Engine stalling on reverse (when cold)

[Carl0s]

So, here's the issue... Winter has come, and the temperature dropped to crispy -25c. If i start the car and try to reverse out of my parking spot, as soon i start to lift my foot from the brake it feels like the clutch is biting too much and the engine stalls. If i give it more throttle when it tries to stall everything works out just fine. After the first "clutch engagement" everything works just fine.

What could it be? Is the clutch pack going bad? Should i run the clutch adaption cycle? Or is it just that the oil in the clutch is too thick and binds? Kinda embarrassing to stall an automatic

Oh, and its a 2.0TDI with 7-speed dsg.

[Alabama]

Was the parking brake set?

[Carl0s]

Nope, the parking brake is not set... The vehicle starts "creep" backwards but when the clutch is engaging and "more" speed is gain it stalls. This morning i tested that when set to reverse, I press the brake hard and give it some gas, ~2000rpm you can feel that the car wants to go backwards but the brakes are holding it in place. After this, i let the engine drop to idle, release the brake and it creeps backwards normally... So my guess is that the oil in the clutch makes it stick too much. The real question is, is this normal or something that should be taken care of?

[2k16A6]

.... The real question is, is this normal or something that should be taken care of?

Absolutely not normal for the car to stall in reverse, cold weather or not. Hope someone can offer some suggestions on what it might be, but if it were me I’d be scheduling a visit to the dealer if under warranty or a good Indy shop if not. Good luck!

[sepheroth86]

Absolutely not normal for the car to stall in reverse, cold weather or not. Hope someone can offer some suggestions on what it might be, but if it were me I’d be scheduling a visit to the dealer if under warranty or a good Indy shop if not. Good luck!

Being that the OP is in Europe, doesn't that mean he likely has a DSG gearbox?

[2k16A6]

Being that the OP is in Europe, doesn't that mean he likely has a DSG gearbox?

Yes I believe he states that he has the dsg. I have little to no experience with a dsg however I'd be surprised if this is expected behavior. If it is then I'll gladly put my foot in my mouth but for now I'll stand by my comment that this is absolutely not normal.

[sepheroth86]

Yes I believe he states that he has the dsg. I have little to no experience with a dsg however I'd be surprised if this is expected behavior. If it is then I'll gladly put my foot in my mouth but for now I'll stand by my comment that this is absolutely not normal.

My guess is that maybe there is an issue with the gearbox (DSG) in this instance.

[2k16A6]

My guess is that maybe there is an issue with the gearbox (DSG) in this instance.

Not sure where I said anything to the contrary, or if in fact that you're suggesting I did. All I said was that it is absolutely not normal for the car to stall in reverse and it should be checked out. My guess was a gearbox issue as well, but when I said "hope someone can offer suggestions on what it might be" I meant specific issues not just that something isnt right.

Anywho, I think we're in agreement. Not normal. Likely a gearbox issue, dsg in the case of the OP.

[Spitfire007]

It's cold. Maybe let the whole thing warm for 5 minutes before setting off?
Maybe you already do...could be a quirk of really cold weather.


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[Alabama]

So, here's the issue... Winter has come, and the temperature dropped to crispy -25c. If i start the car and try to reverse out of my parking spot, as soon i start to lift my foot from the brake it feels like the clutch is biting too much and the engine stalls.

Would it be useful to back into your parking spot in the evening so in the morning when cold you are going into first gear on the other set of gears in the transmission and see what happens? Maybe help narrow down the possible causes? I don't know if an engine block heater would also heat the transmission.

[Carl0s]

It has webasto and it only heats the engine... And i've been using it ever since the temps went bellow 10c (i really dont like the cold)... I did a test yesterday, and if i don't use the aux heater, the clutch works fine - this made me wonder if it has something to do with transmission being cold and the engine being warm so it applies the clutch in a different manner...

[Alabama]

It has webasto and it only heats the engine... And i've been using it ever since the temps went bellow 10c (i really dont like the cold)... I did a test yesterday, and if i don't use the aux heater, the clutch works fine - this made me wonder if it has something to do with transmission being cold and the engine being warm so it applies the clutch in a different manner...

Good test! I wonder if the folk who wrote the original ECU/TCU software did not imagine that such a great temperature difference might occur. Maybe one of the AZ folk who do tuning will have technical insight. So maybe nothing is broken; it's just a programming oversight? However, as you need that block heater, hopefully someone can reassure you the situation won't damage the transmission. Apparently transmission heaters are discussed by operators of big trucks and tractors.