Dual clutch 'DSG-style' autoboxes - D or N when stopped?

[Campo]

Falsey said:

Ive had my VW DSG for a couple of weeks now and Ive taken to putting it in N with handbrake on if stationary for any length of time. The few times I left it in D when I first got it it tried to pull away leaving tension on the handbrake.

Dont like leaving it in D and on the footbrake and blinding the guy behind me.

I am the same as you with manuals, as soon as I stop at the lights its in N and handbrake on.

VW DSG box uses info from the brake pedal sensor to stop the gearbox from engaging the clutch when stationary, if you use the handbrake instead it will try and set off.

Handbook explains how it use it properly.

[Ali_T]

Mitsubishi SST box says neutral as it always tries to creep in driver and you'll end up with a warmed up piece of disc where pad material sticks if you're unlucky.

[vrsmxtb]

Definitely just D unless stopped for more than a minute or so.

The VW group DSG system also senses brake pedal pressure. If you stop and press the brake fairly hard, you can see the revs drop very slightly as the clutches disengage almost immediately. If you don't do this the clutches will be at biting point for a short time, before they then disengage to stop wear and overheating. It stops it being excessively jerky in crawling traffic, as if you lightly feather the brakes it'll still bite and creep.

[anonymous-user]

xRIEx said:

Do the clutch(es) slip if the car's stationary? Are they not disengaged at a standstill?

Yes, they are disengaged at standstill.

[SV8Predator]

Finlandia said:

A friend of mine did, on my 1976 Chevy van, not from 40 though more like 10, a very rapid stop in a very sideways manner, nothing broke on it.

Don't think so.

The parking pawl will not engage in a moving shaft.

[HertsBiker]

SV8Predator said:

Finlandia said:

A friend of mine did, on my 1976 Chevy van, not from 40 though more like 10, a very rapid stop in a very sideways manner, nothing broke on it.

Don't think so.

The parking pawl will not engage in a moving shaft.

So you might think.. On an related subject I Managed to select reverse on a mark one golf at about 25mph because I was young and stupid. That wasn't in theory possible but it happened. Manual box though. If someone says something happened, why do people always try to say it didn't? Maybe the story was correct but the theory flawed? Just saying, cos I like most of your posts.

[jamiebae]

Selecting 'Park' while still moving at walking pace in a 1989 Mitsubishi Shogun V6 results in a very sudden stop, and the A-Series engine you've just picked up from the scrap yard falling over because you didn't strap it down properly.

My new Renault Koleos auto seems to automatically select neutral at traffic lights when you leave it in drive, if you knock the lever across to manual there's a definite change in revs when it engages first gear.

[Finlandia]

HertsBiker said:

SV8Predator said:

Finlandia said:

A friend of mine did, on my 1976 Chevy van, not from 40 though more like 10, a very rapid stop in a very sideways manner, nothing broke on it.

Don't think so.

The parking pawl will not engage in a moving shaft.

So you might think.. On an related subject I Managed to select reverse on a mark one golf at about 25mph because I was young and stupid. That wasn't in theory possible but it happened. Manual box though. If someone says something happened, why do people always try to say it didn't? Maybe the story was correct but the theory flawed? Just saying, cos I like most of your posts.

Maybe it was broken to begin with then. The friend was unfamiliar with steering column gear shifters, and when trying to indicate he put it in P and locked the rear wheels so the van skidded to a pretty abrupt stop.

[SV8Predator]

HertsBiker said:

If someone says something happened, why do people always try to say it didn't?

Because it is designed not to engage if the vehicle is moving!

Finlandia said:

Maybe it was broken to begin with then. The friend was unfamiliar with steering column gear shifters, and when trying to indicate he put it in P and locked the rear wheels so the van skidded to a pretty abrupt stop.

If it was broken, it wouldn't have locked up.

[Finlandia]

SV8Predator said:

If it was broken, it wouldn't have locked up.

I must be telling porkies then...

[GOG440]

SV8Predator said:

HertsBiker said:

If someone says something happened, why do people always try to say it didn't?

Because it is designed not to engage if the vehicle is moving!

Finlandia said:

Maybe it was broken to begin with then. The friend was unfamiliar with steering column gear shifters, and when trying to indicate he put it in P and locked the rear wheels so the van skidded to a pretty abrupt stop.

If it was broken, it wouldn't have locked up.

I have done this myself in an old Granada, it definitely locks the back wheels and you come to a very abrupt stop..
The gearbox wasnt broken before (or after) I did this.

[SV8Predator]

Finlandia said:

I must be telling porkies then...

I cannot answer that question for you.

However, upon a few moments thought, I do not believe for one second that your "friend" mistook a big, chunky column gearchange lever for an indicator stalk.

What I think has happened is a mix up or terminology, ie, the "parking" brake.

We are all thinking, in the context of this thread, that he put the vehicle into "Park", ie, the auto gearbox "Park".

I think it more likely that he pressed the "parking brake" (what we would normally term the "hand brake"), which may on that vehicle have been a pedal, or perhaps an under-dash umprella handle type device?

Now if he activated this "parking brake" while on the move, the outcome would certainly be as you describe it.

[Glosphil]

Falsey said:

Ive had my VW DSG for a couple of weeks now and Ive taken to putting it in N with handbrake on if stationary for any length of time. The few times I left it in D when I first got it it tried to pull away leaving tension on the handbrake.

Dont like leaving it in D and on the footbrake and blinding the guy behind me.

I am the same as you with manuals, as soon as I stop at the lights its in N and handbrake on.

Nice to see a driver that thinks about the driver behind.

[Finlandia]

SV8Predator said:

Finlandia said:

I must be telling porkies then...

I cannot answer that question for you.

However, upon a few moments thought, I do not believe for one second that your "friend" mistook a big, chunky column gearchange lever for an indicator stalk.

What I think has happened is a mix up or terminology, ie, the "parking" brake.

We are all thinking, in the context of this thread, that he put the vehicle into "Park", ie, the auto gearbox "Park".

I think it more likely that he pressed the "parking brake" (what we would normally term the "hand brake"), which may on that vehicle have been a pedal, or perhaps an under-dash umprella handle type device?

Now if he activated this "parking brake" while on the move, the outcome would certainly be as you describe it.

Could have been, but the parking brake was foot operated and located fairly high up on the left side of the foot well, so not really likely. I was in the back, suddenly we stopped very quickly with a skid, he said he accidentally put it in park when turning a corner, it certainly was in P when I saw it.