2011 Kizashi SE fwd

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Roger9898
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 13, 2018 1:41 am

My Suzuki Kizashi transmission started to slip and soon enough it didn't engage. My mechanic changed two sensors and it now goes up to 25mph before it starts slipping again. He said it needs a new transmission or to rebuild the transmission. Being that its a suzuki cvt theres not many and very expensive. The car was around 5,000 and I got it about 3 years ago. I need advice in what to do with it. The mechanic hasnt replaced the oil or the transmission filter don't know if it could also be that.
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

Roger9898 wrote:My Suzuki Kizashi transmission started to slip and soon enough it didn't engage. My mechanic changed two sensors and it now goes up to 25mph before it starts slipping again. He said it needs a new transmission or to rebuild the transmission. Being that its a suzuki cvt theres not many and very expensive. The car was around 5,000 and I got it about 3 years ago. I need advice in what to do with it. The mechanic hasnt replaced the oil or the transmission filter don't know if it could also be that.
What's the model year and mileage?
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

Roger9898 wrote:The mechanic hasnt replaced the oil or the transmission filter don't know if it could also be that.
Too late for that now and would be a huge waste of very expensive fluid. $5k for the car, 3 years of ownership = $139/mo. it cost you (not even 5 bucks a day) to own not counting gas and insurance.

Have a look at these and you decide if it's worth it:
https://www.sonnax.com/tech_resources/6 ... n-problems
http://aamcoftp.com/sites/aamcotech/ass ... manual.pdf

I'm currently at $221/mo cost of ownership 8 years next month (brand new, $21,700 OTD) and if my trans puked tomorrow, it would be heading straight to the salvage yard after offering up what ever any of you all might want me to strip off it at a fair price.

Nothing good can come of the average joe 'mechanic' severing your cooling and A/C systems, dropping the engine/trans cradle, having your car in this state
20180901_102028.jpg
20180901_102028.jpg (141.05 KiB) Viewed 4691 times
(Gutted Abarth at Alfa/Fiat ex-Suzuki dealer where I get my OE parts and supplies)

laying around for who knows how long, separating the two, rebuilding a CVT that there's little specific information about out there by some guy making a little over minimum wage and who's likely having a bad day for one of a million reasons and then putting it aallll back together again w/ pretty much zero guarantees on any of it. Nothing good is going to come from that vast amount of money spent. Take that cash and put it down on another ride. You already spent too much having some guy that didn't know what he was doing charge you for playing parts darts.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
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KuroNekko
Posts: 5170
Joined: Wed Aug 15, 2012 5:08 pm
Location: California, USA

Just here to say I agree with Ronzuki. For a car with a diminished value like the orphaned Kizashi, it's simply not worth paying the steep prices to get a major component system replaced. Of course you should have a professional assess the problem but if the CVT needs to be replaced, consider this: you paid $5000 for the car 3 years ago. A new CVT will likely cost $3000 installed. In essence, the replacement will likely exceed the value of the car. For most people, it makes the most sense at this point to let the car go for another one without major issues.

Now the reason I asked for the model year and mileage is because Suzuki offered a generous powertrain warranty of 7 years or 100,000 miles. The CVT would be covered under the powertrain warranty. While many are out of warranty now, some aren't given their mileage and model year.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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Ronzuki
Posts: 2382
Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 5:33 pm
Location: Lancaster County, PA

$3000 for a 'new' trans is not realistic. You may get away with that on a salvage replacement (why anyone would pay to put an unknown salvage CVT in is beyond me)...maybe, but I doubt it. A 'new' trans alone will be way over $4000 for our scarce and rar Kizashi w/o anyone touching anything. Add labor and you're looking at 5-6k or more assuming nothing else gets screwed up during the entire process (again, not very likely). My son's GF just had her 2010 chevy equinox trans replaced by a mechanic friend of her father, used, $4k.
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
2011 SX4 Premium Hatch, CVT, iAWD (12/10 build date)
2018 Mazda CX-5 iAWD Touring
2014 Wrangler JKUW (GONE, traded :D :D )
1991 Samurai, 5-Speed, EFI, Soft-Top ( :| sold)
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