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'E' gearbox mode resets to 'D' on restart

38K views 49 replies 22 participants last post by  Sharms 
#1 ·
Anyone found a way to keep 'E' gearbox mode engaged on a restart? Mine always goes back to 'D' even when the Drive Mode Select is left in 'Eco'.

The only way I can find of reselecting 'E' is to reselect 'Eco' mode using Drive Select Mode.

I wasn't that bothered about 'E' mode but I noticed the other day it enables coasting which my old VW used to do (when you lift off the throttle, and don't brake, it drops into neutral to allow it to roll further and faster).

Do we think teh reversion from 'E' to 'D' on restart is by design or a bug/oversight? I can't think of a good reason why it shouldn't stay in 'E' when in Eco?
 
#27 ·
Kenny R said:
From page 251....
After switching the ignition off and on, the drive is set to Normal in the current driving mode. To change the drive setting, select the relevant driving mode again.
It's on pg 256 of my downloaded manual
 
#28 ·
ExFiesta said:
Kenny R said:
From page 251....
After switching the ignition off and on, the drive is set to Normal in the current driving mode. To change the drive setting, select the relevant driving mode again.
It's on pg 256 of my downloaded manual
All I can see is this statement relating to 'Mode Eco'

"The automatic gearbox is set automatically to mode E "

Unfortunately the link doesn't seem to link to anywhere. From that statement, if the Drive mode is Eco, the DSG mode should be 'E'. There's nothing that says everytime you start the car it revers to 'D'...
 
#29 ·
bother said:
All I can see is this statement relating to 'Mode Eco'

"The automatic gearbox is set automatically to mode E "

Unfortunately the link doesn't seem to link to anywhere. From that statement, if the Drive mode is Eco, the DSG mode should be 'E'. There's nothing that says everytime you start the car it revers to 'D'...
The text is as quoted - maybe further along, mine is under the section 'Mode selection and Infotainment display'
 
#30 ·
Page 251 in my manual has a note on fuel consumption, and nothing about driving modes. What I have found is on page 190 it has a picture of the drive selection screen with a description "Information on setting the currently selected mode". So this is not quite right since it shows Eco as the selected mode when it is actually in Normal.

Anyhow, from the sounds of things, annoying as it is, it is expected behaviour to reset to normal after switching off.
 
#31 ·
ConfusedAgain said:
Page 251 in my manual has a note on fuel consumption, and nothing about driving modes. What I have found is on page 190 it has a picture of the drive selection screen with a description "Information on setting the currently selected mode". So this is not quite right since it shows Eco as the selected mode when it is actually in Normal.

Anyhow, from the sounds of things, annoying as it is, it is expected behaviour to reset to normal after switching off.
The point is tough that it doesn't reset to Normal. The Drive Select status in Eco, or at least in mine it does.

It's just the DSG gearbox mode that goes back to 'D' on startup instead of staying in 'E'.
 
#32 ·
I had a similar conversation with Skoda as on restarting my Kodiaq the driving mode resets to normal if it was previously in Eco. I can accept this but they could not explain why on reseting the mode the display on the drivers cluster shows drive (normal) and the infotainment display contradicts it and still shows Eco.

My arguement with them wasn't the fact that the mode was reset, it was more down to the fact that the two systems didn't seem to agree with each other. I never use Eco anyway as it doesnt seem to make a significant difference to the MPG so its not an issue.
 
#33 ·
I just got out of a courtesy Octavia with DSG and that reset from E to D on removal and re-insertion of the ignition key.
Queried it with the garage when I took it back and they said the car was set up to not remember the modes as so many different people are in and out of them.

My Kodiaq does remember so must be something in memory settings somewhere.
It also remembers I have auto-hold switched on however if you want to disable the stop-start you need to do that each time you get in!

Hope this helps.

In respect of the E mode and coasting/braking etc I sometimes find it a pain when engine braking in 2nd/3rd down a hill so knock it into manual mode, move up a gear and move it back then use the footbrake.
 
#34 ·
The issue for me is the inconsistency.

The car 'remembers' it's in the Drive Select 'Eco' mode, as opposed to 'Normal', 'Sport', or 'Custom', but the gearbox doesn't pick up in the associated mode for the selected Drive Select mode.

The the only way then to get the gearbox back into 'E' is to re-select a Drive Select mode (Eco) that you're already in :?
 
#35 ·
Has anyone had any response from Skoda on this one?

It's a small issue, but surely one that is easy for Skoda to resolve. I know you can double tap the off road button, which reselects eco mode when starting, but you shouldn't have to do this.....and I'd love to find out why it wasn't picked up as a bug when the car was being tested.

.....same for the start/stop technology, where the engine cuts out just before you come to a complete halt (if driving super eco friendly might I add)
 
#36 ·
I contacted Skoda UK about 6 months ago, the answer I got was that this was normal and expected behaviour and it was not a bug.

I think someone on this post mentioned that theirs did not have this issue, so I assumed that the latest software may have addressed the issue. I was waiting for mine to go in for a service to hopefully get the software updated.

Interested to hear if anyone else with a recent model has this issue.
 
#37 ·
My car was delivered May 2018, and the gearbox resets to Normal every restart.
The stop-start will sometimes cut in at low speed when braking gently a stop and almost stopped, but I've not considered it a bug and don't find it a problem - release the brake to stop slowing down and the engine fires straight back up again.
 
#38 ·
I have just registered a formal complaint about this with Skoda UK. I now have a case number.

So my Kodiak resets to "D" on restart but the dash (mode button colour, Middle screen icon and mode screen highlight) tells me I'm in "Eco" but the gears are definitely in Normal drive mode. I can re-set the mode and everything comes into line again. It is definitely a bug for the dash to say one thing and the car to do another. It was never designed that way.

There are two resolutions to this: The poorest being that the instrument panel tells the truth on restart...or like my previous L&K superb, the best solution is the gear box remembers what mode it was in and starts up in that mode.

It's certainly a software / mapping issue and is capable of resolution via a software fix. I'm told that the only way to motivate Skoda to do this is for everyone to formally complain and obtain case reference numbers. It's the ONLY process that Skoda will act on. The number for the uk is 0333 003 7504.
 
#39 ·
My understand (which maybe wrong) is the the vehicle mode and the gearbox mode work independently so when the car restarts the gearbox returns to normal mode but the car remains in the mode it was last driven it. The vehicle mode changes the gearbox settings as well as others such as lighting and suspension and wheel resistance. The infotainment system shows the car mode and the display on the cluster shows the gearbox mode. Therefore they don't always tally.
 
#41 ·
FoxtrotAlpha said:
My understand (which maybe wrong) is the the vehicle mode and the gearbox mode work independently so when the car restarts the gearbox returns to normal mode but the car remains in the mode it was last driven it. The vehicle mode changes the gearbox settings as well as others such as lighting and suspension and wheel resistance. The infotainment system shows the car mode and the display on the cluster shows the gearbox mode. Therefore they don't always tally.
This is correct, but when the only way to get the gearbox into 'E' mode is to choose 'Drive Select ECO' mode and the when you subsequently restart the car, it's still in 'Drive Select ECO' mode, yet the gearbox has returned to 'N' mode, it seems a bit odd...

From a UI perspective they should either hard link 'ECO' and 'E', or provide a separate way to get the gearbox into 'E' mode, such as there is with 'S' and manual (+/-) modes.
 
#42 ·
bother said:
FoxtrotAlpha said:
My understand (which maybe wrong) is the the vehicle mode and the gearbox mode work independently so when the car restarts the gearbox returns to normal mode but the car remains in the mode it was last driven it. The vehicle mode changes the gearbox settings as well as others such as lighting and suspension and wheel resistance. The infotainment system shows the car mode and the display on the cluster shows the gearbox mode. Therefore they don't always tally.
This is correct, but when the only way to get the gearbox into 'E' mode is to choose 'Drive Select ECO' mode and the when you subsequently restart the car, it's still in 'Drive Select ECO' mode, yet the gearbox has returned to 'N' mode, it seems a bit odd...

From a UI perspective they should either hard link 'ECO' and 'E', or provide a separate way to get the gearbox into 'E' mode, such as there is with 'S' and manual (+/-) modes.
A fair point, I never use Eco as it doesn't seem to save me any money and I hate the lack of engine breaking, but that's another story.
 
#43 ·
I own a 2018 Golf R and the behaviour is exactly the same. Oddly enough, it is only the gearbox settings that reset. Engine fuelling, steering, aircon, stop/start are all still in Eco mode - the only item which is not is the DSG gearbox. Has to be a bug. I had a mk7 R before and this was not the case in that car, so this is only in the new one - it is the DSG wet 7 speed for reference.

For this car, on the highway, the savings are very significant. Around 20% over a long journey and when in medium traffic it just makes for easier driving.

To answer another question on downhill engine-braking. It will remain in 'coast' or 'sailing' mode until you touch the brake. Just the smallest tap is sufficient and the coast mode will disengage and will not re-engage until the throttle is pressed and released again.

Another note, that 'coast' will not engage at all if the car is travelling over 120kph
 
#44 ·
wilddog said:
I own a 2018 Golf R and the behaviour is exactly the same. Oddly enough, it is only the gearbox settings that reset. Engine fuelling, steering, aircon, stop/start are all still in Eco mode - the only item which is not is the DSG gearbox. Has to be a bug. I had a mk7 R before and this was not the case in that car, so this is only in the new one - it is the DSG wet 7 speed for reference.

For this car, on the highway, the savings are very significant. Around 20% over a long journey and when in medium traffic it just makes for easier driving.

To answer another question on downhill engine-braking. It will remain in 'coast' or 'sailing' mode until you touch the brake. Just the smallest tap is sufficient and the coast mode will disengage and will not re-engage until the throttle is pressed and released again.

Another note, that 'coast' will not engage at all if the car is travelling over 120kph
Actually my MK7 R does the same thing. When switching to Race mode the gearbox goes to S. When restarting the vehicle it is still in Race mode and the gearbox is in D.

Using Eco on a R will mean VW will come to take it away :p

Seriously though I've tried eco a few times and works exactly the same. Upon restart it is no longer in E mode.

All Mercedes I've had do exactly the same thing, but with a slight twist. When our AMG has done what it was made to do in Super Sport Plus mode aka fast and very loud :) :) and leave it for the day then the next time is is in normal mode. But if you restart within an hour or so it remains in the selected mode.

My theory is that this is a safety precaution linked to the possibility of another driver entering the car and not being presented with a weird mode or perhaps better put a mode that isn't the norm.

Just think about it, if you enabled the coasting but weren't aware that you did and you don't get engine breaking that would a WTF moment with possibly some brown pants. Or at the other end like in our AMG when you just breathe on the throttle you get launched into outer space.
 
#45 ·
As a tip, I discovered a much quicker way of putting the gearbox back into E when you restart.

Assuming it was in Eco mode when you switched off, tapping the "Off-road" button twice, to put it in off-road mode and then back out again, has the effect of putting the gearbox back into E mode.

It's much quicker and easier than waiting for the infotainment screen to wake up and fumbling with that when you'd rather be driving.
 
#46 ·
MrTrilby said:
As a tip, I discovered a much quicker way of putting the gearbox back into E when you restart.

Assuming it was in Eco mode when you switched off, tapping the "Off-road" button twice, to put it in off-road mode and then back out again, has the effect of putting the gearbox back into E mode.
I haven't got an "Off-road" button 😕
 
#47 ·
MrTrilby said:
As a tip, I discovered a much quicker way of putting the gearbox back into E when you restart.

Assuming it was in Eco mode when you switched off, tapping the "Off-road" button twice, to put it in off-road mode and then back out again, has the effect of putting the gearbox back into E mode.

It's much quicker and easier than waiting for the infotainment screen to wake up and fumbling with that when you'd rather be driving.
Ah, that's excellent. Thanks.
 
#48 ·
Hi,

Not read this thread for a while, so apologies if this has already been mentioned.

I use ECO all the time as I'm on the motorway a lot and what I have done to limit some faf is to set up the INDV setting to mimic ECO so I just switch between the two on start up. Not the greatest solution but one that works for me and has now become a habit

Cheers
 
#49 ·
Sharms said:
Hi,

Not read this thread for a while, so apologies if this has already been mentioned.

I use ECO all the time as I'm on the motorway a lot and what I have done to limit some faf is to set up the INDV setting to mimic ECO so I just switch between the two on start up. Not the greatest solution but one that works for me and has now become a habit

Cheers
Sharms, what's the difference between that and just tapping ECO mode again (in the Drive Select menu) on start up in order to get it back into 'E' DSG mode?
 
#50 ·
Hi bother

I seem to remember having to select another option before going back to Eco, so I thought I would create an option.

However, since writing my original post I have experimented further on my long commutes and have found that I only loose two mile to the gallon if I stay on normal setting. Therefore I'm inclined to agree with others that Eco may not be worth bothering with.
 
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