Over the past decade, vehicles with CVTs, or Continuously Variable Transmissions, seem to have taken over the market. While many people have different opinions on CVT transmissions, what are they, and how do they work? Jake's Auto Garage in Harper has a simple explanation for you.
CVTs actually has a long history. In 1490, Leonardo Da Vinci theorized a variable transmission, though obviously it wasn’t for cars. In 1879, the idea was applied to sawmills, before making its way to the automotive world in 1896. Since then, CVT transmissions have been utilized in a variety of vehicles, including scooters, cars, tanks, snowmobiles, and everything in between, for decades. They have become popular recently, but while conventional automatic transmissions have traditionally dominated the automotive market CVTs are not a new technology.
A CVT works by utilizing friction, centrifugal force, and bands to create what is essentially a transmission with infinite gear ratios. What this means, is that cars equipped with these transmissions are able to achieve excellent gas mileage, and never really shift gears like a conventional automatic transmission, which has a finite number of gears it must move between. Some people dislike these transmissions because they feel unfamiliar; cars with CVTs don’t sound and feel like a normal car, since they don’t bump into and out of gear, and run through the RPM range in a conventional way.
But, even though they take a moment to get used to, CVT transmissions have a lot of upsides. They are reliable, they are relatively efficient, provide a smooth power curve, and they don’t have the complex hydraulics, valves, etc. those regular automatics have. While you’ll hear a lot of conflicting opinions about CVTs, the fact of the matter is they are good, sensible transmissions.
No matter what type of transmission your car, truck, or SUV is equipped with, the expert mechanics at Jake's Auto Garage are well qualified to work on it. Whatever your repair or maintenance needs, trust our technicians to provide you with the best service in the Harper area. Call or come by anytime.
