Transmission problems? - GreenHybrid

Adelwyn · #1 (**permalink**) 02-06-2006, 05:05 PM

I've had a strange problem pop up once in a whileon my '04 Civic Hybrid (CVT), but never when a technition is driving it (of course!).

I never feel the shifting, which is correct, except for once in a while when I have been driving steady speeds after the car warms up. Then when I slow down and speed up again (say, for a stop light or an interchange), I feel a hard shift, kind of a slamming into gear. I've been observing, and it really only happens when it's foggy or there's high humidity.

Does anyone have any input on whether this is normal or a problem? Does this happen to anyone else? What should I tell the service guys to look for? What in the world could be wrong?

Thanks!
--Adelwyn

tigerhonaker · #2 (**permalink**) 02-06-2006, 07:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Adelwyn

I've had a strange problem pop up once in a whileon my '04 Civic Hybrid (CVT), but never when a technition is driving it (of course!).

I never feel the shifting, which is correct, except for once in a while when I have been driving steady speeds after the car warms up. Then when I slow down and speed up again (say, for a stop light or an interchange), I feel a hard shift, kind of a slamming into gear. I've been observing, and it really only happens when it's foggy or there's high humidity.

Does anyone have any input on whether this is normal or a problem? Does this happen to anyone else? What should I tell the service guys to look for? What in the world could be wrong?

Thanks!
--Adelwyn

Hi Amy;

I'll get right to the Point on this.

There is only (IMO) In-My-Opinion one way this is going to get Corrected.

Amy, Your car is going to {Have-To} be doing this Strange Shifting thing so that you can get,
the (Service-Manager) or (Service-Director) to go for a Ride (With-You) so you can show
Them what is going on.

If you cannot get the car to show these every once in awhile Shifting-Smyptoms you will not get this Problem Resolved. The Techs. in most cases do not have the time to drive a persons vehicle long enough to show something like this up. They will drive it and if it is Performing as they know it should, there is nothing they can do at that point to Fix/Repair something that is not showing anything is Wrong.

Amy; if you will do as I have outlined in {Green} above you will get your vehicle repaired.

Good-Luck:

Terry

BTW; Amy I have worked at a Dealership for the past 10-Years.

AZCivic · #3 (**permalink**) 02-07-2006, 06:15 PM

It's a known problem, really, they just don't like to admit it. Honda's CVT's are very fragile and have a higher than normal failure rate.

bwilson4web · #5 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kevin_psx

Provide some proof please. I know CVTs used to have problems in the 1990s but the Honda engineers have fixed the flaws (don't use a large engine/use stronger belts) such that Civic Hybrids should not experience a failure.

I stumbled across this more recent fleet performance report that includes "End-of-life HEV testing (rerun fuel economy & conduct battery testing @ 160k miles per vehicle)". This report also includes maintenance data. The maintenance and repair summary:

"•Civic & Insight -6 continuously variable transmission (CVT) failures in 4 vehicles @ 97k, 99k, 89k & 77k miles. Again @ 157k & 146k miles
•Insight battery control module & traction battery replaced @ 72k miles
•Insight & Civic -7 software upgrades & 3 catalytic converters replaced
•Gen I Prius -rack & pinion replacements 1st Prius @ 106k, & 2ndPrius @ 25k & 32k miles
•Other HEVs –normal maintenance @ lower mileages"

Bob Wilson

tbaleno · #6 (**permalink**) 02-09-2006, 06:06 PM

I would like to compare these numbers to non HEV numbers to see how they compare. I would also like to see larger samples.

Adelwyn · #7 (**permalink**) 02-13-2006, 01:21 PM

Interesting, but how DO these numbers compare with non-HEV cars?

In my (admittadely limited) experience, the (regular) transmission of in my old Honda Accord failed at around 100k.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwilson4web

I stumbled across this more recent fleet performance report that includes "End-of-life HEV testing (rerun fuel economy & conduct battery testing @ 160k miles per vehicle)". This report also includes maintenance data. The maintenance and repair summary:

"•Civic & Insight -6 continuously variable transmission (CVT) failures in 4 vehicles @ 97k, 99k, 89k & 77k miles. Again @ 157k & 146k miles
•Insight battery control module & traction battery replaced @ 72k miles
•Insight & Civic -7 software upgrades & 3 catalytic converters replaced
•Gen I Prius -rack & pinion replacements 1st Prius @ 106k, & 2ndPrius @ 25k & 32k miles
•Other HEVs –normal maintenance @ lower mileages"

Bob Wilson

bwilson4web · #8 (**permalink**) 02-13-2006, 01:36 PM

Hi folks,

I agree that it would be nicer to have more data and larger sample sets but I have no idea where to find it. No doubt Toyota has metrics from the serivce departments as do every other manufacturer. But I suspect they consider that to be 'company proprietary.'

I did find a Canadian fleet report and though they made reference to detailed maintenance records, I've not tried to follow-up. Other than the DoT and Canadian fleet reports, I don't know of any others. I also asked the European Prius group but got no answers.

Certainly feel free to Google up more 'fleet' performance data sources.

Bob Wilson