It finally happened...possible CVT faiure

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Ronzuki
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Location: Lancaster County, PA

old tech wrote:I probably sound like broken record on this but the six locating ball design on this primary is way to light for this application. Ive been converting even low mile used transmissions to long pin and Im expecting average life expectancy to exceed 200k miles.
I'm wondering, what type of driving /operational behavior, or not, causes this primary failure? Why do some experience this in relatively low-mileage vehicles while others don't? Shock-load trauma? Not being fully stopped and firm brake applied before changing gears? I know the owner's manual highlights this habit in bold as being negative and can result in damage to the trans. Just curious because, admittedly, I am not nice to the car while driving it (enjoying it in other words) and am forever utilizing the paddle shifters (the trans) for engine braking even when driving casually.

btw, not sounding like the record is broken...
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)
old tech
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I ran across an ad awhile back for a 2013 Kizashi awd for sale with a bad transmission . He had it it listed at 273k miles and asking $2000 . I was curious about if miles were correct and if so was this possibility the original transmission. I contacted him and he said miles were correct and it was the in fact the original transmission . I congratulated him on being the longest lasting kizashi cvt that I knew of. What maintenance was done? He replied 2 complete fluid flushes he thought. How was it used ? He had a hired older gentleman that chauffeured people to and from the airport in a very flat area of upstate New York. He asked me do you want to buy it ? I said no it has to many miles on it . He said make me an offer . I replied $500 he said deal . He proceeded to tell me that when he bought the car that they gave him such a deal on it that he bought two of them . The other was his person car which was driven much haste and it broke at 100 k . Where is that one , I’d like to buy it . His reply was he let the bank dispose of that one.
moojin
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Joined: Thu Mar 20, 2014 5:32 pm

old tech wrote:I ran across an ad awhile back for a 2013 Kizashi awd for sale with a bad transmission. He had it it listed at 273k miles and asking $2000... I contacted him and he said miles were correct and it was the in fact the original transmission... What maintenance was done? He replied 2 complete fluid flushes he thought. How was it used ? He had a hired older gentleman that chauffeured people to and from the airport in a very flat area of upstate New York.
I guess there is hope for me yet. I think there were a few times that I pushed my car hard, but usually just get up to the speed that I want to go and turn the cruise control on. For some reason, I just thought it would be most efficient to use cruise control with the CVT. I don't have the paddle shifters. I live in a pretty flat area as well.

@Old Tech - I'm trying to figure out if the noise that I might be imagining is my transmission. I can only really hear it if the the windows are up/closed and the radio is off. It sounds like an ambient car sound, but I know it isn't usual. I can hear it between 1 to 60 mph. The only way that I can describe it is that it sounds like a very faint roulette wheel or prize wheel with the spin speed directly correlated to the speed of the car. It is slightly louder at lower speeds, but that may be because I have other sounds masking it less. The sound does not occur while driving in reverse. Placing my car in neutral while it is rolling at 25 to 45 mph does not have an effect on the noise.

Roulette wheel -
Prize wheel -

I had a CVT fluid change at 60,000 miles and 97,500 miles. I'm currently at 100,500 miles. I don't know if the sound was present prior to the 97,500 miles, but I can notice now. I don't know if I'm noticing it more because I'm trying to hear the sound or if something is going south.
old tech
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I havent seen a problem with the cvt making this kind of noise . My gut tells me its wheel bearing but anything is possible.
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Zeid
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Hey there, any idea what an RPM fluctuation of about 500 rpm may be caused by at highway speeds? Cruise control tends to make it worse than just foot pedal throttle input. You can also feel the car going, then lurch when the rpms drop, then going, then lurch...over and over. I stop it after a few times and go back to driving it manually.

Have had 2 trans flushes and fills including pan and filter replacements, first at 75k and second at 90k, using Suzuki fluid and parts.
Suzuki Kizashi GTS AWD-Platinum Silver-Since 5/28/10
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Owner of http://www.theCollegeDriver.com
old tech
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Are there any trouble codes in tranny computer. you either have a stepper motor or primary failing , eventually getting a code p1818. Pull the pan carefully and inspect pan debris. silver shards rear of pan= bad need trans or repair. If none Id trade out the stepper. valve body must come down.
RobNaughton
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Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:05 pm

I'm hoping Old Tech can help me...my 2011 Suzuki SX4 Crossover has 84,000ish miles (its the second one I've owned, the first one I sold at 90k miles to a friend and is still going strong as of 130k), but my current one after having the transmission whine and it would stop shifting and stay in high gear when it got hot on the highway (it always worked great in town)... Finally went into limp mode stuck in first gear and the check engine light is on. The Code is P1816 which says Stepper Motor malfunction... possible TCM failure. This is an Arizona car in great shape and I love it for a run around town AWD 28mpg car. Its been sitting on the side of my house for a year now as I have had no time to mess with it. I'd like to fix it if it makes sense or try to sell it as is. Any advice on fixing it would be great...I see plenty of transmissions on Ebay but don't want to buy a used trans that is about to do the same as this one. I also see TCM's and other electronic parts online, but I have not idea if they are just plug and play or require reprogramming? Because on the highway it would get hot and go into a mode where it would not down shift (until I pulled over, turned it off and let it cool for a few minutes), I did do a partial transmission fluid change by sucking what I could out of the fill and refilling it..that is all I've done.
Thanks
Rob
old tech
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This is what I would suggest doing with it. Erase the transmission code and test drive again taking note of how its acting and how fast the code returns . Next pull the pan and check rear of pan floor and filter screen and post it .If there is steel chips and or black teflon it would indicate primary failure.If its clean, I have seen the stepper motor fail. It is rare but it does happen.( 86k miles on an sx4 cvt usually that thing is hardly broke in). Lower valve body and install another one.
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Ronzuki
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Location: Lancaster County, PA

Sounds like an in-car repair for the stepper replacement then...is that correct? That's a no-brainer for fixing it then as opposed to selling it as is.
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)
RobNaughton
Posts: 4
Joined: Sat Jun 06, 2020 5:05 pm

Thanks for the response Old Tech...I did have my mechanic friend pull the code and clear it, it came back on within a couple hundred yards and back into 1st gear limp mode. I will pull the pan next.
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