Reconditioned Audi A3 1.4 TFSI Gearbox

A3 1.4 TFSI: 6-speed manual or DSG 7 – two transmissions that neither the year nor the engine code identifies in the same way

Between 2007 and 2016, the A3 fitted with the 1.4 TFSI could be paired with two radically different transmissions: a 6-speed manual gearbox or a DSG 7 dual-clutch. This is no trivial distinction when sourcing a part, as the two families are entirely incompatible with one another, and the engine alone is not enough to determine which applies: the engine code stamped on the block — CAXC, CMBA or CXSA — directly determines which gearbox was fitted as standard on the vehicle.

What the DSG 7 means technically on this engine

The DSG 7 paired with the 1.4 TFSI is a dry dual-clutch gearbox (DQ200). It is supplied with a new dual clutch but without the mechatronic unit: the mechatronic unit, a separate electrohydraulic component, is not included and must be dealt with independently. On this type of gearbox, the most common symptoms of wear — juddering during low-speed manoeuvres, hesitation when changing lower gears — are more often attributable to the mechatronic unit or the dual clutch than to the mechanical gearbox itself.

6-speed manual: identifying the correct reference

For the manual, the references featured in this collection (including KRG, NQK, RES, QSZ, QRM, PNB, PLF) are not all interchangeable: the registration year and the engine code remain the two selection criteria that must always be cross-referenced. A 1.4 TFSI from 2007 and one from 2013 do not necessarily share the same gearbox, even at identical power outputs.