VW recalls 09'-10 DSG's

[TDI_Coast2Coast]

Received my recall letter yesterday....For the totaled car

Hopefully no recalls on the 6 speed manual

 

[securityguy]

Well...I just got home from taking my son to a high school dance and had a chance to put another 50 miles on the car post-flash. Two additional things I noticed:

1. The car no longer has that slight shudder when starting from a stop like it used to.
2. I drove home in Sport mode and noticed that it now shifts all the way up to Red Line and I don't remember it doing that before

Regardless, it is definately a nice improvement and a much smoother ride and I am happy to have had it done

 

[DoubleLifeOfVeronique]

Does it stop the other noises when it's down shifting, like the spring recoiling sound when you come to a full stop, or the other clunking sounds?

I have no problems when I'm accelerating and it's switching gears, the only time mine sounds odd is when it's down shifting. Is this normal, or will the temp sensor fix it all?

I go in on Wed of this week for the recall work.

 

[securityguy]

Double, I can't say as I did not have strange noises or clunking sounds before the flash but the car drives incredibly better than before...I have even more fun now than I did before and I had no real complaints before the flash.

Let us know what you think AFTER you have the flash done.

 

[Babe]

Does it stop the other noises when it's down shifting, like the spring recoiling sound when you come to a full stop, or the other clunking sounds?

I have no problems when I'm accelerating and it's switching gears, the only time mine sounds odd is when it's down shifting. Is this normal, or will the temp sensor fix it all?

I go in on Wed of this week for the recall work.

Have your fluids checked

Babe

 

[vinny d]

recall

Recieved our letter from Daytona VW. Dropped car off, service advisor said fix would take 3 hours. Called us 2 hours later and said it is done. When we picked up car I asked him for the old part and how did they install the new one. His response was, it was a software update, no need to pull tranny apart. The software update took so long as they had to reboot it. Car drives the same as before, no problems what so ever. They were fast and courteous. So far it has been a great car, this is our first diesel car.

 

[securityguy]

Awesome Vinny...but you don't notice it driving any smoother than before? After putting another 110 miles on her today, I just kept smiling all the way to work and home as I can feel the increased smoothness and it's definately not in my head...there is a VERY noticeable difference in the way it drives and I am LOVIN' IT

 

[jake61]

I got my recall letter a few days ago. Glad to hear all went well for you. We have had no complaints so far any way with our Jetta TDI it's an awesome machine and a joy to drive. So effortless to power around town with just a slight touch to the throttle . I thought we'd take it in a little later so they don't go to school on us though. Let you know how it goes.

 

[securityguy]

Jake - there seems to be a BIG misunderstanding about the recall. There is nothing for them to go to school on!!! It is a very simple transmission control module computer flash. Takes 45 minutes and you're done. They hook your car up to a VW computer and it simply downloads the new program. I just don't understand what everyone's afraid of...there is NOTHING invasive about this process. Just DO IT!

 

[rkskeet]

Hey all, I have been reading the posts about the recall and have placed a few myself.. It has been a while since I entered a post because I had the sensor replacement done in mid Sep (not a flash update) at my local dealer.. I didn't have the false neutral prior to the replaced sensor but was on the recall list for the DSG and extended warranty. I was very pleased with VW and my dealer for working to get this repair done on my vehcile prior to taking it on a long vacation trip (put my mind at rest).. The car has been runnig well post reapair.. What is of interest is that some TDI owners have indiactated that since having the flash update done, their TDI is running smoother.. I contacted my dealer who inturn contacted their VW tech/sales rep to see if I would qualify to have the SW flash done in addition to the sensor replacement previously done... I was told that there was nothing more that needs to be done as the actual sensor replacement was a better approach than the flash (per the VW rep).. I am not sure if that is true or not but it is their response.. The main reason I was asking about receiving the flash was primarily to see if I would experience an improvement in shifiting performance and over all improvements as stated in this foruim.. I guess I will not know until I bring it in for its 10K checkup.. Maybe I will be able to get whatever software updates are available at that time.. Comments Welcomed... Cheers!!!!

 

[securityguy]

rkskeet - if the sensor replacement was a "better" solution, they would be doing them all (but none of us are dumb enough to not realize the cost to flash versus the cost to tear apart the tranny are quite substantial hence the software fix becomes the "new" recall). I agree that it appears strange that a hardware issue can truly be resolved by a software issue but it is what it is. All I can share is what I, personally, have experienced along with others on this forum. I NEVER had an issue with my 09...always drove very nice and never had a false Neutral. Post-flash, some of the minor "stuff/annoyances" I did experience (very light shudder when starting from a dead stop and the slight "bang" when the car is downshifting and you then hit the accelerator in 1st gear) are now gone. The tranny is smooth as butter...you would never know it was a DSG. I was told by VW that they took this opportunity to reprogram out the complaints many DSG owners were experiencing and smooth out the auto modes shift points in addition to making a software compensation adjustment for the increased resistance caused by the "poor" crimp in the recalled temp sensors. The false neutral was caused due to resistance changes taking place within the crimp due to it not being a "solid" connection. For what ever it's worth, and none of us on this forum will really ever know what the software fix is...driving post-flash is believing...the car is fantastic and more fun to drive than the day it was new. Let them tell us what ever they want but the proof is in the pudding

 

[kcfoxie]

Let them tell us what ever they want but the proof is in the pudding

This pudding is child approved!

 

[rkskeet]

securityguy: Thanks for your comments.. I experienced one of the minor annoyances you identified in your post since I picked up the car.. That is the very slight shudder when pushing the go pedal.. This would occur in either the forward or reverse direction.. Funny thing though post sensor reapir, it has seemed to have gone away??? The car is approx 4 months old with 5600 miles on it.. Not sure if it is coincidence or the more miles you put on the more it gets broken in??? Or what??? But in the end it is no longer an annoyance, thankfully.. As far as the downshift slight bang you mentioned, I never noticed that with my vehicle.. Glad to hear that the flash took care of that issue for you.. It does make the driving experience so much more enjoyable when your car operates as it should.. Yes, I agree we will never know what is going on in the backrooms at VW with their fixes, etc.. Hope you continue to enjoy you car.. I surely am enjoying mine for the ride and the fuel efficiency.

Oh PS kcfoxie - nice touch with the Jello...LOL...

 

[k1xv]

I believe the reason why the sensor replacement approach was replaced with a reflash has to do with the following:

Originally, the transmission was programmed so that if the sensor saw excessive temperature, it would effectively go into neutral to protect the transmission. A bad sensor wire crimp was causing some computers to falsely think that the temperature was excessive, and as a result the transmission would go into neutral.

But then someone realized that, even if the transmission were overheating, having it go into neutral out on the highway was not such a good idea from a safety perspective. As a result, I think what this flash is actually intended to do is eliminate the feature where an overheating transmission goes into neutral to protect itself. If this feature is disabled, it then is irrelevant whether the crimp on the sensor is good or bad, because its information is no longer needed.

In fact, I seem to remember someone publishing the recall letter than explained that a very small percentage of the transmissions in the recall group actually had a bad crimp, and that the incidence of DSG transmissions actually overheating is rare.

So what they effective are doing is the equivalent of putting black tape over a problematic warning light, so you no longer see it.

 

[wv tdi]

The flash takes care of the result and not the cause. This is better than the transmission being torn apart if the transmission hasn't had a false neutral problem.
Just had the flash done to mine this afternoon. Will wait to pass an opinion on how it behaves.

 

[DoubleLifeOfVeronique]

Had the temp sensor done this morning. I had no problems before this, except the down shifting issues I mentioned earlier. I notice no difference and I put on about 100 miles today. The car still makes noises down shifting (the guy at the dealership said these sounds are normal for a DSG, but if they get worse just bring it back, great!). When accelearating it's still the same, good. I also told him the back breaks are still squeaking, like they have since I got the car (now 5000 miles later, when I'm backing up and sometimes just when normal braking they do it). I told them this at my 4000 mile check and he told me it's norm squeaking for VW's to make these sounds becuase they trap condencastion in the brake drum which makes the squeak. But it was raining like hell outside this morning so they couldn't check them, I have to bring it back when it's not raining.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not *****ing about anything. I love my TDI Just some crazy tid bits to think about.

 

[Elfnmagik]

.. As far as the downshift slight bang you mentioned, I never noticed that with my vehicle..

Drive it around town in 'Tip'. You'll see.

 

[El Dobro]

Drive it around town in 'Tip'. You'll see.

And in the case of mine, tip and sport.

 

[Elfnmagik]

I didn't want to add any more to the situation, but yeah, 'S' too. Both will exhibit the 'BANG' given time, simply 'cause of the programming related to those two modes. In 'Tip', drift slowly to almost a stop at a 'Right-on-red', then lightly accelerate out of 2nd it will BANG down to 1st, and if you anticipiate it, back off just when you expect it and reshift up to 2nd again.

I'm almost positive I could duplicate it on any '09 DSG.

 

[Diesel_Mikey]

Rudolf (that would be my rather unimaginatively named '09 DSG...though I've been surprised how few people actually get the reference without a quick history lesson...) goes in for a re-flash Saturday.

I'm just curious if anyone who's had the recall fix done has run into any trouble after the fact. I realize this is about as idiot-proof as it gets, but prior to this the most time I've had a car in a stealership service bay is to get my license plates bolted on, so I take nothing for granted. Anybody?

Meanwhile I'm driving to Boston on business Monday, so I'll have some nice seat time (about 450 miles round trip) to observe and report, though most of it will be highway. Regardless, I'll be sure to let you know how it goes...I haven't had any of the issues described in the recall, but I have had the occasional shudder securityguy described above now and again, so we'll see if this has any effect on that.

 

[Elfnmagik]

Nothing but good for me so far.

 

[Dieselfitter]

Hesitation on a DSG normal, according to Dealership???????

Dropped in to the Dealership today, and sure enough, my JSW is on the list for a recall. Booked an appointment for next Friday.

I have been experiencing a problem now and then with a hesitation. Dangerous when making a left turn with oncoming traffic! The service writer had the AUDACITY to say that this is NORMAL! He also says this can be expected with a turbo diesel. I then said that it does not do this all the time. THEN, he says we tell prospective buyers this when they buy a VW with a DSG. They didn't tell me!

I then 'through around' some phrases such as 'temp sensor' , 'reflash' , TDICLUB , etc. That seemed to stop the BS! This is a good site!

We will see what happens next Friday when I pick the car up.

 

[El Dobro]

Does the trans still lug the engine in D with the reflash?

 

[securityguy]

El, when you say "lug the engine in D"...what do you mean? If you mean that when you take your foot off of the accellerator, does it pull on the engine? Then YES...that is inherent in the DSG and not something that will ever go away. Remember, the DSG is really a manual tranny, not an AUTO tranny as we used to think of automatics.

 

[MacBuckeye]

DSG stuff

I asked the mechanic doing my 20K service today about the DSG flash. His comment was this... The flash upgrade tells the computer to ingnore the temp sensor. That way the car will stay in gear. So then I asked him what happens if there really is a over-heaeting issue with the transmission. He says a check engine light will come on. That leaves me scratching my head...... So is the Flash upgrade doing more than just ignoring the temp sensor? Changing the shift points based on speed and rpm's, etc. etc. has nothing to do with a bad or potentially bad temp sensor reading.

I think I'll wait on a few more posts to see if people are really noticing an improvement with their DSG. I was having some fun in S mode today and notices some hard shifting when slowing down and turning into my subdivision. Kind of like a knock sound/feel. I've never drove a DSG before and would love for an experienced mechanic to take me out for a drive and put it to a good road test. Then maybe I'll have a better idea how this DSG should operate.

 

[Dieselfitter]

DSG Servicing/ DIY

Another thing I forgot to mention in my post was DIY DSG fluid change. The dealer ship tells me that if I do it myself the warranty is voided. Cost $550! I was told that DSG fluid cost $80/L (1.05 us qt.)!

How much is DSG fluid in USA?

 

[El Dobro]

El, when you say "lug the engine in D"...what do you mean? If you mean that when you take your foot off of the accellerator, does it pull on the engine? Then YES...that is inherent in the DSG and not something that will ever go away. Remember, the DSG is really a manual tranny, not an AUTO tranny as we used to think of automatics.

No, I mean when the trans is in 5th doing 30mph at 1000rpm.

 

[barshnik]

No, I mean when the trans is in 5th doing 30mph at 1000rpm.

Shift points are one thing I have no complaints about with the DSG. I'm sure VW intentionally kept shift points on the low side for mpg's. Mine makes every effort to keep RPM's to at least 1200. Yes, under unusual circumstances I may see 1100 or even 1050 once in a while, but a push on the pedal makes it downshift immediately.

I never feel like the engine is in any danger from running UNDER LOAD at too low RPM.

Drive in 'S' if you want more aggressive shift points, but I sure don't want my 'D' reprogrammed - I like it just the way it is.

'09 JSW TDi, DSG

 

[securityguy]

Mac - "S" mode exacerbates the hard knock/shift issue at low speeds. I earned to NEVER use in city-type driving. I only use it once I am out of 2nd gear. If you do low speed driving, the start/stop or slowing and the acellerating will induce the "hard" shifting...that is just the way it is.

Dieselfitter - your dealer is a bunch of crap. You can buy a DSG kit that includes the fluid and filter for under $150 at any of the VW "guru" web sites. A DSG flush and fill with filter change should cost no more than $350 - $400 at a dealership and I have heard of "guru" shops doing it for $250 - $300.

Barshnik - why not have your "D" reprogrammed??? It is much smoother now and far more fun to drive. I am at a loss as to what everyone's afraid of with the flash?

As I stated previously, we will NEVER know what the flash really did, and every tech you talk to along with VW will tell us something different, but it certainly won't hurt anything and, in my case and many others, it has made the driving experience much better AND worry free.

Something to think about...if you DON'T get the flash done and your car goes into FLASE NEUTRAL and you get in an accident and even possibly get hurt and you never acted on the recall, your chances of winning a law suit against VW are zip...nada...ZERO. Not worth risking the lives of you and your family. Get it done because none of us know whose next

 

[El Dobro]

Shift points are one thing I have no complaints about with the DSG. I'm sure VW intentionally kept shift points on the low side for mpg's. Mine makes every effort to keep RPM's to at least 1200. Yes, under unusual circumstances I may see 1100 or even 1050 once in a while, but a push on the pedal makes it downshift immediately.

I never feel like the engine is in any danger from running UNDER LOAD at too low RPM.

Drive in 'S' if you want more aggressive shift points, but I sure don't want my 'D' reprogrammed - I like it just the way it is.

'09 JSW TDi, DSG

Mine doesn't downshift when you push on the pedal, you have to stomp on it and then it downshifts and takes off into the car in front of you. In the meantime, my engine doesn't like RPMs below 1700. That's when it lugs and the lower the RPMs, the more it lugs. Use S and Tip and you get the violent shifts. I have to use all three modes to get the car around.
About a month ago, VW called and said I'll be getting the special policy letter. I'm still waiting. I'm going to need it for the dealers around here, for with them, if there's no codes, there's no problem.