Honda CR-V Owners Club Forums banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

CVT Transmission effort to boost longevity

3 reading
51K views 65 replies 25 participants last post by  Garfy  
#1 ·
Apologies in advance if I'm asking something that may have already been covered...

I've owned Hondas almost exclusively for 30 years... 8 of them in total.

Last week my wife bought a 2020 CRV AWD LX.

And I drive a 2017 CR-V AWD LX (2.3 engine). We bought both of these vehicles new, 3 year apart.

Now that we each own 5th Generation CR-Vs, I thought I would "get serious" about learning more about the changes over the years.

The most alarming revelation was the CVT Transmission. For the past 3 years I've simply understood it as an "Automatic", and went about my business. I've owned Honndas w/ manual transmissions for years (and never replaced a clutch). I've owned Automatics that have been equally problem-free. But now we're into the brave new world of the CVT. We aren't manic, aggressive drivers, so we haven't experienced any of the oddities that others have reported under those driving conditions. They've just felt like really smooth, comfortable transmissions, and to date I've just thought "man Honda keeps improving the ride!"....

And then.... I read that, generally, the average lifespan of a CVT is 100k! Say what? Are you kiddng me? I've driven other non-CVT Hondas WAY longer than 100K, with ZERO transmission issues!!!!

So my question is, how "average" is that for Honda? Anyone out there driving a CVT with 150k and no issues?

Can I extend the life of a CVT by driving solely in "ECON mode", and taking it really easy all the time?
 
#2 ·
ECON mode wont do diddly-squat other than make the engine lethargic in the (poor) pursuit of some lukewarm fuel efficiency.

As to the CVT, as long as the essential maintenance is completed as per Honda instructions, that 100K lifespan "average" simply will not apply. It will soldier on for a LOT longer.

Dont forget - this is a Honda. Not some German junk made on a Friday afternoon. Treated properly, CVTs will go on for more than double that 100K "average" lifespan nonsense 👌
 
#3 ·
So far people haven't been reporting CVT failures on Hondas.

Honda has been building CVTs for a long time and seems to be doing it better than most others.

Some manufacturers don't build there own transmissions, both CVT and regular automatics. There is a transmission supplier that is known for building units that fail long before they should, again both types.

I've had 4 vehicles with CVTs, none have experienced any problems.

Our company fleet has quite a few, they put about 125,000 miles on them before turning them in. No failures have been reported.
 
#8 ·
This is a Honda CVT -- not a typical CVT. Honda did learn a few things from their first generation CVT -- and how to use a torque converter instead of a start clutch -- as well as building more rings in the ring packs in order to make the transmission stronger than the 5-speed it replaced. To me, the transmission definitely feels like it is stronger. Just remember that there are no cooling lines running to it [like the automatic], so you'll need to change the fluid every 2 years or 25,000 miles in order to keep the fluid fresh. I haven't figured out why the engineers didn't put in a trans and oil cooler -- or at least run the lines for them, but Honda engineers have advanced degrees in engineering and know what they're doing.
 
Save
#12 ·
Just remember that there are no cooling lines running to it [like the automatic], so you'll need to change the fluid every 2 years or 25,000 miles in order to keep the fluid fresh. I haven't figured out why the engineers didn't put in a trans and oil cooler -- or at least run the lines for them, but Honda engineers have advanced degrees in engineering and know what they're doing.
This is helpful info, thanks. I assume this rule of thumb applies to all generation 5 CR-Vs?
 
#17 ·
Honda does have some issues over the years with some subsystems in the CRV... but CVTs doe not appear to be one of them.

FACT: Honda cut their teeth on CVTs making them for Formula 1 powertrains... before they were prohibited by F1 rule changes and before they were proliferated across consumer vehicles. Formula 1 is where manufacturers learn to make reliable high performance powertrains... because F1 limits the number of powertrains that a team can use in a season. So.. among a range of things that you design for in the F1 circuit... reliability and endurance is always high on the list. And Honda is the only major manufacturer of mainstream value based consumer vehicles.. that also plays strongly in the F1 circuit. Even the current generation hybrids by Honda have their roots in Hondas design of hybrid F1 powertrains.
 
#21 ·
One other CVT inquiry here: up until 2 weeks ago, my main ride was a 3rd Gen 2011 CRV LX. The automatic transmission had a button on the side of the shifter that would prevent the transmission from going any higher than 3rd gear. When we got the 5th Gen CR-V, we noticed the button was no longer present on the shifter. Instead, there's a letter S below letter D, called "Sport Mode". I asked the salesman if "Sport Mode" was the same as hitting the D3 button on my 2011 shifter. He said "That's not really what this is" without fully explaining the difference. I've looked up Sport Mode, and I've tried it, so I get the obvious feel difference. I'm still longing for a comparative explanation of the difference between D3 and Sport Mode. Anyone want to take a crack at it?
 
#22 ·
If I understand Sport Mode correctly, it keeps the engine RPMs in the max power zone when the gas pedal is depressed. D3 was like driving in 3rd gear which simply did not allow the trans to shift into a higher gear but it allowed the trans to run in the two lower gears as the RPMs required.

It's hard to compare a CVT to an auto trans. They are worlds apart.
 
#23 · (Edited)
if you visit the sister board for the HRV there were some cvt tranny failures when they got up to 75-100 k on some of the 2016's .


I dont find much of a difference between the feel of the cvt on my new gen 5 verses the gen 4 I just finished leasing .
 
Save
#29 ·
The stock engine for the HRVs sucks for mating to a CVT. So it does not surprise me that there may be some reported issues with the CVT in that vehicle line. Same issue carried over from the FIT line, which the HRV is built upon. The first generation HRV uses an engine not well tuned for mating to a CVT... making the vehicle feel underpowered and constantly racing to find a sweet spot for the CVT while driving.

I suspect with the next refresh of the HRV.. we may very well see a brand new torque rich low rpm 1.3T engine released for it. That assumes that the next gen HRV is not simply moved directly to Hondas modern hybrid approach to a powertrain. Could also be the HRV becomes one of the first Hondas to go 100% non GDI in terms of powertrain. I do know that if the HRV is redesigned to provide much better driving power while keeping the fuel economy, and better noise management in the cabin... the HRV could become an industry leader in the subcompact SUV/CUV market segment.

AS for difference in feel of the CVT between gen4 and gen5.... for the 2.4L engine.. I would expect no perceivable differences at all. For the 1.5T in the gen5 though... it drives quite differently compared to my gen3 (I have not driven a gen4 so no personal experience). The gen5 is much crisper and more responsive, and at lower rpms (except when in the silly limp ECO mode.. which is wasted on the 1.5T in my view).
 
#25 · (Edited)
I've just scoured the owner's manual for my 2017 AWD LX, and there isn't a single word about when to change the transmission fluid under normal driving. Checking the index, Honda supplied no entry for "Automatic Transmission" or "Transmission"; no entry for "CVT" or "Continuously Variable Transmission".... and under "Maintenance", there isn't a single sentence about regular fluid changes in the CVT whatsoever. They do write about driving in "mountainous areas at low vehicle speeds" or "towing a trailer" - indicating a 25k change if regularly driving under those conditions. What about NORMAL driving? CVT fluid is mentioned under "specifications", where it describes the capacities for 2WD & AWD models - but nothing about when to change the fluid. Isn't this odd?!??!!!! I have 30,000 miles on this car, and there hasn't been a single code pop up about changing the tranny fluid. You folks are saying do it at 25,000. That was 5,000 miles ago. What is with Honda not specifying exactly when to change it for non-mountainous drivers who never have towed a trailer?
 
#28 ·
Honestly.. most fluids in Hondas no longer have a mileage or time trigger for maintenance.... relying instead on the intelligence of the Maintenance Minder. Even for a fluid that is strictly time based, like the brake fluid, which Honda says needs replacement every 36 months, is tracked and flagged by the Maintenance Minder automatically and will pop a code into the next oil service window accordingly.

Trust your Maintenance Minder in the Gen5 CRV. It is smart enough to keep track of almost all regular maintenance schedules, including calculating load conditions that would trigger a need for an earlier fluid change than normal.
 
#33 ·
For me it’s just a ratio of how long you intended to keep a vehicle. I’ve had 3 cars that I put a minimum of 330k on. If I was offing them off at under a 100k, I wouldn’t be as anal about changing fluids other than engine oil.
For me, since I keep vehicles longer than warranty, if I spend a $200 every 15-20k miles servicing my transmission and differentials myself, I’m good with that.
A CVT is a metal belt between sets of cone pulleys rubbing back and forth to change ratio It does wear, releasing material into the oil.
Honda did a good job at providing magnets and two stages of filtration to help keep the oil clean, but since I’m a user that keeps cars for at least 15 years, I change fluids more often.
 
#38 ·
For me it’s just a ratio of how long you intended to keep a vehicle. I’ve had 3 cars that I put a minimum of 330k on. If I was offing them off at under a 100k, I wouldn’t be as anal about changing fluids other than engine oil.
For me, since I keep vehicles longer than warranty, if I spend a $200 every 15-20k miles servicing my transmission and differentials myself, I’m good with that.
A CVT is a metal belt between sets of cone pulleys rubbing back and forth to change ratio It does wear, releasing material into the oil.
Honda did a good job at providing magnets and two stages of filtration to help keep the oil clean, but since I’m a user that keeps cars for at least 15 years, I change fluids more often.
Good policy!
 
#36 ·
Well CVT’s are not in F1 and F1 is not about reliability except for 5 races for powertrain. They do have powertrain limits but dual clutch transmissions are beyond CVT except they are not a 300k mile tranny either.
The OP was wanting to know how to maintain the CVT for longevity on their daily driver.
Porsche, Mercedes, Lamborghini, Ferrari do not use CVT for performance. High performance snowmobiles that are producing 200 hp carry a spare belt.
CVT are about fuel mileage and for now not about High horsepower performance.
 
#37 ·
Actually, one of the big reasons for the Formula One, governing body forbidding CVT’s, is because they feared the certain drop in money paying fans, due to the terrible noise a CVT F1 engine makes. F1 fans want the sight of speed, smell of race fuel, and the sound of up, and down shifting race car engines.
Imagine the joy of listening to a bunch of extremely loud table saws, cutting plywood for 2 hours.
 
#62 ·
I believe these modern electronically controlled transmissions have interlocks on them that prevent user damage due to shifting mistakes. So even this precaution is largely from the "old days". :) No harm in following your approach, it's just that these systems have so many safeguards in them now days, you are unlikely to actually benefit from doing so.
 
#49 ·
Apologies in advance if I'm asking something that may have already been covered...

I've owned Hondas almost exclusively for 30 years... 8 of them in total.

Last week my wife bought a 2020 CRV AWD LX.

And I drive a 2017 CR-V AWD LX (2.3 engine). We bought both of these vehicles new, 3 year apart.

Now that we each own 5th Generation CR-Vs, I thought I would "get serious" about learning more about the changes over the years.

The most alarming revelation was the CVT Transmission. For the past 3 years I've simply understood it as an "Automatic", and went about my business. I've owned Honndas w/ manual transmissions for years (and never replaced a clutch). I've owned Automatics that have been equally problem-free. But now we're into the brave new world of the CVT. We aren't manic, aggressive drivers, so we haven't experienced any of the oddities that others have reported under those driving conditions. They've just felt like really smooth, comfortable transmissions, and to date I've just thought "man Honda keeps improving the ride!"....

And then.... I read that, generally, the average lifespan of a CVT is 100k! Say what? Are you kiddng me? I've driven other non-CVT Hondas WAY longer than 100K, with ZERO transmission issues!!!!

So my question is, how "average" is that for Honda? Anyone out there driving a CVT with 150k and no issues?

Can I extend the life of a CVT by driving solely in "ECON mode", and taking it really easy all the time?
Well I would hope last much longer than 100k. I had a Prius with a CVT before I got my 20 CRV and over 217 k miles before totaled in accident.,0 issues with cvt. Would think Honda just as good. I worked at a Honda dealer from 97 to 2007, saw quite a bite trans failures but no cvt to my remembrance.,
 
#53 ·
Apologies in advance if I'm asking something that may have already been covered...

I've owned Hondas almost exclusively for 30 years... 8 of them in total.

Last week my wife bought a 2020 CRV AWD LX.

And I drive a 2017 CR-V AWD LX (2.3 engine). We bought both of these vehicles new, 3 year apart.

Now that we each own 5th Generation CR-Vs, I thought I would "get serious" about learning more about the changes over the years.

The most alarming revelation was the CVT Transmission. For the past 3 years I've simply understood it as an "Automatic", and went about my business. I've owned Honndas w/ manual transmissions for years (and never replaced a clutch). I've owned Automatics that have been equally problem-free. But now we're into the brave new world of the CVT. We aren't manic, aggressive drivers, so we haven't experienced any of the oddities that others have reported under those driving conditions. They've just felt like really smooth, comfortable transmissions, and to date I've just thought "man Honda keeps improving the ride!"....

And then.... I read that, generally, the average lifespan of a CVT is 100k! Say what? Are you kiddng me? I've driven other non-CVT Hondas WAY longer than 100K, with ZERO transmission issues!!!!

So my question is, how "average" is that for Honda? Anyone out there driving a CVT with 150k and no issues?

Can I extend the life of a CVT by driving solely in "ECON mode", and taking it really easy all the time?
[/QUO
Is there a chart listing months/mileage maintenance required. Manual on 2018 does not have one. I didn't know about the Transmission Fluid at 25K. Waiting for pop up reminders or reading the entire book isn't a planning stragegy.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.