Dual clutch gearboxes have been around for more than a decade now. It was first seen in mass production with the Volkswagen Golf in 2003. This type of automatic gearbox consists of two clutches which help provide instantaneous gear shifts in the blink of an eye. They are also much more fuel efficient than the regular torque convertor automatics and there is a lot less power loss while gear changes. In fact one of the advantages of Dual clutch automatics is that there is zero loss of torque during gearshifts giving seamless power delivery.
All good things also have a negative side to it. The dual clutch automatic gearboxes operate differently from the regular autoboxes that we are so used to, and hence extra care is needed during everyday use.
In India, car companies like Ford and Volkswagen offers a dual clutch automatic on their affordable value offerings, which makes this bit of info all the more important. Ford calls its dual clutch autobox as “PowerShift” and is offered on the Figo hatchback and Aspire sedan while Volkswagen calls them “DSG” which stands for “Direct Shift Gearbox” and is offered on its entire range including the recently launched Ameo sedan. This article will take you through the various things you must avoid doing on this type of an automatic.
The first thing to notice here is that these types of gearboxes do not consist of a torque convertor. So unlike the regular automatic, you need not put the car in neutral when you come to a stop. In a dual clutch set up the clutch automatically disengages itself from the gearbox to prevent unnecessary wear and heat. Also whenever you brake the car at low speeds the clutch disengages itself automatically so there is no need to shift to neutral whatsoever. This obviously is controlled by the electronics and micro computers.
Also whenever you come to a stop on an incline, you should never take your foot off the brake. In a normal autobox, the torque convertor spins with the engine and hence does not cause as much wear. In the case of a dual clutch automatic, in order to hold you in place on a slope, the clutch is constantly engaged which in turn generates a lot of heat and wears off the clutch. This happens more often with a dry dual clutch gearbox rather than a wet dual clutch gearbox, which can at least dissipate some of the heat via the fluids. So next time in case you are on a slope, make sure you hold your brakes, so that the clutch can completely disengage itself and avoid wear.
The above scenario can also occur if you are moving in slow moving traffic. Say you are inching slowly in traffic, in case of a normal gearbox, its completely fine. But a dual clutch gearbox, there is wear since you are not completely engaging the first gear and hence putting pressure on the clutch plate. This also explains the sudden jerk you sometimes notice with this variety of gearboxes.
The next precaution you must take is that you should never downshift when you are accelerating or upshift when you are braking. This is due to the basic nature of dual clutch gearboxes. Say you are in third and you brake, the gearbox automatically preselects 2nd gear, and in case you upshift to 4th, there will be a delay in gear changes. Similarly, vice versa, if you are accelerating and you downshift to 2nd, instead of going up to 4th gear, there will be that momentary delay. This is more of logic than a precaution and this routine should be followed if you want to improve the life of your gearbox.
So its necessary to learn the basics of how a dual clutch transmission works. Yes, manufacturers these days have come a long way in refining that experience with even more smoother and slicker gear changes. They also beef up the clutch plates and all the other mechanicals that might undergo wear during the above mentioned situations but hey, going the extra mile to protect your car wont cost you any moolah, right? So if you own a car equipped with a dual clutch automatic, no need to panic, there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s just that you need to learn how to use them efficiently on a daily basis. The fact remains that dual clutch automatics are still the most fun to drive, and that goes without a doubt.
