CVT Transmission "Slow down" Warning?
Oct 2, 2017, 12:25 PM
#31
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i just changed tranny fluid but used recommended choice by o’riley which was valvoline cvt is this ok ??
Jun 26, 2018, 12:49 PM
#32
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Alexis,
I noticed your post was dated back in 2011, so maybe my reply isn't relevant anymore. Posting nonetheless, as this may help new-comer Lancer enthusiast.
If your transmission is acting up like that at 60 or 70mph, there is definitely something wrong with it.
Mine is a 2010 Lancer GTS 2.4L CVT; stock, no modification yet. I can go for well over 30 minutes at 80mph without any issues or warning from the transmission.
Based on what I read on forums, sometimes in a routine transmission fluid replacement, some mechanics mistakenly refill using ATF (auto trans fluid) into a CVT machinery.
CVT fluid has friction modifiers to enable belts to grip pulleys. ATF fluid on the other hand tends to be slippery, lubricating gear-based transmissions.
Putting ATF fluid into CVT machinery means your CVT belt is now going to silp on the pulley, rather than grabbing them. This leads to less physical power transferred to the wheels. The driver then compensates by stepping harder on the gas pedal to give it more power. This leads to more slippage & more heat generated & heat-sinking into the fluid, which brings fluid temperature up.
In a normal fluid replacement, not all of the old transmission fluid is removed from the system. So in case of a mistaken like the above, the vehicle is still physically drive-able leaving the garage. HOWEVER, prolonged driving in this condition will permanently damage your CVT. The sooner this mistake is caught, and having ALL fluid FLUSHED and replaced with CVT fluid, the better. The later this mistake is caught, the more likely you'd be looking at damage so excessive, the CVT needs a rebuild.
I do not have personal experience with wrong fluid into the CVT.
Currently I'm exploring adding a turbo to my 2.4L NA engine. But before doing that, I'm first doing research to make sure my CVT transmission can handle it. That's how I came across forum posts on transmission fluid, temperature, bigger aftermarket cooler, etc.
Edit: (for anyone with similar issue)
If in your normal daily driving you are seeing this type of warning or symptoms described by Alexis above, most likely one of the earlier garage visits had replaced transmission fluid using ATF fluid into the CVT machinery.
Yes, it is possible to *try* one of the recommended CVT fluids above for hard core driving. In fact, do this using a *flush* instead of a *replacement*. Flush would ensure all the old fluids are flushed out of the entire system, rather than having "dead fluids" sitting in dead space, which in turn contaminates your new fluid.
*Trying* this, is the cheaper first step. If that still does not work, then most likely your vehicle has simply being driven too long using the wrong fluid, and has way-too-damaged belts & pulleys (e.g. polished due to so much slippage). If you end up at this situation, then you know you need a CVT rebuild.
Never hurts to try the lower-cost option first.
I noticed your post was dated back in 2011, so maybe my reply isn't relevant anymore. Posting nonetheless, as this may help new-comer Lancer enthusiast.
If your transmission is acting up like that at 60 or 70mph, there is definitely something wrong with it.
Mine is a 2010 Lancer GTS 2.4L CVT; stock, no modification yet. I can go for well over 30 minutes at 80mph without any issues or warning from the transmission.
Based on what I read on forums, sometimes in a routine transmission fluid replacement, some mechanics mistakenly refill using ATF (auto trans fluid) into a CVT machinery.
CVT fluid has friction modifiers to enable belts to grip pulleys. ATF fluid on the other hand tends to be slippery, lubricating gear-based transmissions.
Putting ATF fluid into CVT machinery means your CVT belt is now going to silp on the pulley, rather than grabbing them. This leads to less physical power transferred to the wheels. The driver then compensates by stepping harder on the gas pedal to give it more power. This leads to more slippage & more heat generated & heat-sinking into the fluid, which brings fluid temperature up.
In a normal fluid replacement, not all of the old transmission fluid is removed from the system. So in case of a mistaken like the above, the vehicle is still physically drive-able leaving the garage. HOWEVER, prolonged driving in this condition will permanently damage your CVT. The sooner this mistake is caught, and having ALL fluid FLUSHED and replaced with CVT fluid, the better. The later this mistake is caught, the more likely you'd be looking at damage so excessive, the CVT needs a rebuild.
I do not have personal experience with wrong fluid into the CVT.
Currently I'm exploring adding a turbo to my 2.4L NA engine. But before doing that, I'm first doing research to make sure my CVT transmission can handle it. That's how I came across forum posts on transmission fluid, temperature, bigger aftermarket cooler, etc.
Edit: (for anyone with similar issue)
If in your normal daily driving you are seeing this type of warning or symptoms described by Alexis above, most likely one of the earlier garage visits had replaced transmission fluid using ATF fluid into the CVT machinery.
Yes, it is possible to *try* one of the recommended CVT fluids above for hard core driving. In fact, do this using a *flush* instead of a *replacement*. Flush would ensure all the old fluids are flushed out of the entire system, rather than having "dead fluids" sitting in dead space, which in turn contaminates your new fluid.
*Trying* this, is the cheaper first step. If that still does not work, then most likely your vehicle has simply being driven too long using the wrong fluid, and has way-too-damaged belts & pulleys (e.g. polished due to so much slippage). If you end up at this situation, then you know you need a CVT rebuild.
Never hurts to try the lower-cost option first.
I am having that same error, but I don't drive at more than 70 MPH. I do drive a lot, 2hr commute and after having this problem I drive the car without going over 3000 RPM as I noticed that was the "bad point" so to speak. Sometimes I cannot go over 60, as I don't want to push the RPMs so much.
I don't think the long commute is the problem as I've had this car for 3 years and this problem began a year ago and I had another Lancer (and other cars) before without having this issue.
Dealership mechanics told me that I have to replace the transmission but I don't think that's the answer (at least not the one I want to hear). Could changing the oil to the oil type you guys recommend be any good? I see you are recommending it to people who drive way faster than I do.
I don't think the long commute is the problem as I've had this car for 3 years and this problem began a year ago and I had another Lancer (and other cars) before without having this issue.
Dealership mechanics told me that I have to replace the transmission but I don't think that's the answer (at least not the one I want to hear). Could changing the oil to the oil type you guys recommend be any good? I see you are recommending it to people who drive way faster than I do.
Last edited by jack765; Jun 26, 2018 at 12:54 PM.
Aug 17, 2018, 08:27 AM
#33
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I've had 1 year with my 2013 Lancer Se and just this week it showed me the slow down on the dashboard twice i was only going 60 - 65 mph and it also pulls back on me wen I'm driving at 25 mph could it be possible that I'm having tranny problems or change my tranny fluid? Any thoughts??
Aug 17, 2018, 10:36 AM
#34
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Jesus,
In normal "civilian driving", even when cruising at "top speed" of 60~65 mph range, your CVT should not throw the "slow down" (overheat) warning.
"Should not" is the operating word. Meaning, since it did, there is something wrong with your CVT.
As posted above, the biggest culprit is someone prior to you, had poured ATF fluid into the CVT transmission.
"How could this happen"?
Any owner along the line may have done a DIY fluid change, and screwed it up.
Any owner along the line, may have had a friend who's handy at cars to change the fluid for them, and screwed it up.
Similar to how DIY'ers sometimes mix up between power steering fluid vs brake fluid - and basically ruin their entire hardware.
I do not know how to inspect CVT fluid, or how to visually tell the difference of CVT fluid vs ATF fluid. Maybe a professional mechanic could do that, I don't know.
In any case, a complete drain/flush/refill of the transmission with new CVT fluid is probably a low-cost way and a basic first step to go at it. (Low cost compared to a transmission rebuild.)
Make sure you use exactly what Mitsu specified for the CVT fluid - best to use the genuine Mitsu CVT fluid - don't use "similar" aftermarket alternatives.
If indeed wrong fluid is the cause, then there is also the possibility as you drove this car for ~1yr, some damage is already done to the belt & pulley mechanism. What should be grippy parts (between pulley and belt) have being slipping. Slippage causes heating, as well as glazing the surface of the parts. Parts surface now glazed, then further change back to correct CVT fluid will no longer help that much - damage to hardware has being done.
So be mentally prepared, that even after a correct-fluid-change, that you still continue to experience this problem.
If budget isn't an issue, might consider taking the car into a Mitsu dealer and have them inspect / trouble-shoot it. They might "charge" you a $100 just to inspect & figure out -- and should you proceed with getting the problem fixed by them, they apply that $100 towards the final repair bill. Effectively, means not charging your $100 for the inspection; but in turn you're paying the dealer's garage rates for any repairs.
Of course, if you meant you were auto-crossing for 12 hours straight, closely-sequenced acceleration/decceleration/re-acceleration etc., and during the auto-cross course you hit top speed 60~65...
That would be a totally different story. In that case, it is possible it's simply the heat coming from an over-worked transmission is throwing the warning, not pulley/belt slippage that generating the heat.
So if the behavior of driving is the root cause, then you simply need a bigger transmission fluid cooler.
I myself have being a car-idiot until recent years. Very fortunate I haven't made the wrong-fluid mistakes yet. I feel bad for folks that done that accidentally, or folks getting a car which that was done to.
In normal "civilian driving", even when cruising at "top speed" of 60~65 mph range, your CVT should not throw the "slow down" (overheat) warning.
"Should not" is the operating word. Meaning, since it did, there is something wrong with your CVT.
As posted above, the biggest culprit is someone prior to you, had poured ATF fluid into the CVT transmission.
"How could this happen"?
Any owner along the line may have done a DIY fluid change, and screwed it up.
Any owner along the line, may have had a friend who's handy at cars to change the fluid for them, and screwed it up.
Similar to how DIY'ers sometimes mix up between power steering fluid vs brake fluid - and basically ruin their entire hardware.
I do not know how to inspect CVT fluid, or how to visually tell the difference of CVT fluid vs ATF fluid. Maybe a professional mechanic could do that, I don't know.
In any case, a complete drain/flush/refill of the transmission with new CVT fluid is probably a low-cost way and a basic first step to go at it. (Low cost compared to a transmission rebuild.)
Make sure you use exactly what Mitsu specified for the CVT fluid - best to use the genuine Mitsu CVT fluid - don't use "similar" aftermarket alternatives.
If indeed wrong fluid is the cause, then there is also the possibility as you drove this car for ~1yr, some damage is already done to the belt & pulley mechanism. What should be grippy parts (between pulley and belt) have being slipping. Slippage causes heating, as well as glazing the surface of the parts. Parts surface now glazed, then further change back to correct CVT fluid will no longer help that much - damage to hardware has being done.
So be mentally prepared, that even after a correct-fluid-change, that you still continue to experience this problem.
If budget isn't an issue, might consider taking the car into a Mitsu dealer and have them inspect / trouble-shoot it. They might "charge" you a $100 just to inspect & figure out -- and should you proceed with getting the problem fixed by them, they apply that $100 towards the final repair bill. Effectively, means not charging your $100 for the inspection; but in turn you're paying the dealer's garage rates for any repairs.
Of course, if you meant you were auto-crossing for 12 hours straight, closely-sequenced acceleration/decceleration/re-acceleration etc., and during the auto-cross course you hit top speed 60~65...
That would be a totally different story. In that case, it is possible it's simply the heat coming from an over-worked transmission is throwing the warning, not pulley/belt slippage that generating the heat.
So if the behavior of driving is the root cause, then you simply need a bigger transmission fluid cooler.
I myself have being a car-idiot until recent years. Very fortunate I haven't made the wrong-fluid mistakes yet. I feel bad for folks that done that accidentally, or folks getting a car which that was done to.
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Ibrahim Nabil
Lancer Tranny/Drivetrain Tech
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May 24, 2017 04:26 PM
