CVT transmissions are becoming widely popular with many manufactures. Nissan seems to be leading the pack but recently Honda and Toyota, along other manufactures have moved away from automatic transmissions and towards CVT technology. CVTs have actually been in the automotive world for 62 years.

What Is a CVT?

Most automatic transmissions rely on gears to operate. CVTs, on the other hand, don’t have any gears at all. They operate using a system of variable pulleys connected by a belt. It may also be referred to as a stepless, single-speed or pulley transmission.

No matter how many forward gears it has, a conventional automatic transmission won’t be able to shift to a higher gear and reduce the engine speed, until the predetermined RPM and/or vehicle speeds are reached.

Instead of using 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 gears like a traditional automatic transmission, the diameter of the pulleys adjusts constantly depending on the driving situation to provide the optimal gear ratio and power to the wheels.

A large amount of energy is saved from instantly switching from the engine’s high-RPM power band to a low-RPM cruising ratio, with no gas-burning stops in between.

CVT’s use a flexible steel band/belt that’s suspended between two pulleys. One of these adjustable cone pulleys is connected to an input shaft from the engine, and the other one is connected to the output shaft which sends power out to the wheels.

The two cone-shaped sides of each pulley can be pushed in-and-out by inputs from the PCM/TCM. As the two ends spread apart, the V-shaped CVT band slides down into the pulley to create a higher gear ratio and reduce engine speed. Conversely, as the two ends draw together, you’ll get a lower gear ratio and be able to attain more speed.

These constant up/down RPM changes allow the vehicle to gain momentum, but running at a consistent engine speed would be far more efficient.

The beauty of CVT is that its computer can instantly calculate the ideal engine speed for any situation, then adjust the transmission gear ratio to hold that RPM until it needs to change.

When Japanese automaker Nissan launched its Murano crossover with a CVT in 2003, motorists started to warm up to them. Nowadays, CVTs are increasingly common on our roads. For instance, Nissan offers the CVT on many of its vehicles including the Murano, Altima, Maxima, Rogue, Sentra, and Versa. CVTs can also be found in some Audi A4 models, Jeep Compass and Patriot, BMW Minis, Mercedes-Benz Class Bs, select Honda Civic Hybrids, Mitsubishi Lancers, and some Toyota models. Chrysler and Ford both offered vehicles with CVTs but switched gears after a while due to consumers’ perception CVT reliability was questionable.

CVT Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantage: While there is still some hesitation from many people about a CVT transmission they are in fact just as good as a modern 7, 8, 9, or 10 speed automatic transmission. With the race to fuel efficiency many manufactures are trying to push everything they can out of the each transmission. Keeping them small and lightweight is essential in achieving this but it can lead to failures. CVT’s are at an advantage due to the amount of moving parts and simpler design. Will we see a day when there are no more automatics and just CVT transmissions? We wouldn’t rule it out.

Disadvantage: While many automatics have a fluid change interval of 100,000 miles CVT’s should have the fluid changed on a more regular schedule. We recommend every 30k miles to ensure a long life of the transmission. Heat is the CVT’s biggest enemy and keeping the fluid cool and clean ensures it can operate for a long life span.

Advantage: Thanks to its innovative design, a CVT can achieve a near-infinite number of gear ratios, which allows the computer to keep the engine running efficiently in all situations. This makes it the ideal transmission for making vehicle more fuel efficient

Disadvantage: On a CVT transmission, pulleys have to squeeze together in order to create a lower ratio, and there may be a brief pause in acceleration as the CVT belt or band adjusts itself. Many automakers offer software updates to lessen this “rubber band” effect. If in our service area ask one of our representatives about updating the PCM/TCM to achieve a more automatic shift feel.

Advantage: Lower initial cost Unlike a conventional automatic transmission, it takes fewer moving parts to build a CVT. This helps manufacturers to keep their production costs low, which is one reason they’re becoming the go-to transmission for fuel-sipping economy cars.

If you are shopping for a vehicle or weighing if you should keep your vehicle with a CVT transmission don’t overlook the advantages. With a competitive market the prices have dropped to make a replacement CVT transmission less than a traditional automatic. The reliability on our remanufactured CVT outperforms the factory transmission by updating many of the flaws with original designs. Talk to one of our powertrain experts today on any remanufactured CVT transmissions.