Paddle shifters

Locoelectrician

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Jan 10, 2015
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Ohio
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2015 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Golf SEL Sportwagen, 2005 Jetta TDI, John Deere 355D
Being one that can never leave anything alone, and waiting on my MIB2 upgrade to be completed, I decided to go ahead and install paddle shifters. I frequently use manual mode on the DSG and immediately fell in love with them on the sportwagen we bought. New wheel came in today and hope to have it installed this weekend. If I was smart enough, I would post a pic of the new wheel but apparently I'm not.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
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Apr 14, 2005
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West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Dumb question. I'm sure this requires more than just a steering wheel substitution.:confused:
 

Locoelectrician

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Dumb question. I'm sure this requires more than just a steering wheel substitution.:confused:
Yep. Need to check one box in VCDS to tell the car it has it :) . Original airbag works in new wheel.
 

Locoelectrician

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2015 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Golf SEL Sportwagen, 2005 Jetta TDI, John Deere 355D
Mmm... fresh leather steering wheel!
Well, considering the "old" one had about 500 miles on it, I couldn't hardly use fresh leather as an excuse to buy it. lol
 

jjblbi

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lbi, nj
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2014 Passat SEL TDI
May I inquire as to the source of the wheel and approximate cost? Thanks, John
 

Jetta_Pilot

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Location
West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Just did a bit of research on Google and found this DIY vid clip

It appears to be an easy DIY swap. Just a where to get a wheel and for how much?
Also it appears that it does not matter if the wheel came of a Passat, as long as the vehicle had a DSG tranny. The one difference my be that older cars had a different way to mount the airbag !

To add to this I have seen many wheels on eBay. Some look to be the same button configuration as my 2015 Passat.

Others have heated wheels and/or the cruise control on the wheel. I am going to assume these would not work?
 
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Locoelectrician

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I got mine from the dealer. Retail is close to 900 I think. I got it for about 650.
 

VeeDubTDI

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We have a paddle wheel available if anyone is interested in buying it. One of these days I really need to post some for-sale threads in the classifieds section. ;)

It's a really nice upgrade to the NMS, especially in the mountains.
 

Locoelectrician

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How much? Mine isn't installed yet and I could return it if the price is right. PM me if you want.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
You could return a special order part to your dealer without taking a bath on "restocking fee"?
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
I was surprised how tiny the paddles are on the GSW I just bought. Are folks adding extenders?
 

Locoelectrician

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I was surprised how tiny the paddles are on the GSW I just bought. Are folks adding extenders?
Mine doesn't get installed until tomorrow, but searching eBay shows hundreds of listings for paddle extensions.
 

Jetta_Pilot

Top Post Dawg
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West Hill, Ont.
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2015 Passat Highline TDI Candy White (SEL Premium) long gone 2002 Jetta TDI
Well after my initial enthusiasm about this mod, sanity took over and I decided for the few times I use the manual shift, the expense just does not warrant this.

I only use manual shift in stop and go traffic, which I avoid like the plague. I also use it driving in mountainous areas in Mexico.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
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Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
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2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
We have hilly areas around the house and the DSG in the Alltrack is always seeming to be hunting, quick tap down locks it in and hold the gear while you're on the gas, it then goes back to D if you coast for a little bit.

Would I shell out $500 if it didn't come stock? prob not.

I guess its probably like that drivers assistant package, you never knew you needed thus you're fine not having it.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
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owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
I tried out manual mode a little bit in the past week since taking delivery of the DSG GSW. To me it seems like there is a slight delay in shifting after I press the paddles, which I find unnerving. Am I crazy or are other people experiencing this?

I'm not ruling out crazy.
 

Locoelectrician

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2015 Passat TDI SEL, 2015 Golf SEL Sportwagen, 2005 Jetta TDI, John Deere 355D
I tried out manual mode a little bit in the past week since taking delivery of the DSG GSW. To me it seems like there is a slight delay in shifting after I press the paddles, which I find unnerving. Am I crazy or are other people experiencing this?

I'm not ruling out crazy.
I see no delay in my Passat. I am however only comparing to using the shifter stick in manual mode, which I do quite often, and also did in my 2013. I do know that the DSG anticipates your next shift, and if you "trick" it, by say shifting up when it assumes you will shift down, there is a slight delay. The DSG always has the next gear selected and ready so that just the clutches have to change, but if you go the opposite direction it is expecting, it has to first select that gear you requested.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
I see no delay in my Passat. I am however only comparing to using the shifter stick in manual mode, which I do quite often, and also did in my 2013. I do know that the DSG anticipates your next shift, and if you "trick" it, by say shifting up when it assumes you will shift down, there is a slight delay. The DSG always has the next gear selected and ready so that just the clutches have to change, but if you go the opposite direction it is expecting, it has to first select that gear you requested.
Good info, and may explain what I was experiencing. Now that I think of it, I believe I was only testing this while already underway. I'll have to try it from a stop and perhaps I'll get better feel. Thanks.
 

Locoelectrician

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Good info, and may explain what I was experiencing. Now that I think of it, I believe I was only testing this while already underway. I'll have to try it from a stop and perhaps I'll get better feel. Thanks.
I personally do not like using it from a stop as I feel the 1-2 shift is pretty clunky. I typically use it any time im in the hills, getting off of an off ramp, pulling a trailer, or other situations where the car wants too high of a gear and sport mode wants too low. You will also probably think there is a delay on downshifts say from the highway because the car blips the throttle to rev match the gear.
 

VeeDubTDI

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I tried out manual mode a little bit in the past week since taking delivery of the DSG GSW. To me it seems like there is a slight delay in shifting after I press the paddles, which I find unnerving. Am I crazy or are other people experiencing this?

I'm not ruling out crazy.
No delay here as long as the gear you want to go to is pre-selected. If you're downshifting when the transmission expects that your next move will be an upshift, there will be a slight delay as it must select the lower gear instead of the higher gear.

Example, if you're engine braking down a hill, the transmission expects that your next move will be a downshift. If you upshift instead, there may be a delay. If you're traveling along in 5th steady state, the transmission expects the next move to be an upshift. If you downshift instead, there may be a delay.
 

740GLE

Top Post Dawg
Joined
Aug 19, 2009
Location
NH
TDI
2015 Passat SEL, 2017 Alltrack SE; BB 2010 Sedan Man; 2012 Passat,
I tried out manual mode a little bit in the past week since taking delivery of the DSG GSW. To me it seems like there is a slight delay in shifting after I press the paddles, which I find unnerving. Am I crazy or are other people experiencing this?

I'm not ruling out crazy.

Were you in S or D?

I notice some lethargic shifting in the the Alltrack using the paddles but i'm always in D, not sure if it speeds up in S.

Guessing a DSG tune could fix that "lag", remember the GSW is a family hauler not a track car.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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Joined
Oct 23, 2005
Location
Slower, DE
TDI
owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
Were you in S or D?
I notice some lethargic shifting in the the Alltrack using the paddles but i'm always in D, not sure if it speeds up in S.
Guessing a DSG tune could fix that "lag", remember the GSW is a family hauler not a track car.
I was in D. I went back yesterday and tried manual mode from a stop. I still noticed a delay in the shift after pressing the buttons.

I'm going to RTFM tonight. This is my second DSG, but the first one didn't have paddles, so this is new for me. I hope I'm just not using it correctly and need to be in S or something, because the delay is unnerving. People brag so much on the lightning quick millisecond shifts that I want to tap that paddle like Sebastian Vettel and be in the next gear. :D
 

tactdi

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Jun 21, 2010
Location
North Carolina
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2005.5 Jetta
I was in D. I went back yesterday and tried manual mode from a stop. I still noticed a delay in the shift after pressing the buttons.

I'm going to RTFM tonight. This is my second DSG, but the first one didn't have paddles, so this is new for me. I hope I'm just not using it correctly and need to be in S or something, because the delay is unnerving. People brag so much on the lightning quick millisecond shifts that I want to tap that paddle like Sebastian Vettel and be in the next gear. :D
You mean like Hamilton, Vettel's quote from Spain is "Hamilton passed me like I was sitting still". I get to watch them duke it out in Montreal in a few weeks.
 

Blue_Hen_TDI

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Slower, DE
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owned: 96 B4V, 06 Golf, 12 NMS, 15 GSW
You mean like Hamilton, Vettel's quote from Spain is "Hamilton passed me like I was sitting still". I get to watch them duke it out in Montreal in a few weeks.
Me too with my youngest son! Grandstand 1 all three days. Driving the GSW up for its first road trip. Staying in Longueuil.

FYI, we are HAM fans as well. :p. Just threw Vettel out there for the year he's having. Heckuva year for F1. Great cars again and finally some MB AMG vs Sc Ferrari real competition. It's exciting.
 
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