O.T. ~ "CVT"s ~ Continually variable (automobile) transmissions

[JoeE.]

Well, after a cursory google search, I've come to the conclusion that a Nissan cvt having problems is way more likely than that of a Honda or Toyota...

I located a 2015 Honda Accord with just 6,000 one owner miles at a dealership. It's got the cvt tranny... but I'm gonna take a chance on it....

Looks like new. Carfax details show it was purchased new from this same dealership and went out as "personal lease".

No more than I'll drive it... it should last me a long time.

 

[APD]

The video on the transmissions is interesting. The horsepower of those electric motors is stunning to me. 110 hp out of a motor that appears smaller than a 1 gallon can? I would like to know the cooling scheme, and the duty cycle as well.

Koenigsegg's Tiny Electric Motor Makes 335 HP and 443 LB-FT of Torque

Dubbed the Quark, the motor weighs just 63 pounds.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

[goldenfab]

Imports are hard to beat IMO, Toyota being my favorite but Hyundai seems ok for the money. Every CVT design I've seen I would avoid as I can't see how they could last very long, the exception being hybrid designs I've seen which basically use a differential and electric motor(s) but the batteries and electronics add another layer of failure points.

I have an older VW with a TDI diesel that has 450,xxx miles on it. No major repairs and gets low 40 mpg in town and 48-52 on the hwy if you drive it nice. Worst I've got was 33 and that was towing a trailer.

 

[Bill D]

I was surprised to find my 2000 Ford ranger pickup A4LD Automatic Transmission was made by a private company in France, not Ford. Biggest selling medium pickup for years and ford farmed out the automatic for decades.
Bill D

 

[MwTech Inc]

Buy a Lexus LS.......

 

[stephen thomas]

Wife was very PO'd that after a life of stick shift cars, mostly subarus, that she could not buy her 2016 (new at the time) Subaru with a manual trans. Since then, 150+K miles, she has grown to be mostly pretty happy with it. There have been some other problems with the vehicle, but never the CVT transmission.

smt

 

[JoeE.]

Here's a little update on the car I got... and what little I've noticed about the CVT. 2015 Honda Accord....6400 1 owner miles!
Operation wise, you can't tell the difference. However, I glanced at the tachometer while I was driving along, accelerating.
What I noticed was that as I stepped on the gas pedal... the car would speed up, but the engine rpm didn't increase. This was in-town driving.... around 30 mph... rpm would stay down around 1100~1300 rpm.
That must be the variable speed pulley system in action. I thought that was kinda neat. The computer is varying the driving pulley diameter in response to the input from the gas pedal instead of just increasing engine rpm.

 

[dalmatiangirl61]

Wife was very PO'd that after a life of stick shift cars, mostly subarus, that she could not buy her 2016 (new at the time) Subaru with a manual trans. Since then, 150+K miles, she has grown to be mostly pretty happy with it. There have been some other problems with the vehicle, but never the CVT transmission.

smt

I think Toyota discontinued the 5 speed manual on the Tacoma trucks too. I have 265K on mine, it still starts and runs like a top, when it dies I will rebuild it.

 

[bmikkalson]

Jatco. Japan automatic transmission co.
Yes, lots of issues. They need to be serviced every 30k miles. Heat destroys them. A reman is around $2500.
I can have one on the ground in a Nissan in 5 hours.

 

[Hightemp]

The CVT's used in HYBRID fords, toyota, and chrysler, called "E-CVT" are not the problematic ones. They are all made by AISIN. They are simple planetary gearboxes without the belt and chains. Actually they have very few parts for a transmission. And as of others have suggested, quite reliable. Check out this video for a detailed look at how they operate. Its a few years old, so there is probably another generation of this trans being used in newer vehicles.

Yep. These are completely different from the other type of CVT. I just got one in my new maverick (Under $21k out the door for a 42mpg small pickup still seems too good to be true) and I hope it is as reliable as they have seemed to be so far.

For cars, my maverick is replacing a 2012 ford focus with a manual transmission. The dual clutch automatic was a pos. My focus has needed 2 new vvt solenoids in it's 195k miles. They were $13 each and really easy to replace (pop off the valve cover and remove one bold each). Literally nothing else except for fluid and filter changes. 36mpg and pretty sporty. I'm 6'3" and fit fine.

 

[APD]

Yep. These are completely different from the other type of CVT. I just got one in my new maverick (Under $21k out the door for a 42mpg small pickup still seems too good to be true) and I hope it is as reliable as they have seemed to be so far.

For cars, my maverick is replacing a 2012 ford focus with a manual transmission. The dual clutch automatic was a pos. My focus has needed 2 new vvt solenoids in it's 195k miles. They were $13 each and really easy to replace (pop off the valve cover and remove one bold each). Literally nothing else except for fluid and filter changes. 36mpg and pretty sporty. I'm 6'3" and fit fine.

I ordered a '23 maverick hybrid, that's how I knew about those CVT's

 

[Hightemp]

I ordered a '23 maverick hybrid, that's how I knew about those CVT's

I ordered in sept 2021 and finally got it last month. Shipped it here from Iowa (took advantage of a 3% under invoice deal). I've already towed slightly over the limit (a couple round hay bales were about 750 lbs each; bit more than expected) and it had plenty of power. Averaging 42 mpg so far (only 1000 miles). I got the base model, but added co-pilot 360 so it has some pretty cool features I'm not used to. You will love it!

 

[cnctoolcat]

I located a 2015 Honda Accord with just 6,000 one owner miles at a dealership. It's got the cvt tranny... but I'm gonna take a chance on it...

The Accord is a great choice! Finding a 2015 with only 6,000 miles is amazing. Your Accord has the normally-aspirated 4-cylinder Honda motor, with a lifetime timing chain, change the oil and the motor will run forever. No silly turbos or EV-batteries to worry about down the road!

The Accord is a driver's car---more like what Mazda tries to be. The steering feel and feedback is very unique to Honda, the suspension is set up a little firmer, allowing for good ride comfort, yet canyon road fun as well. The also-reliable Toyota Camry is a cushy-passenger car, not nearly as pleasant to drive.

Get on a couple of the Accord forums, there is anything and everything you need to know about your car there...

I have a 2006 Accord 4-door with the 3.0 V6 and 5-speed auto, 150k miles, and she looks, runs, shifts, and drives like new! It was my daughter's first car back in 2015, (she drove it 3 years before I upgraded her, haha), and thus I wouldn't sell it for nothing. I do all the maintenance and fluid changes.

I drive the Accord to work and back each day (only 6 miles one way), it gets mid-20's mpg overall, and the normally-aspirated V6 applies smooth power. And the 5-speed tranny doesn't hunt for gears like some of the modern 8, 9, and 10-speed trannies can!

ToolCat

 

[JoeE.]

....change the oil and the motor will run forever.....ToolCat....

Getting in this car.... it's like going from a Model T to the space shuttle, compared to all the stuff I daily drive. Bells and whistles... it's got 'em. It's overwhelming.
Granted, my 300m was a luxury car... but heated seats, electric windows and auto-dimming headlights were the luxury options, to me.
This Accord has everything, including "Navigation", and it's overwhelming trying to figure out what all it can do.
Since it didn't come with the owners manual, I've downloaded the manual to my computer and look through that trying to see what all it can do.

 

[PackardV8]

The thread is about CVTs and of course has wandered off topic, as is our wont here.

Talk to a CVT engineer and he'll tell you most of the problems come from numbnuts buyers wanting them to sound like multi-ratio automatics. A Continuously Variable Transmission should smoothly increase the road speed while holding engine RPMs in the torque peak. However, to janeQpublic it "sounds funny" so the poor engineer has to bastardize the design to take the smooth out of it and make a CVT feel as if it is shifting gears.

jack vines

 

[JoeE.]

.....A Continuously Variable Transmission should smoothly increase the road speed while holding engine RPMs in the torque peak.....

Well, that confirms my observations were correct. Thanks.....

 

[Corn]

My previous car was XT Forester and I loved the CVT. Best trans I`ve ever had. It will keep the engine rpm stable and speed just changes. If you floor it, rpm goes to highest hp output, stays there and you get the best acceleration possible. Stupid thing was artificial gears steps in sport mode. Why would you want to ruin the brilliant idea of stepless cvt.
These CVT`s have of course their flaws. Can handle limited torque (Subaru 350Nm) and they have greater tendency to fail than geared trannies. And they are crazy expensive to replace if it breaks..

 

[Newman109]

My previous car was XT Forester and I loved the CVT. Best trans I`ve ever had. It will keep the engine rpm stable and speed just changes. If you floor it, rpm goes to highest hp output, stays there and you get the best acceleration possible. Stupid thing was artificial gears steps in sport mode. Why would you want to ruin the brilliant idea of stepless cvt.
These CVT`s have of course their flaws. Can handle limited torque (Subaru 350Nm) and they have greater tendency to fail than geared trannies. And they are crazy expensive to replace if it breaks..

....'And they are crazy expensive to replace if it breaks....."

They sure are. The dealer quoted $5K to replace the CVT on daughter's Dodge Caliber. LOL
She traded it in on a Ford Fusion. Nice vehicle with good transmission.