroads/Roll Racing: M

[Nillamb]

My car is so aggressive in getting into 7th gear that, occasionally when driving gently it will change up to 7th, bog and then have to downshift, without even requesting more acceleration. Even when it isn't being that idiotic it still chunters along in the maximum possible gear. The other scenario that irritates is: accelerate gently, car goes for 7th at some crazy low speed, request a little more acceleration "suddenly 3rd" and a completely unnecessary flare of revs.

That that's post APR TCU map (which did nothing for the MAXIMUM GEAR NAOW aspect of the gearbox in D)

It's not a big deal in that, it rarely bothers me that much and in all other aspects, this is the best auto I've had. But I find it exactly as you describe; crazy fast for 7th in D and too aggressive (for commuting) in S. S is just fine for fun. It's D that's the problem.

[Works2shoot]

I warm the car up in "D," move to "S," and switch over to Manual.

[hilmar2k]

The car WILL upshift to 7th in S mode. Its just a little more aggressive and holds gears longer. You can manually upshift if you want and it will stay in gear as long as needed.

You sure about that? I can't get it into 7th in S even using the flappy paddles.

[hilmar2k]

My car is so aggressive in getting into 7th gear that, occasionally when driving gently it will change up to 7th, bog and then have to downshift, without even requesting more acceleration. Even when it isn't being that idiotic it still chunters along in the maximum possible gear. The other scenario that irritates is: accelerate gently, car goes for 7th at some crazy low speed, request a little more acceleration "suddenly 3rd" and a completely unnecessary flare of revs.

That that's post APR TCU map (which did nothing for the MAXIMUM GEAR NAOW aspect of the gearbox in D)

It's not a big deal in that, it rarely bothers me that much and in all other aspects, this is the best auto I've had. But I find it exactly as you describe; crazy fast for 7th in D and too aggressive (for commuting) in S. S is just fine for fun. It's D that's the problem.

That's my biggest issue!! Car get's to 7th, I need a little more acceleration...BOOM, 3rd gear and I'm suddenly racing everyone. So annoying.

[AlaskanAudi]

Have you guys ever had it when you’re aggressively speeding up in “S” and when it’s time to shift gear, close to the red line, the car won’t react to my paddle when I want to upshift? I noticed it happens most often when approaching the 5th to 6th gear shift


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[WJN S4]

I find myself starting off from stops/low speeds/turns/off & on ramps in S. Then when I know I'll be at the relatively same speed for a bit, switch it to D.
In the instances that when in S mode and it's holding the gear too long, I'll switch it back to D, then switch it back again.

Wish there was a mode(s) that was in-between, almost like MB or BMW where they have ECO/Comfort/Sport/Sport+

[whiped]

I find myself starting off from stops/low speeds/turns/off & on ramps in S. Then when I know I'll be at the relatively same speed for a bit, switch it to D.
In the instances that when in S mode and it's holding the gear too long, I'll switch it back to D, then switch it back again.

Wish there was a mode(s) that was in-between, almost like MB or BMW where they have ECO/Comfort/Sport/Sport+

I'll force the upshift with the paddle if it is holding a gear for too long.

This sometimes happens in second when getting onto the highway near my work because it is inclined.

[waxxonMTL]

D when i have passenger.

Manual ( hit S first then switch to manual) 95% of the time. You can control accurently what gear you want to be in. much better than S or D alone ;)

[mercedesinfarct]

S is far too aggressive most of the time and for most uses.. It holds gears too long for commuting, and aggressively down shifts without reason in stop and go traffic.. S is for maximum accel, drag, showing off, etc. Drive is for commuting, and manual is manual. S manual for more spirited driving.

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[hilmar2k]

S is far too aggressive most of the time and for most uses.. It holds gears too long for commuting, and aggressively down shifts without reason in stop and go traffic.. S is for maximum accel, drag, showing off, etc. Drive is for commuting, and manual is manual. S manual for more spirited driving.

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My issue is with D. The shift points are absurd.

[mercedesinfarct]

My issue is with D. The shift points are absurd.

I don't agree, driving in D is fine, for me at least.

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[14S4GWM]

I don't agree, driving in D is fine, for me at least.

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Its horrible, not sure how you could like it.

[Corradobrit]

I warm the car up in "D" and then switch to Manual.

My MO too. When in S mode I swear I can see the gas gauge fall in real time. Its fun for occasional use but too aggressive around town and a real wallet drainer.
D mode is for warming car up and Driving Ms Daisy.

[Corradobrit]

( hit S first then switch to manual)

Stupid question but does it make a difference if shifting to manual from S or D modes?

[blackfunk]

You sure about that? I can't get it into 7th in S even using the flappy paddles.

You should be able to get to 7th by 45mph - I think even 40mph. I'm assuming you've enabled the in gear display to see what gear you're in and not just guessing? I 99.99% drive in individual mode which is dynamic for everything but steering which is set to comfort.

[Works2shoot]

Stupid question but does it make a difference if shifting to manual from S or D modes?

I’ve heard that it keeps the throttle map of whatever auto mode you were in. Others say that isn’t the case.

[martinmanyhats]

Gear changing is a pretty personal thing, you'll probably get a bazillion different answers :). Compounded by the variety of DSG models, driving styles and numerous little variations of S4 along the way. By way of background my history is mostly manual shift, S4 DSG is the first autobox I could not only live with but actively enjoy.

I had a 2012 S4 DSG for 3 years, no mods, no doubt that D wanted to head for 7th asap, no doubt for Audi to achieve stated economy figures. 7th gear is effectively an over drive. However even stock the 3.0T is not exactly short of torque, and drops down readily enough, that I never found it much of an issue. I've never met an automatic that is 100% psychic so I don't mind giving it a hint occasionally with the paddles or whatever.

Currently on a '15 DSG with APR Stg2 and TCU, after a while at stock. The stock DSG to my mind was that little closer to psychic in S. With TCU mod (amongst other benefits) it is veering on brutal in S. This is a good thing in a Jekyll and Hyde car :)

I'll use all the modes depending on circumstances, personally I enjoy "directing" the car to achieve what I want. For example, there is a single track, ~20% gradient switchback with blind corners on the back road to home. I drop it to S so I have the torque I want for control even thought I am not (usually *cough*) trying to blast up the road.

If I am on a down gradient and need to control the speed, I might kick down a gear or two with M for some engine braking. Just as I would in a manual. I appreciate the fact that the Audi engineers have programmed the DSG to notice this, stay in M and not drop back to D too quickly.

As a tip for those not aware, if you have active cruise control you can use it in S, car will effectively drive in D when you are off the throttle following trafficv, but has S gear map when you come back on for overtakes. Nice.

So all I'm really saying is get to love the quirks and foibles of your particular car. Wax on, wax off.

[rcz22]

I warm the car up in "D," move to "S," and switch over to Manual.

same with me for the most part - however there have been a few times I thought I was in "M" and aggressively left the line and tried to shift up and went straight into "N" ... thats always fun

[Corradobrit]

same with me for the most part - however there have been a few times I thought I was in "M" and aggressively left the line and tried to shift up and went straight into "N" ... thats always fun

I think thats happened to most of us. A vestigial remnant from 6sp days

[BDP]

I primarily run the car in "S" I'd say 75% of the time. The other 25% of the time it's in "M".


I never use "D"....even when I should on the highway doing nothing...lol.

[hilmar2k]

You should be able to get to 7th by 45mph - I think even 40mph. I'm assuming you've enabled the in gear display to see what gear you're in and not just guessing? I 99.99% drive in individual mode which is dynamic for everything but steering which is set to comfort.

Not in S. It simply will not shift into 7th.

[blackfunk]

Not in S. It simply will not shift into 7th.

There's something wrong with your car, lol. This has been discussed and confirmed on here before - I'm too damn lazy to look it up LOL.

And this in my case is specific to a 2012 B8. Not sure if it applies to any other years.

[jdcarnes]

For daily commuting, I use to always keep the car in "D". However, I started finding myself is a lot more start/stop or "crawling" traffic. I would find that my car would crawl in 2nd, while I was using the gas. However, it would shift into 1st after I got off the pedal. Never failed that as soon as it downshifted I would have to accelerate up and would shift into 2nd. I switched over to "S" and just hold the gear longer now (to about 3k) Feels like I am saving my transmissions life a little lol. Other than those times, I don't feel a real differnce in daily driving in "D" or "S". If I know I am about to pass someone, I downshift myself to save time depending on the area.

Does anyone else have a momentary pause when shifting from "D"/"S" to reverse or back? Its maybe 1 or 2 secs and if I hit the gas to soon there is a slight jerk.

[fs454]

Surprised to see so many using D/S! My use has been a lot different.

I’ve never actually driven my car in any auto mode for any meaningful journey. Sure, I’ve thrown it over to S once or twice to get a quicker downshift using the pedal press method (lets you more quickly engage a gear that is 2-3 away from the current gear), but I drive it manual 99% of the time

[PBKIDD24]

Not in S. It simply will not shift into 7th.

There's something wrong with your car, lol. This has been discussed and confirmed on here before - I'm too damn lazy to look it up LOL.

And this in my case is specific to a 2012 B8. Not sure if it applies to any other years.

I know for a fact my '15 WILL NOT shift into 7th in S mode. The only way it will is if you set the cruise control, and once you turn it off it immediately downshifts to 6th.

[blackfunk]

I know for a fact my '15 WILL NOT shift into 7th in S mode. The only way it will is if you set the cruise control, and once you turn it off it immediately downshifts to 6th.

Can't speak for B8.5 but see the attached thread.

https://www.audizine.com/forum/showt...th-Gear-w-Auto

[evanb]

Have you guys ever had it when you’re aggressively speeding up in “S” and when it’s time to shift gear, close to the red line, the car won’t react to my paddle when I want to upshift? I noticed it happens most often when approaching the 5th to 6th gear shift


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My car will randomly require a second paddle tap going from 4th to 5th. It's been doing this for a long time but it's so intermittent, it never happens when it's at the dealer and you know the rest of that story.

[Audi_Andrew19]

I try to leave it in drive as much as possible but I find it disconcerting how the car stays in third all the way to zero basically in stop and go traffic etc and brings the revs up high like a manual car easing the clutch with the gas. I try and avoid this with the paddles but it gets annoying. Does anyone else let the clutches “click” and the car start to creep after a red light or a stop rather than getting on the gas immediately?


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[evanb]

I drive exclusively in dynamic manual mode using the paddles unless I'm in city traffic.

[cjw]

I love this trans, but hate Drive. S is great for some fun, but not quite suited for basic daily driving. I'm often swtiching between all modes.

[waxxonMTL]

same with me for the most part - however there have been a few times I thought I was in "M" and aggressively left the line and tried to shift up and went straight into "N" ... thats always fun

+1 and +2 for previous quote.

D- for warm up and drive with passager not carhead.. S-Manual the remaining of time.

I will NEVER understand ppl complaining about AUTO-Shift.. its NOT like you can't control it if your unhappy with the computer shifting lol.. put it in manual and you will get perfect shifting 100% of the time.

[superswiss]

Depends on the car somewhat. I drive too many different models. But in general I drive somewhere around 90+% in manual mode. My background is 15+ years of manual transmission. I got into DSGs, because they still feel mostly like a manual transmission, but have the convenience of a fully automatic mode when I don't feel like shifting. Most of the time I'm in M, but when driving spirited I'm in Sport M. To answer the above question, yes there is a difference between D->M and S->M. The latter gives you the dynamic throttle map and crisper faster shifts. Unfortunately, only the R8 makes it clear that there are two manual modes.

I use D in traffic, with ACC engaged or just casually driving around town. I like the comfort the aggressive upshifts provide and reduced engine braking if I just wanna casually cruise around. S I use mostly only for high speed passing to avoid running into the rev limiter (only a consideration in RS models and the R8). The R8 I drive pretty much exclusively in Sport M. Just feels wrong driving an R8 in any automatic mode. On the other side of the spectrum something like an A3 or the current A5 SB loaner I'm driving, I tend to drive in D much more. These cars don't inspire me to drive spirited. I kinda feel like a grandpa driving them.

Sport M indicated on the VC in the R8:

[Corradobrit]

To answer the above question, yes there is a difference between D->M and S->M. The latter gives you the dynamic throttle map and crisper faster shifts.

Confirmed on the drive home. I'm discovering something new about this car all the time.

[VeeDubbinJetta]

Confirmed on the drive home. I'm discovering something new about this car all the time.

I need to go test this out. I’ve had the car 2 years and never knew this [mindblown].

Anyways I drive pretty much in manual mode unless I’m on the freeway. With the AWE touring in stock downpipes drive mode can get a bit droney at times in D, so manual mode fixes that.

[AudiS4SD]

I know for a fact my '15 WILL NOT shift into 7th in S mode. The only way it will is if you set the cruise control, and once you turn it off it immediately downshifts to 6th.

My 2014 will NOT shift to 7th in S (Dynamic).

My 2014 WILL shift to 7th in M (Manual).


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[Nillamb]

I try to leave it in drive as much as possible but I find it disconcerting how the car stays in third all the way to zero basically in stop and go traffic etc and brings the revs up high like a manual car easing the clutch with the gas. I try and avoid this with the paddles but it gets annoying. Does anyone else let the clutches “click” and the car start to creep after a red light or a stop rather than getting on the gas immediately?


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Off topic, but. The brief pause after lifting from the break and the car starting to creep appears to be the transmission taking up slack (also, getting on the gas before slack has been taken up results in a bit of jerk on acceleration). Fitting the transmission mount helps a lot and fitting the Rear Differential Carrier Mount Insert Kit (I went with ECS after concerns about noise from the 034) removed the last of the slack. Acceleration from standstill is now always smooth without the feeling of drive train take up. Car starts to creep immediately the foot is taken off the brake.
Very pleased. Almost zero added noise (I really have to listen for it to notice it).

[srt8s6]

16 s6 with tcu and ecu tune Apr stage 2...i use s for regular cars...hondas..lexus..toyota..m for the real com...m3...c63...etc etc...

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