Results 1 to 6 of 6

Thread: CVT and “Break” gear newbie question.

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Western Australia
    Country
    Australia
    Posts
    12
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post

    Question CVT and “Break” gear newbie question.

    Hi, recently bought a 2013 Mirage LS. I’m a middle aged female who doesn’t really know much about transmission.

    Could someone explain to me in layman’s terms what this CVT thing is all about? My understanding is that the engine is constantly going smoothly from 1 to 10 and back, as opposed to the normal auto transmission that clearly goes from 1st to 2nd, to 3rd... etc.
    Am I close?

    Also, what is this “breaking” (B) option below the “drive” (D) gear?
    In the book it said it’s for when you need engine breaking, like in a traffic jam or something?
    Which situations would it be used in? Why? Is it fuel efficient? Can it be used on highways at 110kmph?



  2. #2
    Senior Member Alex1a1f's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2016
    Location
    Portland, Oregon
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    1,541
    Thanks
    754
    Thanked 926 Times in 520 Posts
    So CVTs don't have gears per say. It's a metal belt ran between pulleys that tries to keep the engine at the correct power band while keeping revs low enough for great fuel economy. Our CVTs do have a 2 speed gear that increases how many different ratios the engine and transmission can have. Sometimes you might feel it kick down, so don't worry it's normal.

    B gear is for engine braking. It's not for high speed travel... use it to slow down down steep grades or whenever you want to use brakes less. Also for climbing steep grades at low speeds.
    (blank signature)

  3. The Following User Says Thank You to Alex1a1f For This Useful Post:

    Barzette (11-02-2017)

  4. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Western Australia
    Country
    Australia
    Posts
    12
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Alex1a1f View Post
    Our CVTs do have a 2 speed gear that increases how many different ratios the engine and transmission can have.

    B gear is for engine braking. .... down steep grades or whenever you want to use brakes less. Also for climbing steep grades at low speeds.
    Thanks.
    When you say “our CVTs”, do you mean the CVTs in every Mirage? Even in Australia?

    If I’m stationary and then I take off up a slight hill, the car seems to be in a really low “gear” (I know that’s the wrong word) for a few seconds, and it feels like when you’re in a manual going up a hill and you’re in 4th instead of 3rd, together with that really low-pitched grumble from the engine.
    Is that normal?
    And should it happen for that long? It’s about 2 seconds, which doesn’t sound long, but yesterday it nearly got me hit by another car as I was turning onto a main road from a side road.

  5. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
    Location
    Western Australia
    Country
    Australia
    Posts
    12
    Thanks
    3
    Thanked 1 Time in 1 Post
    Quote Originally Posted by Alex1a1f View Post

    B gear ... use it to slow down down steep grades or whenever you want to use brakes less. Also for climbing steep grades at low speeds.
    Can anyone give me lots of other examples where you might use the B gear?
    I’m a bit of a slow learner, and need plenty of examples to get it gelled in my head.

  6. #5
    Moderator Eggman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Cleveland, Ohio
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    10,156
    Thanks
    4,039
    Thanked 2,788 Times in 2,107 Posts
    Understanding CVT !

        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 manual: 49.6 mpg (US) ... 21.1 km/L ... 4.7 L/100 km ... 59.5 mpg (Imp)


  7. #6
    Moderator inuvik's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2015
    Location
    Coos Bay, OR
    Country
    United States
    Posts
    3,835
    Thanks
    4,760
    Thanked 1,562 Times in 1,120 Posts
    Quote Originally Posted by Barzette View Post
    Can anyone give me lots of other examples where you might use the B gear?
    I’m a bit of a slow learner, and need plenty of examples to get it gelled in my head.
    Using "B" will keep your CVT in the lower range of gearing. Try experimenting with it such as taking off from a stop and apply a healthy amount of throttle then manually upshifting into "D". I use it all the time to accelerate from a stop on a hill and upshift into "D' at approximately 70 Kph. I've downshifted into "B" at speeds as high as 100 Kph to assist slowing down on steeper hills.


        __________________________________________

        click to view fuel log View my fuel log 2015 Mirage ES 1.2 automatic: 40.5 mpg (US) ... 17.2 km/L ... 5.8 L/100 km ... 48.6 mpg (Imp)


Tags for this Thread

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •