Manual transmission
Caution: Reverse gear must be engaged when the vehicle is stationary.
The gear shift lever is located on the center console (28 in illustration 12.1). The diagram of the lever positions corresponding to the manual transmission gears is indicated on the lever handle. To change gears, fully depress the clutch pedal, move the lever to the desired position and smoothly release the pedal. To engage reverse gear, bring the vehicle to a complete stop, depress the clutch pedal, set the gearshift lever to neutral, push it down and, without releasing it, move it to the "R" position.
To avoid damage and premature wear of parts, do not keep your hand on the gear shift lever with the engine running longer than it takes to change gears. Also, you should not try to keep the car from rolling on a slope by slipping the clutch.
DSG
The models in question can be equipped with a 6- or 7-speed robotic transmission with two clutches (DSG), allowing gear shifting without interrupting the power flow. DSG is electronically controlled, automatically shifts forward gears, and also allows manual gear selection. The DSG mode selector lever is located at the bottom of the center console, between the front seats (28 in illustration 12.1). For more information on how DSG works, see Chapter 7.
The correct functioning of the DSG is constantly monitored, and if a malfunction or overheating occurs, a corresponding message is displayed on the instrument cluster display (see Section 13).
The DSG selector lever can be set to one of the following positions (dSG operating modes): "R", "R", "N", "D", "S", "+" and "-". In order to move the selector lever out of the "P" position, the ignition must be on, the brake pedal depressed, and the button located on the side of the selector lever handle must be pressed. This button must also be pressed each time the selector lever is moved in the following directions: "N"→"R", "P"→"R", "R"→"P" and "D"→"S". The selector lever is locked if, with the brake pedal released and at a speed of less than 5 km/h, it remains in the "N" position for more than two seconds (to move the lever from "N", the brake pedal must be depressed). During rapid movement of the lever between the "R" and "D" positions, the lock in the "N" position does not work, allowing you to "rock" out of mud or snow.
To remind the driver to depress the brake pedal to move the lever from the "P" or "N" position, a green indicator lamp lights up
in the instrument cluster (see Section 13).
When stopped on a slope with the selector lever in the drive position, do not use the accelerator pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling, as this may cause overheating and damage to the transmission. Instead, you should keep the brake pedal depressed. Overheating can also occur when using the "up-hill" function, when the car is stationary or moving slowly uphill. When overheating occurs, the overload protection is triggered and the red K/L light comes on in the instrument cluster "
" (see Section 13). In this case, stop the vehicle, turn off the engine and wait until the K/L and indicator light go out and the warning text disappears. After this you can continue moving.
Before moving the selector lever, depress the brake pedal to avoid the possibility of the car jerking sharply when engaging a gear.
Note: A cold engine will run at high idle speed after starting, which may cause the vehicle to start moving slowly when forward or reverse mode is engaged. A description of the DSG operating modes is given below.
DSG, both in automatic and manual mode, has a "Kickdown" function - lowering the gear by one or more steps when the gas pedal is fully depressed (through the point of resistance). This function is used to provide maximum acceleration (for example, when overtaking) and traction (for example, when moving uphill). After this, upshifts will occur when the maximum RPM is reached, unless the gas pedal is released before that point. To return to normal operation, release the gas pedal.
Caution: When downshifting on slippery roads, there is a risk of skidding.
DSG operating modes
The display in the instrument cluster shows the current position of the DSG mode selector lever and, in forward driving modes (D and S), the current gear is additionally indicated.
"P" (Parking). In this position, the DSG is locked and the drive wheels cannot rotate. A special separate mechanism is used for locking. Before moving the selector lever to this position, stop the vehicle completely and press the lock release button on the selector lever handle; when parking on a slope, be sure to first apply the parking brake.
Caution: Moving the selector lever to the "P" position while the vehicle is moving will result in wheel locking and loss of vehicle control, and will also damage the transmission. Do not use the "P" position instead of the parking brake - they must be used together. When you release the brake pedal, a stationary vehicle with the selector lever in position "P" may move forward or backward a few centimeters if the parking brake is not engaged.
"R" (Reversing). This position of the selector lever is used to engage reverse gear. To switch to the "R" mode from the "P" or "N" modes, press the button on the selector lever handle while the brake pedal is depressed.
Caution: To avoid damage to the transmission, make sure the vehicle is completely stopped before engaging reverse gear. After engaging the "R" mode, wait for the gear to engage (you can feel it in the engine's thrust). When the ignition is on in the "R" mode, the reversing lights come on.
"N" (Neutral position). The wheels and transmission are not locked, the car can be moved freely. The engine torque is not transmitted to the wheels. If the selector lever is accidentally set to the "N" position while driving, release the gas pedal and wait until the engine speed drops before moving the lever to the "D" position. At a speed of less than 5 km/h and with the ignition on, to move the selector lever out of the "N" position, you must depress the brake pedal. When coasting for a long time, the transmission may be damaged due to lack of lubrication.
"D" (Drive). The normal position of the selector lever when the car is moving forward, can only be selected at idle speed. DSG shifts between all forward gears based on the optimum balance of power and fuel economy.
Note: To improve the efficiency of the DSG and reduce wear on its components, high gears will not be engaged until the transmission fluid has warmed up to normal operating temperature. To achieve optimum efficiency, gear selection takes into account outside temperature, road gradient, vehicle load and driver commands.
"S" (sport mode). In sport mode, gear shifting occurs automatically, as in "D" mode, but at higher engine speeds to fully exploit its power. To move the selector lever from "D" to "S" you need to press the button on the lever handle.
"+" and (manual mode). When the selector lever is moved from the "D" position to the right, the transmission switches to manual control mode and operates in the previous gear until critical engine speed is reached or another gear is manually engaged. A subsequent short push of the lever to the "+" or "+" position causes the DSG to shift up/down. You can also shift gears by skipping intermediate gears - to do this, push the lever successively to the appropriate position at short intervals.
Note: Do not hold the selector lever in the "+" position or continuously. At excessively low or high crankshaft speeds, the DSG automatically shifts down or up. The selected gear is engaged only when the corresponding vehicle speed and crankshaft speed are reached.
Emergency situations
If a fault occurs in the DSG electronics, it continues to operate, but switches to one of the emergency programs. Such a program announces itself by turning on and off all segments of the instrument cluster display. If the fault occurs, only some gears may engage, and it may not be possible to use reverse or manual gear shifting.
When the lever cannot be moved from the "P" position, provided that all the above locks are removed (for example, in the event of a discharged battery or a malfunction of the vehicle's electrical equipment), the lock can be removed manually as described in Section 7 Chapter 7.