CVT gearboxes have attained a bad reputation in Kenya especially with Nissan cars. When someone asks about owning a Nissan, they get bombarded with comments advising against because of their CVT. Nightmare Nissan transmission stories abound even though they are not the only car manufacturer using CVTs in their cars. Toyotas, Hondas, Mitsubishis, Subarus and Kias also use them.
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To properly take care of your CVT transmission, its good to know their common issues and symptoms they exhibit. Here is a general guide we have assembled for you:
Common symptoms of CVT issues
- Strange noises: These are clunking, whining, rattling and grinding sounds coming from the CVT when driving.
- Jerking and lurching: The car jerks or lurches when shifting.
- Gears slipping: Gear slipping happens when you shift to drive but power is not fully transferred to the wheels.
- Fluid leakage: If you see a red-coloured fluid underneath your car that has a sweet smell, that is transmission fluid leaking from your CVT gearbox.
- Sudden loss of acceleration: The car suddenly looses acceleration when driving and pressing the pedal does not make it go any faster.
- Delayed drive/acceleration: You press the pedal and the car takes a while before it starts moving or accelerating.
- Struggles changing gear: You struggle to shift gears e.g. from reverse to drive or from park to drive.
- Check engine light: A check engine light can also indicate a CVT gearbox issue.
- Higher than normal revs: Your car revs higher than normal to attain a particular speed and you are not carrying heavy luggage or passengers.
- Burning smell: Are you smelling something burning from your gearbox? It is overheating.
- Vibrations: Your car shakes when driving at high speed.
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Two areas are the most common culprits of CVT issues
- Transmission fluid: The most common cause of CVT issues relates to transmission fluid. Most of the symptoms we have listed can be traced either to inadequate fluid, excess fluid, wrong kind of fluid or fluid in need of changing. CVTs are highly sensitive to the transmission fluid they use.
- Transmission control module: This module determines how your gearbox reacts to the changing power needs of your car. Issues with it will also exhibit the same as issues with transmission fluid. Only difference is they will exhibit suddenly as transmission control module is electronic. One moment the car is fine, the next its sluggish.
Other areas that cause CVT gearbox problems are clutch problems, issues with the pulley and bearings.
Why do CVTs have issues?
Earlier versions of CVTs, like on Nissans and Mitsubishis, had manufacturer defects that could not be avoided. But apart from that, issues with CVTs are mainly due to poor maintenance and excessive strains. These gearboxes are incredibly sensitive when it comes to maintenance. They also don’t like to be strained.
Tips for living with a CVT gearbox
- Strictly use the right transmission fluid for your CVT.
- Follow the recommended maintenance schedule religiously. Maintenance will mainly involve changing transmission fluid and filters.
- No hard accelerations.
- No carrying of heavy loads or towing beyond the recommended weight.
