Why the dislike for CVTs?

The Egyptians used cone drives to lift water I think. I had optical polishing machines from Strasbaugh made in the 1960’s that ran daily year after year with cones and belt variable speed drive. it’s an old idea. But when they started using metal belts on metal cones and they would be riding up and down the cones constantly I never could understand how that could be reliable long term. I guessthey are reliable now but still don’t get it.


That where the CVT fluid comes into play
 
That where the CVT fluid comes into play
Fluid or not still don’t get it. I know they use fluid but it is the basic design. On paper many things are possible but there are basic designs that just eliminate many problems , like the planetary cvts. Metal belt on metal cones seems like a difficult design. The belt has to tightly grip the cones.
 
Fluid or not still don’t get it. I know they use fluid but it is the basic design. On paper many things are possible but there are basic designs that just eliminate many problems , like the planetary cvts. Metal belt on metal cones seems like a difficult design. The belt has to tightly grip the cones.


Do some searching on the subject. The metal belts are a fascinating design and they are constructed of special alloys. A lot of research went into this and despite the early troubles they have gotten better and better. The fluid is also something to research.
 
I don't know enough about them and I have yet to own one. I did however drive a WRX with the CVT was very impressed. In fact I would get the CVT over the manual in that car. A famous rally car driver that drove the CVT version of the WRX also preferred it to the manual.
 
I have a 1991 Nissan D21 hardbody pickup, 2.4L (KA24E), 5-speed manual, with 482k miles. It's built very simple.

My mother-in-law has a 2000 Buick LeSabre with the ole reliable GM 3800 V6 that just won't seem to die despite the abuse it's seen over the years. I know she went 15k miles on a conventional oil change because she forgot about it. That's since I've known her. At 330k miles, it's still going.
 
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If you read some of the old grandpas on here they are still talking about head gasket leaks, an issue that was fixed TWO engine generations ago.

It's more on the fact that the EJ series were way susceptible to that, especially in the fact they used it in their top model (STI) for generations and never got a fix for the USDM market. The FA engines have their own issues too, I don't think they solved the valvetrain issues in the FA engines yet.

Generally their non-turbo models are stout though.
 
I have personally owned decades-old cars with Torqueflites that never required rebuilding. Usually at 100K it would not be the transmission failing unless the owner never maintained it. Allowing for overall inflation, gasoline is less expensive today than it was 50 years ago. A Torqueflite can be overhauled for about $1000-$1500, and it is possible for an ambitious shadetree mechanic to do it themselves for much less. What does it cost to overhaul a CVT, dual-clutch trans, or ZF 8-speed? (If you want overdrive for better gas mileage there are transmissions such as the Aisin-Warner AW4 that add the extra gear without too much additional complexity and are nearly as bulletproof as the old Chrysler boxes.)
Not sure on overhaul costs, but I can buy a new 8hp70 for my truck for $2,600. A new 65RFE would cost me $3,800, a reman 65RFE looks to be $2,800 from Mopar.
 
Not sure on overhaul costs, but I can buy a new 8hp70 for my truck for $2,600. A new 65RFE would cost me $3,800, a reman 65RFE looks to be $2,800 from Mopar.

Not bad, but still significantly more expensive, like 2X-4X the cost. From what I've read, to have a CVT installed you could easily be looking at 7K-8K bucks. Used transmissions are of course another way to go. I picked up a good used 4HP18 (ZF 4-speed) for under $200 and installed it myself a few years ago, and the car is still going down the road. The original lasted 20 years and over 300K miles. Don't know if I'd have the same confidence level in a used CVT or complex 8-10 speed trans.

Also with increased complexity you get diminishing returns along with potentially more expensive repairs in the long run. The lengths manufacturers are going to today to eke out a few tenths of a mile per gallon are getting ridiculous, and that is at least some of the reason for increasingly complex transmissions. Of course the idea of expensive repairs won't matter to people who lease or get a new car every a few years since they'll never be out of warranty. However, being a cheapskate and highly allergic to car payments I buy older vehicles that are less complex and keep them going a long time. My current daily cost me the princely sum of $1500 and I've been driving it nearly 10 years.
 
Yeah, I don't think so. The automatic transmission was wanted and well-received, especially in America.

Meanwhile, no one asked for the CVT... yet here we are.
The fuel economy benefit of the CVT was requested by CAFE and the market, the ever expanding use of these by OEM's is evidence they are better than they were at the beginning.
 
I will say that while I agree that the CVT does kill a lot of the excitement of driving, it doesn't necessarily make higher horsepower cars unfun. Maximas are still pretty fun to drive, along with the V6 Altima. I enjoy driving my family's '07 Maxima a LOT more than driving my 2005 Impala (255 horsepower compared to 180 horsepower and CVT compared to 4 speed).
 
Curious (as I have zero experience with an automotive CVT) Done a little reading on this but the comments are all over.

I'm kinda comparing them to their industrial counterparts.

If anyone would care to define.... ( if known)

What exactly is considered a "standard" rebuild?

What parts specifically fail ( and why)

Why do they seem to cost so much?

Thanks
 
I agree with you, on the highway they are like any other normal car. It's driving around town or the roads that are 45-65 MPH with stoplights that catch you every 1/2 mile where they are less than ideal. Going from 0-65MPH every half mile where the engine is screeeeeaming, feeling like you are going nowhere due to the CVT slipping away is just plain unpleasant.

The Subaru's in this scenario were a tad better due to their "shift points" but still it goes through them so sluggishly. Maybe I could get used to it, I dunno.


That problem is not just a CVT problem....


It's a MOTOR/CVT problem....

A 1.8 or 2.0 or even a 2.5 are going to be slow with a CVT....

My 3.5... does not have that problem... I go.
 
That problem is not just a CVT problem....


It's a MOTOR/CVT problem....

A 1.8 or 2.0 or even a 2.5 are going to be slow with a CVT....

My 3.5... does not have that problem... I go.

You may have the same vehicle as my cousin.

It is a 2020 Nissan Murano Platinum and the only review I hear of it is... It flies.

Oh, it is AWD as well.
 
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