RS3 heartbreak: DSG gearbox dies after only 1,000 miles

[tailpipe]

Went away with the family in my shiny new RS3 last weekend. This was my first proper long journey in the car. We drove about a hundred and fifty miles from London to Shropshire. Getting there, the journey was easy, fast and comfortable. Just as you'd expect. Thereafter, it became a nightmare..

The following morning, we drove off to explore the ancient town of Ludlow. I had driven six miles when the gearbox started to select random gears, making the car jolt and speed up quickly. It was actually quite scary. Other lights started flashing on the dash. I was forced to stop immediately.

Net result: entire family stranded on the roadside for 90 minutes. We took the train back to London and the car was ignominiously loaded onto a recovery truck and delivered to my local dealer. Adding insult to injury, when i spoke to them this morning they said they didn't have the capacity to look at it before Wednesday.

I am interested to see how Audi handles this. This is the second time a new Audi has let me down. Bottom line is I love the car so hope it gets sorted quickly.

It may be just an electronic glitch. My wife is furious. She sounds like a parrot and keeps squeaking: 'Should have got a Mercedes! Should have got a Mercedes!'

[Joker]

That's awfully bad luck and I hope it's just something simple instead of the gearbox itself. Oh and by the way tell the wife my neighbour's C220cdi has been in and out of the dealers four times now within the last six months so Mercs arent without their problems too.

[The RS6]

Wow, that sucks! Keep us informed, I hope that Audi not only fixes the problem, but also does much more to make up...

[Moschops]

What a bummer. Hope it's sorted quickly for you.

[SteveCuz]

Nightmare, gutted for you. I've done 3000 miles now and touch wood but everything seems great (well apart from a dodgy horn lol)

Steve

[tailpipe]

Nightmare, gutted for you. I've done 3000 miles now and touch wood but everything seems great (well apart from a dodgy horn lol)

Steve

Glad you're enjoying yours as much as I was enjoying mine.

What mix of city, motorway and twisty B-road driving are you doing? I live in London, so I do a lot of short trips in traffic interspersed with longer trips outside the city. I wonder if this has any bearing on my gearbox failure? Even if it does, I didn't expect it to break after a mere 1,000 miles.

I note that unlike the 6-speed gearbox in the S3, the RS3's 7-speed DCT has a dry clutch. Can anyobdy tell me the difference between a dry and wet clutch DCT?

I am optimistic about the fix for my problem. The 7-speed DCT mated to the 2.5 litre I5 is likley to be become quite common across Audis sporting models. So they will need to get the set-up right, especially as some models will have an output above 400 bhp.

[RXBG]

sh*tty luck. hope it's nothiogn serious. buy your wife a parrot and name it mercedes.

[rs-6]

sad to hear this, what you discribe sounds more like an electronics-problem than something else... Let's hope

[SteveCuz]

I work in a city too and spend a far bit of the commute stuck in traffic and the rest on motorways or twist b roads and so I get a good mix.

I doubt it will be a gear-box issue (at least I hope not) and there are many TT-RS's out there with this gearbox and the same engine and have heard no reports yet.

Lets hope you get a good answer so that we can learn from it and know if it's likely to happen to other ones.

Steve

[The Pretender]

Not that Mercedes is any better or better looking.
I'm not into DSG/S-Tronic's, don't want any for free.

[Benman]

Sorry to hear tailpipe. Very bad luck. As with the GT-R, all these modern high tech trannies have the possibility of failure. Sorry to hear that it was YOU that had the bad example. Sorry mate! :cheers:

[tailpipe]

Sorry to hear tailpipe. Very bad luck. As with the GT-R, all these modern high tech trannies have the possibility of failure. Sorry to hear that it was YOU that had the bad example. Sorry mate! :cheers:


Thanks, Benman. Ten days later and still no news from my dealer as to what the problem is or when I can expect to have it repaired and returned to me.

:vhmmm::w::doh::vgrumpy:

[doodlebug]

A 10 day wait is not good enough, though it does sum up Audi's general handling of this model.

I'd be telling them that they need to supply you a replacement car. This is a major defect that should not be expected on a new vehicle. I don't think it is reasonable to have your car dismantled at 1000 miles old.

Time to give them the hair drier IMO.

[KresoF1]

I note that unlike the 6-speed gearbox in the S3, the RS3's 7-speed DCT has a dry clutch. Can anyobdy tell me the difference between a dry and wet clutch DCT?



7speed DCT in RS3, TTRS and new Tiguan models use wet clutches. Name of the model is DQ500. Good for 500Nm.

DQ200 is 7 speed DCT with dry clutches. Max. torque is 250Nm.

DQ250 is well known 6 speed DCT with wet clutches. Max. torque 400Nm.

[tailpipe]

Hi KresoF1,

Nice to hear from you. Thanks for that. I guess you're waiting for your new 911 Carrera S?

i have now discovered that the mecatronic box in my RS3's DCT has gone wrong. A new one has been sent from Germany and I should be back behind the wheel by Friday.

[s3dbw]

Got a copy of the VAG Self Study Programme Guide for the 7 Speed box which gives some details on the mechatronic unit if anybody is interested

[tailpipe]

Got a copy of the VAG Self Study Programme Guide for the 7 Speed box which gives some details on the mechatronic unit if anybody is interested

Yes, please.

[s3dbw]

Its a 1.5mb pdf file, whats the best way of sharing?

[tailpipe]

PM sent with email address. Thanks in anticipation.

[Ruergard]

Sad to see this. Hope everything sorts out for you and that the RS3 will be back on the road soon!

[tailpipe]

Having looked into this issue in some detail now, I am none too concerned.

DCTs are a relatively new automotive technology and rely on computer systems to function effectively. The TT-RS and RS3's 7-speed DCT is brand new so perhaps gremlins were to be expected. I think it is simply a matter of Audi fine-tuning the electronic settings before we see 99.9% reliability.

Besides, if Audi gets it wrong, what does this say about everyone else? And what would i buy instead? Nothing this price. I made the huge mistake of buying a Lexus once. It worked like a Swiss watch with every electronic system functioning without putting a bit or byte wrong. Sadly, the car was totally anodyne to drive. It cornered like jelly on wheels. Nuff said.

[doodlebug]

I have to say your tolerance is to be praised. But if I'd taken delivery of my 40k plus car and it went kaput I'd have disappeared into orbit. A prototype would be a different matter, but a car produced midway through the production cycle? Sorry, no, that's just not on.

[tailpipe]

I have to say your tolerance is to be praised. But if I'd taken delivery of my 40k plus car and it went kaput I'd have disappeared into orbit. A prototype would be a different matter, but a car produced midway through the production cycle? Sorry, no, that's just not on.

:hihi:

Thank you! Six years in the Army and twenty years in Advertising have helped, but it is having three kids under 10 that has most taught me patience.

I've also learned that it is always better to keep your powered dry before launching an attack. Besides, the glitches I've had with my RS3 are electronic not mechanical. My E46 BMW's engine failed on two separate occasions.

[Benman]

...I should be back behind the wheel by Friday.Keep us posted. :cheers: