CVT maintenance

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 14:33
CVT maintenance - expat

Lots of cars are now coming with CVT transmissions. What are they like for maintenance? Do they need oil and belt changes and if so how often and what does it cost? Do they have any other requirements? Are they reliable for long term ownership?

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 16:16
CVT maintenance - madf

I own a Honda Jazz CVT 2012.

CVT oil "changes" every 25k miles. Takes 2.5L of Honda's own CVT fluid- (a full refill is impossible - requires 6 L of fluid .)

I diy - easy peasy. No problems at all (of any sort with anything) in 6 years..

No other maintenance. V reliable.

I believe Audi's CVT requires oil changes every 40k miles and goes bang if not changed as required. (Honda's works badly if not changed on time)

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 16:44
CVT maintenance - TheGentlemanThug

My wife has a 2006 Jazz CVT which, apart from needing a new coil pack, has never put a foot wrong. Can't speak for other CVT boxes mind you.

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 20:37
CVT maintenance - retgwte

"Do they need oil and belt changes and if so how often and what does it cost?"

get the gearbox oil changed at each service, regardless of what manufacturer says, clean oil is the only thing that will help improve long term survival

"Are they reliable for long term ownership?"

no

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 11:33
CVT maintenance - madf

"Do they need oil and belt changes and if so how often and what does it cost?"

get the gearbox oil changed at each service, regardless of what manufacturer says, clean oil is the only thing that will help improve long term survival

"Are they reliable for long term ownership?"

no

An incorrect answer.

Nissan ones were carp. Ditto Audi.

Honda post 2011 ? Excellent. Ditto Toyota.

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 13:25
CVT maintenance - retgwte

Go and look at the cars parked up at the big auto gearbox refurb places... you will find all of the above

Toyota are mainly MMT not CVT?

Ford CVT are especially bad

Edited by retgwte on 17/10/2018 at 13:25

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 21:18
CVT maintenance - SLO76
Each make will have their own maintenance schedule which dictates fluid changes, follow it and you should be fine with any of the latest offerings. But it did take a while to get where they are and these gearboxes were poor for durability in the past with even Honda struggling with early CVT in the Mk I Jazz.

Today however Toyota have proved how robust they can be with countless Prius taxis across the globe so equipped and still in use with massive mileages up. There are few cases of gearbox trouble on Toyota or Lexus models. A quick google brings up stories about examples with over 500k and no talk of gearbox failure.

Edited by SLO76 on 16/10/2018 at 21:21

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 21:42
CVT maintenance - Falkirk Bairn

Are the Toyota /Lexus gearboxes on the hybrids not planetary arrangement which differs from all the other makes.

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Tue 16 Oct 2018 23:51
CVT maintenance - SLO76

Are the Toyota /Lexus gearboxes on the hybrids not planetary arrangement which differs from all the other makes.

No idea but even the conventional CVT transmissions in the Auris, Avensis and Lexus models are robust and longlived by all accounts. I’d buy one with absolute confidence as long as it had a full dealer history.
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Wed 17 Oct 2018 11:30
CVT maintenance - madf

Are the Toyota /Lexus gearboxes on the hybrids not planetary arrangement which differs from all the other makes.

Yes..They are NOT CVTs.

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 11:54
CVT maintenance - SLO76

Are the Toyota /Lexus gearboxes on the hybrids not planetary arrangement which differs from all the other makes.

Yes..They are NOT CVTs.

Right enough it is different but uses some of the same principles and is refered to as an e-CVT by Toyota. www.autoevolution.com/news/this-is-how-toyota-priu...l www.autoexpress.co.uk/toyota/prius/87913/toyota-pr...p

Edited by SLO76 on 17/10/2018 at 12:04

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 13:27
CVT maintenance - retgwte

correct they are MMT not CVT

ie a robot is changing a manual gearbox rather than big bands moving up and down cone like cyclinders

completely and utterly different

as the main CVT failure mode is band snaps and then damages gearbox case...

Edited by retgwte on 17/10/2018 at 13:28

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 13:44
CVT maintenance - madf

correct they are MMT not CVT

ie a robot is changing a manual gearbox rather than big bands moving up and down cone like cyclinders

completely and utterly different

as the main CVT failure mode is band snaps and then damages gearbox case...

Mot CVT bands are steel chains - think timing chains but much stronger..

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 13:47
CVT maintenance - retgwte

sadly once again you are mistaken

Reality is easily proven by a look at easily found youtube videos showing them being repaired

www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiwRUfFEc5k

and so on

Edited by Avant on 17/10/2018 at 16:04

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 17:39
CVT maintenance - Vitesse6

The CVT in Toyota hybrids is an electronically controlled epicyclic gear using power from the petrol engine and two electric motors.

No Bands, no robotic gear changes.

The honda CVT are very reliable if looked after with fluid changes at 25,000 mile intervals. The wife's Jazz ran on for 120,000 miles

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Wed 17 Oct 2018 19:39
CVT maintenance - steveincornwall

For anyone interested in the internal workings of the Toyota Hybrid boxes, Professor John Kelly of Weber State University has some excellent videos on Youtube. This one shows the workings of my Yaris Hybrid (Prius C in America)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFug8jwbbTE

Many more videos by the Prof' on hybrid and electric drive trains. Ive just started watching his latest videos on Auto Transission Fluid, yes sad but it's beats watching some celebrity dancing bakers rubbish on Saturday evenings!

Steve.

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