[plosh]

Hey folks!

I have a Tata Harrier XTA+ Dark Edition bought at the end of September 2021. It has a few issues that have been bothering me, and the biggest one is a transmission issue.

The issue is that there's sometimes a jerk/thud when the Torque Converter drops the gear from 3rd to 2nd. For context, I nearly always drive in Sport mode, and the gear drop weirdness occurs usually when I've gone from a consistently higher speed to a lower one progressively. If I brake suddenly, it doesn't reproduce.

In terms of the feeling, thud varies from feeling like I ran over a small animal (or a deep enough pothole), to a mild jerk. It's been around since before the first service, I've talked to the service folks at two separate centres in Goa. The first time I was told it was normal, and the second service centre is saying that they can't find any issue in the logs or while testing it themselves.

The biggest issue is that it's not easy to reproduce it. I've tried several driving styles to see if I could make it happen on purpose, only so I could show the SC what the issue is, but no luck. It happens randomly, but always from the third to second gear (I've checked this) and not when I brake suddenly. Example: I did a pretty rough drive from Goa to Amboli and back recently, and it didn't happen once. On the other hand, it can happen 1-2 times per drive when I'm driving in Goa.

I'm a bit perplexed because from what I've seen, this isn't really an issue that's common with the Harrier. I also understand that it may not be getting logged, but when it happens with a greater intensity, I get worried about the longevity of this car.

The car is about to turn two years old soon, and I've been considering getting the extended warranty before the time runs out. Regardless, I'm not sure how to go about this. Any proper diagnosis will require a lot of time with my car at the SC, since the issue isn't reproduced with my best efforts. I feel like I'd have to set up multiple cameras and sensors to be able to get some proof on this.

It's not a an issue that makes the driving experience worse or anything, but it feels major sometimes when it occurs, and I want to be able to keep this car for a while.

How do I go about this? I don't want to keep my car with SC for weeks with no results, but I'd like to get the help of someone competent, and figure out whether the transmission needs some proper help, or just some minor work to be done.

Please help!

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by plosh

Hey folks!

I have a Tata Harrier XTA+ Dark Edition bought at the end of September 2021. It has a few issues that have been bothering me, and the biggest one is a transmission issue.
.

The car is about to turn two years old soon, and I've been considering getting the extended warranty before the time runs out...

How do I go about this? I don't want to keep my car with SC for weeks with no results, but I'd like to get the help of someone competent, and figure out whether the transmission needs some proper help, or just some minor work to be done...

You have to be super adventurous to not have taken an extended warranty for a Tata product, which has numerous issues reported in this forum itself. I got an extended warranty for my Swift diesel back in 2008, just for peace of mind and I had few glow plugs replaced in that. It's always good to have such a precaution done for any brand.

I'd personally be wary of giving the car to Tata after sales service for experimenting. As you rightly said, talking to few very experienced garages might get you some right directions.

I may also suggest you to extend the research on a competent person / garage outside of Goa if required. It's worth a few days of trip if there's a guarantee the vehicle will be fixed for good.

[plosh]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

You have to be super adventurous to NOT have taken an EW for a TATA product, which has numerous issues reported in this forum itself. I got an EW for my Swift D back in 2008, just for peace of mind and I had few glow plugs replaced in that. It's always good to have such a precaution done for ANY brand.

I'd personally be wary of giving the car to TATA A$$ for experimenting. As you rightly said, talking to few very experienced garages might get you some right directions.

I may also suggest you to extend the research on a competent person / garage outside of Goa if required. It's worth a few days of trip if there's a guarantee the vehicle will be fixed for good.

Yep, fortunately I had until the end of two years to get it, so I managed to get it extended. Will consult some third-party mechanics about the issue before I take it back to Tata.

[adi.mariner]

We had experienced the same jerk/thud when slowing down at a signal during the Safari test drive. It was very noticeable and the sales executive was at a loss to explain what it was about. However haven't experienced the same in the Safari we got home. Fingers crossed. Hopefully Tata is able to diagnose and rectify the issue.

[pratim]

Hey,
Are you changing the gear from 3rd to 2nd manually using the triptronic mechanism, that is, in sports mode you shift the gear lever to the left and then using +/- signs to change the gears?

If yes, may be your are trying to change at a higher RPM than you should. Could you please try shifting the gear from 3rd to 2nd at a lower RPM than you usually do?

Cheers
Pratim

[Laidbackakki]

Hi, sorry to hear about the issue. I can understand transmission jerks can be scary in automatics as the repair bill and the associated time can be large.
My suggestions are in 2 steps
1. Fix a camera so that you can atleast record the issue at the earliest. I reckon it's going to take a few trial and error takes, to successfully record the issue considering the varying intensity of the jerks/thud.
2. Once done I suggest you contact the service centre and through them, try and contact a senior technician/engineer from their manufacturing plant so that the issue can be discussed with him/her. Otherwise directly emailing higher ups with video can also be explored
I think this a good course of action as I do have my reservations on the ability of the TATA Goa ASS to successfully diagnose and rectify the issue.
Hope the issue is solved quickly

Regards

[racer_7]

I have faced this issue multiple times with my safari automatic. Usually it happens when i start coasting from a high speed and then again accelerate and break but again very difficult to replicate. It used to happen sometimes with my XUV500 automatic earlier but with the Safari its more frequent. I think its the system catching off guard and tries to change the gear abruptly. Not sure why it happens. When you bond a gearbox and engine from different manufacturers, same with xuv, compatibility may not always be the best. ZF and BMW folks look away

[plosh]

Originally Posted by pratim

Hey,
Are you changing the gear from 3rd to 2nd manually using the triptronic mechanism, that is, in sports mode you shift the gear lever to the left and then using +/- signs to change the gears?

If yes, may be your are trying to change at a higher RPM than you should. Could you please try shifting the gear from 3rd to 2nd at a lower RPM than you usually do?

Cheers
Pratim

Hey there,

No, this is in the fully automatic mode! The manual mode is actually pretty smooth. If I try to shift out of pace, it says "Shift denied".

[locusjag]

This is different from what I've experienced before. But still, I'll share what I know; if the transmission mounts or engine mounts are worn, it's possible that at specific RPMs and speeds you'll experience a rattle or even a vigorous shake that's felt throughout the body of the car. There's resonance at play and that's why you would experience it this way at specific RPMs or speeds.

It's way more common in the 1st and reverse gears, but I've experienced rattling in the 3rd gear in my erstwhile A Star which had a torque converter in it, due to worn engine mounts.

Alternatively, it could be a problem with the solenoids involved in shifting between the 2nd and 3rd gears of your car.

[steadfast]

I also face the same thing in my Harrier when I am driving very calmly. I assume this is not a technical problem it is just that when we are driving very calmly with not much of throttle action the gearbox gets confused to which gear to settle to and as it changes to 2nd there is a jerk.

If we drive normally with clear trends of increasing or decreasing speed the gearbox knows what lies ahead and does not have any confusion on what gear to take next hence in such cases there is no jerk.

This can be a coarse explanation but I have been analysing this for almost 6 months and have come to this explanation after similar observations each time.

[plosh]

Originally Posted by steadfast

I also face the same thing in my Harrier when I am driving very calmly. I assume this is not a technical problem it is just that when we are driving very calmly with not much of throttle action the gearbox gets confused to which gear to settle to and as it changes to 2nd there is a jerk.

If we drive normally with clear trends of increasing or decreasing speed the gearbox knows what lies ahead and does not have any confusion on what gear to take next hence in such cases there is no jerk.

This can be a coarse explanation but I have been analysing this for almost 6 months and have come to this explanation after similar observations each time.

Seems likely, actually. If I'm doing full send or even suddenly braking leading to downshifting, it never happens. It only happens when I drive calmly in sports mode, so it's possible that this is the case.

Just that sometimes the thud almost feels like a rough pothole, while sometimes it's mild. Does that happen to you too or is the intensity the same every time?

[steadfast]

Originally Posted by plosh

Just that sometimes the thud almost feels like a rough pothole, while sometimes it's mild. Does that happen to you too or is the intensity the same every time?

Intensity varies for me as well. The more calm you are the bigger jerk it is as if the gearbox is complaining that it does not like indecisive drivers

[surajitray]

Had a similar problem in my ford endeavor but during acceleration , the problem most likely is a stuck solenoid valve, these valves which engages the gears, can some times cause power drop to the transmission as it does not fully engage or hesitates to engage. However changing solenoid valves is not an easy thing for indian service centers and in my case the gear box was replaced under warranty. Changing the gearbox oil may improve things.

[pratim]

Even I have the same question. It is a problem at malls so much so I stopped taking this vehicle to malls.

Does the boot open button on the remote key work at all?

-Pratim

[trailsndirt]

Found this thread when searching for options on my vehicle.
This is a 2017 Tucson 4WD automatic. It has a little over 66,000 Km on the odo and is a second-hand unit.
I have noticed ONLY on cold starts - 6 AM or 9 AM or later in the evenings after 7 PM, for a few kilometers, the TC has a pronounced jerk when it shifts into 4th gear. No issues in any of the other gears or downshifting to 4th from 5th.
This is only when in fully automatic mode. There is no jerk in 4th if shifting manually with the shifter.
I've not driven in sports or eco mode at the start of the drives, just in normal mode.
I assumed that the trans fluid might need a flush or refresh and had that done. The garage for whatever reason was not able to replicate the issue (maybe it was driven later in the day when the temps are warmer or did not get it into 4th with all the traffic).
The trans fluid was changed and today, commuting slowly, the jerks were still there and only in 4th gear.
My concerns are a bad TC or a failing solenoid. If it's the latter, would that still need a replacement of the tranny given the state of the technical capability of local garages? At least I assume it may need to remove the trans to get to the solenoid.