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Discussion Starter · #1 ·
It would be nice for the MFI display to have a feature that instantly told you what gear you were in. I have a 2010 TDI Golf with a six speed manual transmission. I didn't see such a feature. I'm not missing it am I?
 

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Well I asked about this feature as its supposed to be available on all 2010 Golfs but last year the dealer says it can't be enabled. I read a post on another forum where someone asked the dealer about this feature and they rang VW technical and they said there was a software update for the ecu to enable this.

Buck
 

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Discussion Starter · #6 ·
I read a post on another forum where someone asked the dealer about this feature and they rang VW technical and they said there was a software update for the ecu to enable this.Buck
It sure would be nice if our 2010 Golf TDI could receive a software update to activate this feature. Maybe someone else has had this come up with a dealer or knows something about it.
 

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Well I'm not that bothered really its just that 2010 Golfs are advertised to have this but mine doesn't. I may call around the dealers some time to ask about this again. You don't need an indicator to tell you what gear you should be in do you?
 

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Discussion Starter · #8 ·
Well I'm not that bothered really its just that 2010 Golfs are advertised to have this but mine doesn't. I may call around the dealers some time to ask about this again. You don't need an indicator to tell you what gear you should be in do you?
Not really of course. But, and maybe it's just a function of me getting older, six gears is a lot to (always) keep up with in your mind. I was thinking about riding a motorcycle, also six speeds, and as you may know there is typically an indicator you can look down at on the display and it will instantly tell you what gear you are in just in case your mind wanders a little bit while you are riding. Of course, you don't have the visual reference of the gearshift knob you have in a car but on the other hand it's not that obvious which gear you are in at the moment in the Golf (visually). The other day I pulled up to a stop light, downshifted into first (or so I thought) and when I went to pull away I was in third. With the tendency to stall, you know the outcome. What made me think about this was had there been a gear indicator in the MFI I would have seen that I was in third instead of first. That is the primary reason I think this feature might be helpful. I have two young teenagers, one who is learning how to drive now, and once they get the hang of an auto (another car) I will teach them how to drive the 6M. I would consider myself and expert pilot, and it's not hard to stall the Golf TDI until you get the hang of it. A gear indicator might be helpful with a learner driver IMO.
 

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Yeah but it isn't second nature to look at the indicator. In fact, the only time I actually see the indicator is occasionally when it's telling me I should shift to the next gear for fuel economy, and the recommended shift points are WAY lower than the numbers that get thrown around here, especially for the "I only use 6th gear for going 65+ on the highway" types that frequent here and TDIClub. Expect to see a shift recommendation for 6th at around 41 MPH on a flat.
 

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Yes my last bike Suzuki GS750 had a digital gear indicator in the instruments but that was only a 5 speed. My Yamaha RD350 was 6 speed but that didn't need one. The thing is with motorcycles is you can't drop from 6th to 1st in one click you have to go down through each other gear first.

Yes they will always tell you to change up earlier than normal just for economy fujii13.
 

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Discussion Starter · #11 ·
Yeah but it isn't second nature to look at the indicator. QUOTE]

I've gotten in the habit of setting my MFI on the instant MPG display, and most of the time try to maxamize fuel economy (I'm consistently getting 40 MPG which is basically driving around town although a fair amount of my driving is in 45 MPH zones without many red lights or stop signs). So I will upshift to try and keep the MPG display in a higher range. I've found it easy to see the display.
 

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I want into the dealers yesterday to get a litre of oil. I'm just coming to the end of the litre they gave me when I picked it up so 8.5k per litre isn't bad.

Anyway while I was there is asked them about this digital gear indicator again that they say they can't fix because it must be an old MFD. I said I've asked this question on a few forums and the replies back. "My Nov 2009 Golf has this".
Buck said:
Garage rang today and told me that the gear change display can be done (theyd drawn a nlank yesterday and had to ring VW technical!) but will need a software update (ECU)
jamojdm said:
It might be something to do with an ecu update?

My old 2009 golf gt tsi went in with engine probs and had the ecu updated. When I got it back there was the gear change info on the highline display.
Quoted from another forum.

I asked if they is now an update available and he search through the computer and said no but I will go and have a word with the chief tech. He said no it was only fitted to the BlueMotion. He showed me all the options fitted to my car via the VIN number and there was nothing listed. I said replies on the forum say they asked their dealer about this option and they phoned Milton Keynes and there was a software update for this and as jamojdm says he took his in and when it came out he had this option. I just VW Stoke are a bunch of tossers.

While I was there I said I'm still not happy with the clutch pedal pulsating, show me another car that does the same if you say its common to that model. We found a new GTD in the lot and that did it very slightly but not as much as mine. The new GTD I tested last your didn't do it at all.
 

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[EDIT]

While the gear indicator can be useful, it won't necessarily cure instances like the one you described about pulling away in a wrong gear. The indicator goes blank and stays blank if there's any travel in the 3rd pedal for over a couple seconds. So if you are stopped at a light, the indicator will be blank unless the light changes just as soon as you get there in gear.

The indicator displays the gear you are/were in for a little over a second after disengaging the clutch.

Only when your foot is completely off the clutch pedal, will the indicator display your current gear (or shift suggestion). So in the instance you described of pulling away from a stop, the indicator wouldn't help since your foot would be on the clutch for duration greater than a few seconds.

Personally, I rely more on muscle memory and the feel of the relative shifter position in my hand.
 

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I should also note, that the reason for the gear indicator behavior is because how the computer determines the current gear selection. It is not done through any additional sensors, but rather through comparing the engine rpm vs vehicle speed. So when the clutch pedal is depressed and there is clutch slip/disengagement, there is no longer a correlation between the engine rpm and the wheel speed. Therefore, the display goes blank when you touch the clutch pedal.
 

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So do you have this on yours?

You can show your fuelly without the link but not in your signature strangely.

 

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Yes, I have it on my 2011.

I also corrected my post above. The indicator does hold the display of the gear you were in for about a second or so when you depress the clutch pedal. I never noticed it before until yesterday...
 

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I dunno... my shift indicator does strange things. I wish I can turn it off. I need to double check, but sometimes when I'm in a lower gear, say 3rd, it's indicating an up arrow with a 5 or 6. It fluctuates/blinks too much every time I glance at it. I'm still getting used to all the electronics. It's the first car I have owned with power windows, etc... what an upgrade!

BTW, this car shifts so smooth with a light clutch, that it doesn't even seem like I'm driving a MT.

--Ryan
 

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Well I was at the dealers for an hour this morning and they now have enabled the digital gear indicator. I said if anyone else asks about this you know what to do. They said we still have to follow the VW procedure but we now know it can be done.

Ok trying this function on the 10 mile trip back from the dealer it obviously points up to the next gear most of the time. Now if you maul it in 5th at 1000rpm it doesn't indicate the down arrow to 4th unless you are on the overun? It does show 1st gear unless you travel in 1st for a while? It disappears when you dip the clutch to change gear which I suppose is the norm. It won't increase any fuel con because I know which gear it should be in. It shows the dot . and the gear if its ok it's just a novelty factor. Obviously the clock moves over to accommodate this novelty feature so does that leave enough room for the compass feature if you have satnav?

We all now know it can be enabled its anyone wants it on their MY2010 GTD so don't take any :BS of the dealer?
 
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