CVT failures

[hawk02]

Another useless speculative thread. Pretty sure my CVT will explode before 100k.

Why did you get it then?

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[Arlington10thgen]

Because no one has had time to drive the X gen to 60 000 miles yet.

These cars have been out since 2015, there are definitely cars with over 60k miles on the road.

 

[Billy4202]

These cars have been out since 2015, there are definitely cars with over 60k miles on the road.

For sure. Lots of people at my office commute at least 50k a year just to live closer to DC.

I don't blame them.

 

[Arlington10thgen]

For sure. Lots of people at my office commute at least 50k a year just to live closer to DC.

I don't blame them.

I bought mine in October of 16, I have 20K miles already. I live in DFW and commute 26 miles each way.

 

[BarracksSi]

For sure. Lots of people at my office commute at least 50k a year just to live closer to DC.

I don't blame them.

I used to live inside DC and work in the 'burbs. Reverse commute FTW.

... kinda. Traffic still was heavy enough for me to leave home twice as early as necessary just in case someone on 295 got stupid.

 

[sonicBOOMgray]

A stupid thread ---

CVT has been good for Honda. Otherwise they would have never standardized on CVT for their 4 cylinder Accord sedan.

Whatever problems they had in their early designs they have moved on to a design good enough to be the standard unit in their top tier car -- the Accord.

This thread should be closed or renamed. Capricious, arbitrary and baseless. I'm sure the Accord CVT they ported over is heavy duty and will be used on the next Accord. This car feels solid like a tank and the suspension allows the wheels/tires to be glued well to the road. Comfy too. I can't get over how well the much maligned cloth fabric seats are. I never would have dreamed a Honda would be this comfy. Power of dreams, huh.

 

[9xArtanisx9]

So, after reading this thread (not all of it), here is my experience with my cvt. I currently have a 2017 Civic Hatchback Sport cvt. All I have in and Injen SRI. Engine is stock and no tune was ever applied to it. My driving style is as goes, 75% of the time, I'm using light throttle. 25% time I'm about a quarter to half throttle. I use the paddle shifters occasionally. I don't do many, if not any hill starts. I wait for the car to completely stop before going from reverse to drive and vice versa. Now, I understand not every single car will be the same, but I'm just notifying you all of my driving style. I have 50k miles on it right now and I haven't got any fluid changes or services. That was my mistake for not servicing it sooner, but I didn't notice any major problems or lurches. Now, here's where it gets a little troubling. The lag and the harshness are unbearable. First off, the lag from switching gears is a good 1-2 seconds, meaning that switching gears is just unfavorable. If I've been driving for a while, the transmission is really slow to respond off the line and is extremely laggy. Another issue is when you slow down, the engine drops the rpms and then get back on the throttle, the car jerks forward really harshly. It feels like some one like hit you from the back. It happens when I slow down before a stop light and then I use the throttle. This happens about 60% of the time. Once I just a fluid change, I'll note back to see if anything has changed. Honestly, it was my biggest mistake opting for a cvt. I should've waited for the manual. Honestly, if my cvt fails, I guess I would get it fixed and just trade it in. I understand this is a harsh statement, but I think there are better platforms to mod on. All in all, I love my Civic, but the cvt is its achilles heel.

 

[Swordfish]

So, after reading this thread (not all of it), here is my experience with my cvt. I currently have a 2017 Civic Hatchback Sport cvt. All I have in and Injen SRI. Engine is stock and no tune was ever applied to it. My driving style is as goes, 75% of the time, I'm using light throttle. 25% time I'm about a quarter to half throttle. I use the paddle shifters occasionally. I don't do many, if not any hill starts. I wait for the car to completely stop before going from reverse to drive and vice versa. Now, I understand not every single car will be the same, but I'm just notifying you all of my driving style. I have 50k miles on it right now and I haven't got any fluid changes or services. That was my mistake for not servicing it sooner, but I didn't notice any major problems or lurches. Now, here's where it gets a little troubling. The lag and the harshness are unbearable. First off, the lag from switching gears is a good 1-2 seconds, meaning that switching gears is just unfavorable. If I've been driving for a while, the transmission is really slow to respond off the line and is extremely laggy. Another issue is when you slow down, the engine drops the rpms and then get back on the throttle, the car jerks forward really harshly. It feels like some one like hit you from the back. It happens when I slow down before a stop light and then I use the throttle. This happens about 60% of the time. Once I just a fluid change, I'll note back to see if anything has changed. Honestly, it was my biggest mistake opting for a cvt. I should've waited for the manual. Honestly, if my cvt fails, I guess I would get it fixed and just trade it in. I understand this is a harsh statement, but I think there are better platforms to mod on. All in all, I love my Civic, but the cvt is its achilles heel.

So that's what is happening is the engine is drops the rpms when you are slowing, then when you press the pedal, is it due to the CVT catching ? What you are describing is what I have been mentioning related to the "jerky" transmission, and you are correct it feels like a rear bump from another car. I notice it when I am driving, then slow down to around 25mph, once I let off the gas and the car coasts, when I reapply the gas it gives that "jerk". I don't know what actually causes it, or if it is a combination of the engine and CVT, but I have been experiencing that since I bought the car. I recently had my CVT fluid changed at 47k miles (maintenance minder did not show yet), and it has improved by about 70-80%. There is still some slight jerking, but it is not quite as bad as before. I will probably change my fluid every 30k miles from now on.

Sometimes even shifting into reverse there's a jerk as well. Overall, the CVT has not been that great, but i'll drive the car until it falls apart then call it a day.

 

[9xArtanisx9]

So that's what is happening is the engine is drops the rpms when you are slowing, then when you press the pedal, is it due to the CVT catching ? What you are describing is what I have been mentioning related to the "jerky" transmission, and you are correct it feels like a rear bump from another car. I notice it when I am driving, then slow down to around 25mph, once I let off the gas and the car coasts, when I reapply the gas it gives that "jerk". I don't know what actually causes it, or if it is a combination of the engine and CVT, but I have been experiencing that since I bought the car. I recently had my CVT fluid changed at 47k miles (maintenance minder did not show yet), and it has improved by about 70-80%. There is still some slight jerking, but it is not quite as bad as before. I will probably change my fluid every 30k miles from now on.

Sometimes even shifting into reverse there's a jerk as well. Overall, the CVT has not been that great, but i'll drive the car until it falls apart then call it a day.

I see, I think it's time to get a fluid change. I honestly don't mind it, but my passengers think there's something wrong with my car. I guess it's something I'll have to deal with.

 

[GermanCivic]

I have 50k miles on it right now and I haven't got any fluid changes or services. That was my mistake for not servicing it sooner, but I didn't notice any major problems or lurches.

I would be concerned to loose waranty if doing so. My head unit told me to get the CVT fluid changed at about 16,840 miles already (30,000 kilometers) and so I did.

I wonder if people who're driving more aggressive and flooring the pedal most of the time, are more likely having issues than people who're driving normal and calm in D mode with ECON activated most of the time.
Or should the CVT be able to handle the tork no matter how harsh you drive? Any toughts on that?

 

[9xArtanisx9]

I would be concerned to loose waranty if doing so. My head unit told me to get the CVT fluid changed at about 16,840 miles already (30,000 kilometers) and so I did.

I wonder if people who're driving more aggressive and flooring the pedal most of the time, are more likely having issues than people who're driving normal and calm in D mode with ECON activated most of the time.
Or should the CVT be able to handle the tork no matter how harsh you drive? Any toughts on that?

Odd, because I never got that reminder? I had one maintenance reminder, but the dealer associate said I just needed to change my tires, air cabin filter, maybe an A1 or A2 service light. After I denied that, I haven't seen any other maintenance reminders. I'm not sure why, but I plan on getting a cvt fluid change soon. How much did they quote you at?

 

[GermanCivic]

@9xArtanisx9
We don't have A1 or A2 here, my maintenance reminder said AB23 which was €420, which should be $470.

A = oil and oil filter change
B = test drive, brake check, have a look under the car
2 = CVT fluid change
3 = cabin filter exchange or clean up

The change of the CVT fluid (it was not a complete flush) with approximately 4 litres of fluid was €160 which should be $180.

 

[9xArtanisx9]

@9xArtanisx9
We don't have A1 or A2 here, my maintenance reminder said AB23 which was €420, which should be $470.

A = oil and oil filter change
B = test drive, brake check, have a look under the car
2 = CVT fluid change
3 = cabin filter exchange or clean up

The change of the CVT fluid (it was not a complete flush) with approximately 4 litres of fluid was €160 which should be $180.

I see, that's quote pricey. I think I'll request a quote from a few shops. If not, I might just buy myself a pair of ramps and do it myself. Thanks for the update!

 

[The Vyzitor]

All I know is, my Civic is just under 5,000 miles, and I’m starting to have a weird issue where it feels like it is “slipping”

if the car has been sitting overnight, or at least 6 to 8 hours in cold weather (California cold, like 40° to 50°F) when I first start to drive, the RPMs rise but the car doesn’t feel like it wants to go anywhere. Normally, around 1,500rpm I can feel the CVT start to do its thing and accelerate while barely raising the RPM. During these cold start “slip” scenarios, the RPMs clear 2,000rpm and will continue to rise, and I get no sensation of the CVT starting to change ratios to achieve more acceleration. It really reminds me of a clutch slipping. Once the car has warmed up, it drives normal again.

Rant over. Not a fan of these CVTs and as miles accumulate its not winning me over.

 

[9xArtanisx9]

All I know is, my Civic is just under 5,000 miles, and I’m starting to have a weird issue where it feels like it is “slipping”

if the car has been sitting overnight, or at least 6 to 8 hours in cold weather (California cold, like 40° to 50°F) when I first start to drive, the RPMs rise but the car doesn’t feel like it wants to go anywhere. Normally, around 1,500rpm I can feel the CVT start to do its thing and accelerate while barely raising the RPM. During these cold start “slip” scenarios, the RPMs clear 2,000rpm and will continue to rise, and I get no sensation of the CVT starting to change ratios to achieve more acceleration. It really reminds me of a clutch slipping. Once the car has warmed up, it drives normal again.

Rant over. Not a fan of these CVTs and as miles accumulate its not winning me over.

I have that same issue, it might just be the engine and cvt warming up. Once the engine warms up a little, I notice that the cvt doesn't slip, but I know what you're talking about. It's odd, because we also have a 2016 fit ex cvt and it doesn't do that at all...?

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