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CVT Transmission shudder - normal?


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Hi folks, been lurking here a few days and GLAD I found this forum!

 

I just bought my wife a 2014 Chevy Spark and it has the CVT transmission.

Car has about 50 000 miles on it, and from what I can tell it has been impeccably maintained.

 

A concern for me is the transmission. This is the first vehicle we have owned that has a CVT transmission and I am somewhat aware of how they work, however I am not sure if the issue we are having is considered normal.

 

The car stop, goes, and drives fine. On occasion, when you step on the gas while you are cruising, it seems to "shudder".

It feels like the transmission is slipping. It doesn't lose power or rev, it just shudders a bit like it is slipping and when it "catches" everything is fine and dandy. Shudders for about 2 seconds, and occasionally. Not all the time.

 

Anyone with experience with this, is it normal? I would like to be better informed should I bring it to the attention of the service department. Car is still under warranty so I am not in a panic, but my wife is going to be daily driving it for school and it has to be reliable.

 

I am hoping it is just the nature of a CVT transmission, and not a mechanical issue.

Edited by djbee
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Everyone, thanks for the replies and reassurance.

 

We will have to get used to it, I suppose.

Beyond the transmission I am pretty impressed with this car. For the price, it is absolutely loaded with features. Definitely a huge "neat" factor with it. :thumbsup:

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1 hour ago, djbee said:

Everyone, thanks for the replies and reassurance.

 

We will have to get used to it, I suppose.

Beyond the transmission I am pretty impressed with this car. For the price, it is absolutely loaded with features. Definitely a huge "neat" factor with it. :thumbsup:

My 2017 Spark with CVT has no noticeable shudder at any speed. However at parking lot speeds for the vehicle, when stepped on gas, sometimes it feels as if the engine revs up but the vehicle does not accelerate in proportion to engine rpm's. Other than that, at speeds above 20 mph, the CVT works great and responds quickly and positively to gas pedal input. Yes, the 2017 Spark is phenomenal for the price. I bought this car new 5 months ago, and the only minor issue so far is the front passenger door creeks a bit when opened. I will get that addressed next week when I have appointment for airbag recall.

Edited by Bobby MSME
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Allright, folks, I drove the car for about an hour to try reproduce this issue.

 

It only happens when I slow down to about 10mph (give or take) then step on the gas.

It "shudders" like it is slipping. Then it "grabs" and we are good to go.

 

Other than that, the transmission isn't that bad. I think I will be taking it up with service. I was apprehensive as sometimes these issues are difficult to reproduce but this is a no brainer. It happens every time I try it. Hoping GM warranty and service dept is good. 

 

I know it is supposed to be normal for this transmission but it just feels like friction or something failing to grab and the possibility of long-term wear and tear because of this causes me some concern.

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16 minutes ago, djbee said:

Allright, folks, I drove the car for about an hour to try reproduce this issue.

 

It only happens when I slow down to about 10mph (give or take) then step on the gas.

It "shudders" like it is slipping. Then it "grabs" and we are good to go.

 

Other than that, the transmission isn't that bad. I think I will be taking it up with service. I was apprehensive as sometimes these issues are difficult to reproduce but this is a no brainer. It happens every time I try it. Hoping GM warranty and service dept is good. 

 

I know it is supposed to be normal for this transmission but it just feels like friction or something failing to grab and the possibility of long-term wear and tear because of this causes me some concern.

Will you post the results of dealer action, if any, on this issue?

Edited by Bobby MSME
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Bobby MSME,

 

I already emailed them regarding the issue and they want to book it in to have a look at it which is a step in the right direction (I hope).

Unfortunately I cannot do it until late next week but I will post results.

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14 hours ago, djbee said:

Allright, folks, I drove the car for about an hour to try reproduce this issue.

 

It only happens when I slow down to about 10mph (give or take) then step on the gas.

It "shudders" like it is slipping. Then it "grabs" and we are good to go.

 

Other than that, the transmission isn't that bad. I think I will be taking it up with service. I was apprehensive as sometimes these issues are difficult to reproduce but this is a no brainer. It happens every time I try it. Hoping GM warranty and service dept is good. 

 

I know it is supposed to be normal for this transmission but it just feels like friction or something failing to grab and the possibility of long-term wear and tear because of this causes me some concern.

I can make mine do it on command every time, just by letting off the gas wait until the rpms drop then just step hard again.... I'm just gonna let it ride until it blows up and let chevy give me a new cvt.

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Interesting responses.

I am looking forward to what the dealer service department says.

 

I am wondering if this is something I should accept? A quirk of the car?

Or is it a mechanical issue that could lead to an expensive repair or transmission replacement down the road?

 

I am also wondering if fellow Spark owners consider this "normal" when in fact it isn't and just an issue GM is ignoring and passing it off as a normal function of a CVT transmission?

 

I will probably bring it to a transmission shop as well and let them have a look at it. As long as that transmission will last the life of the car, it is something I can deal with .Other than that the car is fantastic, and I am liking it more every time I drive it. GM did a good job with it.

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On 7/28/2017 at 6:26 AM, Mr.tozzi said:

I can make mine do it on command every time, just by letting off the gas wait until the rpms drop then just step hard again.... I'm just gonna let it ride until it blows up and let chevy give me a new cvt.

Ya..I would do the same--5yrs or 100Kmi...I thought you had a 2013 though Tozzi..no CVT on the 2013's.

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4 hours ago, Retired old Gearhead said:

Ya..I would do the same--5yrs or 100Kmi...I thought you had a 2013 though Tozzi..no CVT on the 2013's.

I have a 2014 and I will never make it to 100k on the spark, I used to have a long commute to work but now i work 5 minutes from the house. Plus I got a 7yr extended warranty... I'm really not worried at all.

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On 7/29/2017 at 0:43 PM, Mr.tozzi said:

I have a 2014 and I will never make it to 100k on the spark, I used to have a long commute to work but now i work 5 minutes from the house. Plus I got a 7yr extended warranty... I'm really not worried at all.

Yes, I think you are in good shape with the short distances you travel..The CVT may last 50Kmi or 200Kmi..who knows..too new to judge. 7 yr. warranty helps as well.

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  • 3 years later...

Any update on your issue? What did the dealer say? I had same issue with my 2015, ~40k miles on it. Shudders/pulls (and a nice squeak) and various speeds, and last week on the highway it was reving up and down (rpms were bouncing up and down) and my roommate and I were worried it was going to die or something! Having trouble reproducing it consistently. Some days it's fine and some days it's bad. 

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  • 2 months later...

After almost 4 years of driving my new purchase 2017 CVT Spark, I am reaching the conclusion that this tranny is NOT designed for hot rodding. Mine works great so long as I don't stomp on the gas pedal. Even at road speed of 60 mph, gentle acceleration causes no shudder and the car has no problem reaching 75 mph quickly. 

 

But I am AVOIDING stomping on gas after decelerating to under 30 MPH. That is when the CVT acts most confused.

FWIW.

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  • 2 months later...

I have a 2015 spark.  It's been at the dealership  4 weeks today.  They dont seem to be able to  find the problem.   If I floor the gas pedal (sometimes  not every time) the car will almost stall out, engine light comes on, and I cant get it to move but like 5 mph.  I have to hurry up and get to side of road shut it down for a few minutes  restart  it and it's fine.  Does this sound anything  like what u guys  are talking about???

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  • 2 weeks later...

I never floor the gas pedal at speeds below 60 mph.

At car speeds above 60 mph, the CVT does NOT get confused and accelerates car smoothly.

Only problem I have had for 4 years is when coasting at around 10-15 MPH and then pressing hard on gas pedal.

In that situation  the engine gets rev'ed up but the CVT belt just slips and thus car does not accelerate.

 

So I have learned to NOT stomp on the gas pedal when car is coasting under 20 MPH speed. 

The controlling computer program has bugs in this situation.

A gradual pushing down of gas pedal works just fine. Above 20 MPH car speed, CVT acts normal. 

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  • 9 months later...
On 7/1/2021 at 4:54 PM, Rascal said:

I have a 2015 spark.  It's been at the dealership  4 weeks today.  They dont seem to be able to  find the problem.   If I floor the gas pedal (sometimes  not every time) the car will almost stall out, engine light comes on, and I cant get it to move but like 5 mph.  I have to hurry up and get to side of road shut it down for a few minutes  restart  it and it's fine.  Does this sound anything  like what u guys  are talking about???

This sounds like something to do with the stablizer.  Something cracked (cannot remember what), but they had to remove the engine and transmission and replace item.  the cost was almost $2000, but I has an extended warranty which I ended up paying a little over $400.00.  The car would not accelerate from a complete stop, was very slow to start and would also stall and stabilizer light would come on, would have to pull over and sit for a while because car would stall out until it was ready to go again.  Now, the CVT has completely gone out, a year later.  GMC now has 10 year warranty, or 120,000 miles.  Drives good at 80 miles -- 65, 70, 75, but did all of the above mentioned until the CVT started acting up.  Did not know about the CVT until I inquired with dealership about what could be going on the morning prior to her completely going out.  Also, beware of hub wheel going out.  Glad I have extended warranty on vehicle.  I am the third owner of 2015.  Bought with only 43,000 miles and she sat for a year through COVID then started commute driving and that's when the first issue started.  Thank God for extended warranty.  The extended warranty is also covering the hub wheel service.  She only has 82,000 miiles now.  Good riding little car, but issues.

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

Not sure if you still have your stark, I have a 2014 spark.  It would shudder often.  I have the fluids change out at 80,000 miles, and currently at 160,000 so I decided to flush the transmission my self, change filter/pickup tube.  I used CVT fluid called Lube Gard Completed, yes spelling is right.  My spark so far has been operating better than ever, no shuddering is going on and the RPM/Speed variables seems to be in order.  The flushing was not very difficult, pickup tube/filter went on very easy and I did not use RTV/Permatex when installing new pan gasket, no leaks.  Hopefully this information helps someone.  r/    

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  • 4 weeks later...

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