CVT problems

[BBISHOPPCM]

Not sure if this is normal or not, but here goes; My CVT seems to delay or simply fail to upshift in freezing cold weather (works normally after a minute or so). Is this normal? I havn't seen any warning lights, and it functions perfectly well otherwise. Thanks!

[michelkenny]

I've noticed that with mine too in -40C weather. For the first couple of minutes, the CVT will rev quite a bit higher than normal, yet it feels like it is not accelerating very fast. After the first couple of minutes, it goes back to normal. My old car did pretty much the same thing too.

[BBISHOPPCM]

Maybe I'm just used to Nissan's "Slam-Tronic" transmissions... Seriously, every 4 cyl. Nissan I have ever driven with an automatic slams into second and third gear. This CVT is too smooth for me...

[kc5f]

At 14°F my CVT works fine, but I do try to keep it around 2000rpm or less until the low temp light goes off. (Luckily, we live on a slight incline, so I can let it loaf for a half mile or so.)

[Gosh]

i have the same issue with mine, rev's high but no balls in cold weather for the first 5 min or so.

[marleyfan]

I've noticed that with mine too in -40C weather.

Maybe it's your car's way of saying WTF are you doing out in -40C weather. Seriously tho....does ANY car really handle that kind of weather well? I figure those living in Winnipeg are qualified to answer that question

[rwanttaja]

Not sure if this is normal or not, but here goes; My CVT seems to delay or simply fail to upshift in freezing cold weather (works normally after a minute or so). Is this normal? I havn't seen any warning lights, and it functions perfectly well otherwise. Thanks!

Did you notice any correlation between the CVT performance and the "Engine Cold" light? E.g., whether the CVT seem to go back to normal at about the same time the blue light goes out.

I figure the computer probably does control the engine/transmission differently when the engine is cold. The automatic choke on a carbureted engine also restricts the available power and causes the engine to idle faster. I'd be a bit surprised to learn that they've programmed the CVT to shift later when cold, but perhaps the available torque is just too low on a cold engine unless they let it rev up a bit.

Ron

[michelkenny]

Maybe it's your car's way of saying WTF are you doing out in -40C weather. Seriously tho....does ANY car really handle that kind of weather well? I figure those living in Winnipeg are qualified to answer that question

Well -40C was being nice to the weather... a couple of times last week it went to -45C with the wind chill here in Winnipeg That's -49F for all you spoiled Americans who don't experience winter like it is here.

At 14°F my CVT works fine, but I do try to keep it around 2000rpm or less until the low temp light goes off. (Luckily, we live on a slight incline, so I can let it loaf for a half mile or so.)

14F is only -10C... man, that's nothing My CVT also performs normal in that temperature...

[kc5f]

14F is only -10C... man, that's nothing My CVT also performs normal in that temperature...

Yes on the Celsius conversion, but the original poster is in NH, where they have -10°C a lot more often than -40°C, so I thought I'd add my 2¢ and try to answer the original question.

I tend to agree with rwanttaja that when the cold temp light is on the CVT's functioning a bit differently. I remember reading somewhere on the forum that the CVT in particular is something to baby until the light goes out. I imagine at -40°C it takes even longer to warm up and the CVT may be even less happy.

[motoguy128]

I believe the CVT uses a special oil for lubrication and cooling of the belt drive mechanism. It may also move the CVT hydralically. When its cold, it might cause the belts to move sluggishly or the computer has programmed it not to shift until it starts to warm up.

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Most automatics also delay shifting when cold. My '04 Honda Accord used to hold 1st gear when it was cold. Shifting to to low of a gear can cause poor performance and lugging.

THe main reason the engine makes less pwoer when it's cold, is because it produces less power. A large protion of hte engine's power is going into heating the engine block, heads, fluids and trhansmission. SO instead of making maybe 20HP as you pull away, it might only make 15HP when it's very cold. 5HP are lost as heat. WHen the enging hot, the heat transfer losses are less and more energy.., goes into moving the piston. 5000watts, is almost 7HP, it's not hard to believe that the engine can absorb or lose that much heat as low temperatures when you consider there's 300+ lbs of metal and fluids with 30mph air blowing over it.

[LA02MAX]

It's actually quite normal. Most automatic transmissions do not engage overdrive for a while when you first start your car after it sits for a while. Particularly in cold weather.

[hgp]

The following has happened a few times now, not sure what it is. Start the car over a patch of snow, the tires spin, revs go way up to 4,000 and me with hardly any pressure on the peddle. Takes about 20sec before it comes back down and that is with me having my foot off the gas pedal

[brownbrix]

i get that same problem even after the car has been warmed up for 10 mins from a -50C cold start it will rev up 2000 so i just try not to push it on the gas much till i get the idle back to normal

[DragonEye]

its all because the transmission has to warm up the internals, once they are warmed up then it works like normal...

[hgp]

I should clarify my earlier message.The car is all warmed up.There is snow on the ground and its slipperyI start to move from an intersection in the slippery snowthe tires spin because of the snow and no tractionthe revs go way upI take my foot off the gas pedalthe revs still stay way upnow I cant tell if I have no grip i.e. the are the tires still spinning as the revs are still higheventually after 20sec or so it comes back down.