1.2 tsi and DSG

[pz1811]

Hello ! My first post here so sorry if this topic's already been covered.

I'm looking to buy a new VW Polo 6R with the 1.2 Tsi (105 bhp) and the 7speed DSG (DQ200).
I love the looks of the car and the way it drives and feels, a perfect city car for me with the ever growing traffic.

However, I have a few doubts about the reliability of the DQ200 box. In India and China the failure of the DQ200 on the 1.8 Tsi superb is just horrendous. Obviously the situation is better from 2012 onwards with VW offering a software update .. but I still have my doubts.

Logic suggests that since the 1.8 tsi puts out 250nm which is the limit of the of the 7 speed dsg should not be an issue on the 1.2 tsi which is well below the torque limit @175nm

would like to know how common are the failures for the 1.2 tsi with the dsg ??

Would also appreciate any inputs regarding other things I should be aware of ?

thanks ..!

[vdubmotorworx]

its not a bad little car... yes there is DSG issues around but getting less now... just make sure you are happy with a DSG as most people take a while to get used to it if they had a auto before.. stuff like rolling back on hill etc. only other comment i sometimes get is lack of power on hills.. but thats the compromise with having the smaller engine.. apart from that if you want a city run around car then go for it..

[gavs]

its not a bad little car... yes there is DSG issues around but getting less now... just make sure you are happy with a DSG as most people take a while to get used to it if they had a auto before.. stuff like rolling back on hill etc. only other comment i sometimes get is lack of power on hills.. but thats the compromise with having the smaller engine.. apart from that if you want a city run around car then go for it..

Ummmm, just ask our resident 1.2 TSI owner that has has more issues than many GTI owners. The flaw is not power or torque related, it's a fundamental flaw in the design of the gearbox, it can't handle heat, stop-start traffic, it is REALLY bad as a city car gearbox, to the point that VW in the netherlands has issued a statement that no DQ200 equipped car can be used in the taxi industry because the driving style of taxis results in premature failure of the clutches.

pz1811, if I was you, i would look at a manual version or a different car. With the high heat of india (yours would be built to tropical spec as are ours here) and the fact you are wanting the car for exactly the domain that the DQ200 fails in (high traffic, city driving) I would be taking your money elsewhere.... Or getting both feet dancing on pedals

[pz1811]

Thanks for the replies !

They just launched the polo tsi with a dsg in India a couple of days back and it seemed like a very good proposition.. Having had driven the DSG in other cars ..

However, as said if the problems persist because of the heat related issues, wouldn't make a lot of sense as I was primarily looking to buy this car as a city runner and the heat with the wild traffic would just kill the dsg !

The dq200 we get here on the other cars, has an issue with the mechatronic unit which keeps failing all the time.
Is this because of the same heat related issue ? I was under the impression that it was more to do with the car pushing out the 250nm of torque which the gearbox 's limit ..
Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong !!

[Barracuda]

its not a bad little car... yes there is DSG issues around but getting less now... just make sure you are happy with a DSG as most people take a while to get used to it if they had a auto before.. stuff like rolling back on hill etc. only other comment i sometimes get is lack of power on hills.. but thats the compromise with having the smaller engine.. apart from that if you want a city run around car then go for it..

The DSG won't roll back on a hill as the Polo is equipped with Hill Start Assist.

@pz1811

I've had a 77TSI for a little over a year now and I haven't had a single issue. I know some people here will say that I'm bound (and every other 77TSI DSG owner) to have problems with the gearbox, but I haven't experienced any of the issues that usually point towards a problematic box. I've never once had the shudder, roughness in gear changes, overheating, etc... Not once at all! It's been the most seamless box I've ever used. Look, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and there are people on the forums here that know 10,000% more about the DSG boxes and the Polo than I do and they'll probably tell you a different story based on the mechanics of the box. My opinion is only based around my experience with my 77TSI DSG. So, my response. Go for it! They're a fantastic little car! You won't find a more refined, better quality or better to drive call in the Polo's class - That's why it wins just about every super-mini car class award. A manual would be more reliable, but if you treat your DSG well, don't thrash the car and have it serviced according to VW's schedule then I doubt you'll have any issues and I guarantee you'll love it. That's my two cents worth but you go for whatever you're more comfortable with and keep in mind that although the DSG isn't perfect and is in no way a 'swear-by reliable' box, not all of them will have issues.

Although I'm not sure about the DSG's in India, however. I've heard that they're different.

[nomadx38]

It just luck of the draw when it comes to the DSG. My brothers Polo (77tsi DSG) was made 500 cars before mine (going by the vin number anyway) done 50,000 km and not a problem...and he rides the clutch up hills and everything. Mine on the other hand only done 45,000 but I have been having problems from 10,000km.

Clutches were replaced at 22,000 and from the clutch replacement it drops the clutch every gear change and I respect my car.

...so its just luck of the draw

[ill0gitech]

What are your consumer laws like regarding vehicles and warranty?
We have certain consumer-friendly laws here in Australia, but if you're going to spend Rs 8lakh on a car, you want to know if something goes wrong with it you're protected by Indian law.

[pz1811]

Can't really depend on consumer laws, because legal cases drag on for years on end and we don't have fast track courts.

The faulty dq200 was before the launch of the polo (a couple of days back) and the octavia fl (1 month back) was only available on one car from 2009 onwards I.e Skoda superb. On this car the dsg were known to fail in as little as 300-500kms .. Because of the mechatronic units ..

However during this period neither was the fault recognised by Skoda India nor VW India .. Everytime there was a failure within the warranty period it was replaced ..

Since last year, VW have been claiming to be giving a software update for the Dsg superb that according to them has reduced the failure rate of the dsg ..

But it seems hog wash to me since as said in the previous posts, that if the failure is related to the heat of the environment where the car is operating and the traffic, it seems far fetched that it is an issue curable by a software update.
I could be wrong, but just my two cents worth.

Also the polo tsi, which is only available at the moment with a dsg is the most expensive hatch in the country at almost Rs 9.5 lakhs on the road.

So if dsg problems are as common as they are at the moment .. VW is going to have a heard time selling this car in our anti automatic, fuel saving oriented market.

However, having said all this I would still prefer to buy this car, as it is one of the most powerful + advanced auto and engine combo we get...

But the reliability DSG is pulling me back from signing the dotted line.

[PoloDave]

My vision on my TSI DSG:

Am I having fun? yes!
Would I do it again given the chance? no!

I'm always in a fight with the mech unit over shift times during (a little) faster than average accelleration, having to push the kickdown often because the box decides to shift up wayyy to fast causing the revs to dive under 2k so big power loss -> kickdown -> too much power

Gearchange to 5th causes clutch to slip for a split second

Gearbox is acting extremely slow when kickdown from 7th to 2nd or 3rd

Bumpy shifts in winter, sadly gone now so no point going to dealer

[gavs]

PoloDave, if you get in contact with TVS engineering over there, they have an arm called "The DSG Doktor" and can apply a dsg tune to the car. That should sort the issues you describe