I have a 2012 2.0L patriot that I recently bought from an individual owner. After purchasing the vehicle I noticed that the transmission begins to slip in the first gear whenever I drove the car for a long period of time. I assumed that the transmission fluid was low, but when I checked it the fluid was enough. I also brought it to a transmission specialist to check the transmission out but they cannot seem to find anything wrong with the transmission. I even asked them to change out the transmission fluid and the transmission filters inside it just to make sure these were not causing the problem. However, the problem still persists. It is only when I am at a complete stop when the rpm will rev up to 2500rpm (But no higher) but the car will not accelerate despite me pushing down on the pedal to its max. I also encountered some problems while I was accelerating, the rpm will rev up to 3000rpm or a little more and then bounce from 3000 to 2000 and up again repeatedly (like the engine was losing and gaining power repeatedly). Keeping in mind that driving on the interstate was fine (an indication that the other gears were working fine). It was just when the car comes to a complete stop (at a traffic light, or to get gas at a gas station after a long drive) when the transmission starts to slip. Since the transmission specialist could not find anything wrong with the transmission, I was wondering if there are other parts or components of the car that is causing this issue to pop up. I hope I find a solution quick because I need to drive to my work soon.
CVT transmission on a 2012 Patriot slipping
Ryanadams23
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I have a 2012 2.0L patriot that I recently bought from an individual owner. After purchasing the vehicle I noticed that the transmission begins to slip in the first gear whenever I drove the car for a long period of time. I assumed that the transmission fluid was low, but when I checked it the fluid was enough. I also brought it to a transmission specialist to check the transmission out but they cannot seem to find anything wrong with the transmission. I even asked them to change out the transmission fluid and the transmission filters inside it just to make sure these were not causing the problem. However, the problem still persists. It is only when I am at a complete stop when the rpm will rev up to 2500rpm (But no higher) but the car will not accelerate despite me pushing down on the pedal to its max. I also encountered some problems while I was accelerating, the rpm will rev up to 3000rpm or a little more and then bounce from 3000 to 2000 and up again repeatedly (like the engine was losing and gaining power repeatedly). Keeping in mind that driving on the interstate was fine (an indication that the other gears were working fine). It was just when the car comes to a complete stop (at a traffic light, or to get gas at a gas station after a long drive) when the transmission starts to slip. Since the transmission specialist could not find anything wrong with the transmission, I was wondering if there are other parts or components of the car that is causing this issue to pop up. I hope I find a solution quick because I need to drive to my work soon.
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Are you seeing any dash indicators (check engine, ESP, "lighting bolt"/ throttle body), etc. or are there any error codes present?
Another thing that might help is getting a scanner that displays/logs live sensor data while you're driving so you can see what changes when the problem occurs.
Another thing that might help is getting a scanner that displays/logs live sensor data while you're driving so you can see what changes when the problem occurs.
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There was no error codes coming out. My dash is free on any indicators. I plugged in the scanner and the computer did not throw any error codes. So I'm very confused as of right now
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If the trans is slipping there's usually error codes and they tend not to go away or if they do they come right back.
I would look at the throttle body, it's basically an electric motor with plastic gears and if it starts flaking out it can feel like a trans slip.
That's where a live scan tool can help, you can see what's going when there's a problem and the computer isn't setting codes.
I would look at the throttle body, it's basically an electric motor with plastic gears and if it starts flaking out it can feel like a trans slip.
That's where a live scan tool can help, you can see what's going when there's a problem and the computer isn't setting codes.
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Are you sure it's slipping? It is a CVT after all, no gears, so it's impossible to have a problem in 1st gear or any gear, when it doesn't have those. Continuously variable transmission - Wikipedia
It's gonna rev a bit when accelerating, which isn't bad because these 4-cylinders are designed to rev a bit and work just fine. But when it seems to slip, jerk and catch itself going down the road, then your transmission belt is going bad and you'll need to get it rebuilt. And since it's a 2012, I'd guess it's way past the first and maybe also second fluid change intervals, probably without having had that done, since not everybody knows to do it.
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It's gonna rev a bit when accelerating, which isn't bad because these 4-cylinders are designed to rev a bit and work just fine. But when it seems to slip, jerk and catch itself going down the road, then your transmission belt is going bad and you'll need to get it rebuilt. And since it's a 2012, I'd guess it's way past the first and maybe also second fluid change intervals, probably without having had that done, since not everybody knows to do it.
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What's Weird is that there will not be any error codes or anything that popped up, which confused me and the person who is checking on my car.
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I would say that the initial acceleration of the car from a stop is very slow. The time it takes for the car to get up and running from a stop is long. The RPM will remain at 2500 for maybe 2-3 seconds and the odometer will indicate that the car is slowly inching forward until a certain point when something will catch in the transmission and the car will drive along nicely. Again, the computer did not throw any error codes not did the dash light come on.
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Whats funny is that sometimes the car will operate just fine (acceleration from stop is normal)at a stop light, but sometimes it will mess up
FWIW when my CVT failed I did not have any error codes.
My symptoms:
1) During acceleration from slow or stop the engine would rev high and then drop back almost immediately even though my pressure on the accelerator was consistent. While it is normal for the engine to rev high under acceleration (see Rosso's post above), the vehicle's progress should be smooth and consistent.
2) I also noticed that my RPMs would jump disproportionately to the load even as I was moving at highway speeds It was almost like I'd punched the pedal. Engine RPMs will normally fluctuate in proportion to the load or pedal pressure, but it should be smooth and consistent. If the tach is jumping up and down under consistent acceleration, you've got a problem.
PS, the CVT fakes a shift feel around 20-25 MPH. After the initial surge to around 2500-3000 RPMs to get moving, the RPMs should drop back down to around 2000 at 20-25 MPH and should remain consistent as the vehicle speed gradually increases to match the RPMs.
PPS, mine was a 2.4 so with the 2.0 your RPMs may be a little higher because of the smaller engine.
PPPS, on the bright side, the smaller engine puts less load on the tranny so optimistically the tranny should last longer.
My symptoms:
1) During acceleration from slow or stop the engine would rev high and then drop back almost immediately even though my pressure on the accelerator was consistent. While it is normal for the engine to rev high under acceleration (see Rosso's post above), the vehicle's progress should be smooth and consistent.
2) I also noticed that my RPMs would jump disproportionately to the load even as I was moving at highway speeds It was almost like I'd punched the pedal. Engine RPMs will normally fluctuate in proportion to the load or pedal pressure, but it should be smooth and consistent. If the tach is jumping up and down under consistent acceleration, you've got a problem.
PS, the CVT fakes a shift feel around 20-25 MPH. After the initial surge to around 2500-3000 RPMs to get moving, the RPMs should drop back down to around 2000 at 20-25 MPH and should remain consistent as the vehicle speed gradually increases to match the RPMs.
PPS, mine was a 2.4 so with the 2.0 your RPMs may be a little higher because of the smaller engine.
PPPS, on the bright side, the smaller engine puts less load on the tranny so optimistically the tranny should last longer.
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I had the same problem as you in regards to symptom #2, but it was only during acceleration. When I am cruising at higher speeds the rpm would not jump. What did you do to combat the problem of the techometer jumping? Once again, all the symptoms are not consistently showing, that is why it is so hard to diagnose the problem
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Jeep, not car, lol. But, mine would take a minute to decide to accelerate from a stop sometimes while the CVT was on its way out apparently. Only did it once to me, but friends who had it sort of on loan while they were supposed to be fixing things while I was off trucking reported it doing this regularly. Though, for whatever it's worth, they insisted on exclusively using autostick to get it going, while I almost never use autostick and as often as not forget it's even an option.
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Ryan, if you have an android phone/tablet you can try using the CVTz50 app to monitor and log what the CVT is doing.
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Jeep, my bad lol. But does this mean that my jeep's CVT is more than likely on its way out?
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Would this work with jeeps? and how intuitive is the app? I am a beginner so I don't have much knowledge on what a CVT should function like.
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It's possible, unfortunately. You could always try replacing the spark plugs and throttle body first, which are cheaper fixes if it's jerking and need replaced eventually anyway(and you'd then know when they were last changed, as well as the mileage). But of course, if it's the CVT as I suspect at the moment, that'd just be extra expenses when a new, rebuilt, or gently used transmission is soon needed.
Nothing I could do. The transmission was slipping, i.e., the belt was eroding. The tachometer was telling me the truth -- the engine was turning faster when the belt was slipping. Jeep replaced the transmission under warranty.
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It works on the Patriot, another member here has used it. But some features are specific to Nissan vehicles.
Loss of pressure is one of the main reasons for slippage.
The app is supposed to monitor and log pressure readings and other things to help an experienced mechanic make a diagnosis when there's no error codes.
You need something to monitor what's going on when the problem happens, whether it's an app or a data logging scanner, etc.
Without any codes or data to go on, it's more guessing than diagnosing and good mechanics don't like to guess.
The only other thing that comes to mind is when you had the transmission fluid changed, was there any mention of excessive metal or "glitter" in the fluid or the pan?
If yes, then it's more likely the transmission.
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They told me that the transmission fluid did not seem to have any metal shavings in it.
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I have a 2012 jeep patriot so the warranty is long gone lol. Also most workshops get goosebumps when I asked if they can rebuilt my CVT transmission. I assume its because CVT transmissions are a pain to rebuilt
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Good to hear, perhaps it's a throttle issue:
How to Diagnose Throttle Position Sensor Issues | RepairPal
Learn how to identify if your throttle position sensor is failing. Discover key symptoms like poor acceleration and check engine light activation at RepairPal.
repairpal.com
2. Your engine has little or no acceleration. If the TPS fails to send the proper data back to the computer, the correct fuel calculations can’t be made. With some engines, other sensors are able to compensate and provide a guess at how much fuel is needed, but this usually causes the engine to accelerate poorly or sporadically. In other instances, the car will not accelerate at all.
3. Your car bucks or jerks violently. TPS units sometimes fail in a way that causes the voltage signal sent back to the engine’s computer to be sporadic. This can feel like you are quickly applying and releasing the gas pedal.
4. Your engine surges and stalls out. A failing TPS can cause the engine to search for an idle or surge. This is most noticeable when at idle, when on the highway with the cruise control set, or when keeping the throttle steady with your foot. You will notice your RPM gauge fluctuating up and down quickly or hear the engine revving up and down on its own. If not repaired immediately, this can eventually cause the engine to die out.
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