Not doing so could result in thousands of dollars of damage to your vehicle. When choosing a CVT fluid, it’s absolutely vital that it’s designed for your particular vehicle - model and year as well as make. As these transmissions become more popular, there’s no doubt a greater range of lubricants will become available to service them. They should be perfectly acceptable alternatives, and they may save you money. Universal: More “universal” CVT fluids have begun to appear that are compatible with a greater range of vehicles. As a result, there can be some overlap between CVT fluids. The Japanese Transmission Company (JATCO) is a major supplier currently making CVT transmissions for Infinity, Jeep, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Suzuki. This is because each vehicle manufacturer doesn’t necessarily build its own transmissions. Vehicle make-specific: However, when you buy CVT fluid today, you’ll notice that manufacturers claim it to be fine for several manufacturers (typically two or three), but not for others. That led to a whole range of very specific CVT fluids. Initially, each manufacturer introduced its own formulation, and as a result, Jeep CVT fluid couldn’t be used in a Honda, for example. When modern CVTs were being designed, it was soon realized that existing automatic transmission fluids wouldn’t provide sufficient protection. Maintain viscosity and low-temperature fluidity (so the CVT always works efficiently) Protect surfaces from excessive wear and corrosion Provide consistent belt friction (to reduce shuddering) CVT fluid is designed to do the following:
What does CVT fluid do?ĬVT fluid lubricates the transmission, which helps to dissipate heat, but it does more than that. This can be a result of not changing the CVT fluid at the correct intervals or using incorrect fluid. Though rare, some transmissions have failed completely. Belt slipping (hence loss of power), shuddering (where the belt slips, then grips, slips, then grips), and overheating can be problems. And while they aren’t fragile, they aren’t perfect.
There are fears - however unfounded - that the belts are fragile. Why aren’t there more CVTs?Įventually, all cars might have CVTs, but currently there’s some customer resistance (as there often is with new technology). Looked after properly, a CVT will last as long as any other transmission. The belt, a weakness in the past, is now made of steel and composites. There’s no question of the auto box hunting for the right gear, so the ride is usually very smooth. Fuel consumption and emissions are both reduced. Instead, a belt runs on cone-shaped pulleys (some manufacturers use chains), thus providing “continuous variation.” A CVT always delivers exactly the power demanded of it, so the engine runs at peak efficiency. Why? There are two main reasons: ease (and therefore cost) of manufacture and the efficient way a CVT delivers power.Ī CVT has no gears (though a few models include a first, or “launch,” gear). Why choose a CVT?īy our estimation, there are over 200 cars and light trucks using CVT today, and industry sources suggest that the number is likely to increase. Despite a minor resurgence in the late 1950s (when Dutch truck maker DAF produced a range of small 500 cc and 600 cc cars), it wasn’t until the early 2000s that CVTs started to reappear in greater numbers. At first, when production methods weren’t what they are today, the belt was the weak point. Though it’s easier to make than a traditional geared transmission, CVT uses a belt drive. It was first used in a sawmill engine in the 1870s, and it appeared in cars soon after.
The continuously variable transmission is not a new idea. In 1490, Leonardo Da Vinci had the first recorded idea for a continuously variable transmission.