Drivetrain Swap??

[TOE_FAST]

Been reading a lot about these mechatronic failures and DSG problems and it got me to thinking ...people say to replace the mechatronic would cost 4k or more from the dealer...which could lead to the same issues down the road past the warrenty... how much would it cost to take out the DSG tranny and put in a conventional one?

Could it be done for less than 4k? this way you lose the DSG woes and go back to something more confidence inspiring!

Im personally happy with my DSG...but if it was a cheaper route than replacing the mechatronic, would get a manual tranny if mine broke!

Chime in anyone

 

[staulkor]

I have actually thought about this a lot. In theory it would be just like any other tranny swap. Nothing special about it. The only think you would have to do is tell the car it is a manual via vagcom. Im sure you can find a good tranny off a GTI/GLI thats been totalled from behind.

 

[BoostinGTIKid]

6mt>dsg

Now people are finally starting to realize!!

 

[TOE_FAST]

6mt>dsg

Now people are finally starting to realize!!

I knew it going in - I LOVE my DSG...it rules dude!

but...its pay to play, manual is just cheaper to maintain.

performance DSG>Manual
Cost savings Manual>DSG

 

[TOE_FAST]

I have actually thought about this a lot. In theory it would be just like any other tranny swap. Nothing special about it. The only think you would have to do is tell the car it is a manual via vagcom. Im sure you can find a good tranny off a GTI/GLI thats been totalled from behind.

Very curious to hear from the techs on the board - any idea of a ballpark cost for this swap, whats entailed in detail?

 

[staulkor]

No idea on what the cost would be. I never actually asked local shops, I was just thinking about it.

 

[GT0neX]

6mt>dsg

Now people are finally starting to realize!!

hah....you wish...there are just as many broken 6speeds as there are dsg issues...6spd is of course cheaper to maintain as its technology is of course primitive :middlefinger:

and in case somebody gets their finger up their arse, i'm playin with you all and am not starting another stupid dsg vs manual fight :lol:

 

[krazykracka]

it will never be cheaper to swap to a manual than it is just to fix the dsg im sure of that the mechatronic is eazy enuff to take out yourself if your me haha... id guess if u bought all the parts and payed someone to do the swap it would be prob 4000 in parts and 20 hrs + labor

 

[94OCTANE]

this will cost you alot of fuckin labor now these days with these dealers !

 

[utekineir]

Would be cheaper to trade now for a 6 speed.

My only real issue with longterm ownership of the dsg. Hopefully in 4+ years a mechatronics wont be 4k+ as it is used in more vehicles, and who knows maybe it will be able to be found secondhand/salvaged.

I would hate to have the the mechatronics shit the bed outside of warranty and essentially brick the whole vehicle. Its made me consider ditching my dsg gti for a 6mt on more than one occasion.

 

[Johnny]

if you have no problem giving up the fahrenheit, theres got to be a 6mt gti out there you could trade for.

 

[MoB$TER]

Would not do it!
Why not trade it in for a 6M/T if the DSG is worrying you??

 

[staulkor]

Because it is a little bit more special than a regular GTI. Not trying to say a Fahrenheit is superior or anything, but its a special color. I have thought about doing a tranny swap and if I had any other GTI, I would just return to stock and trade the car for a 6MT GTI. But you cant really do that with a Fahrenheit :/

Mechatronic units are expensive as balls and probably labor intensive too. Im pretty sure you have to pull the tranny to replace it and you will need to do a fluid change with it.

If you could source a 6MT for cheap, a swap may be a viable option if one's mechatronic unit blows up and you are no longer in warranty.

 

[Chris@RT]

but...its pay to play, manual is just cheaper to maintain.

Oddly the exact opposite argument was made when the DSG came out that you don't have to replace clutches and this and that making the DSG cheaper..

That being said while there are some posts reporting issues with DSGs and mechatronics units have been changed or whatever.. how many have you actually reading.. 2? 3? 5 at the most? There are THOUSANDS of them on the road.. a .000001% failure rate is not something to get worried about swapping your trans out for.

 

[TOE_FAST]

Oddly the exact opposite argument was made when the DSG came out that you don't have to replace clutches and this and that making the DSG cheaper..

That being said while there are some posts reporting issues with DSGs and mechatronics units have been changed or whatever.. how many have you actually reading.. 2? 3? 5 at the most? There are THOUSANDS of them on the road.. a .000001% failure rate is not something to get worried about swapping your trans out for.

Thats a good point! I agree and Im not worried about it personally, I maintain my vehicle and dont abuse it - I am about to cross the 50k mile threshhold and lose my warrenty and really not too concerned other than the normal worrying that occurs when you lose a warrenty thats on a vehicle with only a 50k mile warrenty.

My jeeps had 150k mile warrenties on them and i drove them to 189k miles before my engine was about to fail (traded it in on my durango at that point) even my durango had a 100k mile warrenty which lapsed 12k miles ago and it runs perfect.

My jeeps engine was about to blow a rod - but this was due to my pulling a trailer that was overloaded a majority of the jeeps life (beyond the jeeps towing capacity) and it still lasted almost 190k miles.

The GTI is a different animal - only 50k manufacturer warrenty means this thing wasnt built as a high mileage car ( at least not to VW engineers ) but I feel with solid and meticulous maintenance it can last well into the 100k mile territory incident free (even with DSG )

My question was merely to uncover the facts of cost and what is entailed to do the swap - not to incite another DSG Vs Manual debate