The variator is the perfect idea for a mechanism designed to transfer torque from the engine to the wheels. Smooth stepless gear ratio change without jerking – what more?
In practice, the ideal from time to time has a bad mood – especially in the heat of summer.
To make the variator less whimsical, it is better to forget about many of your own habits.
We list the basic rules of “summer behavior”.
Only three main components rotate in the variator: the driven pulley, the drive pulley and the belt (or chain). There is not as much friction pair as in multi-stage hydromechanical machines, and this somewhat reduces heat generation.
1. Don’t flinch!
Supporters of a calm driving style, often called retired, the advice will seem inappropriate: they say, we already know this. However, a large number of drivers prefer to drive with constant acceleration and deceleration – they say that there is a powerful engine for, to “turn” him. Summer is dry asphalt, fighting spirit – how can you not frolic one more time?
But the variator is afraid of sharp shocks: every time they cause slippage on the belt or chain pulleys. It cannot be otherwise in a mechanism whose working principle is actually based on friction. As a result, wear appears on the pulleys and steel chips form, which penetrate the bearings, turning off the hydraulic pump and actuators. This applies primarily to unheated variators. But prolonged use at high temperatures is very harmful to the working fluid.
The greatest loads and strong bending of the belts occur in the extreme positions, when the gear ratio is minimum or maximum. The variator “likes” the average gear ratios more when the bend radii are approximately equal. The heat dissipation is also minimal. Remember how to break the wire by bending it vigorously and even quickly in one place. It heats up and breaks.
2. Change the working fluid in time!
When the working fluid in the variator overheats, it quickly loses its properties.
Jatco even works with the concept of “liquid aging counter (sensor)”. There is no such node in the variator, but the control unit, which collects information from various sensors and first of all temperature, collects information about aging, which is stored in the unit and can be read by a Consult 2 or Consult 3 dealer scanner.
And also, regarding all Jatco CVTs, you can: install the CVTz‑50 program on your smartphone. Connecting to the OBD-II connector using an ELM327 adapter will give you a complete picture of the condition of the variator, including fluid aging scores depending on temperature:
- Up to 90 degrees – 0 points
- From 90 to 100 – 1 point
- From 100 to 109 – 2 points
- From 110 to 119 – 4 points
- From 120 to 129 – 6 points
- From 130 to 139 – 8 points
And the aged fluid cannot protect the variator parts from wear and ensure the correct interaction of the belt and cone working surfaces.
The same dependencies are typical for variators from other manufacturers. So that owners of cars with CVTs from the southern regions have to change the fluid more often than the northerners.
Continued on the next page.