Project Car / Motorbike thread. Let's see 'em.

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Poor dual clutch unit then. Launch control? Drive to the edge of a cliff, then drive over it?
Nah, I think the QV models might have launch control but this is more of an Italian Golf.

The clutch setup is ok I think, probably more the small capacity turbo takes time to wind up up. It’s not a sports car.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
Fair nuf. The Trimatic in Ye Olde Kingswood is decidedly less fussy. Surprised quite a few wannabe racers back in my P plate days :p
The old 3 speed Borg Warner in the Rover V8 was about that level of sophistication too :)

I’m not a massive fan of the dual clutch transmission, especially the dry clutch ones like the Alfa has. Buts it’s good if you understand how it works and drive like a manual that does the clutch for you, but for all those out there that drive them like a normal slush box I can see where the hate comes from.
I want to delay the $2-3K in parts alone for the clutch and dual mass flywheel replacement, so traffic light shenanigans are very very rare and thankfully Kirsty has a good amount of mechanical sympathy too. She has been taught to not creep in traffic letting the clutch slip, to feel the clutch take up on take off and not nail it until it’s released and generally treat the clutch like you would a manual.
 

glenn1529

Likes Dirt
We had a 132kw GTI Polo with the DSG and apart from the occasional clutch shudder and the lingering sense that the whole thing could drop it’s bundle at any time, it was a beautiful thing. It held gears to the limiter, matched revs and even held a lower gear for some engine braking if you were on the brakes. I never did launch it though, it’s a hot hatch, not a dragster.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
We had a 132kw GTI Polo with the DSG and apart from the occasional clutch shudder and the lingering sense that the whole thing could drop it’s bundle at any time, it was a beautiful thing. It held gears to the limiter, matched revs and even held a lower gear for some engine braking if you were on the brakes. I never did launch it though, it’s a hot hatch, not a dragster.
Alfa is good on the move away from traffic - the road into Thredbo for example the gearbox is wonderful! It’s the car park and slow traffic stuff it gets a bit clunky and jerky in.

The Fiat Powertrain Technologies transmission has a good reputation for robustness though apparently. No real common problems and the LUK supplied clutch units seem to do big miles if not abused. Fingers crossed :)
 

link1896

Mr Greenfield
Reminds me of my disappointing conversation with the ZF Australia service manager.

With all the ZF boxes here in Australia, ZF Australia does not have a mechatronics testing jig. They bin them.

Will try to find the video clip of the jig on the toob.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
  1. Mechatronics unit.
  2. Mechatronics unit.
I reckon the mechatronics unit will be next.
Now you've said that of course the clutch pack will fry itself.

The TCT (Fiat Powertrain Technologies speak for DSG) doesn't seem to have much of common failure point. There have been instances of mechatronic assembly replacements (our first one did, but just for an oil leak...) but it doesn't seem to be common.

The gearbox is a modified version of a pretty well refined existing manual gearbox, so had a headstart of knowing what was reliable i guess. The TCTs biggest issue for me is the software tries to be a bit too smart thats a problem with two drivers.

Its very rough on the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts if either of us has been driving it mostly - it learns a lot and is good at anticipating things for one driver style but will fudge the shifts until it relearns every time we swap driving. She drives it the most so i live with and drive more like her in a more chilled manner... Mostly.

On a road trip around Tassie with just me driving (fast) though it was epically good though.
 

Haakon

Keeps on digging
MkV golf gti DSG going strong with 200,000 on the taco.

Hifi can vouch for how smooth that car was.

I like golfs.
The wet clutch versions seem to be good. Getrag gave up on the dry clutches they were selling to Ford and Renault and converted to wet clutch designs.... (mind you, a lot of that was Ford writing dumb software that made them start off in second gear and slip the shit out of the clutch. Same unit in Renaults were reliable...).
 
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