Kia Clarifies on Software Update for DCT Automatic Seltos Variants

Some owners of Kia Seltos DCT automatic variants have reported skipping gears and overheating issues.

Roshun Povaiah
Car and Bike
Updated:
The Kia Seltos with the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is getting a software update for the transmission.
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The Kia Seltos with the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic is getting a software update for the transmission.
Photo: The Quint

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(Updated after clarifications from Kia)

A few days ago, The Quint had reported that some owners of the Kia Seltos with the 1.4-litre turbo-petrol engine and seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission had been facing issues with their cars, which were being fixed with a software update.

Kia has clarified about the software update.

Two senior company officials we spoke to said that a few DCT automatic Kia Seltos owners had faced issues of the transmission overheating in bumper-to-bumper traffic and a couple of others had issue with skipping gears – where the transmission skipped odd gears and only selected even gears which has been reported on this Team-BHP thread.

These owners who had complained about the issue to their respective dealers were called in for a software update specifically for the transmission, that Kia claims takes care of these issues.

It must be noted that the overheating and gear skipping issues are separate issues and not related.

The company says that less than 10 such complaints were received. Also, all the 1.4-litre DCT variants sold now have got the latest software update.

The company officials say that if any owner with the 1.4-lite DCT faces a similar issue, they should bring their vehicle to the Kia dealership for the software update.

The Kia Seltos uses a dry-type seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.Photo: The Quint

The update will take about 30 minutes and will sort out the issue of gears skipping. This issue was apparently reported with the Kia DCT transmission in South Korea first. The same fix is being issued to owners in India now.

As for heating issues in bumper-to-bumper traffic (especially in Bengaluru-type traffic), this is a problem area for vehicles with dry-type dual-clutch automatic transmissions.

Since they rely on two clutches that constantly engage and disengage alternate sets of gears (ideal for sporty driving), in heavy traffic conditions, they tend to overheat.

One way to avoid overheating is to not use the “creep” function too much with the foot on the brake, as this keeps the clutches partially engaged, resulting in heating. Instead wait for a gap in traffic, fully release the brake and let the car move forward in Drive mode.

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If the transmission overheats and the warning light/message comes up, one needs to stop the vehicle, shift to “Park” and keep the foot on the brake while letting the engine idle. This will disengage the clutch packs and help dissipate heat.

This same trick can be used on cars like the Hyundai Venue DCT as well, which has a similar transmission.

The company officials reassured us that if any Seltos faces similar issues, they can be brought in to the dealership for a software update that takes less than 30 minutes.

(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)

Published: 06 Jan 2020,01:35 PM IST

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