Bought my car in 2015 second from a dealer, wasn't (grey) ex demonstrator but a decent spec'd white allegedly belonging to the dealers parents, and in all other respects its been/is a great car.
I don't do many miles and so in 2024 including the 10.5K that was already on it I've just crested 45K (covid impacted that).
I am meticulous, and the car is services by a VAG specialist and REVO dealer every year, if it hiccups it goes in the garage.
Initially I waited for the manufactures warranty to run out then, went to a stage 1 REVO tune, over time it got better brakes from Tarox, and finally a full stage 2 conversion from REVO when there new kit came out two years ago, I went with a Cobra sports CAT and a bespoke CAT back system from a very reputable local fabricator for the parts not included (not a fan of excessively noise/booming exhausts).
I've only ever managed one dyno pull on it but it made 440lbs torque and was pulling 375bhp before the wheels started to slip on the rollers at 3.5k.
Overall the car has been super reliable, however the car's Achilles heel has been an untraceable 'glitch' in the DSG gearbox (I posted about this here not long after I got the car), in the early years it manifested itself as as the occasional 'serious gearbox error' when starting the car, fixed by turning the ignition off and back on.
Both VAG dealers I have taken it to have never been able to pull any error codes from the logs.
Very very occasionally when overtaking it would seem to take an age to upshift, like a stutter, nothing major but as it usual pick the moment you were performing an overtake you would notice it.
However after the Stage 2 conversion they remapped the gearbox, and while initially this felt like a good thing, mainly because it tunes the gearbox to to not downshift as much and make use of all that torque, as well as apply more pressure to the clutch, due to the self learning it slowly became worse with more and more indecisive clutch engagement at slow speed pull a ways resulting in jerking and wheel hopping, and a more pronounced but rare hesitation on upshift under load at speed - again typically on a hard acceleration overtake - so very pronounced.
I had the car in and out of the garage as where we tried remapping, DSG learning resets and retraining, each time it would be better for a while then slowly get worse.
Then one day I went to overtake, matted it like you do, the car went to downshift, disengaged the clutch, didn't re-engage, hit the rev limiter...and then engaged he clutch.
OOOF
It was certainly impressive, the car leapt like a salmon past the car I was overtaking and elicited terrified silence from my passengers.
...but I knew it would come at a price and sure enough a little high pitched random ticking started.
So into the garage it went, box out, full strip down, no swarf was found on the magnetic catch point which was a relief and every nut, bolt and cog was inspected, nothing was found which is a testament to the strength of the DSG (I believe they are good for about 450 lbs of torque stock) and only some minor damage was found on the flywheel which explains the ticking, this was replaced and while the box was out I insisted on a new clutch.
The was the best part of £3k
And the DSG was just back to where it was before with the same random snatching clutch etc.
So in desperation I had the map removed from the gearbox, and it is somewhat better, but its still not right and its starting the drive me crackers, mostly because I subconsciously nursing the gearbox rolling into the power which somewhat undermines all the money I spent on the performance.
I am unwilling to give it to another VAG garage because they just swap parts, what I need is a gearbox specialist, someone who can actually diagnose what's wrong.
My own suspicion is the Megatronic unit, from my own research this seems to fit the MO, and having 'interrogated' the technician who worked on my gearbox the one thing he did not disassemble was you guessed it the megatronic unit!
Ofc they will happily sell me a new one for £3k plus fitting, but I know you can service and repair these things...
And I would hate the be £6k into this and no better off, when swapping the gearbox would have been a better option.
Soooo, does anyone know a good DSG garage in the south east Cheshire area?
And ofc feedback welcome.
One of the suggestions I've had (from a garage) is that he MAF sensor can cause this, I'm struggling with that one.
A random error code, and erratic random clutch engagement and slow shifts feels like a sensor/valve/actuator issue in the megatronic unit from I have been able to research, but I'm not a mechanic and that's why I have to pay other people to do it (thats not strictly true I did many engine and gearbox swaps in the 80's and had a turbo charged 2.8i capri, but they did not have complex ECU's to contend with, plus I'm old and knackered now and can't climb under cars
).
I don't do many miles and so in 2024 including the 10.5K that was already on it I've just crested 45K (covid impacted that).
I am meticulous, and the car is services by a VAG specialist and REVO dealer every year, if it hiccups it goes in the garage.
Initially I waited for the manufactures warranty to run out then, went to a stage 1 REVO tune, over time it got better brakes from Tarox, and finally a full stage 2 conversion from REVO when there new kit came out two years ago, I went with a Cobra sports CAT and a bespoke CAT back system from a very reputable local fabricator for the parts not included (not a fan of excessively noise/booming exhausts).
I've only ever managed one dyno pull on it but it made 440lbs torque and was pulling 375bhp before the wheels started to slip on the rollers at 3.5k.
Overall the car has been super reliable, however the car's Achilles heel has been an untraceable 'glitch' in the DSG gearbox (I posted about this here not long after I got the car), in the early years it manifested itself as as the occasional 'serious gearbox error' when starting the car, fixed by turning the ignition off and back on.
Both VAG dealers I have taken it to have never been able to pull any error codes from the logs.
Very very occasionally when overtaking it would seem to take an age to upshift, like a stutter, nothing major but as it usual pick the moment you were performing an overtake you would notice it.
However after the Stage 2 conversion they remapped the gearbox, and while initially this felt like a good thing, mainly because it tunes the gearbox to to not downshift as much and make use of all that torque, as well as apply more pressure to the clutch, due to the self learning it slowly became worse with more and more indecisive clutch engagement at slow speed pull a ways resulting in jerking and wheel hopping, and a more pronounced but rare hesitation on upshift under load at speed - again typically on a hard acceleration overtake - so very pronounced.
I had the car in and out of the garage as where we tried remapping, DSG learning resets and retraining, each time it would be better for a while then slowly get worse.
Then one day I went to overtake, matted it like you do, the car went to downshift, disengaged the clutch, didn't re-engage, hit the rev limiter...and then engaged he clutch.
OOOF
It was certainly impressive, the car leapt like a salmon past the car I was overtaking and elicited terrified silence from my passengers.
...but I knew it would come at a price and sure enough a little high pitched random ticking started.
So into the garage it went, box out, full strip down, no swarf was found on the magnetic catch point which was a relief and every nut, bolt and cog was inspected, nothing was found which is a testament to the strength of the DSG (I believe they are good for about 450 lbs of torque stock) and only some minor damage was found on the flywheel which explains the ticking, this was replaced and while the box was out I insisted on a new clutch.
The was the best part of £3k
And the DSG was just back to where it was before with the same random snatching clutch etc.
So in desperation I had the map removed from the gearbox, and it is somewhat better, but its still not right and its starting the drive me crackers, mostly because I subconsciously nursing the gearbox rolling into the power which somewhat undermines all the money I spent on the performance.
I am unwilling to give it to another VAG garage because they just swap parts, what I need is a gearbox specialist, someone who can actually diagnose what's wrong.
My own suspicion is the Megatronic unit, from my own research this seems to fit the MO, and having 'interrogated' the technician who worked on my gearbox the one thing he did not disassemble was you guessed it the megatronic unit!
Ofc they will happily sell me a new one for £3k plus fitting, but I know you can service and repair these things...
And I would hate the be £6k into this and no better off, when swapping the gearbox would have been a better option.
Soooo, does anyone know a good DSG garage in the south east Cheshire area?
And ofc feedback welcome.
One of the suggestions I've had (from a garage) is that he MAF sensor can cause this, I'm struggling with that one.
A random error code, and erratic random clutch engagement and slow shifts feels like a sensor/valve/actuator issue in the megatronic unit from I have been able to research, but I'm not a mechanic and that's why I have to pay other people to do it (thats not strictly true I did many engine and gearbox swaps in the 80's and had a turbo charged 2.8i capri, but they did not have complex ECU's to contend with, plus I'm old and knackered now and can't climb under cars
).
