Learning to drive a car is not constantly unproblematic, and occasionally it may seem like a good solution to choose an automatic Kia Soul, if it’s for basic comfort or ease of use, this type of transmission is becoming more and more prevailing. However, although they may seem like an ideal solution, there may possibly as well be problems with the automatic gearboxes of your Kia Soul . This is precisely the theme of our content. First, we’ll quickly show you the different types of automatic gearboxes, then, in a second step, which problems you may possibly come across with the gearbox of your Kia Soul , and, at last, how to solve them.
The different kind of automatic gearbox of a Kia Soul
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Gearboxes have the advantage of being known to be trustworthy, as you don’t need to use your clutch pedal and every thing is electronically and mechanically controlled there will be no premature wear of your clutch or other parts that could be put to the test by misuse on your part.
However, based on the type of automatic transmission your Kia Soul is equipped with you will have more or less reliability, we will expose them to you now:
- Classic automatic gearbox: It will use a torque converter, which will manage the gear changes, it’s the oldest technology, it has evolved a lot in the last decades (more gears and a better management of the gear changes).
- Robotized automatic gearbox: This is a manual gearbox with a robotized mechanism that will replace the driver’s action. This type of gearbox is less and less common because they are thought to be very slow. We as well often feel a coupling during deceleration.
- Dual-clutch automatic transmission: This is the greatest automatic transmission, it functions on the same principle as the robotic transmission, but thanks to its dual clutch, you won’t have any more problems with slow speeds or elevated fuel consumption. They are often fitted on luxury models.
- Continuously variable automatic box: It is the same principle as on a scooter, a variator will come to control the differences between acceleration and motor speed, they are really slow and often be unresponsive during the acceleration phases of your Kia Soul.
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I’m having problems with the automatic transmission on my Kia Soul
We now start the part that absolutely attracts you the most in this article, what are the problems you may face with the automatic transmission of your Kia Soul? As revealed earlier, generally they are more reliable than manual transmissions, however, here are the most important problems you may come across:
- As explained earlier, no matter what type of automatic gearbox, they are often established to be slow and have inertia when accelerating. However, this phenomenon is supposed to occur only when the car is started, not when it is launched. If it feels like it occurs constantly, the clutch or converter is probably dead.
- I have the feeling that a gear in the automatic transmission of my Kia Soul no longer shifts or jumps: If you have the feeling that your gears no longer shift or often jump on your Kia Soul, there is a part that is most certainly responsible for this failure. Obviously, the solenoid that works as a “switch” to engage the gears must not be functioning effectively, second option, a speed or engine unit speed sensor may be defective and send the wrong information to your gearbox.
- If you experience drops originating from the automatic gearbox of your Kia Soul: If you experience a clutch when you go up or when you slow down, it is either your oil which is too old and which does not lubricate any more adequately all the mechanisms of your gearbox, or else a sensor which gives bad information
- My Kia Soul’s automatic transmission is leaking: At last, if your Kia Soul’s automatic transmission is leaking, it’s most probably one of your spy seals is too worn.
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How do I fix automatic transmission problems on a Kia Soul?
And finally, we’re going to try to give you the techniques to correct the automatic transmission problems on your Kia Soul . Find them below:
- Oil leak on the automatic gearbox of a Kia Soul: Locate the origin of the leak, and replace the concerned gasket, get it done by a professional, opening a gearbox is not easy. It will cost you a few hundred euros, specifically for the labour. Do not hesitate to read our content on gearbox oil leaks on Kia Soul.
- Sensor problem: No matter which sensor is concerned, a replacement is the only solution, sensors do not repair themselves, you should count from 100 to a few hundred euros depending on the difficulty of access to the one that worries you.
- Couplings: If you have problems with the couplings on your Kia Soul, you will only need to do a complete gearbox change to gain comfort and preserve your gears.
- The automatic gearbox of my Kia Soul slips: In this instance, you certainly have a dead clutch disc, you will have to change the clutch, and on some models you won’t have the ability to change it without doing a standard exchange of the gearbox, be prepared to spend more than a thousand euros.
There are other automatic transmission problems on Kia Soul, such as electronic problems or pressure problems, but this list lists the most important ones, no matter the reason, for such difficult mechanisms. Once you feel a problem on this level, we recommend you to go fairly quickly to your mechanic.
If you wish more tutorials on the Kia Soul, go to our Kia Soul category.
