alt=DSG DL 501 Mechatronics|thumb|DSG DL 501

thumb|right|Part-[[cutaway drawing|cutaway view of the Volkswagen Group 6-speed direct-shift gearbox. The concentric multi-plate clutches have been sectioned, along with the mechatronics module. This also shows the additional power take-off for distributing torque to the rear axle for four-wheel drive applications. (View this image with annotations)]]

[[Image:Cambio a doppia frizione.svg|thumb|right|Schematic diagram of a dual-clutch gearbox:

]]

A direct-shift gearbox (DSG, ) is an electronically controlled, dual-clutch, It was designed by BorgWarner and is licensed to the Volkswagen Group, with support by IAV GmbH. By using two independent clutches, it became the world's first automated dual-clutch transmission in a series-production car, and the 2004+ New Beetle TDI. For the first few years of production, this original DSG transmission was only available in transversely oriented It has been paired to engines with up to of torque. became available. It differs from the six-speed DSG, in that it uses two single-plate dry clutches (of similar diameter). This seven-speed DSG is used in smaller front-wheel-drive cars with smaller-displacement engines with lower torque outputs, This new DQ200 uses just 1 litre of specialised DSG fluid for the hydraulics and 1.7 litres of gearbox oil.

The Golf V TwinDrive combined a pre-production version of the DQ200e with a 20–30 hp electric motor and a 2.0 PD TDI engine. This plug-in hybrid featured a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery for about 30-50 km of electric range. About twenty prototypes were produced and publicly tested in Lower Saxony, Germany. The diesel–hybrid pairing proved unsuccessful: the system was overly complex, cold-running diesels in start/stop traffic created emission issues, and reliability was poor. After two years the programme was halted in favour of a petrol-hybrid approach. The project was partially funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment under its Förderprogramm Elektromobilität.

In 2010 Volkswagen trialled the plug-in Golf VI TwinDrive prototype, pairing the DQ200e hybrid transmission with a 1.4 TSI petrol engine. As with the Golf V, it featured a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery for about 30-50 km of electric range. Around 20–30 cars were tested, leading to the production version introduced in the Volkswagen Jetta VI Hybrid.

The Jetta VI Hybrid appeared in 2013, using the EA211 1.4 TSI engine rated at 110 kW (150 PS), combined with a 20 kW (27 PS) electric motor and a 1.1 kWh lithium-ion battery providing about 1–2 km of electric range. In contrast to the earlier TwinDrive models, it was not a plug-in hybrid. Sales remained limited, with total production estimated between 20,000 and 40,000 units worldwide, mainly in North America and China. Although conceptually close to the later Golf GTE, the use of the dry-clutch DQ200e limited durability, and the project was eventually superseded by the more powerful wet-clutch DQ400e system introduced in 2014.

DQ500

In September 2009, VW launched a new seven-speed DSG built to support up to , the DQ500 (parts code prefix 0BH, 0BT). Like the DQ250, it features a wet multi-plate clutch pack. This gearbox premiered in the Transporter T5 2.0 TDI. It later became available in the Tiguan 2.0 TDI 4Motion, the BiTDI models of the VW Passat, VW Tiguan and Skoda Superb. It premiered in petrol-powered cars in the 2010 Audi TTRS 8J as a 7-speed S-Tronic gearbox. It later appeared in other top sports editions cars like the Arteon R and Tiguan R, coupled to a Magna torque-splitting rear differential to facilitate an all-wheel drive system. The two-wheel drive version weighs ; the four-wheel drive version is heavier.

DQ400e

Taking the concept of the DQ200e, the DQ250 was further developed into the DQ400e (prefix 0DD, FWD only, 128kg) for the plug-in hybrid models of the VW Group. It debuted in July 2014 in the Golf mk7 GTE. It is combined with the 1.4 and later with 1.5 TSI engines. It is broadly used in the plug-in hybrids like the Golf GTE and Passat GTE, the Arteon, Tiguan and Transporter T7 e-Hybrid and the equivalent versions of the Audi A3 and Audi Q3, Seat Leon and Skoda Octavia and Superb iV. The electric motor is included in the DSG assembly, between the combustion engine and the gearbox. Unlike the DQ200e, the flywheel is mounted to the engine. There are a total of three clutches on this DSG: two connecting the engine to the gearbox (K1, K2) and a disengagement clutch (K0) to connecting the electric drive to the engine.

As per VW Self Study Programme 538: The disengagement clutch K0 is engaged:

  • When the electric drive motor V141 starts the combustion engine.
  • When the vehicle is being driven by the combustion engine.
  • When both power units drive the vehicle.

The disengagement clutch K0 is disengaged when the vehicle is driven exclusively by the electric drive motor.

DQ380 and DQ381

The seven-speed DQ380 (prefix 0DE) appeared in 2015 for the Chinese market, i.e. in the VW Golf and VW Magotan. It is based on the DQ500, sharing many of its mechanical and electrical components like the mechatronic. It is lighter (85kg) and smaller, can handle torque up to 420Nm and is only available in front-wheel drive configuration. The DQ380 was produced in China. The addition of the seventh gear adds a 3gr/km of CO<sub>2</sub> reduction compared to the DQ250.

The DQ380 was further developed into the DQ381 (prefix 0GC), to meet the requirements of the European market. It was introduced in 2017 and replaces the outgoing DQ250 worldwide. It saves 5 to 10 gr/km of CO<sub>2</sub> compared to the 0DE due to taller gearing, low friction bearings and seals and a new concept of its hydraulics. In contrary to the DQ380, which is front-wheel drive only, the DQ381 comes in both a front-wheel drive version DQ381-7F version and a DQ381-7A version, combined with a Haldex rear differential, to provide all-wheel drive. The only exception to this are cars with the electronic VAQ () differential; these front-wheel drive cars employ an all-wheel drive gearbox casing and differential to facilitate the VAQ system.

Audi longitudinal DSG

In late 2008, an all-new seven-speed longitudinal S tronic Porsche Doppel-Kupplung (PDK).

List of DSG variants

{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

! Name

! Orientation

! Ratios

! Max. torque (N·m)

! Clutch type

!Comments

|-

| DQ200

| Transverse

| 7

| 250

| Dry

|7-speed DSG transmission (0AM/0CW) with dry clutches, mostly found on VAG-cars from 2007 till present day. With engine capacity between 1.0–1.6-litres. This DSG transmission is only available in front-wheel drive configurations.

|-

|DQ200e

|Transverse

|7

|400

|Dry

|7-speed DSG transmission (0CG) with dry clutches, found on the earlier hybrids like the Volkswagen Jetta 1.4 TSI Hybrid. This DSG transmission is only available in front-wheel drive configurations.

|-

| DQ250

| Transverse

| 6

| 400

| Wet

|6-speed DSG transmission (02E/0D9) with wet clutches, most found on VAG-cars from 2003 till 2020. It was phased out in favour of the more fuel-efficient and lighter DQ381. The DQ250 comes in a 6F variant for FWD and a -6A variant for AWD.

|-

| DQ380

| Transverse

| 7

| 420

| Wet

|7-speed DSG transmission with wet clutches (0DE), developed for the Chinese market Production started in 2015. This transmission is a lighter and smaller version of the DQ500, but slightly stronger than the DQ250. This DSG transmission is only available in front-wheel drive configurations.

|-

| DQ381

| Transverse

| 7

| 420-430

| Wet

|7-speed DSG transmission with wet clutches (0GC), introduced in 2017 as the successor of the DQ380, for the European market. From 2017 onwards it replaced the outgoing DQ250 gearboxes worldwide. The DQ381 comes in a -6F variant for FWD and a -6A variant for AWD.

|-

| DQ400e

| Transverse

| 6

| 400

| Wet

|6-speed DSG transmission with wet clutches (0DD), based on the DQ250. This DSG transmission is only available in front-wheel drive configurations.

|-

| DQ500

| Transverse

| 7

| 600

| Wet

|7-speed DSG transmission with wet clutches (0BT, 0BH), first introduced in the Transporter MY 2010 as a stronger DSG gearbox alongside the DQ250. The DQ500 comes in a -7F variant for FWD and a -7A variant for AWD.

|-

| DQ511

| Transverse

| 10

| 550

| Wet

|The DQ511 was a planned 10-speed DSG transmission. The project was cancelled citing cost and complexity issues.

|-

| DL382

| Longitudinal

| 7

| 500

| Wet

|7-speed DSG transmission with wet clutch. Used in the Audi A4/A5/A6/Q5 and Volkswagen Phideon. Production started in 2015 with a 400Nm capacity, both front wheel drive variant DL382-7F and all wheel drive variant DL382-7Q are provided. The Quattro Ultra all wheel drive version DL382-7A is introduced with Q5(typ FY). Starting with Audi A6/A7(typ 4K), the high torque variant(up to 500Nm) named as DL382+ is introduced. 0CK and 0DN are codenames for DL382-7F, 0CL is for DL382-7Q, 0CJ and 0DP are for DL382-7A and 0HL is for DL382+-7A.

|-

| DL501

| Longitudinal

| 7

| 600

| Wet

|7-speed DSG transmission with wet clutch. (Audi S-tronic)

|-

|DL800

|Longitudinal

|7

|

|Wet

|7-speed DSG transmission with wet clutch. Rarely used, only in the second generation Audi R8 (2015–present) and the Lamborghini Huracan. Manufactured by Graziano.

|-

|}

Operational introduction

The internal combustion engine drives two clutch packs.

  • Relatively expensive to manufacture, and therefore increases new vehicle purchase price;
  • Relatively lengthy shift time when shifting to a gear ratio which the transmission control unit did not anticipate (around 1100&nbsp;ms, depending on the situation);
  • Torque handling capability constraints impose a limit on after-market engine tuning modifications (though many tuners and users may exceed the official torque limits notwithstanding); (Later variants have been fitted to more powerful cars, such as the 300&nbsp;bhp/350&nbsp;Nm VW&nbsp;R36 and the 272&nbsp;bhp/350&nbsp;Nm Audi&nbsp;TTS.)
  • Heavier than a comparable Getrag conventional manual transmission ( vs. );

Applications

Volkswagen Group vehicles with the DSG gearbox include: rather than Borg Warner)

  • Bugatti Chiron

Lamborghini

  • Lamborghini Huracan

SEAT

  • SEAT Ibiza
  • SEAT Arona
  • SEAT León
  • SEAT Altea
  • SEAT Toledo
  • SEAT Alhambra
  • SEAT Ateca
  • SEAT Tarraco

Škoda

  • Škoda Fabia
  • Škoda Kodiaq
  • Škoda Karoq (in Australia it replaced with 8-speed sourced from Aisin)
  • Škoda Kamiq (except China market)
  • Škoda Octavia
  • Škoda Rapid (2012)
  • Škoda Roomster
  • Škoda Superb (MK2 & MK3)
  • Škoda Yeti
  • Škoda Scala
  • Škoda Kushaq
  • Škoda Slavia

Volkswagen

  • Volkswagen Vento
  • Volkswagen Santana
  • Volkswagen Bora (China)
  • Volkswagen Polo (paired with 6-speed TC automatic in some markets)
  • Volkswagen Virtus
  • Volkswagen Golf, GTI, GTD, GTE, TDI, R32, R

United States

In August 2009, Volkswagen of America issued two recalls of DSG-equipped vehicles. The first involved 13,500 vehicles, and was to address unplanned shifts to the neutral gear, These recalls arose as a result of investigations carried out by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), where owners reported to the NHTSA a loss of power whilst driving.

China

Since 2009 there have been widespread concerns from Chinese consumers particularly among the online community, who expressed that Volkswagen has failed to respond to complaints about defects in its DSG-equipped vehicles. Typical issues associated with 6-speed DSG include abnormal noise and inability to change gear; while issues associated with 7-speed DSG include abnormal noise, excessive shift shock, abnormal increase in engine RPM, flashing gear indicator on the dashboard as well as inability to shift to even-numbered gears. In March 2012 China's quality watchdog the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ) said that it had been in contact with Volkswagen (China) and urged the carmaker to probe the issues. In a survey held by Gasgoo.com (China) of 2,937 industry experts and insiders, 83% of respondents believed that the carmaker should consider a full vehicle recall. In March 2012 Volkswagen Group China admitted that there could be an issue in its seven-speed DSG gearboxes that may affect approximately 500,000 vehicles from its various subsidiaries in China. A software upgrade has since been offered for the affected vehicles in an attempt to repair the problem.

According to 163.com – one of China's most popular web portals – in March 2012 about a quarter of the complaints about problems found in cars in China's automotive market were made against DSG-equipped vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen. The top five models that dominate those complaints were:

  • Volkswagen Magotan – 6%
  • Volkswagen Bora – 5.3%
  • Volkswagen Sagitar – 5.3%
  • Volkswagen Touareg – 4.7%
  • Volkswagen Golf – 4%

The Touareg has never been fitted with a DSG transmission.

On 15 March 2013, China Central Television aired a program for the World Consumer Rights Day. The program criticized the issue associated with DSG-equipped vehicles manufactured by Volkswagen. On 17 March 2013 Volkswagen Group China announced on its official Weibo that it will voluntarily recall vehicles equipped with DSG boxes. Some sources have estimated the failure rate of DSG-equipped vehicles sold in China to be greater than 20,000 per million sold.

Sweden

VW Sweden stopped selling the Passat EcoFuel DSG as a taxi after many cars had problems with the 7 speed DSG gearbox. They instead offered the Touran EcoFuel DSG, which uses an updated version of the same DSG gearbox.

Japan

The recall has been extended to Japan with 91,000 (VW and Audi using the same DSG) being recalled.

Malaysia

13 days after the Singapore recall, Volkswagen Malaysia also announced a recall for the 7-speed DSG. No official statement was released by the company, but it was stated that a total of 3,962 were involved in the unit recall exercise – units produced between June 2010 and June 2011, with affected vehicles being Golf, Polo, Scirocco, Cross Touran, Passat and Jetta models equipped with the transmission.

Australian recall

15 October 2019, Australia recall of DSG 7-speed gearboxes.

Due to a production fault, over time a crack in the transmissions pressure accumulator can occur.

If the pressure accumulator cracks, oil and pressure is lost in the hydraulic system of the gearbox. As a result, the transmission of engine power via the gearbox is interrupted. The experience of this symptom would be comparable to depressing the clutch in a vehicle fitted with a manual transmission. This could increase the likelihood of an accident affecting the occupants of the vehicle and other road users.

See also

  • List of ZF transmissions
  • List of Aisin transmissions
  • List of GM transmissions
  • List of Ford transmissions
  • Automated manual transmission

References

  • Dual Clutch Transmission - DCT Facts (not implemented yet)
  • Volkswagen AG corporate website
  • Pictures and diagrams of DQ250 DSG at WorldCarFans.com.
  • Reviews, videos, and explanation of DSG transmission
  • First Drive: Audi TT 3.2 DSG review at VWvortex.com.
  • European interest in dual clutch technology shifts up a gear, an informative article from Just-Auto.com.
  • Computer-controlled Meccano model of a DSG Transmission by Alan Wenbourne of the South East London Meccano Club (SELMEC).
  • Video of Alan Wenbourne's Meccano DSG in operation at YouTube.com.