DSG / S Tronic owner query

JKD

JKD

JKD

Associate
Joined
27 Jun 2004
Posts
1,421
Hi all,

I'm getting a new a4 Quattro next week with the 7 speed S Tronic gearbox. I've received some conflicting advice during the test drive and in my conversations with other dealers.

When you come up to lights, is it best to shift into neutral after applying the electronic parking brake, or sit with the foot brake on in drive? Loads of people have told me to sit in D, only a few say slip into N with handbrake on.

Which is it? Never owned an auto before, but as a manual driver I would naturally put the handbrake on, gear in neutral and wait. I do know that sitting in P is a bad idea as if someone taps me from behind is ruin the gearbox.

Any advice, please?
 
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I don't own one so may be wrong but i thought the advise was to not leave it in D holding on the brakes as the clutch will be at the biting point the entire time wanting to creep forward?
 
Yeah that was my logical thought as well. The sales guy yesterday confidently said no need to worry about it, leave it in drive.

I guess he never has to pay for repairs so he won't care either way.
 
Had a Golf with DSG, when you apply the foot brake in D, the car relaxes and then unrelaxes again when you release the brake. Never had a single problem in the 3 years of using it.
 
pepp77 said:
Had a Golf with DSG, when you apply the foot brake in D, the car relaxes and then unrelaxes again when you release the brake. Never had a single problem in the 3 years of using it.
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By relaxes, you mean doesn't creep? I found yesterday that with my foot off the gas completely and no brake pedal applied the a4 creeps.
 
Yep, if you have the car in D and no brake applied the car will creep, there must be something in the footbrake assembly that turns this off when applied as I never felt the car trying to pull forward with the footbrake applied.
 
JKD said:
By relaxes, you mean doesn't creep? I found yesterday that with my foot off the gas completely and no brake pedal applied the a4 creeps.
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A manual car will do this too if you leave it in first gear with your feet off of the pedals, provided that you let the clutch out slowly and don't attempt it on a steep uphill and stall it. The A4 does it because the DSG box was in 1st gear.

In all the cars I've owned with "auto" boxes, I've never once put them in neutral when stationary and they survived.
 
JKD said:
Hi all,

I'm getting a new a4 Quattro next week with the 7 speed S Tronic gearbox. I've received some conflicting advice during the test drive and in my conversations with other dealers.

When you come up to lights, is it best to shift into neutral after applying the electronic parking brake, or sit with the foot brake on in drive? Loads of people have told me to sit in D, only a few say slip into N with handbrake on.

Which is it? Never owned an auto before, but as a manual driver I would naturally put the handbrake on, gear in neutral and wait. I do know that sitting in P is a bad idea as if someone taps me from behind is ruin the gearbox.

Any advice, please?
Click to expand...

Does it have hold assist?

If so, you pull up, take your foot off the brake and the car will remain held with the same brake pressure till you pull away.

If you sit still for more than 2mins, the auto handbrake will come on.

Only shifted out of D when stopped once, and that was in a traffic jam.
 
Leave it in D. In the new variants it disables the drive when you have the brakes applied. There were some issues with the earlier 6-speeds in hard stop-start use (if I recall correctly) but these have been resolved.
 
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JKD said:
Yeah that was my logical thought as well. The sales guy yesterday confidently said no need to worry about it, leave it in drive.

I guess he never has to pay for repairs so he won't care either way.
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When you use the footbrake the car will drop into neutral so there is no fight between the engine and brakes. Don't use the handbrake (unless this has changed very, very recently) as this will leave the car in first and can drag the clutch.
 
Perfect, thanks for all the replies. All makes sense. I don't have hold assist (I don't think), but I will be leaving it in drive.

Have spoken with the garage and asked them not to register it under a 14 plate so I'll wait the extra week or so until pickup. Can't wait, but I'd forgotten how close we are to number plate changeover.
 
I thought most audis came with it as standard now.

My A45 I press the brake pedal harder and it says hold I just sit and wait then

In my mates audi A6 he has a button to press think it has a P on which enables the hold....

there are 2 also

Hill Hold assist and Hold Assist
 
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Tobamory said:
I thought most audis came with it as standard now.

My A45 I press the brake pedal harder and it says hold I just sit and wait then

In my mates audi A6 he has a button to press think it has a P on which enables the hold....
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Hmm I'll check then. It's an a4 black edition 2.0 177ps Quattro s tronic with technology pack high. Doesn't list that option, unless it's standard. I'll have a butchers, and I didn't even think to try it on the test drive.
 
When you stop with break down the clutches release. When you take your foot off the brake it proceeds to creep forward.

Putting it into neutral + hand brake is upto you.
 
You may also have auto start/stop when stationary. But yea leave in D and keep your foot on the break, when you lift off there will be a small delay before the car engages and begins to move.
 
If your on a steep hill, ease off the brake slowly to make sure it finds the bite before the brakes are completely released.
 
LiE said:
You may also have auto start/stop when stationary. But yea leave in D and keep your foot on the break, when you lift off there will be a small delay before the car engages and begins to move.
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Now you mention it, yeah I did notice a delay. Didn't associate it with maybe a gear engaging.
 
You soon learn to manage it. Just a gentle brake, enough to stop the car on a level road, will keep drive engaged and will instantly go. Press harder and drive will disengage and stop / start, if you have it and if the conditions are right, with kick in.
 
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