Information about the Mirage CVT (Jatco CVT7 JF015E) operation, video, diagrams

[Flange]

For what it's worth, the car which preceded our Mirage was a 2006 Series 2 Colt with at JATCO F1C1 CVT. We did 200,000km in that with no problems at all and the trans was operating just as well the day we sold it as the day we bought it. Bear in mind that the Mirage trans is different from the Colt, at very least in that the Colt didn't have the two speed back end.

I did make a point of changing the Colt's CVT fluid twice, once at about 60,000km using Mitsi's hideously expensive Diaqueen ATF SPIII fluid at about $nz27 per litre, four and a bit litres needed for a drain and refill. After the trauma of that cost I did a lot of research on compatible aftermarket fluids and finally settled on a Fuchs product which by memory came in at less than ten bucks a litre. This went in at about 150,000km and obviously didn't hurt the trans over the next 50,000km so I figure it must be OK. Legend has it that if you put the wrong fluid in these trans, they will crap themselves very quickly.

At risk of offending a very worthy company, I did get quite warm on a Penrite product ATF MHP MULTI VEHICLE SEMI SYNTHETIC AUTO TRANS FLUID which their website recommended for 2004 onwards CVT equipped Mitsubishi Colt. On the fluid pack however is the warning not to use this in CVTs. Happily I noticed this before loading the oil, and sent it back. Which recommendation was correct ? I would rather not find out in one of my cars.

The Colt workshop manual specified something like ten litres and said to do a flush with the first five, then load the second five for service. For a variety of reasons I chose instead to feed a pickup hose to the bottom of the filler tube and use a suction tool to pull as much old oil (and hopefully any gunge) out of the bottom of the trans fluid pan. After a few months' service the new stuff still looked clean, so I think that method must have fairly effectively got rid of the majority of the old fluid etc.

So has anybody identified an aftermarket trans fluid which is safe to use in the Mirage ? Alpha One kindly posted that the manual specifies Mitsubishi CVTF-J4 for the Mirage CVT which is at least a different name from that specified for the Colt - is it really a different fluid or just a bit of re-badging to keep us guessing ?

Whatever, JATCO seem to know what they're doing with CVTs and given good care I would be confident of a long life from the Mirage's unit. I certainly would never hook a trailer up behind one though. Maybe it would hack it, but I wouldn't look to find out.

Regards
Flange

[Daox]

It would be very interesting if someone with a CVT were to get an oil analysis done after 50k miles (80k km) or so.

[RedDE5Spd]

I was scared away from choosing the CVT, partly because of price and partly because of other CVT stories I've heard. I drove my siter-in-law's Equinox, it had an awkward manner making me rev the engine quite high to get it moving that also turned me off from the idea. Seeing the technology in this unit and the prior experiences with Jatco, I may have overcame the fear of the unit but still been sticker shy.

[palebeachbum]

I really love the CVT in my US spec 2014 Mirage. Except during deceleration when it clunks just before coming to a stop, it's exceptionally smooth and easy to drive. I'm rather shocked that its the same unit as in the Nissan Versa. I traded my Versa for this Mirage. The Versa CVT must have very different programming because that CVT behaved terribly. It surged, clunked, made all kinds of whistling and grinding noises. I hated it! The Mirage CVT is so much more pleasant to live with. I will say though, the Versa CVT was more settled at highway speeds. It revved the engine low and kept it so. The Mirage revs the engine up and down a lot more on the highway to maintain speed.

[ahintofpepperjack]

It revved the engine low and kept it so. The Mirage revs the engine up and down a lot more on the highway to maintain speed.

That's do to the low amount of horsepower in the Mirage. When traveling at highway speeds, The CVT has to increase the RPM's to keep the vehicle moving at a constant speed. The mirage just doesn't have enough horsepower in the lower RPM's to keep up.

[palebeachbum]

That's do to the low amount of horsepower in the Mirage. When traveling at highway speeds, The CVT has to increase the RPM's to keep the vehicle moving at a constant speed. The mirage just doesn't have enough horsepower in the lower RPM's to keep up.

That was my thought too. The Versa must move about 23 lbs./hp, while the Mirage must move about 27 lbs/hp. The Versa did feel noticeably peppier and more responsive. That CVT was so unpleasant though, I still much prefer the slower feeling Mirage due to the much better CVT. The Versa is a superior highway car, but the Mirage is much better around town.

[Marrero]

My mirage stays pegged at 1.9k on the highways just decelerate going uphill and accelerate while going downhill, this will also give you better fuel economy.

[palebeachbum]

My mirage stays pegged at 1.9k on the highways just decelerate going uphill and accelerate while going downhill, this will also give you better fuel economy.

I have the CVT. It cannot maintain only 1900rpm at 70mph. Cruising at that speed on a flat stretch of highway the engine revs 2500rpm. I have no idea how you are able to only rev 1900rpm unless maybe you are driving much much slower.

[MetroMPG]

I have no idea how you are able to only rev 1900rpm unless maybe you are driving much much slower.

CVT owners: is anyone willing to record some speed vs. RPM stats for us?

[DonHoot]

CVT owners: is anyone willing to record some speed vs. RPM stats for us?

That curve looks close to what I see just by looking at the analog tachometer.

I will try to log some data with DashCommand, but I've never tried this and won't promise anything. If nothing else I'll set the cruise to different speeds, and just manually collect some data.