Owners of a 2011-2012 Volkswagen Tiguan may experience a harsh shift on acceleration while the “ECO” mode is switched on. Before diagnosis or any repair attempt, it should first be established whether the concern is also present when the ECO mode is switched off.
When the vehicle is in the ECO mode, the transmission will skip select gears during shifts to allow the engine to operate at lower speeds. The torque converter clutch will engage sooner at lower engine speed and remain engaged longer. The engine idle speed will also be lower, and the overall driving performance will be more conservative.
Under more aggressive acceleration, the customer may experience a harsh shifting condition. This is a normal characteristic of the transmission. No repair attempts to the transmission should be attempted.
