[Robbie86]

Hello,

I am in Los Angeles and considering buying a 2020 Elantra GT N Line with the dual clutch because of the added safety features and tech. I know I can't drive a DCT like a normal automatic. I realize driving it like a manual transmission would help wear and tear and potential overheating issues with the DCT. But has anyone done a lot of city stop and go driving with their GT N Line DCT? And if so, how is it working out? Los Angeles has some big hills that get stop and go traffic and wondering if this would be **** on the DCT, even if I used the auto brake hold and did not creep at slow speeds in traffic. Anyone who has driven in Los Angeles knows there are times when every driver needs to jump out into fast oncoming traffic fast. Making really fast left turns with oncoming traffic is a perfect example of this. Is the GT N Line DCT capable of doing this?

Thanks

 

[RussianBear365]

You could; it sucks, but you just gotta make sure you get up above 5mph every time you move forward. It really really sucks, especially after 5-10 minutes of it. I had to endure about 30 minutes of stop and go, and even throwing it into manual mode wasn't helping enough. I can assume my axles started clicking, and I could feel it not wanting to move after it got hot enough. (I need to get my adaptive values reset) I don't live in LA, and my morning commute is usually like 10 minutes, however there are times in the Bay Area, where traffic can just get outrageous, due to some dumb ass or construction. (Petaluma is always under construction now that they're attempting to make it a 3 lane highway) DCTs are nice and efficient, but not the best for traffic. To reiterate, it sucks.

 

[miluardo]

I had no idea DCTs were such a hassle. I've never actually driven one.

I drive my 6 speed manual N-Line for an hour everyday in bumper to bumper Toronto traffic though and I don't have any issues.

The one exception being bumper-to-bumper <5km/h on an incline -- that's when my clutch suffers.

 

[RussianBear365]

They're not a hassle when you're on them. They're not a hassle when you're in sport mode & in manual shift mode. However, since the dual clutch pack is in an enclosed case, with little to no air flow to cool the clutches. They get hot and start to slip, but only after extended use (lots of stop & go). When they get to that point however. There is a warning chime and screen that shows up to pull over and let them cool down. They also like to "Judder" or "Shudder" if you're not hard on the accelerator, or if you're creeping, and that is the main issue that people complain about, because the're used to a conventional automatic.

My Dealership has 12+ Tuscon DCT Clutch Replacement jobs to do.

 

[Robbie86]

@RussianBear365 How many times have you had to pull over to cool down because of clutch overheating since you bought your GT N Line DTC? And over what period of time? I'm trying to calculate the quanitive nature of "suck". Because down here in Los Angeles, I'm in stop and go traffic everyday. And it's often when the temperature outside is over 90 degrees. And there are hills in the mix as well. But thanks for all who responded, I appreciate any thoughts by people who have driven the GT N Line with the DCT. Or the 7 speed DCT mated to this 1.6 engine in any other Hyundai vehicle.

 

[RussianBear365]

@Robbie86

I haven't yet. (Sorry, I accidentally turned off notifications to my email and haven't been on the forum) If you leave space and get up to that 5 mph every time you should be fine, and if you don't get to the 5 mph. It shouldn't be a big issue. As long as you're not creeping a whole bunch you should be golden. If you do, or if your trans starts slipping or "juddering" take it in, since the DCT is sealed and no outside influences are acting upon it, the Clutches & DCT are under the Powertrain Warranty.

 

[Exeno]

I thought this looked familiar, lol, cross-posted to another Hyundai forum.



Though for this particular thread... let's keep in mind that you hear about DCT failures and problems on Tucsons... but not on any other vehicle. And most of that was resolved through ECU reprogramming. Thing is with a DCT, and any vehicle with an actual clutch disc... once you start roasting and overheating it a few times, it's toast. No matter how much reprogramming you have to do, once you're starting to burn it up, it'll slip more and more until it's just done. So whole-unit replacements are for those who already are having problems. There's inherent cons about dry-clutch setups, but there's also debate regarding the fact that the Tucscon weighs a couple hundred pounds more than even the heaviest Elantra GT. The earlier DCT in the Velosters (the original 6-DCT for example) all the way back as far as 2012, had driveability issues and frustrations, but not a ton of outright failures. Or I highly doubt Hyundai would continue making DCTs.



Most people who are relatively experienced and don't beat on their cars, can run their vehicles up and past 150k on the original clutch. Of all the manual trans vehicles I've owned, I only nearly killed one clutch. And that was my second car, bought used with 45K miles, and was what I learned to drive a manual trans with. The original owner said it's only the second manual trans vehicle he's ever owned. I sold it with a slipping clutch, but it would still hold if I didn't rev it past 3K or so. I had nearly 90K when I sold it in the mid-90s. Pretty good for having two amateur owners.



Again, if it's going to worry you, then don't bother buying one. Buy the 6-speed manual, or just go with a different vehicle entirely without a DCT (though Honda's oil dilution issues in their Earth Dreams engines, and all-over-the-place reliability of CVTs, especially with Nissans, gives one pause as well)

 

[elantracityDave1$]

Couple of tips.
Do not "creep" by using brake pressure to modulate the speed. Especially do not do this on hills.
Stop completely, let a space open up, accelerate to the appropriate distance to the car in front of you, stop completely.
Use of the auto hold feature will help you do these things without too much thinking required.