3.3T Jerky auto transmission (hard downshifts while braking)

[OOF_138]

I didn't notice that shitty downshift until after I bought the car on my way home (60 miles from the dealership, but it's also my own dumb fault so I can't even get too salty).

Do all hyundai/genesis dealerships have an affiliation? Do you guys think if I call the salesmen who I dealt with, to contact the hyundai closer to me, that they would do the TCU reset?

Or could I just unhook the battery for 10+ mins for it to reset. Tbh I wouldn't care if I had to periodically unplug the battery to resolve the issue. It beats having to go down to a dealership. (I would also be willing to buy an aftermarket scan tool, I had one for my infiniti and it really helped a few times.

 

[Bhavie]

I didn't notice that shitty downshift until after I bought the car on my way home (60 miles from the dealership, but it's also my own dumb fault so I can't even get too salty).

Do all hyundai/genesis dealerships have an affiliation? Do you guys think if I call the salesmen who I dealt with, to contact the hyundai closer to me, that they would do the TCU reset?

Or could I just unhook the battery for 10+ mins for it to reset. Tbh I wouldn't care if I had to periodically unplug the battery to resolve the issue. It beats having to go down to a dealership. (I would also be willing to buy an aftermarket scan tool, I had one for my infiniti and it really helped a few times.

From what I understand, a simple battery pull will not reset it.

The easiest way is to get a scan tool that can do it. But the ones that have the necessary function are all over $500.

Cheapest way is to just take it the dealer and ask them to "reset the adaptive values". Consider it part of your scheduled maintenance, or have it done whenever you take it in for service.

 

[G-751913]

From what I understand, a simple battery pull will not reset it.

The easiest way is to get a scan tool that can do it. But the ones that have the necessary function are all over $500.

Cheapest way is to just take it the dealer and ask them to "reset the adaptive values". Consider it part of your scheduled maintenance, or have it done whenever you take it in for service.

Sent the hyundai closest to me a email asking if they would perform it for no charge, considering its powertrain related which should be under warranty. Really dont wanna drive miles one way for a quick reset. Fingers crossed the closer one helps me out. The downshifts have really soured my honeymoon phase with the car.

 

[OOF_138]

From what I understand, a simple battery pull will not reset it.

The easiest way is to get a scan tool that can do it. But the ones that have the necessary function are all over $500.

Cheapest way is to just take it the dealer and ask them to "reset the adaptive values". Consider it part of your scheduled maintenance, or have it done whenever you take it in for service.

I scheduled an appt with a closer dealer, I will make sure that it's covered by warranty. I was asking local tune shops what they'd charge to reset and so far $50 is the cheapest.

Maybe if we start an online petition, enough people between here, reddit, and maybe the stinger owners on the kia forums will force genesis and kia to address the software issue. Honestly I don't know how anyone can look past it. Kinda giving me buyers remorse to be honest.

 

[Bhavie]

I scheduled an appt with a closer dealer, I will make sure that it's covered by warranty. I was asking local tune shops what they'd charge to reset and so far $50 is the cheapest.

Maybe if we start an online petition, enough people between here, reddit, and maybe the stinger owners on the kia forums will force genesis and kia to address the software issue. Honestly I don't know how anyone can look past it. Kinda giving me buyers remorse to be honest.

I would support that.

Yea it's kind of a bitter sweet thing. It sucks when it happens and makes the car seem like crap. But after the reset you'll be amazed at how smooth it can be. lol.

 

[LoLaWy]

From what I understand, a simple battery pull will not reset it.

The easiest way is to get a scan tool that can do it. But the ones that have the necessary function are all over $500.

Cheapest way is to just take it the dealer and ask them to "reset the adaptive values". Consider it part of your scheduled maintenance, or have it done whenever you take it in for service.

I noticed lately that the high end models of Launch and Autel scan tools can reset the transmission
These devices need to have an active online subscription to be able to perform the reset function

I would say that they have recently adapted this platform and maybe even the cheaper models of these companies can perform the reset if they are connected to the internet and have an active subscription

 

[Bhavie]

I can confirm the Autel MP808 can do it. Some other models can do but that was the cheapest I could find.

There's a handy took on Autel's site where you can search which tools can perform the reset. Search under Kia Stinger tho.

 

[KylePasadena]

So. I am just a lowly Kia Stinger GT owner. Feel free to kick me but, I have the same problems and a lot more with jerky transmission. I came here to see if Genesis was any better. Do you guys have the jerky up shift, where it slams into gear at low speed? Mine also comes out of gear all together sometimes. If all you guys have is the hard downshifts that make you carsick then sign me up! But really. Imagine going to a Kia dealership with these problems. You really are trash at the Kia disco bar, believe me.

Yes, this happened to me last week...tried to accelerate out of slow freeway traffic into the fast lane and my car downshifted hard pulling forward hard enough for the seat belts to engage…thank god I didn’t pull in front of a speeding Ford F-250..

 

[JCtx]

That sounds like the freaking brakes to me. The (turbo) engine doesn't have that much braking power. It'd be very easy to prove (or disprove) what I'm saying: Manually downshift yourself with the paddles on an empty street instead of braking; do it as aggressive as you think the car did, and from about the same speed. Or simply put it in 1st gear, accelerate to 4K rpm (or whatever you want), then release the throttle. That'd be the hardest braking it could be if it was just the tranny. Any more than that, and it'd be the brakes. I immediately noticed the brake intervention on my 2023, which happens all the time. It's super annoying, but pretty much got the hang of it. And I manually downshift most of the time, so don't notice any such behavior anymore. But yes, brake intervention (emergency brake assist) should only happen on panic braking, not all the time.

At any rate, your case seems extreme, so obviously something is not quite right somewhere. In my car, it's just that the freaking brakes are applied harder than I did, and then released suddenly, so for a passenger it feels like you're learning how to drive. Ha ha. But nothing feels 'abnormal'; just an unrefined system. If you want to take it to a dealer, I'd first make sure you can duplicate the issue at will, or you'd most likely be wasting your time. Good luck.

Finally, this is probably not what happened, but I'm going to mention it just in case, since it happened to me: Are you sure it wasn't your 'forward emergency braking' acting up? That's the system that automatically brakes for you when it feels you're going to hit the car in front on a lane change like you described. That system is SUPER intrusive too, even when you select the 'late' mode (which I did). And the stupid thing resets with every ignition cycle. However, it should have been accompanied by some 'beeping'. I have to remember to shut it off when I travel, since trucks refuse to move anymore, and you have to constantly pass them on the right.

 

[Bhavie]

That sounds like the freaking brakes to me. The (turbo) engine doesn't have that much braking power. It'd be very easy to prove (or disprove) what I'm saying: Manually downshift yourself with the paddles on an empty street instead of braking; do it as aggressive as you think the car did, and from about the same speed. That'd be the hardest it could be if it was just the tranny. Any more than that, and it'd be the brakes. I immediately noticed the brake intervention on my 2023, which happens all the time. It's super annoying, but pretty much got the hang of it. And I manually downshift most of the time, so don't notice any such behavior anymore. But yes, brake intervention (emergency brake assist) should only happen on panic braking, not all the time.

At any rate, your case seems extreme, so obviously something is not quite right somewhere. In my car, it's just that the freaking brakes are applied harder than I did, and then released suddenly, so for a passenger it feels like you're learning how to drive. Ha ha. But nothing feels 'abnormal'; just an unrefined system. If you want to take it to a dealer, I'd first make sure you can duplicate it at will, or you'd most likely be wasting your time. Good luck.

Finally, this is probably not what happened, but I'm going to mention it just in case, since it happened to me: Are you sure it wasn't your 'forward emergency braking' acting up? That's the system that automatically brakes for you when it feels you're going to hit the car in front. That system is SUPER intrusive too, even when you select the 'late' mode (which I did). And the stupid thing resets with every ignition cycle. However, it should have been accompanied by some 'beeping'. I have to remember to shut it off when I travel, since trucks refuse to move anymore, and you have to constantly pass them on the right.

FYI setting it to 'late' is just for the warning. There's no way to actually change the sensitivity of the system itself, afaik.

I actually changed mine to early so I'm aware of when it plans on activating sooner, so you can react accordingly.

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[JCtx]

FYI setting it to 'late' is just for the warning. There's no way to actually change the sensitivity of the system itself, afaik.

I actually changed mine to early so I'm aware of when it plans on activating sooner, so you can react accordingly.

Nope; that setting applies to BOTH warning and intervention, depending which setting you have (warning just beeps; assist both beeps AND intervenes). Try it, if you don't believe me. As I mentioned, it defaults to fully on with every ignition cycle. I switch it to only warning when traveling (if I remember -ha ha). Anyway, 'early' is going to engage farther away from the vehicle, so I'd never use it. I only use it in 'late', and I was pleasantly surprised to find it less intrusive than my ex-2021 Palisade Calligraphy, which almost caused a crash when I forgot to disable it after a fuel stop. On the G70, it's barely acceptable. I'm going on a long trip on the new SF Calligraphy Thursday, so I'll test how bad it is on that vehicle. Ha ha. I don't mind that nanny, but don't like it auto engages.

 

[Bhavie]

Nope; that setting applies to BOTH warning and intervention, depending which setting you have (warning just beeps; assist both beeps AND intervenes). As I mentioned, it defaults with both with every ignition cycle. I switch it to only warning when traveling. Anyway, 'early' is going to engage farther away from the vehicle, so I'd never use it. I only use it in 'late', and I was pleasantly surprised to find it less intrusive than my ex-2021 Palisade Calligraphy, which almost caused a crash when I forgot to disable it after a fuel stop. On the G70, it's barely acceptable. I'm going on a long trip on the new SF Calligraphy Thursday, so I'll test how bad it is on that vehicle. Ha ha.

Wonder if it's different in the 2023.

For the 2020, it only lets you change the timing of the warning.

 

[JCtx]

On all my current and previous Hyundai vehicles, it has always been both. Give it a try . It wouldn't make sense to slam on the brakes (early intervention), and then beep (late warning). Ha ha. In reality, it wouldn't beep in that case; just slam on the brakes. So it's only logical it has to be both... and it is .
Bottom line is if no beeps were heard, it wasn't that feature. I just posted it as a possibility. It's not compatible with even semi-aggressive passing moves. It was intended for fully distracted drivers looking down at their freaking phones, so not necessary if you're actually paying attention to your driving IMO.

 

[Bhavie]

On all my current and previous Hyundai vehicles, it has always been both. Give it a try . It wouldn't make sense to slam on the brakes (early intervention), and then beep (late warning). Ha ha. In reality, it wouldn't beep in that case; just slam on the brakes. So it's only logical it has to be both... and it is .
Bottom line is if no beeps were heard, it wasn't that feature. I just posted it as a possibility. It's not compatible with even semi-aggressive passing moves.

It would make alot of sense?

All you can change is the timing of the warning, not the actual activation of the braking. Early would be early (3 seconds before activation), late would be late (1 second before activation).

Again, in my 2020, there is no way to change the timing of the forward collision avoidance, you can only turn it on and off.

You can only change the timing of the warning. I am confident about this so telling me I'm wrong doesn't really do much.

Maybe your 2023 is different. Or maybe, just possibly, you're not entirely sure what you're talking about.

 

[LoLaWy]

That sounds like the freaking brakes to me. The (turbo) engine doesn't have that much braking power. It'd be very easy to prove (or disprove) what I'm saying: Manually downshift yourself with the paddles on an empty street instead of braking; do it as aggressive as you think the car did, and from about the same speed. Or simply put it in 1st gear, accelerate to 4K rpm (or whatever you want), then release the throttle. That'd be the hardest braking it could be if it was just the tranny. Any more than that, and it'd be the brakes. I immediately noticed the brake intervention on my 2023, which happens all the time. It's super annoying, but pretty much got the hang of it. And I manually downshift most of the time, so don't notice any such behavior anymore. But yes, brake intervention (emergency brake assist) should only happen on panic braking, not all the time.

At any rate, your case seems extreme, so obviously something is not quite right somewhere. In my car, it's just that the freaking brakes are applied harder than I did, and then released suddenly, so for a passenger it feels like you're learning how to drive. Ha ha. But nothing feels 'abnormal'; just an unrefined system. If you want to take it to a dealer, I'd first make sure you can duplicate the issue at will, or you'd most likely be wasting your time. Good luck.

Finally, this is probably not what happened, but I'm going to mention it just in case, since it happened to me: Are you sure it wasn't your 'forward emergency braking' acting up? That's the system that automatically brakes for you when it feels you're going to hit the car in front on a lane change like you described. That system is SUPER intrusive too, even when you select the 'late' mode (which I did). And the stupid thing resets with every ignition cycle. However, it should have been accompanied by some 'beeping'. I have to remember to shut it off when I travel, since trucks refuse to move anymore, and you have to constantly pass them on the right.

Your car is still new (it’s like when I reset my TCU)
What you’re describing is my car on its best day!
I know it’s annoying and it feels like braking.
The real issue here is: it will get worse and will get harsh, you will feel it every time like a clunk and you will start to hear it.
It’s a metal sound and a mechanical feel (that could only be a transmission or a diff)

But since it disappears and turns into a soft braking feel after a TCU reset, then it got to be a transmission thing.

I know that it doesn’t happen when you manually downshift for some reason.

 

[JCtx]

I see what you're saying, and it makes sense. I was talking about a braking feel not being the transmission, since the transmission doesn't brake at all. And a turbo engine doesn't that much either. But clunking and jerky shifting would be the transmission indeed. We also have to remember all systems are basically controlled by the ECU, so the TCU reset might very well be an ECU reset, which resets everything. I'm a bit disappointed that an old transmission design is having issues at this day and age, but sounds more like electronic/programming issues to me, than mechanical ones, since a reset eliminates most of the undesirable behavior. The good news is an overnight battery disconnection should have the same effect, no? Finally, I was expecting to find a more refined vehicles in a Genesis, but it's just a Hyundai after all, just with a fancier badge, and RWD-based. I'm okay with that, since I'm not interested in paying 20 grand more for just a slightly better mechanical execution, worse reliability, and less warranty .

 

[LoLaWy]

Does getting a tuned TCU resolve this issue?

After trying a tuned TCU, I can safely answer this question with: “yes indeed”

Why can’t the manufacturer just release a new software update for this?

 

[Bhavie]

After trying a tuned TCU, I can say answer this question with “yes indeed”

Why can’t the manufacturer just release a new software update for this?

Which tune did you try?

Might be the cheapest option to fix this issue lol.

 

[LoLaWy]

I finally installed a lozic TCU (shift pressure 2/ auto upshift/ torque limiter on/ -5% shift pattern/ E shifter)
I borrowed it from a buddy to test the downshift behavior

This is insane: on eco and comfort mode I can’t even tell that the car is downshifting from 3rd to 2nd and from 2nd to first
It was so shocking that I had to monitor the gearbox via OBDll (JB4) to see in which gear the car is.
I monitored the shifts and it went from 6th to 1st so smooth that i was speechless.
Way smoother than the stock TCU in its best day (even after a reset)

On the stock TCU (freshly reset) you could feel the downshifts like a hard braking but with no downshift shock. a couple thousand kilometers after the reset the downshift shock appears.

With Lozic TCU I can’t even tell if the car is downshifting. No brake feeling while downshifting.

On sport mode you can notice that the car is downshifting (just like stock), you feel a medium braking with every downshift .. but after the tune you could also feel it downshifting to 1st gear just before the car stops at around 7-10 km/h (never felt the 2nd to 1st downshift on the stock TCU) .. but no downshift shocks.

On sport mode when you give it medium to full throttle then let off the gas, the car holds the current gear for some time and doesn’t upshift like the stock tune .. I like that!

After installing the Lozic TCU the car upshifts automatically on full throttle 1st to 2nd on 5500rpm .. 2nd to third on 5700rpm .. 3rd to 4th on 5900rpm and so on …
That’s very clever and keeps the car pulling forward with maximum torque.

I did lose the “eco coasting feature”, but that’s not a very big deal for now. Did talk to Lozic about it before and he was shocked that a person who orders a performance tuned TCU asks for a fuel saving feature. He said he didn’t pay attention about it because nobody has ever mentioned it to him. Maybe he can add it for you if you specifically ask him to do it. But I remember him saying that it can’t work with the new tuning for some reason.
Not a deal breaker for me.

Another thing that I didn’t like about it: you can either choose auto upshift or manual upshift on manual mode. The stock TCU does automatic upshift for you to prevent you from staying on redline if you leave stability control on. And it allows you to stay on redline if you disable stability control.
For someone like me who likes to drift from time to time the tuned TCU will always upshift automatically when it reaches redline even if I turned stability control off, which will ruin the drift.
And if I would choose to order a TCU with manual upshift and did forget to upshift while accelerating hard it will stay on redline and lose momentum.
The stock TCU solution is the best middle ground for my case. But maybe he can reprogram the TCU to do that like the stock upshift logic.

This tuned TCU made me very happy today but it’s obviously still learning and I won’t give it my final judgment just yet. Will report back to you in a couple thousand kilometers.

yesterday I turned back the tuned TCU to its owner and now I am back to my oem TCU.

God I forgot how awful the stock TCU is. It started downshifting harsh and with too much braking again.

I was loving the car for the past 7.5 months with the tuned TCU. It was so smooth and pleasant.


If you want the solution for the downshift issue: just get a tuned TCU!

I will be looking for a tuner that can flash my TCU online through a “SXTH element EK1 lite OBDll flashing tool”

 

[JCtx]

I really like how my '23 2.0 SP shifts. Very quick and positive, even quicker than the DCT on my '22 SF Calligraphy. Yet not harh, at least for my liking. The DCT feels better on take-off, of course, where the 2.0T feels a bit lethargic, but overall, the best TC tranny I've had by far.