DSG packs up on my 2011 Skoda Laura CR 140 - EDIT now failed compressor & ECM bugs

[selfdrive]

Unfortunate incident that, especially on such a relatively new and well driven car.

Please do investigate and ask for this megaclutch explanation.

Also, I am a bit suspicious of special gestures as they are used sometimes to cover up some other error or problem. Maybe it is only me, but is it regular to have a gear oil change so soon after a service?
Why was that necessitated?

Originally Posted by F150

IIRC, the DSG transmission oil is changed/replaced only once in 60/70 K kms.
So it is not included in the regular service. Since they had done some work on the transmission, I guess they had changed the transmission oil as well.

so if it is necessitated by the same issue under warranty, why or how is it a special gesture?

^^

[F150]

Originally Posted by selfdrive

Maybe it is only me, but is it regular to have a gear oil change so soon after a service?
Why was that necessitated?

IIRC, the DSG transmission oil is changed/replaced only once in 60/70 K kms.
So it is not included in the regular service. Since they had done some work on the transmission, I guess they had changed the transmission oil as well.

[GTO]

If Skoda still can't build reliable DSG boxes, after 7 YEARS of selling the Laura in India, sorry....but there is just no hope. It shows a lack of commitment from the company.

You got away lucky this time, Manson. I suggest using Japanese or Korean cars on your next long distance trip. Leave the European for the city. I learnt it the hard way.

[Santoshbhat]

Reliability is one area where these Euros are not able to match up to Japs. Yes the technology is superior and works brilliantly when it does. But cases such as yours just keep cropping too often for the comfort of the potential car buyer. If its not the 'Mechtronic unit' it is the 'Megaclutch'. Well the customer is not really bothered about technical jargon. All he wants is his car to be reliable and not break down on the highway in the middle of nowhere leaving him and his family stranded!

The present the six speed DSG maybe far better when compared to the earlier units, but has the ghost of DSG failures been completely exorcised? is the question.

[supertinu]

Sorry to hear about the failure, especially when it happens during vacation time. Getting stuck on highway in unknown territory isn't exactly a good experience.

On a lighter note somehow Skoda part names seem to be Transformers movie inspired. Mechatron, Megaclutch

[Cesc]

It is in fact multiclutch and not megaclutch. The last time my car was up on VAG-COM it read an error saying 'Multiclutch adaptation limit reached'. The mechanic wrote on the job card that multicluctch needs replacement. When I asked him what it was he said he had no idea! So much for Skoda A**.

I assume that since there are two clutches in the DSG AT box the multiclutch refers to the mechanical assembly that houses both clutches.

[manson]

Originally Posted by VeyronSuperSprt

1. Shift into neutral whenever you are at a traffic light, in a traffic jam or in any other similar situation unable to move instead of pressing the brake. This will reduce the heat build up in the gearbox which is one of the causes of these failures. This is a best practice that one adopts in a manual gearbox too.

2. Try and avoid the car being driven by drivers given the delicate nature of the DSG. You really don't know how they would (mis)use the car.

Thanks. My brother and I are the only people who drive the Laura, and we have always followed the 'shift into neutral whilst stuck in traffic' rule.

Originally Posted by Y@SH

Btw did the taxi entually reach you? :P

I asked the taxi driver to stop where he was as we already had my brother reach us at Vadkal. A Skoda rep called me 15 minutes later to confirm if I had indeed cancelled my request for a taxi service.

Originally Posted by nitinbose

DSG failure is not uncommon.

They are indeed quite rare on the new 140 CR motors.

Originally Posted by nik_kapur

Does the Jetta also have the 7speed DSG of the Laura or is it a newer 6 Speed Box ?

The Laura comes with a 6 speed DSG. The 7 speed is used in the petrol trim Superbs.

Originally Posted by nik_kapur

Also, how come we never hear of Jetta DSG failures ? If it is the same box, it should see a similar fate in the Jetta !

Maybe because there have been 10 Lauras on the road for every Jetta until VW launched the new Jetta.

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Anshuman, the mechanical problem would not go away once the electronic system finds it to be faulty and goes into safe mode. Even when the electronics are reset, the error should come up again instantly once the system detects the mechanical issue. In manson's case, the car was 'rebooted' and worked perfectly after that.

To add to my opening post, switching the car off and then cranking it again did not exactly heal the issue, but just about had me going. The mechanical sounds continued through our next 100 kms or so. Also, the car did again go into limp mode a couple of times which we came out of everytime we would drive through a sligtly crowded patch. There was one time when the car went into safe mode and stayed in third gear and downshifted to second and then first as the speed came down from the 60 kmph, we had to switch the car off and crank it again in order to have the car shifting gears all the way upto the 6th.

Originally Posted by .anshuman

@Manson: It would be great if you share the list of parts changed from the receipt if it is mentioned there.

Sure. Thats 1 no. 02E398029A - Repair Kit for Dual Clutch Gearbox & 6 liters 052182A2 - Gear Oil
From a quick google search for 02E398029A, the part is named as DSG Clutch pack / Repair kit for Multiple Clutch / similar stuff on various websites.

Originally Posted by F150

So it is not included in the regular service. Since they had done some work on the transmission, I guess they had changed the transmission oil as well.

Mr. Ramesh of JMD had mentioned the gear oil well was empty and the oil would be charged to me for which I strongly retaiated that I would not be spending a dime to have the car repaired since it is still in the warranty period. He understood me well at the first time itself as I did not have to repeat my above stand on the gear oil cost.

[F150]

Originally Posted by manson

6 liters 052182A2 - Gear Oil

Mr. Ramesh of JMD had mentioned the gear oil well was empty and the oil would be charged to me for which I strongly retaiated that I would not be spending a dime to have the car repaired since it is still in the warranty period. He understood me well at the first time itself as I did not have to repeat my above stand on the gear oil cost.

Good to know that it worked out in your favor.
The transmission oil for the DSG costs upwards of Rs 1200 per litre, from what I read on the forum.
Waiting for you to upload the complete bill.

[.anshuman]

Originally Posted by manson

Sure. Thats 1 no. 02E398029A - Repair Kit for Dual Clutch Gearbox & 6 liters 052182A2 - Gear Oil
From a quick google search for 02E398029A, the part is named as DSG Clutch pack / Repair kit for Multiple Clutch / similar stuff on various websites.

Thanks for posting the part number, a quick google search confirms it is indeed Clutch Pack, which includes Clutch pack assembly, clutch pack cover and a new set of circlips.







Common cars which share this part in Europe:

Jetta TDI MkV (A5 chassis) w/ BRM engine (2005-2006)
Jetta TDI MkV (A5 chassis) w/2.0 CBEA/CJAA engine (2009-2010)
Jetta TDI MkVI A6 w/2.0 CJAA engine (2011-2012)
New Beetle TDI (A4 chassis) w/ BEW engine (2004-2006)
Passat TDI (B7 Chassis) w/CKRA Engine (2012)
Sportwagen TDI w/ 2.0L CBEA/CJAA Engine (2009-2012)

Picture Courtesy: How Dual-Clutch Transmissions Work - autoevolution
DSG Clutch Pack - 02E398029A - IDParts.com

Discussions on other forums like Briskoda and VWVortex suggest this is not a common failure.

[RS_DEL]

Originally Posted by vb-san

Vid, to add on – DQ250 DSG is used in some of the high-end petrols (e.g.; Golf GTI, Octavia vRS etc.) as well. AFIAK, DQ250 was their first production DSG, and the most trouble-free.

What attributes does the DQ250 possess which rids it of the celebrated tag of "Unreliable DSG"? Is it because they have not tried to overly enhance the complexity of the system (making it advanced ) and kept it simple - KISS principle in action? Please excuse the non technical bent of mind that's obvious in my question.

[Axe77]

I'm just curious - is there a history of DSG failures in Audi as well (regardless of 6 speed / 7 speed, whatever they may be using), or is this only seen in Skodas and VWs.

Should the DSG fear factor be taken into account when considering purchases in the BMW, Audi, Merc territory?

I'm just wondering that if they can avoid the Mechatronic issue in one brand, why is it that it continues to plague its other brands for such a prolonged period.

[Sutripta]

Single Clutch failure: Shouldn't one set of alternate gears be available then?

Regards
Sutripta

[gthang]

Originally Posted by manson

Mr. Ramesh of JMD had mentioned the gear oil well was empty

Did you/they figure out why the oil level was low/empty? Was it removed for multiclutch rebuild?

Cheers

[vb-san]

Originally Posted by RS_DEL

What attributes does the DQ250 possess which rids it of the celebrated tag of "Unreliable DSG"? Is it because they have not tried to overly enhance the complexity of the system (making it advanced ) and kept it simple - KISS principle in action? Please excuse the non technical bent of mind that's obvious in my question.

I am also fairly non-technical in this aspect. I tend to agree with what you mentioned. Years back when the 6-speed DSG came up here, it was lauded as a technology excellence. And then came the 7-speed for lower capacity engine, which according to the reports was a push further to enhance FE. So probably a case of over engineered product.

Hope what Manson faced is one of those rare occurrence, or indeed a manufacturing defect ( as reasoned by Skoda).

[dipen]

@Manson

Since you are buying a new car and a mechanical fault appearing so soon which is being accepted by the manufacturer as a manufacturing defect; you should try and push for extending the transmission warranty.

You can provide tons of examples from the forum itself; where the DSG (in whichever form, car) is known to pack up sooner. This should be taken up with Skoda as the dealer cannot provide such a warranty.