Soldato
- Joined
- 16 Aug 2009
- Posts
- 8,176
Do's and Don'ts for automatic gearboxes ?
- Thread starter ShiWarrior
- Start date
The most important thing to remember is the clutch pedal no longer exists, people leave far too little gap for full on emergency stops every now and again
I've never done that so far myself and by now unlikely to, when driving a bit more spiritedly though I do find the old instincts sometimes kick in to reach for the gearstick to drop down for fast cornering, etc. and once or twice knocked the shifter out of or into D+/Sport/M.
Been quite interesting seeing people adapt at work as we mostly have automatic vans now - one girl just could not override her instincts when the vehicle starts to creep when you let off the brake and would put her foot straight back on the brake again instinctively and literally can't drive an automatic, quite a few others were very put out with the idea of driving an automatic until they had to with the vans and have now become converts LOL and now hate manual.
Last edited:
Driven plenty of autos
1) Leave it in drive at lights/traffic unless you are parking the car, then put it in park with the handbrake up, there is no reason to use neutral or park when stuck at lights for a couple minutes
2) No need to use N apart from if you're needing it for servicing
3) Always come to a complete stop before switching between D and R
1) Leave it in drive at lights/traffic unless you are parking the car, then put it in park with the handbrake up, there is no reason to use neutral or park when stuck at lights for a couple minutes
2) No need to use N apart from if you're needing it for servicing
3) Always come to a complete stop before switching between D and R
Last edited:
God I hate CVT's with passion - I take my foot off the accelerator expecting the car to slow itself down, instead it keeps going as if my foot is still on the accelerator until I press firmly on the brakes, it's so annoying and then secondly as you mentioned the huge rubber banding that's worse than any turbo lag.
DSG's are their own batch of crazy and you need to be a little crazy to enjoy driving a DSG with all its quirks.
In my experience a VAG/Merc with a DSG feels like it always wants to race - the unit is extremely eager to downshift and hold shifts for long and rev up at any opportunity, the whole thing feels like it wants to be at high load all the time and it doesn't like being stuck at low speed, stop-go traffic or stuck in low gears
Sammy Hagar's song where he claims his car doesn't drive properly at low gears and low speed applies very well to DSG cars
Conventional torque converted autos are still the gold standard in my opinion, the best of all aspects, unless you have to have a manual. Stay away from CVT and DSG imo
Last edited:
I’ve driven a Seat Leon (2014 gen 3) and now a seat Arona FR (2020) of course both use DSG boxes.
It always feels it drives better at higher speeds and gears, low speeds and low gears it feels less stable if that’s right word, it much rather you have foot down!
Maybe worse on auto perhaps but the stop start engine feature has been crap in both seems to only work when it wants and delay on it is annoying at times
I now just turn it off entirely soon as I start the car
It always feels it drives better at higher speeds and gears, low speeds and low gears it feels less stable if that’s right word, it much rather you have foot down!
Maybe worse on auto perhaps but the stop start engine feature has been crap in both seems to only work when it wants and delay on it is annoying at times
I now just turn it off entirely soon as I start the car
Last edited:
If Maureen from Driving School could manage an automatic and pass her test in one, anyone should be able to.
I've got a 24 Ibiza with the dsg and the stop start is definitely extra rubbish so gets turned off as soon as I get in.
The only thing that really annoys me with the gearbox is the delay when you're trying to pull away, you can mitigate it slightly by sticking it in manual mode until you're moving but it's still not as quick to get away as I'd like.
Re the delay that is odd but I did find my Leon was off quicker than the Arona is.
Not sure why though, maybe gearbox tweaks over the years on them perhaps.
I did do some searching when I first got it, seems it can be a bit of a quirk of some dsg boxes. If I boot it it's generally fine but if I want to take off without dramatic wheel spin then it seems to have a little lag while it decides on the gear.
Well there quirky over all but also only two cars I had so I can’t compare to other auto boxes
My license is auto only and when comes to changing car I’ll likely not get a seat purely cause I believe they have left uk market / parts of Europe so I worry parts maybe a problem down the line.
Isn’t there only one other type the cvt that Honda do?
I believe all of vw group use dsg
Last edited:
I hate my CVT
kinda wish I never bought it, just constantly worried it's going break.Never knew why they had a neutral in an auto though sonlesrn something new every day
that's the the dry DSG he has, maybe wet (higher power) ones are better - still rocking a manual for better sensitivity.