S3 S Tronic funny behaviour

[Shawn8V]

So I've had my s3 saloon s tronic for just over a month now. Absolutely love it overall, but I've noticed some funny behaviour with the gearbox. Driving normally it's perfectly fine, smooth and what you would expect from an auto.

But I've noticed when driving in manual mode regardless of what drive select mode I'm in, downshifting from 2nd to 1st around 25mph whilst off throttle it's seems to take a good 2-3 secs before it changes gear after initially pressing the downshift either on the steering wheel or the gear lever. The revs slowly climb and if I put my foot on the throttle whilst this is happening the revs just limit at 4000 rpm and makes a weird loud burble noise coming from the engine/exhaust, a similar noise to when your doing a launch control.

I always ensure engine the car is fully warmed up before I give it some beans, and it's my first s tronic or auto gearbox. Is this a normal thing from the gearbox or is something not right.

 

[Wondering Soul]

If I'm totally off throttle and press the downshift paddle, the gearbox will immediately drop gears as long as the RPM hadn't got too low in the initial gear before I changed it.

Pressing the downshift paddle whilst under any throttle load will usually slip the clutch and take a couple seconds to engage the lower gear.

 

[davc]

Why would you downshift from 2nd to 1st at that speed anyway, that's madness?

I could inderstand if you were you driving on snow and needed engine braking instead of using brakes to stop you locking up and skidding.

 

[Shawn8V]

Well I'm running in the engine and varying the engine rpm along with engine breaking as per the manual recommends

 

[HawkeyeS3]

The S-Tronic box has in-built safeties to save you downshifting too much and over-revving the engine, probably 25 into 1st is a bit high and would put the revs too high at that time, so it needs to bleed off a bit more speed before it engages.

If it were a manual gearbox instead, you probably would not drop the clutch at that speed, but would slip it so the engine gradually engages. However the S-Tronic is more immediate, so will not do that.

Whilst the S3 may do 25 in first when you first accelerate, it is momentary before changing up, but it won't spin the engine up like that when changing down.

If you are still running in, seriously you do not want to try dropping the car into first at 25mph anyway IMO. Instead I would suggest you drive it in a mixture of Comfort and Sport mode to vary the revs, works much better. But when in Sport mode, just take it up to its change point gently, don't floor it. Likewise on changing down, it will change down earlier in Sport mode.

The paddles are great for some really sporty driving in manual mode around the country lanes, else I leave mine in auto mode and let the gearbox do its thing it does best

 

[Shawn8V]

Just hit 1000 miles. Majority was in comfort/Eco mode with a mixture of driving it hard in the last 250 miles. 1st gear can go up to 34mph in the s tronic so there are a couple of thousands of rpms to play with when I go into 1st at 25mph. Doesn't happen in any other gear.

 

[HawkeyeS3]

Very true, however, the gear box change up/down times are (to an extent) governed by the mode you are in, dynamic being the most obvious where the car will change up down at differing speed/revs to other modes, which are much more gentle.

Unless you put it into full manual (push the gear lever to the left), then even though you may use the paddles, I think - with a little bit of leeway - you may still be governed by the mode "range" for the gears to apply. Whilst I'm not saying it will do it - and I don't think you have an issue with your box incidentally, I believe it functioning absolutely correctly - try driving in dynamic mode and then trying your change down to first at 25 mph, as it may well do it then.

Note if you leave it in dynamic mode, when you restart the car, whilst it will leave all the steering and other settings in dynamic mode, it will set the actual gears to be in drive rather than "S" mode - this is normal and is to protect the gearbox from when starting from cold, so once warmed up, you would then need to pull the gearstick back to set to "S" mode.

 

[vamos]

I'm yet to drive a car with a manual gearbox that allows downshift from 2nd to 1st at 25mph. I think your hitting the "safety" guards in the stronic with that behaviour.

 

[steeve]

I still prefer a car that changes gear when I want it to.......................

 

[RO65ERS]

you wouldn't drop into first in a manual if you aren't stationary or creeping along...

so why would you in DSG ?

 

[cuke2u]

I'm yet to drive a car with a manual gearbox that allows downshift from 2nd to 1st at 25mph. I think your hitting the "safety" guards in the stronic with that behaviour.

It'll allow you too but hopefully common sense would prevail. There used to be a saying about motor bikes when I was young that if it didn't stand on its head if you put it into 2nd gear at 80 then it's no good...

 

[Shawn8V]

you wouldn't drop into first in a manual if you aren't stationary or creeping along...

so why would you in DSG ?

Well why does the car allow me to go to 30+ mph in first gear if it's only to be used for being stationary/creeping along ? But that's besides the point of this thread. Yes I agree common sense would tell me not to do it but if a car is designed to do one thing then why not do it ?

If the behaviour I'm experiencing is typical with s tronic gearboxes then that's fine, but if it's an issue with my gearbox which I'm only experiencing then a trip to the dealers would need to be done.

 

[Martinbanshee]

The S-Tronic box is designed to avoid pointless or damaging gear changes.
Why drop down a gear into max revs in 1st when it leaves you no option to accelerate without another change back up the box? Makes no sense.
If slowing further, wait before changing down as it'll leave you some revs to work with. If you're not slowing further leave it in 2nd and give the engine a chance to do its thing.

 

[HawkeyeS3]

Well why does the car allow me to go to 30+ mph in first gear if it's only to be used for being stationary/creeping along ? But that's besides the point of this thread. Yes I agree common sense would tell me not to do it but if a car is designed to do one thing then why not do it ?

If the behaviour I'm experiencing is typical with s tronic gearboxes then that's fine, but if it's an issue with my gearbox which I'm only experiencing then a trip to the dealers would need to be done.

In answer to your last sentence Shawn8V - the behaviour of the S-Tronic box is absolutely typical, a trip to the dealers is not required.

 

[0B1001001]

Well why does the car allow me to go to 30+ mph in first gear if it's only to be used for being stationary/creeping along ? But that's besides the point of this thread. Yes I agree common sense would tell me not to do it but if a car is designed to do one thing then why not do it ?

If the behaviour I'm experiencing is typical with s tronic gearboxes then that's fine, but if it's an issue with my gearbox which I'm only experiencing then a trip to the dealers would need to be done.

First gear is not a gear I'd ever use for engine braking whilst slowing down in a manual. Sure, it'll do 30mph on acceleration but trying to ram it into first at 25mph when decelerating is just wrong.

And, as with everything, just because something can be done, doesn't mean it should be