Why so many bad CVT trans?

[Andrew1972]

I remember people thinking fuel injection was bad, 4 speed automatics, power windows, variable valve timing , turbo engines .......

Is the mean fail rate of CVT any more then automatic transmissions besides the bad designs?

 

[red7404]

YES bad design, bad idea. they would NEVER make it in aircraft business. like rush said. its a race to the bottom of the barrel.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by MoneyJohn

I have been to many stealerships and they tell me that they have been instructed not to change the fluid. If anything happens within 10 years, they will replace it. Nobody talks after that though.



STOP BELIEVING WHAT YOUR $TEALERSHIPS TELL YOU!
For maintenance instructions read your manual or call the manufacturer

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by AC1DD
Originally Posted by MoneyJohn

I have been to many stealerships and they tell me that they have been instructed not to change the fluid. If anything happens within 10 years, they will replace it. Nobody talks after that though.



STOP BELIEVING WHAT YOUR $TEALERSHIPS TELL YOU!
For maintenance instructions read your manual or call the manufacturer






What's up with the yelling?

 

[geeman789]

I have driven a number of CVT equipped cars, and every single one felt like it was slipping somewhat. And if something slips long enough, it will fail.

Recently saw a 6 year old, no warranty, Subaru Cross-Trek at auction that needed a new CVT tranny ... the car was in decent condition, selling for dirt cheap, and nobody would bite. A wholesale car buyer told me that a NEW, installed Subaru CVT was $ 12 000 CDN, and finding a decent used one was very difficult, because they all got scooped up FAST.

Disposable cars ... what a huge waste of materials and energy.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by geeman789
I have driven a number of CVT equipped cars, and every single one felt like it was slipping somewhat. And if something slips long enough, it will fail.

Recently saw a 6 year old, no warranty, Subaru Cross-Trek at auction that needed a new CVT tranny ... the car was in decent condition, selling for dirt cheap, and nobody would bite. A wholesale car buyer told me that a NEW, installed Subaru CVT was $ 12 000 CDN, and finding a decent used one was very difficult, because they all got scooped up FAST.

Disposable cars ... what a huge waste of materials and energy.



Exactly. I consider the apparent shift of almost ALL mass production vehicles in the USA to CVT to be a form of collusion to be honest.

Essentially if you buy mass market vehicles you will be FORCED to buy a CVT, or you won't be able to buy a new (automatic) car in the USA.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted by geeman789

Recently saw a 6 year old, no warranty, Subaru Cross-Trek at auction that needed a new CVT tranny ... the car was in decent condition, selling for dirt cheap, and nobody would bite. A wholesale car buyer told me that a NEW, installed Subaru CVT was $ 12 000 CDN,.


There's about a gazillion of them online, used with warranty for around $1200. Remans are maybe twice that.

 

[littlehulkster]

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
When I see diesel pickups come with CVTs, I'll buy one. Fascinating that none of the Ecoboost engines are making it into anything heavier duty than an F-150 as well-seems the HD market is a little smarter than the LD one is...


There have been machines that could tow your pickup while your pickup had it's max towing load hooked up to it available with CVTs for decades now.

Tractors, combine harvesters, front end loaders, road rollers and even tanks.

Your truck is puny indeed compared to a Japanese Type 10 MBT with it's 1200hp diesel engine.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by littlehulkster
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
When I see diesel pickups come with CVTs, I'll buy one. Fascinating that none of the Ecoboost engines are making it into anything heavier duty than an F-150 as well-seems the HD market is a little smarter than the LD one is...


There have been machines that could tow your pickup while your pickup had it's max towing load hooked up to it available with CVTs for decades now.

Tractors, combine harvesters, front end loaders, road rollers and even tanks.

Your truck is puny indeed compared to a Japanese Type 10 MBT with it's 1200hp diesel engine.



They are not conventionally designed CVTs though.

 

[Cdn17Sport6MT]

Originally Posted by Reddy45
Dry DCTs are fine for people who understand them and will use them properly.

But giving average drivers, who are used to how a hydraulic auto trans works, a dry DCT is a recipe for disaster.


While I agree that you cannot / should not slip a DCT (as if it were a torque converter type automatic) - the Getrag dry clutch DCT in the Focus, Fiesta... apart from a TCM problem - has a mega problem with input seal leakage. Not sure why. But it wets the clutch plates... and they most certainly judder. Maybe I don't know enough about what the problem is.... but I can't understand why it appears to be unsolvable.

 

[emg]

Originally Posted by geeman789
Recently saw a 6 year old, no warranty, Subaru Cross-Trek at auction that needed a new CVT tranny ... the car was in decent condition, selling for dirt cheap, and nobody would bite.


A six-year-old Crosstrek should have the 10-year warranty extension on the CVT.

Originally Posted by AC1DD
I consider the apparent shift of almost ALL mass production vehicles in the USA to CVT to be a form of collusion to be honest.


The US government said 'in future, cars must get a gazillion mpg', and the CVT was the easiest tech to reach that demand. It's what happens when you get politicians design cars.

 

[emg]

Originally Posted by MoneyJohn
A correction, they would not service your transmission even if it has severe usage. I have been to many stealerships and they tell me that they have been instructed not to change the fluid. If anything happens within 10 years, they will replace it. Nobody talks after that though.


Actually, I've seen a few Americans say that. There doesn't seem to be any problem getting the fluid changed up here, though; it's on the recommended service list every five years.

 

[Hootbro]

Originally Posted by Eddie
There's the proof. Scotty says so. )


Do not give Scotty too much credit. Would be like him making the statement that water was wet when it is common knowledge already.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by Hootbro
Originally Posted by Eddie
There's the proof. Scotty says so. )


Do not give Scotty too much credit. Would be like him making the statement that water was wet when it is common knowledge already.


Scotty doesn't always get it right, but many times he certainly does and he has a LOT of good old fashioned common sense about how simplicity and
tried and true is the best way to go when making a costly purchase like a car, and of course the manufacturers hate that fact.

There is a HUGE potential market in the USA for simple, low priced and durable, and reliable vehicles, the question is when will someone step up and fill that vacuum?

Trump would do well to roll back DOT and EPA regs back to the late 80s, it's an automatic win for him and millions of US consumers that are tired of being
"legislated" into today's overly complicated, expensive to purchase, and repair, and boring to drive vehicles.

 

[Brons2]

Originally Posted by willbur
Originally Posted by discountdon



Americans should be driving stick and stop being lazy.


You can say that regarding stick for places with little traffic. Try your recommendation in LA (or any city). If you did, you would drive that stick car for about one day and run to the nearest dealer for an AT vehicle. LOL. Its not about lazy.


I drive a stick every day in [expletive] traffic to and from work in a city with horrible traffic for it's relative size. 40-60 minutes each way.

It's not that bad. You don't really even think about shifting it after you're used to it.

https://www.businessinsider.com/us-cities-with-most-traffic-2019-2019-2#15-baltimore-md-1
#14, probably the least populated metro area on this list.

 

[Brons2]

On a side note, the Crosstrek was available with a manual in the past, can you still get one that way?

 

[Saabist]

Originally Posted by Brons2

I drive a stick every day in [expletive] traffic to and from work in a city with horrible traffic for it's relative size. 40-60 minutes each way.

It's not that bad. You don't really even think about shifting it after you're used to it.


You might think it was pretty bad if you had bad knees and arthritis.

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted by Saabist
Originally Posted by Brons2

I drive a stick every day in [expletive] traffic to and from work in a city with horrible traffic for it's relative size. 40-60 minutes each way.

It's not that bad. You don't really even think about shifting it after you're used to it.


You might think it was pretty bad if you had bad knees and arthritis.





It's easy for someone to type words out on a interwebs forum but until they have done it they should refrain.

It does get tiring even for a healthy person. Imagine stop and go for thirty miles with a clutch. Do that on a regular basis. I used to do it long ago but now I appreciate the fact that I don't have to.

 

[AC1DD]

Originally Posted by PimTac




It's easy for someone to type words out on a interwebs forum but until they have done it they should refrain.

It does get tiring even for a healthy person. Imagine stop and go for thirty miles with a clutch. Do that on a regular basis. I used to do it long ago but now I appreciate the fact that I don't have to.


Yet many or even most drivers in Europe and ROW seem to cope just fine driving in exactly those conditions with stick, and you don't find them complaining either.
I do it....and if you do it on a regular basis it just becomes normal, just like it was in the USA many decades ago.