Getting Stuck In The Mud

sofakingwrong

Senior Member
T6 Pro
So spent day getting stuck in the mud on and off having to move around a field for a Christmas market event ... some of the times I got the van free by rocking the car back and forth D to R using the dsg box with the traction control off, to be honest never thought I’d get stuck so much putting to much faith in the fact it was a 4 motion (magic) is only ever owned 2wd manual boxes ........I have a 4motion lwb dsg 204 fitted with standard contivan tyres .. I know specialist tyres would of helped and in the end I needed pushing out the field.
Was wondering if any of the more experienced members with dsg boxes can share their methods for driving/getting stuck in the boggy muddy fields. Has anyone bought and used tracks do you lock it in a gear, etc.
 
When I first got my T6 (2wd) I went to a customer, who's job was in the field behind his house, with strict instructions to close the gate once I drove through. Well, I did open the gate, drove through a few feet past the gate, got out and closed it. The problem was I had a very slight hill. and by slight, it was pathetic, but my van wouldn't move. Stupidly i'd slid backwards far enough to not be able to open the gate, so I could back out. :cry:
I ended up spending an hour unbolting his huge metal gate, to remove it, back out, and then refit it.

The biggest issue I found was I couldn't switch off the traction control, meaning I just sat in one spot unable to move. The grass was a little wet yes, but the hill was only very slight, and I had no idea how bad i'd get stuck. Lesson learnt. DSG, and cruddy road tyres don't mix with anything remotely off road, and in that situation, I genuinely don't think 4motion would of been any better.

As for tracks and methods, @Loz has taken his across the surface of the Moon, and might shed some light on the correct ways to get un-stuck.
 
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Just for reference and others reading this you can use the hazard switch trick to temporarily disable traction, it will cancel itself when you start driving or turn the hazards back off but could help you move off in that circumstance
 
Just for reference and others reading this you can use the hazard switch trick to temporarily disable traction, it will cancel itself when you start driving or turn the hazards back off but could help you move off in that circumstance

Really, I had no idea you could do that.

Another school day on T6F :thumbsup:
 
Im not 100% from memory but think you have to turn hazards on then with the ignition on before starting press the throttle pedal 5 times, this should make the dash bong and traction will be disabled until you turn hazards off or go over a set speed (around 10mph I believe)
 
@Pauly didn’t know that useful bit of info @andys just ordered a set it’s gotta be better than bits carpet .. it’s kinda a wake up call cause I should know better and really get better all seasons tyres and back up kit ie tow ropes etc for pending winter doom that seems to stop the U.K.
 
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Im not 100% from memory but think you have to turn hazards on then with the ignition on before starting press the throttle pedal 5 times, this should make the dash bong and traction will be disabled until you turn hazards off or go over a set speed (around 10mph I believe)
So don't 2wd vans have the traction control switch on the dash to turn it off?,
because my 4mo. does
 
Only get that on 4mo until MY19 then it was introduced as an option on some maybe all models ?
 
Always use the diff lock with 4 motion. Pulling our 1.5 ton+ boat up a slippery steep clay ramp in littlehampton was never a problem.
In ski resorts in snow, even on ice, the diff lock would be the difference, obviously with m+s tyres
 
:cry:I didn’t pay the extra for diff lock .. lol
Been Googling how to use my dsg in snow mud etc.. not much found but it seems I cannot put my van dsg into manual and select second to pull away ...... there seems to mixed opinions on turning traction on or off some people say “Have you tried putting it into manual by pushing the gear stick to the right? It should pull itself out with the traction control with your foot off the throttle. Depending on the slope the anti-stall feature keeps the revs up a bit and traction control keeps the wheels gripping”
While others opinions are turn it off straight away .. I hold my hands up I haven’t got a clue even read my vw owners handbook
 
Yes stuck in the mud on three occasions in ours. We are only 2wd but on first occasion had to dig out and put gravel in front of wheels. 2nd and 3rd times slight slope on wet grass. Traction on t6 is not very good at the best of times but off road on grass, the slightest of slopes stop us.
We are a converted camper and now always park on mats on grass. The weight of van without mats, you can see van has visibly sunk into ground by morning.
 
:cry:I didn’t pay the extra for diff lock .. lol
Been Googling how to use my dsg in snow mud etc.. not much found but it seems I cannot put my van dsg into manual and select second to pull away ...... there seems to mixed opinions on turning traction on or off some people say “Have you tried putting it into manual by pushing the gear stick to the right? It should pull itself out with the traction control with your foot off the throttle. Depending on the slope the anti-stall feature keeps the revs up a bit and traction control keeps the wheels gripping”
While others opinions are turn it off straight away .. I hold my hands up I haven’t got a clue even read my vw owners handbook
Interesting..., in the old days ASR/ESP used to cause problems cutting the revs when moving off from standstill, in ice/mud you just couldn't get going sometimes.
Maybe VW (or Bosch) have improved the electronic stability programmes etc so that they automatically realise you have virtually no forward/reverse speed; and don't now cut the revs. Hence no need for the ASR/ESP/TC override button anymore????? I wonder
 
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Anyone got any recommendations for good grip mats that you can put under the tyres once you are stuck ?

Pete
 
Thanks. At that price I am tempted to get a set, and test them out. My concern is that so many of these seem so fragile !

Pete
 
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