Gear shift problem

[Kazz]

I inadvertently bumped myself into Neutral yesterday in traffic. Quite disconcerting along with the embarrassing rev of the engine.

 

[Rango]

I agree that it usually happens when you doing things quickly but to me that's not good enough. If my old mechanical shifter in a Toyota let me change from reverse to drive in one quick movement ( and by quick I'm not talking about aggressively slamming it) then a latest technology drive by wire system should work at least as quickly and it doesn't. Going from reverse to drive cant be one movement, it's like it needs to be done in two steady steps, first into neutral then into drive and pause before you let you. This is supposed to be a performance car, not a truck

Reverse to drive IS one easy movement. Look at my video posted above. I love the DBW. Can't get any easier.

 

[ScottE]

It is one easy movement most of the time, but I've also had the issue where it only goes into N and it takes a second for me to notice and get it into D. It's rare, but almost always happens at the worst time, like when backing out of a space when someone is waiting so I'm trying to be fast. I suspect it's my fault in timing of brake and shifter in some subtle way.

 

[eljay]

It is one easy movement most of the time, but I've also had the issue where it only goes into N and it takes a second for me to notice and get it into D. It's rare, but almost always happens at the worst time, like when backing out of a space when someone is waiting so I'm trying to be fast. I suspect it's my fault in timing of brake and shifter in some subtle way.

I was assuming it was my fault, too, and hadn't noticed the problem for a few weeks, but this past Sunday it went into N twice when I was shifting from R to D, both times being mindful (I thought). Of course, it won't do it tomorrow when I'm at the dealership for routine service, right? But I'll point it out to them nonetheless, especially in light of @midlife crazy's entry that seems to indicate this might, at least in some cases, be a real problem requiring repair or replacement.

 

[midlife crazy]

It took 2.5 weeks to replace my transmission. It has to be removed with the engine. The tech had not done this before. Only 10 hours allocated for this per the hourly charge rate for the job. New transmission is better.

 

[Kazz]

Good to know!

 

[Tazztattoo]

It took 2.5 weeks to replace my transmission. It has to be removed with the engine. The tech had not done this before. Only 10 hours allocated for this per the hourly charge rate for the job. New transmission is better.

Now that you have had the new transmission for nearly a year has there been any further problems since it was replaced?

Thanks

 

[Tazztattoo]

OK, so I had my car in for service today and requested that I demonstrate the gear selector fault to the dealer so they couldn't fob me off with the "we couldn't replicate the fault"" line.

To prove that the problem with my car is a fussy pull by wire mechanism and not my driving technique with the car remaining stationary with my foot on the brake at all times (also to dispel any suggestion I am trying to change gears while the car is still rolling) I did this demonstration test (see the video here).

We did the same test in the dealers showroom car and it did not have the problem of dropping back into NEUTRAL by itself any time you select DRIVE so regardless of how many times we selected DRIVE it stayed in DRIVE on the dealers car where my car intermittently popped in to NEUTRAL as you can see in the video.

With owners world wide reporting the problem I expect that this is a fault Kia is now aware of and has resolved with MY19 production hence my early production MY18 now needs the modified shifter as it has presented this issue since brand new.

Are there any MY19 owners out there with this problem?

If you are experiencing it and gave up on a fix putting it down to your gear changing technique then run the stationary test like this and see what happens? You can see in the video there is no need to be fast or aggressive with the shifter again proving its temperamental nature and not an operator error.

My dealer who was very helpful today is now talking to Kia Corporate having agreed there is a problem. Let's see what happens next?

 

[AV8R]

Forgive my misunderstanding but why would you need to keep dropping the car into drive when it’s in drive?

 

[Tazztattoo]

Forgive my misunderstanding but why would you need to keep dropping the car into drive when it’s in drive?

Hi AV8R,

I can understand for anyone not actually experiencing the problem the theory behind the video test method may not make sense at first as you are absolutely correct in saying that there is no need in normal driving conditions to select drive multiple times.

The stationary and repetitive nature of the test was for the purpose of demonstrating that firstly the fault is intermittent and secondly to highlight that the selector defaulting back to neutral when actually attempting to select drive was not related to the car moving at the time of selection which is an erroneous theory that has been offered to me previously.

Sometimes when actually on the road and selecting drive I get drive and other times when selecting drive I get neutral. Most often this would be when making a 3 point turn without realising I've ended up in neutral so I go to take off and end up revving the engine going nowhere and usually holding up traffic at the same time which is not much fun.

The car has been amazing but a solution to this one niggling issue since the day I bought it has now eluded me for 18 months so hopefully having the dealer on board with now follow through to a fix.

 

[Legendsk]

On my GT2 I've had an occasional problem with giving it a bit of gas to start moving (happens with both R & D) and the engine revs because it's still in Park or sometimes in N. I have just assumed it's my fault not quite properly hitting the unlock button or a timing issue of hitting it too soon, releasing too soon or . . . . I have just slowed down a little and look at the LCD to insure I am in the gear I want before I try to move and haven't had it happen in a long time now.

 

[turboAWD]

I think I remember someone else having a similar issue, and they found they were letting the lever "snap back" into place after selecting drive, and the spring is too strong, and it actually whipped all the way back to activate the neutral contact on the front side sometimes..

 

[eljay]

I've had mine for 18 months, and agree with Legendsk that it happens both when shifting to R and D. Mine appears to be unrelated to any "snap back" issue, as turboAWD suggests. It happens rarely, and usually it's when I back out of my garage or a parking slot, or again when I shift into D to continue down the driveway or garage lane. I've been attentive from the start about making sure I'm firmly on the brake, so thanks, Tazztattoo, for the video that gave me renewed faith that I'm not just being careless. I'm sure it has to do with our build dates.

 

[AV8R]

Hi AV8R,

I can understand for anyone not actually experiencing the problem the theory behind the video test method may not make sense at first as you are absolutely correct in saying that there is no need in normal driving conditions to select drive multiple times.

The stationary and repetitive nature of the test was for the purpose of demonstrating that firstly the fault is intermittent and secondly to highlight that the selector defaulting back to neutral when actually attempting to select drive was not related to the car moving at the time of selection which is an erroneous theory that has been offered to me previously.

Sometimes when actually on the road and selecting drive I get drive and other times when selecting drive I get neutral. Most often this would be when making a 3 point turn without realising I've ended up in neutral so I go to take off and end up revving the engine going nowhere and usually holding up traffic at the same time which is not much fun.

The car has been amazing but a solution to this one niggling issue since the day I bought it has now eluded me for 18 months so hopefully having the dealer on board with now follow through to a fix.

Ok, got you now, thanks for explaining.

 

[nhcowboy28]

I got 99 problems but a gt2 shift by wire ain’t one. Hit me.

 

[turboAWD]

I've had mine for 18 months, and agree with Legendsk that it happens both when shifting to R and D. Mine appears to be unrelated to any "snap back" issue, as turboAWD suggests.

Fair enough - just posting it here in case it helped anyone.. One more reason I wish they had the non-DBW (GT/GT1) shifter in the GT2 as well.. If they did, I'd already own a GT2..

 

[Kazz]

Sub'd.

 

[Gerard]

Hi; I refresh topic - my MY2018 GT got same problem. I cannot shift D after putting into R - it turns to N - with or without pressing side button - It happens only on hot engine after long ride. Is there any solution or diagnosis ? This is very annoing and dangerous in road situation.

 

[Tazztattoo]

Hi; I refresh topic - my MY2018 GT got same problem. I cannot shift D after putting into R - it turns to N - with or without pressing side button - It happens only on hot engine after long ride. Is there any solution or diagnosis ? This is very annoing and dangerous in road situation.

Hi Gerard,

Can I suggest you scroll back to my post #48 here (June 7, 2019) watch the video and run the test your self with the engine running, foot on the brake and starting in Park.

If like my MY18 your transmission intermittently goes into nuetral when actually selecting drive then you also have a faulty shifter and the only solution is replacement which my dealer did for me after seeing this test process. The new shifter solved the issue immediately and now over 12 months later it has continued to work perfectly.

 

[Gerard]

Thx for response Tell me - Dealer should replace only shift knob or something else ? I hope not full gearbox ?