DSG manual gear change direction

Mar 26, 2021
6
1
Hello All.

I’m a new owner of a 2019 FR ST 2.0 TSI. Like the car a lot but find one aspect a little annoying. The gear stick needs to be moved forward to change up gear and backward to change down.

I find this very counterintuitive and the opposite to cars I’ve owned in the past. My car doesn’t have the paddles unfortunately so I need to use the stick if I want to drive manually, which I enjoy doing.

Is there anyway to reverse the direction, via coding or some other software or hardware change?

From what I’ve read, a paddle shift retrofit is not easy or cheap so I figure this might be an easier fix for me.

Many thanks!


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BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Sell car buy manual

i have an auto and have never used the up/down shifter or the steering wheel paddles.

they are more for show and offer zero driving experience to the user.

i use D and when i want to overtake i stick it into S, then once i have passed the cars infront i stick it back in D
 
Mar 26, 2021
6
1
Sell car buy manual

i have an auto and have never used the up/down shifter or the steering wheel paddles.

they are more for show and offer zero driving experience to the user.

i use D and when i want to overtake i stick it into S, then once i have passed the cars infront i stick it back in D

Yep, I have heard this a lot (i.e. stick it in sport mode and is better than manual shifting) and it was part of the reason I decided to get the car even though it didn’t have the paddles. I also never used the paddles on my previous car that had them, a golf 2.0 diesel.

Sport mode is nice but I’ve realised that, in this car, I really like choosing what gear I’m in, in certain situations. I find the auto modes don’t quite hold the gears for as long I would like, or always select the gear I want, and I do enjoy changing myself in certain conditions.

Auto was a requirement as lots of city driving and the wife really prefers an auto. I’m sure I’ll learn to get used to this new direction, but I really used to get pleasure from flicking the stick forward and feeling the downshift, I do find myself really missing it!


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Walone

Active Member
Feb 10, 2016
1,538
421
Near Heathrow
Hello All

From what I’ve read, a paddle shift retrofit is not easy or cheap so I figure this might be an easier fix for me.

Many thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you can find a second hand FR steering with the paddles it should be a straight swap with no coding required, bearing in mind precautions to be taken with the Airbag unit.
 

BigJase88

Jase
Apr 20, 2008
3,767
1,069
Yep, I have heard this a lot (i.e. stick it in sport mode and is better than manual shifting) and it was part of the reason I decided to get the car even though it didn’t have the paddles. I also never used the paddles on my previous car that had them, a golf 2.0 diesel.

Sport mode is nice but I’ve realised that, in this car, I really like choosing what gear I’m in, in certain situations. I find the auto modes don’t quite hold the gears for as long I would like, or always select the gear I want, and I do enjoy changing myself in certain conditions.

Auto was a requirement as lots of city driving and the wife really prefers an auto. I’m sure I’ll learn to get used to this new direction, but I really used to get pleasure from flicking the stick forward and feeling the downshift, I do find myself really missing it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Unfortunately manuals are a dying breed

last year was the 1st time auto’s outsold manuals in the UK, 51% of sales were auto.

electric cars are all auto’s you see, so if the future is electric then the future is also automatic
 
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Reactions: daniel_ley
Mar 26, 2021
6
1
If you can find a second hand FR steering with the paddles it should be a straight swap with no coding required, bearing in mind precautions to be taken with the Airbag unit.

That’s interesting, that sounds like the paddle fit is potentially feasible at reasonable cost if I can source the steering wheel. Thanks for that, might look into that a bit more.

Otherwise, I’m hoping it’s possible to switch the gear up/gear down directions on the gear stick, that would go some way to making me happier.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

SRGTD

Active Member
May 26, 2014
2,388
1,279
@Cardriver88; my current VW is my first with DSG and I agree that moving the DSG shifter forward to change up and backward to change down seems counterintuitive.

I’ve got the steering wheel mounted flappy paddles in my car and I use those to drop a great or two if the need arises rather than use the DSG shifter. I didn’t think I’d use the paddles, but it’s my preferred method of manually changing gear as and when the DSG isn’t doing what I want it to.
 

andylong

Active Member
Jan 21, 2021
488
1
125
I'm presuming it's just a switch attached to the gearstick. Can't you just change the cabling for the switches? Have the up shift cable become the down shift cable?
Neutral and reverse would be up instead of down ofcourse.

For me up for changing up seems natural, but we get used to however things are arranged after a time so changes cause us problems
 

Damo H

Remind me, what's an indicator?
Staff member
Moderator
Oct 3, 2012
4,710
2,804
Car Length In Front
Sell car buy manual

i have an auto and have never used the up/down shifter or the steering wheel paddles.

they are more for show and offer zero driving experience to the user.

i use D and when i want to overtake i stick it into S, then once i have passed the cars infront i stick it back in D
Odd as I find that I do use it and I have paddles.

So D normal driving.

S for the odd occasion to pull out of junctions.

S then across for manual to use paddles for a bit of occasional speed.

But when I really want to have a proper go, I find myself in Sport Manual and using the stick. Admittedly this is probably a once a month thing, but still I enjoy it more.

Probably just me.
 
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Butty

Active Member
Sep 7, 2018
156
46
SPORT/MANUAL/FLAPS all the time for me. It was a habit acquired from an A45 AMG.
It's my substitute for stirring a manual box but keeping both hands on the steering wheel.
The auto change up if revs drop too low is a nice feature to avoid being too busy with flaps.
 

Walone

Active Member
Feb 10, 2016
1,538
421
Near Heathrow
That’s interesting, that sounds like the paddle fit is potentially feasible at reasonable cost if I can source the steering wheel. Thanks for that, might look into that a bit more.

Otherwise, I’m hoping it’s possible to switch the gear up/gear down directions on the gear stick, that would go some way to making me happier.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
If you have VC try to get a wheel with the 'View' button, if not, I think you can change the buttons over from your wheel to the 'new' one.

Sorry, a correction! I think, but I'm NOT sure, that you can't swap the buttons over due to the wiring on a non-paddle wheel being different to the wheel with the paddles, so if you do have a VC and a wheel with the 'View' button then you will need to get a 'Paddle' wheel with the View button.
 
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