The CVT Mirage can take a beating.....

[Wallythacker]

To me that's a crazy high temp before the warning light flashes. Fluid temps above 250F can't be healthy long term and you could be running 250-270F all day and not know it.

IIRC engine oil can get to 350F or higher and it tends to keep functioning. I wouldn't concern myself much if my fluid temp warning flashed on a hot day, loaded with passengers, 80mph on the interstate for hours on end. I would worry seeing it flashing around town by myself.

[7milesout]

To me that's a crazy high temp before the warning light flashes. Fluid temps above 250F can't be healthy long term and you could be running 250-270F all day and not know it.

I my one instance of towing ~1,500 lbs with the Blueberry, I tend to believe if I had a CVT, it might have gotten hot on my interstate runs (assuming I towed the same speeds). I did take it easy on the Blueberry. I went 65 mph on the interstate, and when hitting a steep enough hill I would down shift to 4th and run 60 mph. It seemed very reasonable in the Blueberry. But had it been a CVT, those hill pulls might have generated lots of heat.

You all have to realize just how badass our Mirages are. You see, I did that ATV tow trip in the Mirage. It didn't complain a bit. I think I averaged about 26 mpg (from memory). I did it later in that GMC truck from the first page of this thread. It got about 16 mpg, and you see what's happened with the GMC. It fell to pieces. Yep, our Mirages are serious heavy haul tow rigs!