UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum

Hi all,

Could someone please advise whether their car does any of the following. I've had mine about 6 weeks and it's done 680 miles, it's already been to the dealer once because of a "jerky" gearchange between 3rd / 2nd but they said it's normal and a rattly handbrake knob, which they didn't fix. It's booked back in on the 16th for the following:-

Car is a GTI+ bought new in June.

1. Occasional "jerky" gearchange between 3rd / 2nd now also permanent between 4th / 3rd. This makes driving really difficult if approaching a junction / roundabout as I'm reluctant to accelerate until I know the car has decided what gear it wants to be in. The same jerky change seems to be permanent when manually changing down from 5th / 4th.

2. Occasional clicking noise from under the bonnet when gears are changing down.

3. Light grinding noise from under the bonnet (like a dry bearing) which is quite noticeable when starting from cold but can be heard to one degree or another all of the time, especially when passing between buildings with the windows down.

4. Engine lurches when cold, almost like the mixture is too weak. The car is a pain until it's been driven about a mile, I'm bothered that if it's like this in the summer what will it be like in the winter!

Oh, and one last thing, does anyone know how you can tell whether the headlights are on when the switch is in auto, every other car I've had has had a light come on on the instrment panel.

Thanks in advance.

Could we have a bit more info on the gearchanges e.g. are jerky gear changes between 2nd and 3rd on the upshift or the downshift, or both? I get the impression it's downshift. Is it under soft acceleration, hard acceleration, or both? is it in D mode, S mode? are you using the paddles or stick to downshift at all, trying to utilise engine braking (that doesn't seem to work with DSG like it does with a manual)?

The DSG box is always trying to predict what gear you want next, while trying to be economical in its choices. You end up adapting to it.

I haven't noticed jerky gear changes except on one occasion where I saw what looked to be a gap in a busy roundabout and put my foot down, then eased off almost straight away. change came in hard, but wouldn't have felt as hard if i'd still been on the accelerator.

Haven't heard clicks or a grinding noise under the bonnet, that i'd associate with DSG or otherwise. Grinding noise might be a dodgy top mount bearing.

From cold, under 10mph (like creeping through the works car park) the car feels a bit lumpy, but I think that's the car struggling between the thresholds of direct injection and port injection. As soon as you are over 10mph it is gone.

With reference to the auto lights, my SE shows orange on the switch if set to auto and this switches to green when they are actually on. There appears to be no dash indication, just the switch.

jackois wrote: Sat Aug 03, 2019 9:49 am With reference to the auto lights, my SE shows orange on the switch if set to auto and this switches to green when they are actually on. There appears to be no dash indication, just the switch.

I've been meaning to ask the same about the lights.
Thanks for this piece of info.
I'm surprised they couldn't give some clear dash based indication like with every other car.

Grinding noise under the bonnet could be wastegate rattle. Don't have it on either of my Polo GTI+, but it was a characteristic noise of my Golf R. Sounded like someone sharpening an axe on a lathe.

Thanks for the info on the lights, seems a bit daft to have to look down at the switch to see what's happening.

Monkeyhangar,

Car is still being run in so no hard driving, all relatively gentle. All problems with gearbox are on downchange, irrelevant of mode. I've only manually shifted from the paddle on the steering wheel with the gearbox in normal. The Mastertech said, when it went in the first time, that there is an infrequent jerk between 3rd to 2nd (downshift) which is normal but it takes the gearbox about a 1,000 miles to learn driving style, mine must be a bit thick because things are definitely getting worse.

My issue is that I came from a Peugeot 508 GT auto, which was reported at the time to be the near equal of a DSG, the gearchanges were good up and down. I recently had a Hyundai I10 automatic as a hire car, you couldn't feel any gearchange either up or down. It was miles better than the Peugeot or this DSG.


The noise is more like a dry running bearing and is linked to engine speed, it quietens down relatively quickly but never goes away.

The lurching is there up to about 25 MPH for the first mile or so, it smooths out above that speed but if the car is slowed down below it comes back.