kid543

So I have had my c250 since November, and figured by now the ECU would learn and perform better but this transmission just does a horrible job of shifting outside of the "sport mode" and unfortunately it doesn't stay in sport mode when you turn the car off. Anyone else feeling frustrated or it just me.

I haven't yet called to see if there are any TSBs out there to reprogram.

silversx

Hate E. but S pretty good. Pain in *** to change every time car starts.

until the end

I dont like it on my c350 2009 and didnt like it on any mercedes whay thay didnt use somthing like the DSG smooth and fast

RLE

DSG (invented by Porsche) is an entirely different transmission and much more costly. You can get it in some high MB models.

until the end

Yap thats right but thay use it in the A4 and golf and jeta whay we didnt see it in the c class ??

Glyn M Ruck

The transmission does hunt around in lower power, lower torque applications. As many motoring scribes have commented it needs a map between S & E. Indeed!!!

I drove a new SLK M271 Evo the other day & found it irritating until you sort of drive around it. Expect new mappings in the future.

Carsy

Five Speeds Rule

Sorry Glyn

Too many ATM gears can be detrimental to driveability . I see that there are some 8 speeds out there now.

IMHO the six speed seems to be a good compromise. The 508 2 L diesel Peugeot with the 6 box recieves good reviews.

Sportstick

3 pedals rule!!

No hunting nor hesitation here!

Glyn M Ruck

I drive mine as a 6 speed JC i.e. in comfort mode & we are happy with one another.

There is nothing wrong with the 722.6 especially without economy mapping.

Try driving a Lexus 8 speed - awful!

Glyn M Ruck

Yeah!

Sorry Sportstick. I can't live with clunky Benz manual boxes even in their latest form. The time will come that hesitation will be necessary from 1st to 2nd if you don't want to beat the synchro.

Sportstick

True, not the slickest game in town, but the rest of the car is pleasing enough to offset it for me. So far, synchos are holding, but thanks for the heads-up...by then, I may be looking at the upcoming 2013 CLC (which even we lowly Americans are supposed to get with a manual as standard equipment) or wandered over to the new 3 series with the N20 engine to still have a three pedal sedan.

Glyn M Ruck

I'm sure you drive in a fashion that will preserve the synchro. You clearly understand what you are doing.

Sportstick

Thank you for that! Perhaps you can persuade my wife! .......

Stevedotmil

I'm not a fan either. I had a C250 loaner the other day and it was annoying to say the least. I had a great experience with the Sportronic in the Z4 I had. It was 6 speed. It didn't auto shift for you in Sport mode either which was nice if you are trying to hold an RPM through a turn on a track. I have the 6 speed manual and it's nice. Clunky and squishy at the same time, but nice to have. Not searching for the correct pedal position to avoid unwanted shifts. I forsee new shifter improvements for the Mercedes 6 speed manual coming in the next year from a company I have bought from before. They make really quality stuff. http://www.twmperformance.com/

I have been pestering them for almost a year to make the only shifter option for our cars. I took pictures, sent them measurements, and now I think they are in development from the email I recieved from them the other day. I was trying to get them to make a replacement shifter, short shifter, solid bushings option for us. They have some really sweet weighted knobs too. Sorry to sort of highjack your thread.

Sportstick

Don't give up!! This would be great!

Stevedotmil

It's looking better than it was last year when I bought my car and there was nothing but OEM and Brabus so I hope it works out.

MBRedux

DCT's (or dual clutch transmissions) or as VAG likes to call them, DSG, for Direct Shift Gearbox are notoriously failing in HUGE numbers. Thousands have developed serious and in some cases dangerous issues with failing Mechatronics Modules requiring weeks if not months of down time. In some cases complete transmission replacement has been performed without resolve. The car will lurch, jump, or in some severe cases fail to engage or accelerate on roads and/or highways. There were also hundreds of DSG's that had faulty sensors causing the car to stop, even in the middle of the road or freeway as the dash would flash. It was coined "the flash of death" by owners.

The tranny was designed and licensed to VW (and Nissan) by a USA corporate giant named Borg-Warner. Only problem, they made it on the cheap. The 2nd generation DSG hopefully will not suffer from these issues. We who own DSG equipped cars don't refer to them as the , Don't Shift Good transmission for nothing.

Bottom line: No you don't want this tranny in your car.

Glyn M Ruck

Redux & I certainly agree in the case of the VAG DSG crap. The Porsche PDK is far better implemented.

The 722.9 7 GTronic Plus it is mapped for maximum economy. It is in such a hurry to get into top gear that it will sometimes lug the engine. Then you apply gentle throttle to get out of the lugging situation & it suddently changes down multiple gears & want's to take off like a scalded cat. Not great for driving in traffic. We need a map that holds all gears a little longer & less sensitive multi gear kickdown.

qaz393

i dont think DSG or dual clutch transmission were invented by VW group. Also, the only car with dual clutch that mb has are the sls coupe and roadster....

jctevere

I find it helps to put the car into the TouchShift function, and tell it that it is only a 6-speed transmission. That is, only let it automatically choose between 1-6 (unless on highway). I find it is much more responsive in this manner.

But I agree, the stock E mode is junk, unless doing 100% highway driving. And the sport mode is very good. Apparently in 2013 benz is coming out with new stock mapping. "E/S/M" Hopefully the results will be much better.

C300BLK

I also do not like the 7 speed in my c300 sport. Even in s, it fails to shift quickly and sometimes kicks unexpectedly.

kevink2

Seems like a simple mod to make sport-mode the only player, since it's a selected function.

A bit back, I tried the VW turbo Jetta automatic, and was bothered by the often confused transmission. As I posted before, when you are controlling a turbo that wants to blow-up unless controlled, and an engine, and an Automatic trans, it's much more difficult vs using a NA engine ... it's one less controlled function.

For the C250, unless you put-put around, the driver needs to learn how to anticipate what is needed and how to make that happen with the happy pedal.

I did try the DSG, with high hopes, and unless you are using it as a manual trans, the automatic mode seemed awkward.

.

kevink2

Yup, as delivered map is to get through the EPA dyno run for city and street with max mpg's. I think that's why they had to let it default to the eco mode at start-up.

If you have to crawl around in plug flow traffic, to and fro work, it helps to reset the gas pedal, no? If you drive hard for a week, it seems to up the shift points, but is that just in sport mode?

.

kevink2

I think that could be helped by the SprintBooster, as it takes the very non-linear gas pedal output signal and mostly makes it linear (and more responsive to foot inputs).

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MBRedux

Yup, the dual clutch tranny in my GT-R was licensed to Nissan by Borg-Warner, the same company that licenses the cheaper designed DSG to VW-AG. The difference in manufacturing build-cost is approx. $5K between the two. At launch, both initially had issues with the solenoid controlled hydraulics, dual mass clutch packs and actuator arms, not to mention severe issues with map programming, small teflon coated spacers and failing temperature sensors. Nissan has thrown lots of money at this and now has a very reliable tranny as of this date. On the other hand VW is still having major issues.

The infamous DSG Mechatronics Module....