DQ250 Clutch Drum

If your VW GTI, Golf, Jetta, Passat, CC, Tiguan or Audi A3 or TT with the six-speed wet DSG shudders when you pull away, flares between gears, or keeps failing clutch adaptation, the worn part is usually the dual clutch pack. This listing is a used, good-condition clutch pack assembly for the 02E (DQ250) gearbox: the complete drum with both sets of clutch plates still installed, as shown in the photo. It is referenced to part numbers 02E141029J and 02E398029B. Buying a whole assembly instead of loose frictions means the plates, steels, pistons and carriers come as one matched unit, and you skip a clutch rebuild on the bench.

What the dual clutch pack does in a DQ250

A conventional automatic uses a torque converter and a set of drums that apply planetary gears. The DQ250 does neither. Volkswagen's Self-Study Program 308 explains that the 02E is built as two manual gearboxes sharing one case, each fed by its own oil-cooled multi-plate clutch. The dual mass flywheel drives the hub of this assembly. The outer clutch, K1, turns input shaft 1, which carries first, third, fifth and reverse. The inner clutch, K2, turns input shaft 2 for second, fourth and sixth. The mechatronic unit meters oil pressure to a piston behind each plate stack, and while one clutch carries the load the other is open with the next gear already selected. A shift is simply one clutch releasing as the other applies, so the condition of these plates decides how smooth every launch and gear change feels.

Symptoms of a worn DQ250 clutch pack

• Judder or vibration when moving off from a stop or creeping in traffic
• Revs rising without the car picking up speed, most noticeable on tuned or hard-driven cars
• Rough or slow shifts that affect only the odd gears or only the even gears, which points at one clutch
• Clutch adaptation that aborts or will not hold, with clutch-related faults stored in the transmission module
• Dark, burnt-smelling DSG oil, often found on cars that went past their fluid service interval

How to confirm before you buy

A DQ250 that misbehaves is not always a clutch case. The mechatronic unit, a pressure sensor or simply old oil can produce the same judder. Scan the transmission first with a VW-capable tool, check for mechatronic faults, and run the clutch adaptation with the oil at working temperature. If a fresh oil and filter service plus a clean adaptation do not cure the slip or shudder, the clutches are the likely cause. Our DQ250 mechatronic and clutch problems guide walks through separating the two, and the DSG line pressure testing guide covers checking that the hydraulic side can actually apply a good clutch.

Fitment

This assembly is for the six-speed wet DQ250, gearbox code 02E, used in 2004-up VW Golf, GTI, Jetta, Passat, CC, Eos and Tiguan and Audi A3 and TT. It does not fit the seven-speed dry DQ200 (0AM), the seven-speed DQ381 or DQ500, or the Audi DL501 (0B5). Volkswagen has used more than one part number for the 02E clutch pack, so read the number on your old pack and match it to 02E141029J or 02E398029B before ordering, or send us your year and VIN and we will check it for you. Later 02E cars, including the 2015-2020 S3 and Golf R, may use a different number; see our 2015-2020 DQ250 dual clutch pack if that is your car. Every DSG part we carry is on the DSG and S tronic collection page.

Install notes

• The clutch pack comes out from the engine side once the gearbox is off the car and the clutch cover and retaining ring are removed. A wet DSG dual-clutch remover and installer kit makes pulling and seating the pack far easier than prying.
• The old cover cannot be reused once it is removed, so order a new DQ250 clutch pack cover with this assembly.
• Refill with VW G 052 182 DSG oil. The 02E holds about 7.2 liters from dry, and the oil both cools the clutches and runs the hydraulics, so do not substitute a generic ATF.
• Replace the external filter and pan gasket at the same time with the 02E external filter and gasket kit.
• After installation, run the clutch adaptation with a VW-capable scan tool. The transmission module has to learn the new plates' engagement points or the shifts will feel harsh until it does.

Because this is a used assembly, inspect it before installation for scored drum surfaces, cracked plate tabs or heat discoloration. It carries the 1-year warranty shown on this page.

Is this a bare drum or the full clutch pack?

It is the full clutch pack assembly: the drum with both the K1 and K2 clutch plate stacks installed, as shown in the photo. It is used, not new or rebuilt.

Will it fit my DQ250 car?

It is listed for the six-speed wet 02E (DQ250) gearbox with part numbers 02E141029J and 02E398029B. Compare the number on your old pack, or send us your year and VIN and we will confirm fitment before it ships. It does not fit the DQ200, DQ381, DQ500 or DL501.

What else should I replace with the clutch pack?

Plan on a new clutch pack cover, because the old one is damaged on removal, plus a fresh external filter and pan gasket and a full fill of G 052 182 DSG oil. If the car had mechatronic faults, deal with those too or the new clutches will be under the same bad pressure control.

Do I need to do a clutch adaptation after installing it?

Yes. Run the clutch adaptation with a VW-capable scan tool and the oil at operating temperature. Without it the transmission module will still be using the old plates' engagement points and the shifts and take-offs can feel rough.

How do I know the clutches are the problem and not the mechatronic unit?

Scan the transmission for faults first, then service the oil and filter and run a clutch adaptation. Mechatronic faults, a pressure sensor problem or old oil can mimic clutch judder. If the judder or slip is still there after a clean adaptation, the clutch pack is the likely cause.

• VW/Audi DQ250 (02E) DSG Problems: Mechatronic, Clutches, and the Fluid Service That Prevents Them
• DSG Overheating: Why It Happens and How to Prevent It
• DSG Line Pressure Testing: Specs and Procedure