AC and Jerky Gear Changes

[stuck24]

In all honesty I have never experienced this problem in any car with A/C. Maybe it is because I have never spent very long periods in traffic jams in hot weather with the Aircon on. I certainly have never had to adapt my driving technique (always cars with manual boxes) or change gear slower/quicker.
Perhaps you guys ought to have your cars seen to by the VW dealerships. Maybe the problem is worse on GTis or diesel cars.

not a VW GTI specific thing... used to happen on my old Miata and even my 06-07 Mazda3s and 07 GTI (to a lesser extent, but the cooling wasn't aanywhere near as good as the 2010)

 

[ahhduma]

fact of life
compressor suck power from engine
obv, much more noticeable on smaller motors like the 2.0

 

[Jekyll991]

I've found my car shift the smoothest if I don't completely let off the throttle. I haven't driven with a/c on in forever so I don't know if it will help that or not.

 

[Ngcomplete]

I have not noticed the jerkiness, but I did notice how slow to respond the car is! It feels noticeably slower. Also, is it just me or the APR Stage 1, but when the A/C is on, I notice more flutter, like a blow off valve sound when i let go of the throttle to shift?

 

[x_paradoxal_x]

In all honesty I have never experienced this problem in any car with A/C. Maybe it is because I have never spent very long periods in traffic jams in hot weather with the Aircon on. I certainly have never had to adapt my driving technique (always cars with manual boxes) or change gear slower/quicker.
Perhaps you guys ought to have your cars seen to by the VW dealerships. Maybe the problem is worse on GTis or diesel cars.
I have only driven two automatic cars in over 55 years of driving and frankly have no wish to repeat the experience. Fine intitially until the novelty wears off but the DSG box is OK when in motion but its sudden uptake of drive is a nuisance and makes smooth progress not always possible - the Mechatronic units often play up and need replacing. My friend has had so much trouble with his Jetta and his DSG box!

Although I do not use AC often, my car is new, less than 2500 miles. I have only had it for a couple months. I have a diesel golf as well, but I do not notice the sound of the compressor turning on, nor the jerky gear changes (but the diesel engine is much noisier so you wouldn't hear the compressor, and the gear changes don't require you to be very smooth with the clutch like you do in the GTI in the lower gears.). Point is, I can live without AC most of the time, so it doesn't bother me. The only time I really need AC is when I'm on the interstate, at city speeds I open the windows.

Anyways, Marvin I lived in Manchester for 2 years and in the two summers I was there, it got above 25 C once haha. I was in London last summer when It got above 30 C and I thought I was going to die.

 

[Danny Boy1]

It happened in my 2.5 mkv 5spd. It was terrible in hot weather plus city driving with AC. My mpg in that car is what convinced me to get a GTI because I would get the same, if not better mpg, with more HP

I feel it somewhat in my current DSG when in D. Put when in M its hardly noticeable

 

[gunmetal5]

When I have the AC running, when at a light, these are my steps:
1-lights red - AC on
2-light turns green - hit AC button to turn off AC, while leaving fans on
3-engage into 1st and take off
4-shift into 2nd
5-turn ac back on

The rest of the gears are a bit easier to manage without feeling like i'm abusing the clutch.

 

[VEGASVWGTI]

When I have the AC running, when at a light, these are my steps:
1-lights red - AC on
2-light turns green - hit AC button to turn off AC, while leaving fans on
3-engage into 1st and take off
4-shift into 2nd
5-turn ac back on

The rest of the gears are a bit easier to manage without feeling like i'm abusing the clutch.

Funny how true this is...sad but so true!

 

[Bruno2000]

I noticed it the last summer and it totally dissappeared after I installed my S3 intercooler.

 

[stuck24]

When I have the AC running, when at a light, these are my steps:
1-lights red - AC on
2-light turns green - hit AC button to turn off AC, while leaving fans on
3-engage into 1st and take off
4-shift into 2nd
5-turn ac back on

The rest of the gears are a bit easier to manage without feeling like i'm abusing the clutch.

hahahahaha... I need to do this while I am alone in the car... might be wee bit embarrasing with someone else in it... :laugh:

 

[x_paradoxal_x]

hahahahaha... I need to do this while I am alone in the car... might be wee bit embarrasing with someone else in it... :laugh:

I'm going to try it for sure though. haha. My sister hates when I do this. I always turn it off and on because it just wastes more fuel and power, and makes the gear changes jerky. Which she insisted was just me not shifting properly, this coming from someone just learning to drive.

 

[Gti207]

So today in Chicago it was above 85 degrees and I decided to use the ac. The car feels much more lethargic. I know ac zaps power but this was pretty significant. Also the rpm progression felt strange....lag until around 2500 then bam there's the power. Is this normal for dsgs on hot days with the ac on??

 

[janeirouno]

This car is like most 4 & 6 cylinder cars w/ A/c usage. It is known that the A/c puts a strain on the engine but it just takes some getting used to.

The best way I describe it to friends is w/ the A/c on, it is like your car is on a constant uphill. That is the best way to put it.

As a response to the person that bumped this old thread. Everyone knows the DSG is rough in bumper to bumper traffic, what helps is a stage one tune on the engine, it helps smooth it out some by running the engine more "efficiently"

 

[McFuzz]

Pfffft.... try driving with an A/C while having a SMFW and an upgraded stage 2 clutch :|

 

[mmmoose]

Just be grateful you do not inch along in traffic at 5pm in June when temps are in excess of 115 degrees. If you think your manual is bad try a DSG on for size under these conditions. Never again as long as I live in any place where the day time high exceeds 90 degrees. "Jerky" is an understatement.

Do you know where I can find a video of this in action? I tried searching YouTube and couldn't turn up with anything.

I keep hearing about these "jerky" shifts with the DSG at lower speeds. I've been hearing about it constantly on Vortex since the Mk5 gen. So I bought my GTI fully expecting to experience it myself. But no... I'm completely stumped, because it has never happened to me yet. Even with the AC at full blast in stop and go traffic the DSG doesn't jerk or shift hard in any way.

I'm not saying anyone is lying or being overly paranoid. I'm genuinely curious what it feels or sounds like. I'm thinking maybe I've just misinterpreted the problem or something. I've also test driven 1 other GTI and 2 Golf TDI's (all Mk6's) with DSG's and they didn't feel jerky either. Although I will say my GTI does have the infamous B-pillar creaking issue...