CVT gearbox Questions

[jaydog82]

Hey all, I've got a 2012 Alphard which is the nuts! My dad has an 05 Alphard and we were comparing the 2. His version has the regular auto box which has a dipstick for transmission fluid. Mine has the new CVT 'sports' transmission but it has no dipstick. Does this mean that its lifetime fluid and I don't have to do anything? I am fairly particular with servicing and making sure my vehicle runs right so would love to know more about this box. 

Also I usually knock it into neutral when I stop at traffic lights etc. Am I doing the right thing or is it just more wear on the box having to go into N and back to D?

 

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this. I know there are similar threads on the older box but haven't seen anything on the CVT one.

 

Many thanks 😁👍

[Voodoo101]

5 hours ago, jaydog82 said:

Hey all, I've got a 2012 Alphard which is the nuts! My dad has an 05 Alphard and we were comparing the 2. His version has the regular auto box which has a dipstick for transmission fluid. Mine has the new CVT 'sports' transmission but it has no dipstick. Does this mean that its lifetime fluid and I don't have to do anything? I am fairly particular with servicing and making sure my vehicle runs right so would love to know more about this box. 

Also I usually knock it into neutral when I stop at traffic lights etc. Am I doing the right thing or is it just more wear on the box having to go into N and back to D?

 

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this. I know there are similar threads on the older box but haven't seen anything on the CVT one.

 

Many thanks 😁👍

 

Im no expert in Auto boxes, but I think your box will still need the fluid changed at some point. Like anything with the word "lifetime", it still has an expiration date. It might be worth speaking to a specialist about it as even with oil, mechanical parts wear, just not as quick and that then sits in the oil.

 

With regards to using N, then going back into D. I always leave it is drive. It's not like a manual car where you hold the clutch and then worry about the clutch wearing out. The transmission has what's called a torque converter which couples the engine to the transmission. Found this online - "The torque converter has a stall speed. This means it will not throw power/torque at the transmission until the engine gets to a certain speed. Once it reaches the stall speed, power and torque will then start being applied. Stall speed will always be above idle speed. You can therefor leave it in drive while sitting at a red light without worry of damaging any internal parts or causing any extra wear in the transmission, engine, or drive train (as long as you let it idle)."

[Rojie]

8 hours ago, jaydog82 said:

Hey all, I've got a 2012 Alphard which is the nuts! My dad has an 05 Alphard and we were comparing the 2. His version has the regular auto box which has a dipstick for transmission fluid. Mine has the new CVT 'sports' transmission but it has no dipstick. Does this mean that its lifetime fluid and I don't have to do anything? I am fairly particular with servicing and making sure my vehicle runs right so would love to know more about this box. 

Also I usually knock it into neutral when I stop at traffic lights etc. Am I doing the right thing or is it just more wear on the box having to go into N and back to D?

 

Hopefully someone can shed some light on this. I know there are similar threads on the older box but haven't seen anything on the CVT one.

 

Many thanks 😁👍

 

I agree with Voodoo.

 

I have driven autos for 40 years, keeping it in gear is OK.

 

Just make sure you don't take your foot off the foot brake !

 

[Voodoo101]

34 minutes ago, Rojie said:

 

I agree with Voodoo.

 

I have driven autos for 40 years, keeping it in gear is OK.

 

Just make sure you don't take your foot off the foot brake !

 

 

Yeah, don't forget the brake lol.

 

I have just had to borrow a car over the weekend, my van was off the road with a flat battery and needed a boost box, could not get a car close enough for jump leads. The car was manual and have been driving automatic for 4 years. Didn't have a problem with the manual gearbox or clutch. Then got back in van and my left foot was looking for the clutch. 

[jaydog82]

OK thanks for clearing that up 👍 hopefully someone will be able to tell me the intervals for ATF change... 🤩

[redsome]

5 hours ago, jaydog82 said:

OK thanks for clearing that up 👍 hopefully someone will be able to tell me the intervals for ATF change... 🤩

I change the transmission oil every 100,000km, I do it myself, just unscrew 2 bolts, the oil is about 4 liters

 

[redsome]

 

[Daisuki_JDM]

They aren't sealed for life gearboxes and do need servicing. Use genuine Toyota Fluid, plenty of guides online with regards to swapping the oil out. 

 

As for knocking it into N, i personally don't bother and keep in D with the footbrake on, my thinking being you're not moving and its moving less by not going back and forth into D, so its not causing any/or less damage. There is great youtube channel called Engineering Explained, he gives you the theory behind it. 

[jaydog82]

Brill thanks guys 👍🤩

[Rojie]

16 hours ago, Voodoo101 said:

 

Yeah, don't forget the brake lol.

 

I have just had to borrow a car over the weekend, my van was off the road with a flat battery and needed a boost box, could not get a car close enough for jump leads. The car was manual and have been driving automatic for 4 years. Didn't have a problem with the manual gearbox or clutch. Then got back in van and my left foot was looking for the clutch. 

 

I drive both manuals and autos every day. The left foot thing seems to last forever !

[Voodoo101]

2 hours ago, Rojie said:

 

I drive both manuals and autos every day. The left foot thing seems to last forever !

It's very stange. Been driving since I was 17, many, many year ago. Driven all sorts from cars, vans, even a concrete mixer truck. Moved to Tenerife and found it easy driving a manual left had drive car on the other side of the road for 8 years. Brought the car back and drove a left hand drive car of the uk side, no problem. Then got a right hand drive car and drove to Tenerife and back through France and Spain, no problem. Moved to and automatic  and after a few days of trying to change gear, all was ok. Drove an automatic for 7 years, then 2 days in a manual which was no problem, only to have trouble looking for gear stick and clutch. Maybe I'm just getting old lol

[Rojie]

2 hours ago, Voodoo101 said:

It's very strange. Been driving since I was 17, many, many year ago. Driven all sorts from cars, vans, even a concrete mixer truck. Moved to Tenerife and found it easy driving a manual left had drive car on the other side of the road for 8 years. Brought the car back and drove a left hand drive car of the uk side, no problem. Then got a right hand drive car and drove to Tenerife and back through France and Spain, no problem. Moved to and automatic  and after a few days of trying to change gear, all was ok. Drove an automatic for 7 years, then 2 days in a manual which was no problem, only to have trouble looking for gear stick and clutch. Maybe I'm just getting old lol

 

I don't believe it is old age; but then some of our younger members might disagree !

I have driven left hand drive and right hand drive frequently. Including my rhd frequently to Spain and back.

I have lived four times in left hand drive countries.

Driven four on the floor and 3 speed column shift.

I have only ever driven in UK, Europe and the US.

I don't know how many American cities (some with their 12 lanes each way) and in all types of extreme weather.

Madrid, Paris and Milan were the worst. Dallas and Chicago a close second.

 

After all this, I still find my autonomic unconscious driving the wrong car very occasionally!

 

Unfortunately, I know of two people, both Americans driving in the UK, who struggled with the challenge of driving on the wrong side and drove head on into oncoming traffic.

I nearly did the same when first living in (a very depopulated area of) the US.

 

My advice to anyone new to driving an automatic is keep that left foot firmly on the floor.

As I have mentioned previously, in this Forum, failure to do so can create some real excitement with any drivers following.

 

Finally, I confess, I still have not become fully cognisant of the wipers and indicator stalks being reversed (compared to European made and specified vehicles) on my Alphie. The American style foot brake gets me too sometimes. But that's my issue, not the Alphie.

 

 

[Voodoo101]

Yeah this was another problem. Spend the first few weeks turning with the indicators going. Just got used to it the borrowed the car, then spent days turning with the indicators going. Oh the joys of having an import.

[MoSurya99]

Greetings from Indonesia
 

For CVT, it will be good to replace the fluid based on how often the car is used and where do you live. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia where traffic jam occurs all the time and proceeds to maximum wear of the CVT fluid. I usually change the fluid after 25.000 km drive. Recently I’ve broken my CVT of 30 series alphard because of a leak from the drive shaft oil seal without knowing that the automatic fluid already spilled. 
 

I think alphard users in the UK should learn about maintaining CVT from the mechanics in UK, because most of CVT ( either nissan, honda or subaru) is almost the same in terms of mechanical theory, and i cannot give exact interval of CVT fluid changing because i don’t know environment in UK. Fluid changing (whether it’s for engine oil or transmission oil) as we know is affected by weather, dust, how long the car will be used, how hard the terrain the car will driven to, etc. so if you following the manual book, which is made for japan environment, it will not so accurate.

 

cheers

[MarkATH10W]

Are Toyota vbelt CVT's repairable/rebuildable?  or replace entire unit type of thing?

 

I noticed that your newer alphard has a vbelt CVT as well.  I thought all CVTs after the 2002-2007 alphards model year were planetary gear type, and not the vbelt type.

[Laurence]

On 8/9/2022 at 4:39 AM, redsome said:

I change the transmission oil every 100,000km, I do it myself, just unscrew 2 bolts, the oil is about 4 liters

 

Where do I find these two bolts?