# DSG - dropping out of gear



## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

Had a strange thing happen with the DSG box this weekend.

Was in manual mode and accelerating quite hard off a roundabout in second gear, then changed up to third using the paddles- all OK and still accelerating hard. Then it seemed like the box dropped out of gear and into neutral causing the engine revs to rise as you would expect with your foot planted on the floor!!!!!

Obviously came straight off the gas and coasted for a bit&#8230;.. Looking in the DIS the all the gear numbers 1 through to 6 were lit up and flashing.

I then knocked it back into manual mode whilst still coasting and it seemed to sort itself out and started to work as normal. Going back to manual mode - all seemed fine too.

Anybody else experienced this on their DSG box?

Seems a bit dangerous to me that it could just pop into neutral on its own 

Bit worried that perhaps some more gremlins are coming back given the problems I've had in the past (Mechatronic unit replaced about 2 months ago)

Jon


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

OMG without offence im so happy to hear that.

I recently crashed the front and back of my car causing £4k worth of damage becuase of this!

I parked up at work put in in park put the handbrake on.

I could feel the car pulling so took the handbrake off and it reversed me straight into a fence!

I then put it in neutral and it drove me straight into a van!

I took the car to Audi the plugged it in the computer and will not accept any fault!

Im scared to drive the car when i get it back! and am stuck as to where to go from here as noone can seem to help!


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## sTTranger (Oct 21, 2008)

Are you serious, i had my dsg tts for a year, never has anyhing like this, have you guys made any mods or a remap maybe?????

Having siad that mine was mapped :?


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

Ive not had one change made to the car! have ben advised to write to VOSA as the accident has cost me nearly £1000 in excess and my insurance premium going up.

I even has witnesses that saw i had parked and everything!


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

KellyAnne said:


> OMG without offence im so happy to hear that.
> 
> I recently crashed the front and back of my car causing £4k worth of damage becuase of this!
> 
> ...


OMG Kelly really sorry to hear about what happened to you and your car. Sounds really strange and not sure if its similar to the issue i had. Mine just seemed to drop our of gear and i had no drive at all... then engine just revved freely as if in neutral.

I think your best bet is to write to VOSA as you've already been advised.



sTTranger said:


> Are you serious, i had my dsg tts for a year, never has anyhing like this, have you guys made any mods or a remap maybe?????
> 
> Having siad that mine was mapped :?


Hi sTTranger..... nope no remaps or mods to the gbox.... only mod is a Miltek exhaust.


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

I will do and let you know if i hear anything! It was revving really hard too!

Where abouts was your car made? Mine was made down your area i think.

Thanks


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## newt (May 12, 2002)

Flashing display is mentioned in the manual, overheating I think. Doubt if temp is the issue at present, however I understand there is a recall to change software related to temp sensor in gearbox.


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

KellyAnne said:


> I will do and let you know if i hear anything! It was revving really hard too!
> 
> Where abouts was your car made? Mine was made down your area i think.
> 
> Thanks


Car was bought from Southampton Audi Kelly.
In Sept 2007


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

newt said:


> Flashing display is mentioned in the manual, overheating I think. Doubt if temp is the issue at present, however I understand there is a recall to change software related to temp sensor in gearbox.


Thanks newt, good info.
I don't think temerature was the issue as you say.. I had only been driving it about 20 mins too. Perhaps a faulty sensor?

I think i'll call the dealer and mention the software recall


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

Oh ok. Mines from Exeter 58 plate.

Thanks


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## zorpas (Jul 30, 2008)

newt said:


> Flashing display is mentioned in the manual, overheating I think. Doubt if temp is the issue at present, however I understand there is a recall to change software related to temp sensor in gearbox.


Further to this the recall number is 37E5
I think the problems mentioned on this thread are due to this overheating problem.
On the recall letter I received it says:

'Possibility of the electronic control unit of the gearbox to read false temp data on clutch which results to flashing gears on DIS, tremble of car, reduction of tourque, and disengage of clutch'

I think this is what happened here, and this is the first report on the problem

call your dealer !!


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

Great - thanks zorpas.... this sounds like exactly what happened.


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

Zorpas- There was a recall??


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## BLinky (Jul 3, 2009)

yeah, had my box reflashed to the newer version of software, that just stopped the car from engaging a gear lol, so I had it flashed back to the original, so awesome.


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## zorpas (Jul 30, 2008)

KellyAnne said:


> Zorpas- There was a recall??


Hi 
yes, there is a recall for this case, number 37E5.

It was first announced in the US, then to Europe shortly.

I received a letter in the post from my local dealer last week. Still havent managed to arrange an apoitment for the recall, but Im close to the 1st service sto I will do it together.

There is a thread about the recall, cant find it now sorry, but mainly its just a software update to fix the problem.

These are the first reports that the problem occured on cars, it is serious, so a dealer visit is a must, ASAP


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## ramborami (Aug 1, 2009)

This definitely sounds like the recall issue with the gearbox temperature sensor, faulty software is to blame apparently
Glad you are okay!
I took mine in for the recall and got it fixed, the gearbox seems to shift more smoothly now


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

Dealer has told me that there are no recalls on my chassis number and that the temp sensor was changed when the new Mechtronic unit was fitted a few weeks ago :?


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## Wallsendmag (Feb 12, 2004)

madforiTT said:


> Dealer has told me that there are no recalls on my chassis number and that the temp sensor was changed when the new Mechtronic unit was fitted a few weeks ago :?


The recall hasn't happend in th UK


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

anybody know if the recall will happen in the UK or not. Don't like the thought of the same problem happening again... in a more dangerous situation


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## BLinky (Jul 3, 2009)

some of us has been sent letters or called by our dealers already.


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## kdes24uk (May 10, 2007)

Happened to me as well on motorway. The gearbox hasn't overheated - the faulty sensor just indicates it has and box goes to neutral for protection.

This is the exact fault that has caused the recall (and warranty extension) in the US.

Google "dsg VW recall usa" or similar - hundreds of posts

Uk seem to be dealing with it by updating the gearbox software so that the box ignores sensor ....

Kev


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## hanzo (Apr 6, 2009)

this is not only a problem with the DSG, but with the normal Audi gearboxes... had it in my A4 too!

i recently had a new mechatronic installed to stop the shift-shock gear change ... didnt solve it so today im getting my new gearbox installed, also blow off valve and exhaust :twisted:


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## jakeman (Jan 30, 2008)

KellyAnne said:


> OMG without offence im so happy to hear that.
> 
> I recently crashed the front and back of my car causing £4k worth of damage becuase of this!
> 
> ...


I had similar experiences but fortunately did not hit anything at its worst mine took off in reverse when leaving my drive and left me stranded in the middle of a busy road. Diagnostics at dealer revealed nothing at the time but test drives and two days of investigations confirmed i had a problem dealer was outstanding with sorting this out they never gave up and believed i had a problem all the time.
I also had the gear no gear problems plus many other wierd things.
Mechatronic unit was replaced etc and problems have gone

Good luck with getting it sorted

J


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## mcmoody (Sep 17, 2008)

jakeman said:


> KellyAnne said:
> 
> 
> > OMG without offence im so happy to hear that.
> ...


Thanks for posting Jakeman. Kelly gets her car back today (repairs all done to bodywork) and she's filled in some documentation for our local audi dealer to try and get more assistance however we will mention your experience and see if they can shed any further light on it.

Mike


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

Hi J,

What dealer was this? My local dealer are refusing to take any responsibility and im £800.00 out of pocket with no fix for the car! 

Thanks


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## Mack The Knife (Jun 14, 2007)

Kelly,
Sorry to hear all this.
The dealers seem pretty much at Audi's beck and call in these sort of matters.
Have you tried discussing directly with Audi Customer Services (Milton Keynes) with a clear, expected remedy (i.e. state exactly what you expect them to do to put you back to the position you were in before *their* problem).
I think you should get a sensible response from them before you need to resort to suing Audi!
I've had slightly different problems in the past and a new mechatronic unit but haven't received any recall notice yet as discussed above.
Good luck.


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## KellyAnne (May 18, 2009)

Thanks I tried to call Audi Customer Services yet they refused to do anything at the time said the dealer had the final say.

However once the paper work is all done yes its probably worth me trying again, i dont want to give up and have the same thing happen all over again!


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## red_ade (May 5, 2009)

Just had my TTS in for the DSG recall. No probelms - they did a few other things (like soft top motor). Unlike some of the other posts I haver read; after the DSG fix I still get to see what gear I'm in.

All well apart from some monkey sat in the car with dirty overalls and the black and white leather seats now need to be valeted!


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## TonyZed (Jun 14, 2005)

Hi Ade

When you picked your car up did they give you a copy of the warranty job sheet?

I've already had the roof motor recall done and just now just had the Roadster roof drainpipe recall done (61B5), but the dealer is adamant that there is not a recall on the S-Tronic gearbox for my car which is June 2008 registered! :?

Please can you tell me the recall number that they said was for the gearbox, and if possible your cars age and chassis number so I can investigate further.

Thanks

TonyZ


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

My dealer told me there was no such recal on the S-Tronic sensor either :?


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## JimInSF (Jan 22, 2010)

KellyAnne said:


> OMG without offence im so happy to hear that.
> 
> I recently crashed the front and back of my car causing £4k worth of damage becuase of this!
> 
> ...


WHOA. So you are saying you had the car in Park and it went into reverse on its own? Did the display say Park or reverse when it was backing up?

And that you had it in neutral and it went into drive instead? Did the display say drive or neutral?

This does NOT sound to me like the temperature sensor issue/flash of death, and the possibility of this would be enough to make me seriously consider canceling my order for a TTS. To say this would be a dangerous defect would be the understatement of the year, I am stupefied. Were there any other extenuating circumstances? Mother of g-d, that's insane.


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## JimInSF (Jan 22, 2010)

jakeman said:


> I had similar experiences but fortunately did not hit anything at its worst mine took off in reverse when leaving my drive and left me stranded in the middle of a busy road. Diagnostics at dealer revealed nothing at the time but test drives and two days of investigations confirmed i had a problem dealer was outstanding with sorting this out they never gave up and believed i had a problem all the time.
> I also had the gear no gear problems plus many other wierd things.
> Mechatronic unit was replaced etc and problems have gone
> 
> ...


Jake - Did yours show up as in neutral or park while the car was actually in reverse and moving backward, or was it surging or bucking while already in reverse? Kelly Anne's story of having the car displaying the wrong gear and then taking off is terrifying - was yours the same? That's the kind of thing where you could not have your foot firmly on the brake for half a second while you're parking and someone is behind your car, and the next thing you know, someone is dead and you are bankrupt, or you could end up dead yourself. (If your car backed out onto the motorway you're lucky you weren't killed!)


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## red_ade (May 5, 2009)

Hi guys,

The dealer did not give me a copy of the worksheet but I guess I will have the recall letter at home so I will look later. My car was new at the end of may 2009.

When I was quizzing the service guy about the possibility that it would not show the gear after the fix he said that the recall was only made in December.

Ade


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## jakeman (Jan 30, 2008)

JimInSF said:


> jakeman said:
> 
> 
> > I had similar experiences but fortunately did not hit anything at its worst mine took off in reverse when leaving my drive and left me stranded in the middle of a busy road. Diagnostics at dealer revealed nothing at the time but test drives and two days of investigations confirmed i had a problem dealer was outstanding with sorting this out they never gave up and believed i had a problem all the time.
> ...


Mine was in reverse (selected) i pressed the accelerator but nothing happened then bang it took off, it never showed problems of being in the wrong selection, problems were encountered in both "Drive" positions but not in Park or Neutral. Mine was getting pretty weird towards the end before they changed the mechatronic unit but never like Kelly Anne's experience.

J


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## Gren (Jul 25, 2002)

Was a passenger in a mate's Scirocco DSG a few months ago and it did exactly this - went into neutral, couldn't select gear and all the gear indicator lights flashed on the DIS. He called VW assistance and they sent out the boys. Not sure of the exact outcome as I had to head off (leaving him a bit in the lurch).

That was my only experience ever of a DSG car and was one of the reasons I stayed with a manual. Sample of 1 is bad I know but these things make an impression you.


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## JimInSF (Jan 22, 2010)

Gren said:


> Was a passenger in a mate's Scirocco DSG a few months ago and it did exactly this - went into neutral, couldn't select gear and all the gear indicator lights flashed on the DIS. He called VW assistance and they sent out the boys. Not sure of the exact outcome as I had to head off (leaving him a bit in the lurch).
> 
> That was my only experience ever of a DSG car and was one of the reasons I stayed with a manual. Sample of 1 is bad I know but these things make an impression you.


Your friend's symptoms are exactly the symptoms of the bad temp sensor triggering the recall here in the states.


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## h5djr (Mar 7, 2004)

I drive an A3 with a DSG/S-tonic gearbox and I have todat received a letter from Audi UK dated 29 January 2010 with the heading SAFETY ACTION - Audi TT and A3 with 6-speed DSG - Control unit of the direct shift gearbox.

It reads _"We have been informed by Audi AG that, in your vehicle with the direct shift gearbox, the gearbox control unit may read the clutch temperature incorrectly. This would activate the gearbox protection function. This protection operates as follows: the gearbox warning light flashes, the vehicle jerks, the engine torque falls, the clutch is opened (there is no transmission)_

The recall is shown on the VOSA website as R2009/112 and applies to all TTs and A3s built between 1 September 2008 and 31 August 2009. The Audi reference for the recall is 37E5 although the VOSA site says 37ES.

According to information published on the Audi of America website "_The wiring harness of the temperature sensor in the DSG may have connector wires that were insufficiently crimped by the connector supplier during a limited production period. With insufficiently crimped connector wires, a temperature sensor has the potential to fasely detect a high gearbox oil temperature, causing the clutch to open and cause the driver to perceive that the transmission has shifted into Neutral_".


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

Thanks for the info....
In actual fact.... It happened to me again on the way home tonight. Was on the A3 heading south and was going round a bend at a fair speed so was a bit of a shock when the clutch disengaged  
Bit concerned from a safety point of view TBH

My car is a Sept 2007 though :? It has had the Mechatronic replaced in the past six months and never happened before that.


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## jakeman (Jan 30, 2008)

h5djr said:


> I drive an A3 with a DSG/S-tonic gearbox and I have todat received a letter from Audi UK dated 29 January 2010 with the heading SAFETY ACTION - Audi TT and A3 with 6-speed DSG - Control unit of the direct shift gearbox.
> 
> It reads _"We have been informed by Audi AG that, in your vehicle with the direct shift gearbox, the gearbox control unit may read the clutch temperature incorrectly. This would activate the gearbox protection function. This protection operates as follows: the gearbox warning light flashes, the vehicle jerks, the engine torque falls, the clutch is opened (there is no transmission)_
> 
> ...


The recall is across the whole VAG group for vehicles with DSG. Again on the Vosa site

J


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## mailrush (Nov 20, 2009)

Do we know if Audi have changed/improved the mechatronic unit on the most recent (MY10?) cars? Has anyone had a problem with MY10?


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## TurboTTS (Sep 11, 2009)

mailrush said:


> Do we know if Audi have changed/improved the mechatronic unit on the most recent (MY10?) cars? Has anyone had a problem with MY10?


ive had a 2009 TT 2L s-tronic - no issues
i currently have a october 58 plate TTS s-tronic - no issues

i [smiley=sweetheart.gif] s-tronic [smiley=thumbsup.gif]


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## chrisdhall (Jan 26, 2010)

My TTS roadster was built Feb/March 09. Called the dealer and Audi customer services - no recall scheduled at the moment


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## tegdiw (Feb 17, 2008)

I had the neutral issue - it hit the rev limiter pretty hard on a couple of occasions.

Before it was sorted I also had a jerky clutch engagement which felt like it wasn't taking up drive quickly enough, then it would engage to firmly. It wasn't dangerous, just not as smooth as it should have been and was sorted 12months ago. Happy days since


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## madforiTT (Aug 20, 2002)

Ok, just to keep you updated, my car is (hopefully) now sorted.

The recall apparently didn't apply to my car!!!!

However there were quite a few fault codes logged which pointed to a faulty Selector unit in the Gbox.
This has now been changed and once and fingers crossed appears to be OK.

When my Mechatronic unit was changed last year, initially the gear changes etc felt much better but I think that over time things deteriorated again to a point where changes were not smooth any more. Also when pulling away from a standstill there was somtimes a delay before the clutch enganged.

All this appears to have gone away with the new selector unit fitted and the S-Tronic feels great once more. Don't even seem to get that long delay when going from first to reverse.

So now half my gearbox internal have been replaced over the last six months or so, I hope now that nothing else is gonna go wrong. Was quite a big job to change the selector unit according to dealer.

Fingers Crossed
Jon


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