I recently was looking to buy a small honda city vehicle (called the Honda Fit, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Fit for details!) and paid a visit to my local agent to get some advise on the car. The very first response was “don’t buy it Sir, the gearbox is not reliable”. Now this coming from the local Honda agent, when the Honda CVT gearbox has a solid reputation worldwide was rather disturbing since my research on the web with regard to the car and the gearbox had a very positive view!
Probing further I inquired from the technician why he said it was not “reliable”, and he gave some very useful insights,
- The gearbox he felt was not suitable for local city conditions as the wear and tire on the belt was on the lower gears as driving conditions were 90% urban, and 10% semi-urban, with zero highway conditions in Sri Lanka. This was very valid for driving within the Colombo city and suburbs, where bumper to bumper traffic conditions were the norm and due to close proximity of traffic lights and congestion, there was a very high percentage of stop-wait-go scenarios.
- The gearbox could not be repaired and a total replacement had to be done in the event of a belt failure
- Vehicles wore mostly reconditioned (used in Japan or Singapore), and hence already had a lot of miles, and the belt based transmission had a shorter lifespan compared to the traditional auto boxes resulting in failures.
- Many users were not aware of CVT gearboxes and treated them as normal auto boxes, and hence the oil changes were done in intervals of 40-60K
The responses were quite startling, since these were not the type of facts i saw in any blog related to Honda fit, Jazz CVT gearbox failures!
The fact is that the CVT gearboxes do require more attention than the standard auto gearboxes, and the reasons i could identify were,
- Honda now recommends changing of the CVT gearbox oil every 20-40K periods for normal driving conditions, and 20K intervals for extreme driving conditions. However based on the information, the extreme levels mentioned by Honda, the pure city driving scenarios as faced in Sri Lanka are far more extreme!, and hence the transmission oil should be replaced every 10K (15K at most) in order to ensure the gearbox does not fail.
- Initially the transmission oil used for CVT was the same as the standard auto boxes, but now Honda recommends that a special CVT oil be used which has better lubrication. Based on research it seems even the Honda CVT is not the best and there are third parties making oils that are even more suited for CVT gearboxes. The point being CVT gearboxes require special transmission oils (standard auto gearbox oils are NOT suitable)
If the owners do take care of the oil changes I am positively sure the failures will be minimal, though the question if the gearbox is as durable as the standard auto is questionable, as many sites have indicated that a well cared CVT gearbox has a lifespan of 120-160K km, while an standard box will last far longer with minimal maintenance!
The question of if the CVT gearbox failure requires a full gearbox change of course is uncertain, as it seems the belt can be replaced (along with some other parts) for a fraction of the cost of the gearbox. Would be great if somebody can confirm on this.
Rayaz on cars, mobile devices and mobile apps 
WANT TO CHANGE GEAR BOX OIL,,WHICH TYPE CAN I USE PLEASE?contact me +26772885468
I AM USING HONDA FIT 1.5L 7 SPEED,2004
where caan i get CVT for Honda Airwave in Kenya and how much ?
I cant find the oil extreme atf. I own a gd9 aria 2007 model and its starting to shake.
my honda fit also vibrates much when
put in D and R but smoothens when
you apply the revs
Hello
I have a car with my fiat – albea brand CVT gearbox.
My problem is this.
The sound does not come from the transmission when going straight on the road. When I want to accelerate, a small whining sound comes and it is cut off after a while.
I just changed the gearbox oil (Liqui Moly Top Tec ATF 1400 CVT) but it did not stop.
That’s what makes you sound.
I forgot to write km.
My car is at 120.000 km.
I’m happy if you help me.
Best regards.
Hii hav honda gd1(2004). My problem when i put R with AC it comes noice…. i changed flywheel but still it’s noisy ……what can i do?..
mr juma, i sympathise with you,i would advise you disconnect all the sensors,wait for 30minutes,then reconnect them.I am in kenya and owner of the same.kinyanjuiismail@yahoo.com
Good morning Everyone! I,m a Auto mech and Auto trans mech from spain. I been solving problems of honda fitt,jazz,mobilio, and city for a long time,my clients and supplier told me. I’m the only doing it in philippines,,anyway you could not avoid that jerking, or sliding of belt,,because of wear,, the problem is a cause of enough running hour’s of cvt part (its just a 1 special part that works with cvt), so what you need is to fix the cvt problem, you have to look for a professional transmission mech who understand cvt transmission, I’ve been doing doing it guy’s for a long time, I’TS AN EASY PROBLEM TO SOLVE..FOR TRANS MECH from your country only can e-mail me, or txt me in my FB page automatic transmission mech, navarra_e@yahoo.com ,,hope I can help for good guys only,,
I have the similar problem when I try to accelerate when turning to the left (Malaysia is right hand drive). It will jerk a few time and then running smooth. Can you recommend a few guys in Malaysia?
Hi Ed,
Found your read very interesting. I have the honda fit has no power. Please can you advise what to do. Pls contact me on whatsapp +263772 32 32 32 or email jonah.investments@gmail.com
my honda fit also vibrates much when put in D and R but smoothens when you apply the revs
Have a Honda 2002 model, The D indicator hv just started flashing and when i put it in D, the N and S lights also shows up, its driving well but the N, D, S are showing with the D flashing..what can be the problem and what is the best solution
HI, EVERYBODY.
I BOUGHT SECOND HAND HONDA CITY CVT 2006 . I WANT THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION PLEASE.
1. WHAT SHOULD BE THE KMS INTERVAL OF SERVICING.
2. WHICH OIL TO BE USED.
3.WHAT IS THE LIFE OF GEAR BOX.
4. CAN WE CHECK THE BALANCE LIFE OF GEARBOX.
5. WHEN SHOULD I GET THE TIMING CHAIN CHANGED.
THANKS
MUKESH CHOPRA
thanx i have been goin through yo ideas coz mine is honda fit 2003 and drives well fo abt 20kms and start flushing D nw im goin to change th transmission oil bt is there any process in changing th oil, like flushing the old and if so how cn l flush th old ATF, thanx fo your help
TINASHE
HARARE 00263774083217
well im not a mechanic bhudi bt u dont use atf pa fit strictly cvt
The only response to this is that in your article you give full face value (i.e. unquestionable truth) to what your mechanic says, in complete contradiction of a vast ACTUAL owner base (the latter that has no gain whatsoever in deceiving you), wheter it’s because he has no actual knowledge on how to fix it (as most non-schooled street mechanics are), forwards pure hearsay to sound “smart” or maybe that there’s another transmission that’s more prone to heavy maintenance, thus giving sustenance to said mechanic. Hey. He too has to make a living, and recommending electric vehicles (as an example) for which he has no income, is just suicidal.
Not dissing what a auto mechanic says, but after car salesman, they have the nastiest reputation of being dishonest and deceitful for their own selfish monetary purposes. Giving the choice of two exactly identical cars, he will recommend you the one with the most pending repairs). There are exceptions to this rule, but it’s a rather slim one.
The only reason you should try to avoid CVTs is in older (non-computer bases) cars that will see a combination of high performance (fast!) driving, heavy hauling or driving very steep LONG hills on a daily basis (because of CVT’s lacking actual engine braking as traditional automatics do.)
Hi!
Where can i get the “Oil Extreme” here in Kenya?? Pls help.
sije,i also heard about oil extreme,should you know where,pls info me.Mean while check with broadways-eldoret(uganda road near exide/chloride shop.
Thanks for the information however would like to know if brand is of paramount importance when it comes to these CVTF oil coz here in ZIMBABWE there are a lot of them l am seeing on the market.
hie guys
I hv a worst problem with my Honda fit, it jerks most of the time and i feel like drops gears(poor gear changing) I have replaced the CVT oil and its nw even severe than before. i can’t drive off sometimes, it also flashes D light when im driving that may lead to a stop.
help pliz
Hi Guyz
As like others I have airwave jerking problem, replaced transmission fluid, cleaned throttle body and IAC, engine tuned up, pcv valveb change but still vibration there, any expert manage to solve the case? If yes please contact me
0777-534744
Thank you
Likely the CVT oil grade, use Original oil and observe if the jerking problem go away?
The stuttering you describe is usually a problem with ignition coils and a subsequent fault in spark plugs. If this is not the case, then the start clutch has worn.
is your engine RPM drops when in idle???? when A/C engages??? I think there is a problem in ISC valve. Try changing it
Hi Navin.
I do quite a lot of car mechanics here in Australia. I purchased a Honda Jazz as its called here, for my wife. When the car warmed up there was a shudder in the CVT when moving off from a standing start. Upon making inquiries I found out that changing the trans fluid with standard Honda CVT fluid wont fix the problem. Buy an aftermarket CVT fluid especially formulated for Honda CVT and make sure it has “anti shudder technology”. I used Fuchs oil and after replacing the trans oil and test driving within 20 minutes the said shudder was completely gone. I recommend changing the oil every 20,000KM its going to be a lot cheaper than a new trans.
i have a honda city (fit) with cvt gearbox
i runs in reverse mode without any problem
but in [D] or [S] or [L] it runs veeeeerryyy slow, and sometimes it stops
i have changed the fluid and the spark plugs
any solutions ??
I had a similar problem with my City (CVT).. try replacing the transmission oil and if that does not work, then replacing the gear box may be the only solution.. in my case I had to get the gear box replaced.. thankfully it was still under warranty then and I did not have to pay for the replacement.
I have a 2008 honda fit and have the exact same problem. When in gear, drives very slow and eventually stops. Is there any hope to repair?
I have 2006 Honda City Zx with CVT transmission . It has about 100,000 Kms. However, transmission is giving a problem – Once you put the car in a drive ( D) mode, it tends to run on HGH RPM and within drive mode the shift is not smooth . It seems it is running on high RPM and some time the ” D” mode blinks . What can be done to fix this problem, I am in Jaipur
l recently bought a 2005 honda airwave but the problem now is when stopping it will jerk then it acts as if it have dis engage the drive then all of a sudden it will return the drive especially when the engine is cold so please help but recently l changed the cvtf and it was dirty and it was like water
My brother, check your gear box oil. most likely the gear box is done. need to replace.
gues wat mr in high wat no problemen but local
I recently imported a hinda airwave 2008 model with 118k odometer reading. the CHECK ENGINE LIGHT is on and whe diagnosed it gave us this error “P1491 EGR Valve Lift Insufficient Detected.”How do I solve it? I am in Kenya.
I found that this was a bad seal on my fuel pump! That is after replacing 2x fuel pumps. If you get a bad seal and bad fuel pressure then I had that exact code. Check your fuel lines.
lets keep in touch on issues about airwave.Ismail 0722844686 kenya
CVTF FUCHS TITAN cvtf + 4 this oil’m using in my Fit 2002 recommend, as recommended by cvtf-1 hard manufacturer found, and the car is corresponding well was having trouble shaking flashing ” D ” the mechanic replaced the embriagem, changed glow plugs are 8, and the car is good. MOZAMBIQUE Maputo
I took my 2003 Honda Hybrid in because the CVT transmission had the notorious shudder/judder when taking off from a stop. This was in 2013, the car was out of warranty however this is a problem these cars have had since conception. Well, they recommended I “burnish” the trans for $250, meaning they get the glaze off the clutch by racing the engine. I assume they changed the transmission oil after doing this, but now I’m not so sure. The problem came back I was seriously considering dumping the car until I read online to try changing the transmission fluid. The recommendation was to buy Honda Genuine CVT fluid, which I did online, had the guys at the Oil Changers down the street put it in. The shudder went away immediately. Not only that, while before the most I got was 32 mpg, I’m now getting 45 mpg. Do the dealers change the CVT fluid when they “burnish”??? I don’t think so, or if they do, they don’t replace it with the correct fluid.
I had a shutter problem in my 2003 Honda Civic. Starting from a stop position, the car would shake. This is a common problem with the CVT transmission. I bought some Honda Genuine CVT fluid, 4 quarters, and had the Oil Changers put it in. The problem has gone away. I’m thinking the fluid in the CVT should be changed quite often, maybe every year or less to prevent this problem from reoccurring.
hi Guys
am looking for a Inner CV Join for a honda fit 2003 , am in Zimbabwe Bulawayo please help if anyone knows where i can get even in Botswana or South Africa i would appreciate it. i have been looking for it for the past 4 months. my email is mushcole@gmail.com.
thanks
Mushamba
hi Guys
am looking for a Inner CV Join for a honda fit 2003 , am in Zimbabwe Bulawayo please help if anyone knows where i can get even in Botswana or South Africa i would appreciate it. i have been looking for it for the past 4 months. my email is mushcole@gmail.com.
thanks
Mushamba
I have honda city zx 2004 autometic . Car runed is 87000 km done.. My car engine is start but not run .and engine is doing hot ..can u help me abought this
Hi aditya! you must find a good automatic transmission mech/auto mech,if not you’ll be wasting so much money,a mech who works as machinist,a proffessional welder, and with enginring background is a great help.who knows better than a normal mech .A CVT transmission can be fix,Trial and error flushing which done by honda is not enough to solve the problem.Thats the truth. Ican do it ,,but cant help u.I’m here in philippines..
Good day Eduardo, Im form Mindanao a mechanic. I would like to know if a shudder of a honda fit during shifting is a case related to transmission trouble.
I have a Honda fit 2002 model. The gears are shifting well but it does not have the drive. The car does not move when you engage the drive gear. What might be cause? The problem started when i topped up the gear oil. Please help.
are u sure u used the correct gear oil, if u used atf insted of cvt, it doesnt work
I have a 2007 Honda City with 1.5 L15A1 engine and a CVT transmission. The car has run 68,000km. I changed the trans fluid with the recommended CVT fluid at 65,000km. Now the reverse gear engages with a loud thunk and slams into gear. The reverse gear also slips in and out when i try to modulate my throttle application. It drives fine in the forward gear and engages well in the forward gear. there is also a delay when i engage the reverse gear. What seems to be the problem?
I found the solution ! its the” computer box ” thr jerking at low speed,, i was almost ready to sell my jazz at any price when this problem starts ; i have done everything my last resort was to a used or surplus we call it here when i have trouble with my aircon and the tech found out that computer box is not supplying e current , i took the computer box have it repaired and they found more problems to it , when its fixed the gearbox or transmission noise it was gone completely my jazz runs like new ☺so have your computer box check if i were you
Hi! I just wanna ask, I got the same problem like cyprian. I already took a transmission overhaul, maybe about 2 weeks ago, or 3. And recently, I’ve been having problem about jerking when at reverse, and sometimes in forward when i’m running very slow, it is often to jerk when on reverse gear. Is it probably because of the gearbox? I had my transmission and engine support changed long before my transmission is overhauled, but when before I got my transmission overhauled, the technician said and asked, “you thought it was the engine support and transmission support that makes the car jerking, right?”, means, it’s not really the engine and transmission support, I haven’t asked him too about the computer box since my only attention is on my transmission. I’m going tomorrow to the one who overhauled my transmission, he’s from Honda btw. And also, how long is it to fix the computer box? Thanks for the time reading this!
I Googled and found a procedure for resetting or calibrating the gearbox. I followed the procedure and the jerking stopped. The slip also stopped. Cheers.
Het Riyaz,
I am going to buy Honda fit aria in January. My budget is around 21-22LKR. PLease give your comments regarding Honda Fit Aria and good vehicle according to my budget.
Indika
Thank you for the honda technical information. I have a Honda HR-V it is around 70 000km. Upto now i do not have any problems with it. Just want to ask anyone with a similar vehicle if he/she have any problems with it. I am in Harare Zimbabwe.
my name is zingoni and i am in Harare.I have a 2002 honda fit 160000km.My problem is it ,is producing a sound from the gear box but i have changed the cvt .What could be the problem? Some are are saying i need to change the belt and the pressure drums ,is it true? If you can help contact me immediately.it is driving properly but i have decided to park it.
Need your help
Zingoni
zingoni, when you changed the cvt was it clean, dirty or waterly? Also check the engine mountings especially the one below the battery compartment. I suggest you change the cvt oil again and put in at least 4.5 litres. I will await your feed back
Hi Zingoni
I also have a similar car (Honda Fit 2002) with the same issue .Did you manage to sort the problems out ?If yes, please share the solution .
Thanks
Hey guys i hve prblm on ma honda city gxi automatic..ma car shows yellow check engine light on dispay…and wen i drive for more than 10kms it will b heat up..i coudnt find out the solution plz help?
Go to Honda service centre immediately if you not gone yet. As per the book yellow indicator means big problem coming. Red means finish.
Hi Rayaz. Believe it or not it’s 2014 and I’m still experiencing the same problem. Your blog has been so insightful :). I have changed the CVT oil as recommended by Honda but the problem still persists, both on the Fit and Airwave. Question, does this Miracle additive really work? And if so, does anyone knows where I can get it in Kenya? I would really appreciate it. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Davie.
Hi david,
Have a fit 2004. Didnt know abt the special cvt.Gearbox broke down bt managed to have it repaired instead of replacement early this year. Check with Honda accord dealers on river road nbi
Hi Paul, Thanks for the Info. Once they fixed it has it brought any issues??
I have not had a problem since then
Cool, Coz my Airwave is still jerking and i have changed the CVT OIL. The jerk has reduced in intensity bt it’s still there. Will it be too much to ask if you can share a contact of how i can reach you? Email address maybe?? That will be so helpful 🙂
Send me your contact email and cell number I link you up
My Cell: 0723 706 866
Email: ngugid@gmail.com. Thanks.
Paul, I am looking for the CVT oil. Any luck getting the Accord dealers contact?
hi sir i know ur problem wen ur shift drive engine jerking ur problem is air vacuum sir if u want to fix dat come and visit our shop.
Paul, kindly give the contact of the the mech who repaired your gearbox and kindly advice if you buy original Honda CVT or the multi use CVT..it will really assist people in Nairobi
Hi iav Honda aria 2008 it has a speed problem u can’t drive more than 40km/hr speed I can see red light flashing what could be the problem
Heather (Australia)
I have a 2008 Honda Jazz automatic that I bought 5 years ago. Late last year when the warranty ran out, it presented an issue with a shutter each time I took off . I had the oil changed and was told that in a couple of days the shutter would disappear and everything would be Ok and the shutter would go away. well it did for a month, 6 months down the track after $450 to change the oil the problem is back and it is worse this time, even though the mechanic told me changing the oil would fix the issue. Well it did for about a month no it is back worse than before. How do I fix the issue
Honda extended the warranty on CVT to 7 years specifically because of this issue. The shudder on pull away from a standing start is due to contamination of the starter clutch. There is a protocol for flushing the transmission, changing the oil alone will not fix the problem. Get the work done by a proper Honda centre. Flushing may or may not fix the judder, if it returns get the starter clutch replaced under the warranty.
Dear Rayazmuthalif,
I really need some advice please. I am considering a 2007 Honda Jazz 1.4i DSi with CVT transmission. The car has only 26K on the odometer. I am alarmed at the number of problems people have expereinced with this technology. Should I avoid this car and rather buy something else?
Regards,
Reg
South Africa
Dear Rayaz,
I recently bought a honda fit aria 2004 model from japan which is at 103 000km,it came with a flat battery so we had to change it but the moment we started moving we realised there was a problem with pulling so we decided to drain gearbox oil and replace it.we realised that it even became worse to a point were it had to stop.i have ordered a new gearbox are there things we have to do to ensure that no mistakes are made?and is it true that we have to calibrate everytime we change the gearbox?where can we find cvt oil in Dar es salam or Lusaka and the additive? Pls help
R u from Sri Lanka, i was able to find Addictivev via freid in Singapore and one small bottle cost arount 12,000/- i bough one in i know he has stocks. he said high price due courier charges. if interested mail me on susanthar123@gmail.com
Pls. try this solution:
Honda Jazz/City CVT Reset Procedures
Thanks to CVT!
1. Start the car and run it to operating temp (no other electricals must be used like aircon, radio, power windows, mirrors, lights). Keep the doors closed so that the dome light is not on.
2. Shut down the engine
3. Start engine again and turn on headlights, without operating any other electrical load (other than headlights).
4. From P(ark), shift to N, D, S, L, S, D, N while waiting at least 2 seconds before shifting to the next position
5. Repeat the N, D, S, L, S, D, N sequence for 3 times
6. Turn-off headlights
7. Shutdown engine
8. Drive and investigate
•”It should also be noted that Honda claims that CVT-equipped cars need to be taken back to a dealer to have the computer reset if the battery has been disconnected for any reason. That includes those situations when a battery is replaced.”
hie
please help, l recently bought a honda fit, 80 000kms, my problem is l did not know about the cvt oil so one day as l was driving it just stopped , it could reverse but there was no drive, and the D just kept flashing, without knowing l bought ordinary atf and topped into the gearbox and sadly nothing changed, l tow the car home, surprisingly the following morning it was back on track, now this has since happened twice, and every time it does happen l wait for at least an hour then it goes, please what could be the problem
your
transmission is gone u will have sadly you have to replace the gear box
Farai did you manage to sort out out your car please dont drvie the car if it is perfoming the way you say go to FUCHS TITAN Masasa in Harare and buy FUCHS TITAN CVTF in 1 ltr bottles you can only use 4ltrs of CVTF OIL in a HONDA FIT. Happy driving and times HONDA Fits are prone to bucking this solves the issue also, But if you dont get any change it could be you clucth needs replacement thats a little bit costly
Hi George how much is the clutch replacement ?
Hello Rayaz,
I recently bought a Honda fit aria 2003. When I bought there was no such issue like vibration or other. But now it arises sudden jerks and vibrations when slowly accelerating. But no issue at higher speeds. Mileage is about 90000km
I have no much knowledge of automobiles. I noticed some comments are from 2008. So I would like to know any updated way of overcome this issue and recommended places where I can check and fix in Colombo area as I’m from Matara.
Your advises are highly appreciate.
sadly based on the input i got from Honda agents, and people using the vehicles, no new solutions seems to have occurred. The miracle oil additive has now increased in price by over 4x and got harder to find, complicating the resolution.
Hello Rayaz
My Honda fit GD1 was vibrating on taking off, took it to a local dealer who advised that the CVT oil has to be changed. A few days after the oil change, the revs started flatuating when in drive hence suddenly changing from low gears to high gears and vise versa.The Drive light then started flashing, when they checked with a machine, the speed sensor was fault but on just cleaning it the error disappeared. after a few days, it started again and they decided to flush the gear box and put new CVT again. after that it even got worse, lack of power,, doesnt take off when it hots up and you can smell the gear box oil burning. In the morning when its still cold, you can drive a few kilometeres before the D light starts flashing and it starts jerking. Can i still try to add Extreme oil because now the local agent has already recommended a new gear box which is costly.
Hello Dilan,
i believe you get these vibrations usually when you shift to D or R from N and slowly accelerates right? this is a common issue for Fit Arias which came with CVT boxes. but nothing to be afraid this issue can be sorted out in most of the cars. even my car used to have these jerks and vibrations then it was sorted out by my mechanic adjusting the idle speed control sensor. as i was told by him there are two reasons for these vibrations to happen. it could be either your cvt box going bad or the low idle speed. if its the second reason it could be sorted out easily mind you second reason is the most common in existence. most of the people get it wrong as a fault of CVT box. But its not always. you can most probably get this sorted out by adjusting the idle speed sensor when you got for an engine tune up.stick to the regular CVT oil changes on time ( i do at 12000km as mentioned by Rayaz). i recommend you to take your car to stafford Motors and get done a full engine tune up. contact me if you want further hand on this hiranc6@gmail.com
Cheers
Hi r u from SG?
yup hiran you are damn right on this issue. these cars idle drops as low as 600 rpm. then it starts to jerk. you can adjust it by adjusting the idle speed. you can identify this problem if your can on heat run in the morning and not having the issue at that time. slowly this fault apears after heat run is finished and iddle speed drops and when A/C clutch engages even. try increasing the iddle speed. it will solve. you can increas max like 850 rpm
Hi Dilan
I had the same problem it turned out that Honda Fit (Jazz) has a CVT gearbox which requires special CVT oil that needs to be changed every 20K. Anyway there are two solutions for that matter the first and cheaper is flushing the gearbox oil and replace it with a CVT oil which costs about $350 in Australia. If flushing doesn’t fix the problem the starter clutch needs to be changed which was my case and cost me $1400 !!! 😦 but its working fine now. the sooner you fix it the cheaper it costs. but remember to take your car to an authorised Honda Service Center because normal mechanics dont know much about CVT gearboxes and this common problem and they may disappoint you.
Hi Dilan buy FUCHS TITAN CVTF if you have it in Colombo it works very fine with Honda fit it only takes 4 ltrs, and after changing you can take your car to your diagnostic to check your gear ratios also. But if car continues vibrating especially from a strong take off i suggest you have your clutch replaced as soon as possible which a little bit costly Happy Driving George from Zimbabwe
Good day,
How many ml of oil extreme additive do i need for my honda city 1.5 cvt that uses 3.5L cvt fluid? Thank you.
so a 2003 HONDA Fit Aria , model LA-GD8 and Engine Size 1490 does have a cvt gearbox so how do we get the required oil in zimbabwe help us please i recently bought one from japan its on its way
Honda Centre in Harare has this gear box oil selling for $183.00 for a 4ltr bottle and they charge $30.00 for draining and replacing the gear box oil it is called cvtf gear box oil
Hello did you manage to get the CVTF OIL bought mine at TRANSERVE GRANITESIDE Harare for $45.00usd for 5 ltrs and you only use 4Ltrs for your HONDA FIT plus Extreme Oil additive for the best results
Hi george Nyangani, where do i get the additive oil
Hi George, i need to confirm what lubricant type i need for a HONDA Civic Hatchback 2001 Model Number LA-EU 1 and where on the car can i check what type of gearbox i actually have in there? Honda Center weren’t helpful in my endeavor.
Nomara you can go to FUCHS TITAN in Masasa Harare they have this special oil i have used it and my HONDA FIT was oerfoming very very well b4 i sold it. This avoids shuddering and Bucking at times Honda Fits are prone to this. But if you experiance passenger wheel vibrating from a strong take off have your clucth changed and new CVTF at the same time happy driving
1L of Honda CVTF at the dealership in India cost me about US$7.5 (Today). This might be more expensive abroad. The Honda City 2005 model requires about 4L.
Hi: Please share the dealers contact details. I am in need of the oil for my Honda City. Thanks
Does anyone knows, where i can buy the oil extreme around : indonesia – singapore and malaysia ?
i live in Indonesia
thank you
Good day all, I have the same problem of the “D” indicator going off, and then the engine revving up (not like Neutral), before returning to normal with the “D” indicator coming on again. It can happen at any time, but mostly after driving from cold start (where engine is cold), aorund 5 minutes after starting. Funny thing though, after that it will run 100% fine. I also hear a relay sound from behind the instrument cluster when it the “D” indicator goes off. I have replaced CVT oil twice with Honda CVT oil. Dealership has recalibrated gearbox everytime, reset ECU, and the last time it lasted for a while, was when they cleaned carbon off the coils…strange but true. Any help would be appreciated. I have a video of the sympton on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88jp-kc38ns
You may try with , addictive, i also had same issue with my prevous Jazz ( same as FIT). but 177 ml bottle cost me 64 USD + Rs.2K ( Local handling ). better you speak to Honda – Upul who is an expert on this. As Rayaz mentioned , it is a magical oil .
i start having the same problem as you mentioned here. How did you get it sorted? please reply. Thanks
hi , magic oil is the only solution, in SL it cost Rs,9000 just 4 ounce bottle. but u will be service untill next gear box oil change
Where can I get information on the type of oil recommended for CVT gearboxes?
Are you talking about the additive, or the CVT oil? the CVT oil spec can be found from the honda manual (also available under the archives section in honda.co.jp).
hi, does anyone know if i can get this additive in kenya as this is exactly what my honda fit needs!
My wife owns a honda fit yr 05. It. worked perfectly till august 2012 when it started having gearbox problems > I changed the cvt oil . It stopped to jerk at junctions . Now every morning it delays to take off on ” D”.. The road conditions are more or loss O.K here in Mauritius.
Thanks Rayaz, i solved my Gear box issue by using adictive. however, now you can not find it is SL, i am planning to import it under high cost . any body intersted just make a note
Try the CTV oil for Honda Fit available at the local representative of Honda in Mtius i.e. E A L Man Hin & Co at Port Louis.
Contact Mr Y.Dulthummon on 9076538, he will repair it
Hi, am writing to give my 2 cents opinion. We have very similar experience in Malaysia with CVT gearbox failures in City models. Here in Malaysia, the Honda after sales centres recommends Honda CVT gear oil packed by Idemitsu, a Japanese oil brand.
From my observation, the Honda recommended CVT oil although is thin, lacks the lubricity hence causing the gear shift to be heavy and jerks all the time during acceleration. I have recently switched to an ExxonMobil CVT oil and to my surprise, all these problems had vanished.
Further research showed that ExxonMobil formulate all the life-time gear box oils for Toyota cars, therefore, their CVT oil must have gone through some thorough development process to address all the gearbox manufacturers’ concerns. Always stick to a reputable brand and things will not go too wrong.
As for the recommended oil change for this CVT oil is 40k, not too far off from the 40-60k of auto-transmission. To change oil at every 10k in order to prevent CVT gearbox failure takes away the pleasure of driving.
Dear steve, I’m using Honda City Idsi 2006, and just facing the same problems gear jerk. Is it true that replacing the Honda CVT oil to Exxon Mobile CVT oil will solve the problems?.. if so where can I buy that oil from?.. thank you and best regards.
thanks steve… but i was considering the Nippon CVT oil eneos brand was better .. should check whether i can bring it down here…
Hi Steve, I had this problem for my FIT also,just to check after u use Exxon Cvt oil till now any issue?
I’m having this problem from my FIT in SG, any place recommend to repair this? Been to some workshop the ask my to change the whole gearbox?
Addition to my 1st message from Jerome;
While im driving to 30-60kms speed per/hr, i can feel and i guaranteed that the internal transmission automatically pops out to neutral(N) came from drive(D) because the rpm becomes higher while im pushing the gas. While running and the the gear is in drive(D) position as i always checked, i should put the gear to neutral then drive again in able to run in normal speed in the highway. please help. Cheers.
Hi. I have 2003 Honda Fit Aria in new zealand with 1.3Liters engine and CVT transmission and the clock right now is 106,000kms. Currently, when im driving this car running about 30-60km/hr speed, sometimes the drive(D) pops out to neutral(N) then the rpm becomes higher i was stepping on the gas pedal. I should put the gear to neutral(N) then drive(D) again in able to run in normal speed. Please give me any idea or suggestions on how to solve this problem. I already flush the old cvt oil and replaced to new Honda brand cvt oil about 3.5 liters. But still the problem occurs. Do i still need to put additive cvt oil so the problem will be solve. Thanks. Please help.
Hi jerome, based on comments i received i spoke to our local honda agent technicians who are very friendly since the day i told them about the additive 🙂 While the jerk has been the usual problem most have felt, it seems abnormal gear behaviors, loss of power are also signs of the same CVT problem. They indicated that using this additive has been the only solution and failing its a gearbox change.
what is the name of that additive…i am having the same problem..owns honda fit aria 2004. please tell me the name of additive.. i am also using this car in new zealand and it has done 90k
One More thing Rayaz..
what are the Honda models came with this problematic CVT boxes..
is ES8 also having the same issue??
i love to buy a Honda car..this is my first car so don’t have experience of autos..as you said in the previous reply i dont like hatchback models..also old cars..like 2000-2001 and before..FC is also matters to me..
The addiction to own a Honda has for some reason been very strong, though to be frank Honda sadly has not focused on the driver in recent models is my opinion, bar the true sports range. This is very sad since Honda no matter what the range always had something that was focused towards the driver, and this was a key selling point.
The ES8 Civic comes in many varieties, and sadly yes it does have a CVT version and that also does have the problem that is harder to fix (CVT additive did not work, i tried it on a friend’s car and can confirm that). However the ES8 manual, a bit hard to find is great. But if you are buying the ES series, avoid the local version which came without a VTEC engine and is rather under-powered. In the event you want an auto, there are variants with standard auto gears on the ES-series, a quick way to find it seems to be if the gearbox has an S rather than 1,2 etc that means its highly likely to have a CVT box. However some Honda’s including my current car have standard auto boxes but have an S rather than the 1,2 hence the agent might be the best person to confirm the type of gearbox.
hi
i am planning to buy a Honda Fit Aria 2003 Model.should i go for it?the vehicle is 50k done in colombo. price 2.5 million. is it worth enough??hw about this CVT gear box problem?what should i do to overcome any future issues??Comments appreciated.
if the gear box issue comes up, you can replace it with a reconditioned gearbox for like 70,000
Hi ,
I am willing to buy Honda Fit Aria 2003 model car in the local market. After i go through this forum now i gt nervous as most of ppl who are using this car having a gear box issue. can some one simply clarify me, what is this issue and what are the solutions. i allready found a car which is 50k done. ( i am not much familiar with technical things) just simply clarify me what should i do if i am gng to buy this car.. FIT Aria 2003..thanks
Hi Milantha,
The CVT issue is real, and the use of the additive has been the only solution. Sadly when i went to Stafford where i know the technicians pretty well, they were asking me if i knew a way to get the additive as none of the few chaps who bring it down have it in stock and the price of the additive has spiked from 3-4000 Sri Lankan rupees per bottle to over 9000!!!!
Specially if the car is a 2003 model, its quite surprising that it has only done 50K, as if you read my articles, cars brought down in the past had their odometers turned prior to sale.
Hence i would say you might be wiser to look for other cars since the CVT issue and lack of the additive to keep the problem at bay in Sri Lanka is hard.
I assume you looking at the Aria means you are a person who does not like hatchbacks and prefer a car with boot, and understandably cars with good economies with a boot in the Aria price range are limited. Though toyota has bland designs, the VIOS is a very viable option with no serious issues even if it has high mileages. However if you don’t mind looking for older cars the Corolla 110/111, and the extremely popular and still good looking and super EK3 Civic are wonderful options and trouble free (Avoid the CVT gearbox EK3 Civic variant though).
Thanks for your quick feed back Rayaz..
as per the owner this is a recondition vehicle..he is the 3rd owner of the car..he got 3 other cars for his personal use..he used this car only for long journeys ( As per him ) interior conditions are very good..seems like carefully used the car..problem is i don’t know whether odometer has been changed or not 😦 i talk with some of my friends who are using Honda cars..all of them mentioned the issue..and also they told if you maintain the car properly if you are doing services correctly their won’t be an issue..my budget is 2.4-2.5 mil..i also searched some EK3s..all of those cars done more than 150k.. 😦 ..
lets say i want to buy this car badly..what are the advises to minimize potential issues??some places i could find CVT transmission fluids and Extreme olis..how much will it cost me per month..really appreciate your valuable advises as i am non-tech chap 😦
Hi all, and in particular damanjit (India) our jazz is doing exactly the same thing. We have taken it to our local Honda dealer and basically they have zero idea to the problem so they suggest new gearbox. $8000 for new one or reconditioned one for $3800.. expensive.. they tried changing sensors nothing wrong with them, New cvt Honda fluid didn’t help. Slowly getting worse to the point where the revs are dropping so low it stalls… We may have another solution but we have to see an auto electrician. We have been told that while in dD it isn’t getting enough pressure to open the drive valve hence the reason its not engaging. Will keep everyone posted as I know how frustrating all of this could be.
My 2003 Odyssey RB1 K24A3 (of Singapore origin) had these symptoms and when I changed the fuel pump it all went away 🙂 I live in Gaborone, Botswana.. Average 6000 International Kilometers per month. The vehicle is on 183000kms now and as far as I know the CVTF has never been replenished. I would like to do it now, and would appreciate any input on Suppliers…
Hie Rayaz, i had a gearbox failure on my Honda Fit recently and managed to replace it. But now the problem is at times it flashes on the D which will force me to stop, because whenever it starts flashing it wont move any further, what could be the problem because the gear box was changed and CVT oil used. Please help.
Hi Chantelle,
Have the same problem of D flashing. How did you solve yours? The transmission has become so weak that am unable climb on steep hills.
Hi,
Mine is Honda Fit 2003 with CVT with 150K on it. Recently changed oil in CVT with MITASU for CVT.
Now, I have a little vibration and a jerky sound when I start driving. What might be the cause?
Thanks a lot,
Nadya.
I have just bought a 2nd hand honda vti-s jazz with 149,000 km’s on the clock. Having trouble with the transmission on cold start up it will not engage in drive but will do so in reverse. We took it to a local honda dealer and they changed the cvt fluid and reset the computer and relearnt the gearbox(at a very hefty cost) all seemed ok but following day same thing happened except this time engine light came on and the ‘D’ light was flashing so took it back to same dealership and the car has been there ever since.
Done many hours research on internet and have discovered this is a very common problem along with the shuddering with the CVT. Any feedback from someone who has had same problem and what the solution was and perhaps the cost. Im located in Queensland Australia. I have written to Honda Australia and am awaiting their reply.
Hey Nadine, this post is too old I know but I am having the exact same problem with my Jazz and the only thing that the official Honda dealership here in Greece is recommending me to do is to replace the gearbox (which I don’t have to tell you comes at a very hefty price). Did you have any news from Honda Australia or have you in general solved this problem somehow? (shot in the dark I know but I really hope that you’ll receive an email notification for my comment 😉 )
Yes i did manage to solve the problem tha car was shuddering and at times a little bit of bucking all solved by CVTF FUCHS TITAN is the best Honda Fit only takes 4ltrs and you go at your nearest disgnostic cntr to check you gaer ratios after changing the oil sorry for late reply
If it keeps on shuddering ie passenger wheel vibrating from a strong take off i suggest you have your clutch changes that will solve the problem the car will run fine with the help of new CVTF OIL
Thanks for those replies George, I think as with our Jazz 2006 model it is an ongoing problem and your thread is very helpful 🙂
Here in south africa after 50 000km i had a terrible shudder on my 2007 honda jazz 1.5 vtec cvt
I changed the clutch and added new cvt oil
the car now runs smooth
you dont have to change your complete gearbox
hi marlon here with a japanese honda fit 2005 cvt problems rpm not steady while driving i recently overhaul the start clutch assembly and the shuddering was resolved but i am stuck with this RPM problem any suggestions any one??????
Hi Rayaz.I just boughtt a nissan Liberty.Which has a HYPER CVT gear box which is said to have a high strength steel metal belt,you think ther may be more lights regards durability?What may be the major differences between a CVT and a HYPER CVT?
Nissan had been leaders in the use of CVT, and unlike Honda seem to have avoided the problem faced by the Honda Fit. The technology implementation is very similar. Nissan was also among the few who had CVT implementations for larger engines, when most manufacturers were only using CVT on smaller capacity engines.
Hi i bought the last batch honda jazz(auto) in aug2098 just before the new jazz came out. The ride was fine until last week my car started to vibrate during pick up & changing gears. The resolution drops when changing gears, like something is pulling my car. When dropping gear, sometimes resolution drops & sometimes roll forward, like a push. I just changed my engine oil, cvt oil but it gets worst.. My workshop said it might be gear box problem. Do u have a solution? Thank you.
Lee
Said thatit
Hi All
I import used Japanese cars to New Zealand and have had a number of Honda Fits and Civics 2000 to 2004 that have had a shudder on pull off, which we have repaired, it is what Honda calls the start clutch which they use instead of a torque converter, if you strip this clutch it looks one 100% perfect, but it is glazed, which is the problem, either you replace it very expensive or we came across a product that you can add to the cvt oil, we always do a flush and replace the oil with genuine Honda CVT oil and add this additive. Depending on how bad the vibration is will depend on how fast the vibration will disappear. Normally between 10 to 100 km driving and it is gone, It cost me locally +/- US$ 96.00 but it saves me having the clutch replaced at more then 10 times the price and we have been doing this for more the a year with not one complaint. I did one last Saturday morning and the shudder was gone in 5 minutes. I’m sure my supplier would ship it anywhere in the world.
Regards
Craig
Whats the additive to the cvt oil?
Its called Oil Extreme.
Hi Richard
we sell the additive, find my contact details on my website lemanscars.co.,nz
Regards
Craig
Hi Craig,
I hope you are keeping well.
I read your reply on this email. I am experiencing the shuddering problem from the CVT gearbox with my 2003 honda jazz. The shuddering normally occurs from a stationary position, especially when accelerating from the traffic lights.
Would it be possible to purchase the product from you and could you provide me with more information pertaining to the product?
Thanks.
Ben
Hi Ben
most transmission repair centers can flush and refill the transmission with a good quality CVT oil, we can supply you with the additive which we will instruct you how to use, our contact details can be found on our website
lemanscars.co.nz
Regards
Craig
Hi Benjamin,
Your problem looks like mine.Have you found a solution?What can you advise/recommend?
Thanks,
Patrick
Hi Patrick and anyone else in New Zealand we have an additive to correct the shudder that occurs on pull off it only takes about 15 minutes to add as it is a bit difficult to access the filler to the transmission, I have done 2 this last week. I have stock and if you are in or near Tauranga pop over and I will add it to your transmission for you. http://www.lemanscars.co.nz is my car sales website where you can find my details.
Regards
Craig
Hi Craig,
I have the same problem with our 2002 Jazz. We live in Wellington NZ and wonder if you can recomend a Mechanic/Transmission shop that would be able to flush replace CVT oil and add additive (Oil extreme) or this something anyone can do
Hi Alex
most transmission repair centers can flush and refill the transmission with a good quality CVT oil, we can supply you with the additive which we will instruct you how to use, our contact details can be found on our website
lemanscars.co.nz
Regards
Craig
Hi Craig,
I have a Honda Jazz with CVT, and it is developing a shudder on take-off, just as the other forum entries are describing. Have you been able to convince Honda that adding ‘Oil Extreme’ to the transmission oil is a valid fix?
My Jazz is still under warranty, and has just 50Ks on the clock, so I am hoping to get it fixed by Honda under warranty, but i need as much information as possible before I tackle them.
Hope you can help.
Regards
Andy
Hi Andy
As far as I know Honda will not pay for the additive, it is not expensive, but if it is under warranty then there should be no cost to you.If you would like give me a call and we can have a chat my contact details can be found on my site.
lemanscars.co.nz
Regards
Craig
Hi
Could u please give the name of additive used for the transmission.
My honda jazz 2006 GLI gave error code p0780 . The gears are not shifting properly and the engine swithes off sometimes.
shifting properly
hi craig hi rayaz can i get the miracle oil called oil extreme here in the phillipines??
i recently bought a nissan liberty cvt car from japan since then the dream of driving this is dying by each passing. i changed the gearbox and the car is engaged into gears nicely but it does not drive. many pple have come up with different theories please i need expertise help.
I have a honda city 2005-Vario (CVT) model (mileage 97K) here in Mianwali, Pakistan. Last November 2011 experienced jerking during acceleration. and becomes smooth on constant speed at specific RPMs, i cleaned and checked sparks plugs, ignition coils, clean petrol filter , tested fuel oil pump pressure approx. 75psi , cleaned throttle assembly, and even add fuel injector cleaner hoping to that it might be the injectors but I remains jerking even after those remedies. Just last week I changed CVT Fluid with new Honda Genuine. but still on acceleration or at any speed jerking is as such. so plz recomend what i have to do?
exactly the same thing happens to my Honda Jazz. I have had the gearbox oil replaced three times but the problem is now so bad on pull away I am having to consider replacing the gearbox. As the car has done 115,000 miles it is worth very little with a crap gearbox. I am currently researching the cost of replacing the gearbox with a reclaimed one.
Liz UK
i do have the same problem since i buy the car with same model honda city 2005 do not know what to change some one say change the gear box, some say spark plug,gear oil,etc did ur problem sloved please let me knoe what need to change. thanks
Basically try the following.
– Check the engine mounts first
– Change the gearbox with the CVT oil with honda, and also add one bottle of the oil extreme additive to the gearbox when doing this
– Make sure they don’t overfill the gearbox oil, as this will also cause a jerky behavior
If this does not sort things, then sadly gearbox replacement maybe the only way.
I have a honda city 2006 model here in Doha, Qatar. Last July 2011 i changed my battery, after this I experienced jerking during acceleration. I changed sparks plugs, some ignition coils, and even add fuel injector cleaner hoping to that it might be the injectors but I remains jerking even after those remedies. Just last week I changed my 2 engine mounts because it’s broken already. The jerking is still there. Then I read in from some websites that the CVT needs calibration after every battery change. Bring to Hond Service Center they and let them calibrate the CVT then jerking is gone which has been my problems for more than 6 months.
I bought my Honda fit 2002 model from Japan with a mileage of 185k. You said a well maintained cvt gearbox has a lifespan of up to 160k. The only problem i have noticed is the vibration when accelerating from a stop and maybe a small waving sound. Is there a possibility that im still using the original gearbox or there is no way looking at my mileage now? Also how do i know its a cvt gearbox, is it that all the old types have cvt gearboxes
Except the US model (which had a standard auto box, and was also launched a lot later than the global launch) all the auto versions of the GD series fit were equipped with CVT boxes. The CVT boxes had a few updates as they went, with the biggest amount of issues with the early generation Fit models. However you seem to have such one of the early Honda Fits, and having it going on even this mileage is great.
When did you buy this car, and did you buy this reconditioned (used in japan). Reason i ask is that dealers who sell cars locally are known to replace parts, and they know about this gearbox problem. They find accident vehicles and switch the gearbox into cars that have a very good external and interior. Not a bad thing since you end up with a car that is good:)
The vibration from the stop could be the CVT issues, though simply changing the CVT oil and seeing if this passes out is a good start.
Thanks Rayaz, i bought it in December 2011 in South Africa, from japan. i will try to get the CVT oil, hopefully from South Africa because i cannot find it here in Zimbabwe. as for the replacement of the gearbox, i dont know if South African dealers do change the parts. unfortunately i bout this car without any knowledge of it. i should have asked. thanks again, i will call again once i have changed the oil
Hi Trish if your car only has the shudder on pull off the additive will help correct it we have so many of them especially for dealers in NZ some have the additive added even if they don’t shudder at all, just as a precautionary measure. I will find out if there is a South African agent. Check my website for my e mail address and contact me.
Regards
Craig
Hi Ray
Just spent an hour chewing over what are perhaps the most informative of the Jazz CVT comments ccompiled to date…all from the real world..and all just so useful.
Well, here we are out of our 2004 1.5 Jazz CVT after 7 great years of not too extensive (60,000k) motoring. In 7 years the vehicle had 1 battery, 1 windscreen, 1 set of rear wheels bearings and the CVT oil changed twice. Pretty happy but as the mileage clocks up, the CVT stuff nags at the back of the owner’s mind!
Probably won’t be going back into a new Honda again as I feel they have sort of lost the plot with their Thailand manufacturing ideas and their move away from a world-car specification (ie – best quality) to more regional specifications. Trouble is, their Australian prices are atill pitched at a built-in Japan level!
As an aside, hear that the non-CVT automatic gearbox now being used in the Jazz is coming out of an Indonesian factory!
Always enjoy yr forum.
Cheers Pat
Hello Rayaz. Im drive Honda fit 2001. using it 2 years. Since this winter my car’s RPM drops to 0.5 and grows to 1.5 then makes weird noice( TUK TUK) from my engine, it happens when i stop at Traffic light or traffic. Also shakes on D and R. I changed my gearbox fluid with expensive HMMF cvt oil. maybe bit overfilled. Can u help me is it gearbox or other problem?
Dear Rayaz… Iam from Mongolia.I do know Mongolia??? 🙂
I have 2004 honda City from Japan.In Mongolia no have Honda fixing service.My car have a transmission problem.Please help me.What can I do???
When I start to drive my car it is shaking and vibrating. / about 10km.h ,1st transmassion level / After it is OK. / all next transmassion levels / And when I stop transmassion is again shake.
/ next 2 years I never changed AT oil./ 😦
Plz Help MeEEEEEEEE… and send me to my email / tsooj2000@yahoo.com /
Hello All,
I’m from the Philippines and I own a Honda City AT. I would just like to inquire on the following based on this article and the comments posted:
1.) What are the symptoms of a failed CVT gearbox? I recently had my spark plugs replaced and 2 of my ignition coils replaced since my service agent advised me that these are the causes of the jerking or juddering. When I had my test drive after the repair, i still can feel a judder coming especially when i am in low speed (10km) or full stop then accelerate. Although it improved the juddering of my car, there is still juddering thus, my car in on a back job.
2.) How do you classify “heavy usage” vehicles? do these cars go 20,000 KM per year or more?
thanks for all your help!
I assume ur Honda fit is also a GD series unit. Based on what I reading u seem to have da cvt issue. If u can find da oil extreme additive pls try since it has a record for fixing a lot of such issues with friends in know.
Hi, i have fit aria GD6 1.3L 2004 car, at the pickup moment there is a small vibration & climbing the hill there is a continues jerk.every 20000km auto transmission oil change.after 3rd oil change one technician told me i’m using wrong oil.again replace with CVT oil.but same problem still have. my car done 96000km. what i do for this matter,pls help me.i’m udara
Cool and in depth article. I liked it very much. I liked how you hit many topics that many people have questions too. Also, this whole site is pretty cool so I will more than likely be back.
Keep provided great information.
Thanks and take care.
Jamie
http://www.oilchangecouponsv.com/
After a double flush and a cvt overhaul – what could be the problem that there is no oil?
Hi rayaz..i have a 2004 honda city gxi cvt version..seemed to have some prob with the shifts…diagnoses detecteD SHIFT SYSTEM MALFUNCTION code 0189 if i remember correct… (authorised center) and the D light was blinking once in 3 to 4 days…i had not driven much in this condition and gone to the service center,..they said first it is the switch problem and its not sendin the power flow consistently…then they said we wil replace the oil and try first since I had replaced the oil just 2 days back and it seemed to be the normal automatic fluid not cvt oil..then he says if the problem persists i simply have to change the gearbox… again he said we wil keep in observation and if the problem persists try changing the switch..The D light has not come on since then..but i feel the shifts are not moving perfect..and the car is takin 3500 rpm to reach 100kmph… but other times it goes smoothly..What is your advice.. DO U THINK IT CUD BE A GEARBOX FAilure…? CAN IT BE RECTIFIED BY CHANGING THE SWITCH…or any other light u cud throw on this..i Have purchased this car 15 days back…!
Hi rayaz I intend to buy a car. Please let me know out of Toyota VIOS and Honda FIT Aria what is the best car in terms of fuel consumption & maintenance.
hey i got a fit 2003 car form recently the gears r not changing cus of that fuel is not working it only dos 7 km/l what should i do
Hi Rayaz,
I got a honda fit (GD1) 2002 model. When it gets accelarated in the initial stage there is a small vibration.. is this a symtom of gearbox issue.. im bit worried.
what can be done to avoid this situation?
Thanks
Neth
Hello Rayaz,
Please help me on this.. i did changed the cvt oil. but the problem is still there. What do you think the problem is.. ? Still I’m getting a vibration at the initial accelarating.. please give me a solution.. anyone facing the same problem?
thanks..
If you have the vibration, did you try seeing if the engine mounts are fine? If you have and the issue is still there you should also use the additive, as the CVT oil alone is not going to solve your problem. If the additive also fails, sadly your problem is rather severe, and the options are to live with it or change the gearbox 😦
i was happy to find and read this column in the website and get some thoughts & views on how and what to do if somehow problems occur on our well taken cared honda fit of our own, i live in the philippines particular place is cebu, and lately people down here last year and this year started to like and buy honda fit for the simple reason that it is a practical and economical cars, they are not buying the brand new one that comes from honda dealers and priced at P897,000.00 thousand of the top of the line but they are buying the japan used honda fit which you can find it in the surplus auto display centers but without warranty priced at between P280,000.00 to P320,000.00 thousand, last march i had bought one a 2002 honda fit GD1 with a 150,000 thousand km reading in it, it looks really brand new on the inside as well as on the outside, it is not a chop2 importation but a whole unit having its original paint in it, what is only done here in the philippines is to convert it from RHD to LHD, so far so good as of today as far as the surplus honda fit that i bought had no problems at all, thanks be to GOD that i had it check thoroughly before i bought it, i had even it check with a honda dealer and they give a passing mark of my choice, they only change the worn out crankshaft pulley and belt and have it rustproof.
as the honda fit owners in this country is growing especially for the surplus one that came from japan, it is inevitable that probllem may occur sooner or later especially for the gear box which is the most likely problem to come out, why wont you introduce that EXTREME OIL to the honda dealers here, at least honda fit owners here could try it out and find for themselves a remedy for their gearbox problem, thank you .
DEar Sir,
I have bought also a honda fit recently, at the MGU motors somewhere in Cabancalan/I am using it for almost two weeks.. I find out theres a lot of squeeks and clog at the front wheel driver side and at back …for me i think its the suspension…..so by this week August 24 i have to go back to the seller…but i ask the motor parts ABOUT THIS PROBLEM..they say it common problem of honda fit the suspension…
Sir where can contact you..I would like to enquire about more problems and ..I think honda doesnt service surplus honda fit?
Hi Muthalif
I have Hond City VTEC 2007 car imported from Singapore. Now it had done 29162 km. I changed the gear box oil from the Agent, Stafford Motors at 14918 km. I do regular services at the interval of 5000km. It does about 1000-1500km per month in and around Colombo and Kandy. So far I have not come across any problems. It does a smooth run. Whenever I have time I go through your web page. Could you please advice me on when to change the gear box oil, is it at 15k or 20k or 30k ? (interval of change).
Thanks
Weera
I would say you do the CVT gear oil change every 20K km since the mileage is low (assuming the mileage is correct, cars unless personally imported into the country prior to the tax reductions had their odometer manipulated). In the event you are not sure i would say switch to a 15K cycle to be more safer.
0774140830
Can toyota Vios 2006 using CVT fluid ?
I believe the 2006 VIOS has normal automatic gearbox, hence it does not need CVT fluid.
Hi .I have 2008 model Honda fit area car
can you give web datails for Honda fit area maintain mnual
Hi i have a 2001 GD1 HONDA FIT import from japan.when im driving it just suddenly starts flashing the D on the dashboard and thereafter for me to be able to continue with the drive i have to switch the engine off completely then start it what could be the problem do i need to change my gearbox completely or its a problem that can be rectified.Please help i love driving the fit but this issue is making me think twice.mileage is on 105k km at the moment.Short distances it drives well but its the long stretches that are a problem.
Unusual, though i have seen similar on the Temple of VTEC site (http://www.vtec.net/). check out that forum, the guy who runs that site is very technical and may have solutions. However the first question i can ask is have you got the vehicle checked by the agent both mechanically and through their diagnostic systems?
I think i have just been a victim of this CVT gearbox issue. When i started using my Honda Fit 2003, it would shake when changing gears, unless i accelerate slowly. Initially i thought it was a filters issue, and scheduled to take it for repair. Now today, while driving, the Drive light on my dashboard started flashing, and the next thing the car was no longer changing gears. I drove back home at around 40kmph and would feel that its running on low gears. I was monitoring my REV count, to ensure i do not pass 3.5. What is the worst that could have happened, and will just a change in the CVT oil get me on the road, or i have to get a new gearbox? Am surely beginning to hate small cars!
Hi ,
I am Vihanga live in Colombo SriLanka. I have just Rs.2,400,000/- only. I am willing to buy Honda GD8 (2003,2004,2005) registered car in the local market. First of all please tell me my decision is correct. Because i have no more money. I tried to get some details from other sites as well. but unfortunately i could not.
Please advice me (Fuel efficiency , condition, gear box , repairs , MAIN PROBLEMS , etc.. ). Also tell me what are the problems will i have to face.
If there are another options please let me know.
Most of the GD8 vehicles in the market would be higher mileage cars that have a high risk element on the gearbox, since very few would have been using this additive. Though I am an Honda “Fan”, i am not a fanboy! Hence i would recommend you to look elsewhere specially when you have a tight budget. Cars i think you can definitely get for the budget are (not in any order)
1. Suzuki Swift (new shape)
2. Suzuki Swift (Old shape) / Chevrolet Cruze
3. Toyota Vios
4. New Hyundai and Kia cars, they are very competitively priced, and the cars are now more than a match for any Japanese car, and the designs i think in some cases are better than the Honda/Toyota designs!. Kia in particular has some very nice designs.
5. Mazda Demio / Mazda 2 (new version, registered car, older versions not great)
If you look around you might be able to find a registered GE6 Fit (new shape) for around that cash, as unreg prices are however closer to 3mil now. 2.4 might be hard but give it a try.
Another option i would suggest is look for a bigger car. Though many howl about fuel efficiency and maintenance, bigger cars are usually more reliable and cheaper to maintain and the fuel economy is not that different. You can buy some cool cars much cheaper than 2.4 mil and deposit the rest into a bank or invest and have it for fuel! Some options are,
1. Mitsubishi GLX (nice looking car, interior a bit low budget, but pretty similar to your GD8, and costly well under 1.9Mil, if you are ok wit manual then get the 1.3L if not go with the 1.6L auto, fuel economy decent)
2. Mazda Familia (superbly comfortable car, and not that expensive to maintain. Fuel economy is not great is the key concern)
3. Honda Civic ES Series (pre 2004 models definitely available for under your budget, Avoid the CVT version, the normal auto does 8+ kmpl in the city, compared to a GD8 that might do 9-10kmpl)
Avoided Toyota’s 🙂 as i find most of the older Corolla cars rather plain, though they return good fuel economies and have very low maintenance cost.
Hi , i just bought a jap import, honda fit 2002 model with 150 000km on the clock, i have no maintenance records for this car but its running like a dream. CVT oil in Zimbabwe not always available and when will this gearbox need checking? nothing wrong at the moment and do i stick to every 40 000km oil change for city driving in Harare
Wow, 150,000km on the clock and the gearbox holding fine, and considering this is the pre 2004 model that is remarkable. However since you just imported it, it is possible that the gearbox has been replaced on warranty (believe its 5 or 7 years for Jap car owners), and you might be lucky by having a fairly new gearbox on that car. However i have seen forums where users have topped 150K and things are good. I am not sure how the city driving conditions are harare, but in case you have a lot of stop and start situations, and the temperatures are on the high side, i would say stick to a 20,000km change for the gear oil. Also please ensure you use CVT oil and not opt for normal gear oil, as that could be big trouble. With the GD1 Fit now getting rare, finding used gearboxes can be tough, so make sure you look after the gearbox 🙂
Hi Rayazmuthalif,
I have a Honda Fit 2003 car. After driving for about 4-5 kms, the rpm starts dropping when I stop for the traffic. The engine also gives a jerk and then again the rpm rises again and reverts back to the normal position. Could you please let me know the reason for same and how I could get over this problem? Please note that I recently did an engine tune up and injector clean up.
Thanks
Assuming you have not sorted your problem already. The behavior does not seem to be associated with the CVT issue, but the tune up could have been messed up. When you said tune up, what did they do. Was it just to replace the plugs, or did they remove and clean the injectors? One thing i noted was that when the injectors are removed, the small rubber seals tend to get damaged, and this seals are hard to find, and if any are damaged this could definitely impact the drive-ability of your car. I would say you go back to the guy who did the tune up and see.
Hi Rayaz,
im using Honda fit Aria 2004 vehicle. At the moment its working good. But I have few questions i would highly appreciate if u can give advice me on those questions.
1. I drive around 1000 Km per month, How regular i should change Oil, AC, Air, Fuel filters.
2. My car has done 83,000 km currently im using castrol gtx 10w – 30 sl is it ok if change the oil to mobil multi grade 40 or castrol 10w-40 due to unavailability of earlier.
3. when i pick-up my car there is small vibration but if i acccelerate slowly no issue. do u think is his serious issue.
Thanks all of u sharing valuable knowledge.
No doubt CVT is headache, How about if we replaced Honda City Vario 2004, CVT gear box with the same model Manual gear box. Is it possible ? how about ECU, will it work ?
any suggestions !
A topic that i have seen heavily discussed on Honda forums, also because the Honda Fit manual gearbox is one of the smoothest gearboxes among current honda cars!, I had the pleasure of driving one for a few days, and i actually asked the guy if he does not mind switching my then Fit CVT with the manual. The manual also makes the car so nippy that i managed to out drag a Honda Civic 1.6 twice at the lights (i do hope the civic guy was not trying hard enough, coz i felt sad leaving it behind when it is one of my favorite cars).
However it seems switching the gearboxes are not that simple, you need to change the ECU as well. If any other mounts, etc are also effected i am not sure. Finding a manual gearbox is also a challenge, since used manual gearboxes in Japan are hard to find, and most would have been thrashed since that gearbox just begs to be shifted 🙂
Dear Rayaz,
I have a 2007 JDM Toyota Belta 1.3 lit with CVT transmission. The odometer has around 20k kms on it. I wanted to get the CVT oil changed but don’t know about what kind of oil should I go for. I have Toyota’s ATF Type WS in mind. Would that be a suitable replacement?
More so, I am unable to locate any type of gauge/stick or any other mechanism to determine if the CVT oil is up to the required level. Does a Belta’s gearbox even have any such gauge to begin with or am I banging my head against a wall?
I also read somewhere (untrusted source) that I’d need to take the car to a dealership for the gear oil change as it requires electronic diagnostics to make sure the correct amount of oil is added. Is that true or just a bunch of mumbo-jumbo?
Thanks in advance.
Hi ahmad, my friends who have Toyota’s with CVT gearboxes indicate the gauge is placed a very “Convenient” place that requires the vehicle to be lifted and you need to see it from below. Possibly the same applies to your car. However you don’t need to top your gearbox oil, just that you need to change it at proper intervals. The recommended for SL city driving condition for CVT is 40,000 km regardless of whatever the manufacturers official documentation says, to ensure your CVT gearbox remains solid.
The oil used is called “Toyota CVT Fluid”, and believe it comes in 4L cans, though the packaging may differ for the local market (e.g. Honda CVT comes in 1L plastic cans). This oil is different from the ATF fluid used for standard gearboxes. I hear this oil is now available at Auto Miraj and other leading service stations as well.
With regard to oil change and the electronic diagnostics mumbo jumbo, there is no such thing based on my experiences! One thing the guy doing the oil change should be careful is not to fill it too much. E.g. the Honda CVT oil refill requires 3.7L, but you have to buy 4x1L bottles, so as it goes people may end up pouring a bit more since you think it won’t hurt. However when you fill it too much the gearbox becomes more stiffer and the seals start leaking. I am sure good services stations are good or better than the agents, so I don’t think that’s a big issue.
This cvt problem can due to three reasons one is CVT oil. Use only Honda genuine. There is no match for this oil. That’s why its call genuine. If u people smatter than the manufacture go a head and do what you wana. And engine rpm is really important for this gear box to engage to gears. So it’s not always the gear box making this noise. Finally is the gear box. I hard its only 10% of the time the gear box go bad. Ow it’s ok to stuck on traffic. Put the gear box position to N. its always good for any auto box. And to change oil it needs 4L. And Honda genuine oil is only at Honda dealer in Colombo.
Sadly using the genuine oil does not guarantee this problem being avoided as it seems to be a technical issue with many potential causes. The newer CVT gearbox if you notice now has a torque converter, and improved cooling and possibly new software to help avoid this problem.
Dear Rayaz, i changed the CVT with Extreme oil twice (every 15K ) ,,, do i continue with same,
i mean can i use only for CVT next change or increase the nos of KM like 20K cycles etc. ( As per honda Upul he said 01 time is enough )… but i believe i should go ahead with the extreme oil.. pls share ur valuable knowledge. also kindy get me if u know any person purchase other than TECH since Tech is very expensive ( Rs5000- Rs.6000) . as per bottle it should be 250 ml but it was less in my previous bottle.
Hi Rayaz, Kindly provide the information of that supplier since i am in a process of buying GE6, As per currecnt findings, 2007( Last lap tax) Fit will cost 1.15-1.30 M CIF + and should pay 1.47M duty and another 70K for clearing( Airbag+auto gear box+CD player Etc + Reg fee ( atleast grade 4 since some may having accident and repaired card ( grade-R))…however, 2.4M is superb deal and if you dont mind kindly share the information. also correct me if i am worng ..
Sorry susantha, my response was to dhanushka’s comment on a GD1. GE6 cars are higher, but with the newer taxes which i think might get rolled out in dec 1 the taxes might reduced by around 10% for the GE6. You should also see what the price a new hybrid GE6 fit is, coz with the taxes low, you might be able to slip on through for a decent price!
Thank you for valubel advise, i checked the hybrid cars like prius,honda etc…no one is familier even in higher rank’s of toyota lanka and stafford since it is too early comment. next issue would be maintainace and repairs if something happen..however, i am working on a HONDA HYBRID MODEL…I BELIVE I SHOLD TAKE A RISE TO GET A GOOD RESULT….thanks
From what i know, Toyota Prius might be the most likely to be supported in Sri Lanka, since they did showcase the car some time ago, and knowing the local market the preference to Toyota will be greater. While not a Toyota fanatic, from the current Hybrids the Prius is the best in fuel economy, space, looks as long as the brake issue with the Prius has been rectified. I am referring to the 2009 onwards Prius. The Honda challenger is the Insight, that looks almost like the Prius, but since it has a 1.3L petrol compared to the 1.8L prius engine the car has less pulling power, and surprisingly most reviews have found the Prius with the larger engine is better on fuel economy!. The Civic hybrid is also decent but has the same issue as the insight that its slow. I have not yet read much on the recently released Honda GE6 Fit Hybrid, as this might be the best bet, but it will be expensive since its a 2010 model, and a hybrid.
Dear Mositha, you could but the filter 2000-2500 from Tech motors or there is a shop front of TECH and other side of the road who are selling only AIR FILTERS and AC filters and those prices are very reasonable..
Dear Dhanuka, If you interesting on 2004/10 , HONDA FIT, ORIGINAL BODYKIT,GOLD COLOUR,REG IN SL. 2007/OCT,46000km,spolier,foglamps, low profile tyres wih crome wheels ( low wegiht compared to alloys),
CALLME ON 0772747474/0717747474
Hi I am planning on buying a Honda Fit Aria or the City 2003 model. Which is the better bargain City or Fit Aria? And also how much is the current market price? I have being doing some research on the CVT. But think if there are any issues ideally it can be fixed through Oil extreme right?
Dhnushka, while the oil extreme additive does sort the problem, it cant sort if the gearbox damage is severe or if the mileage is high for the GD1/GD6 Fit/Fit Aria/City cars. For cars with severe problems adding the additive might sort the problem just enough for the seller to push it, so its very hard to gauge and you really have to trust the seller. Specially be careful buying cars older than 2004 which is where the gearbox issue was very severe, and aggravated by the fact these cars would have had ATF or early CVT oil which was another cause that made the issue more frequent. Honda seems to have revised the gearbox a bit in 2004, and yet again in the last lap cars that reduced the issue somewhat as long as CVT oil was used. Unless you are really tight on budgets, i would always advise you go for a 2004 or newer model if you are going for a City or Fit Aria.
The Fit Aria comes with a few extras such as folding mirrors, slightly better interior fit and finish and different lights to the City. However City’s brought from Singapore counter by having the body kit, a complete audio setup (CD with CD changer is common) and alloys.
Dear Rayaz
Thanks for your quick reply. Actually came across a Honda Fit Aria today. But its 2002 model and also it has done about 88,000. The car is in reasonably good condition and I drove it and did not feel any jerk as such. Although there was a slight miss I felt when accelerating. Not sure what it was actually. Felt it was not smooth. The car was serviced through the agents and the CVT oils were changed in intervals of 20,000km.
Anyway as u advised I will be in the lookout for a 2004 or newer model. But the problem is finding a good condition car for a budget of 2.4 Mil
You should easily be able to find a decent car for 2.4Mil! Most 2004 Honda Fits go around 19-21 at most, while the City/Fit Aria go around 22-23. However you can also directly import one. My friend got down one and it cost him around 2.4mil for a 2007 Honda Fit with 40K on the odemeter. So if you got 2.4 to spend, don’t buy registered cars, get an unreg one from japan!
Hi,
What is the price of 1L of Honda CVT oil?
Can this “nippon oil” be used ?
Thanks
* I was unable to find a single reliable site on the WEB, which mentions the amount of oil to use.
Which oil are you talking about Dinesh, the additive or the CVT oil?
CVT oil
Hi,
I have a Honda city – 2003.
I recently had my car serviced (from service station in Dehiwala). They said that I am low on CVT oil. This is the second time that I hearing this remark. (earlier my mechanic mentioned it some time back) I guess they both checked the level using the dip stick.
I got the CVT oil changed (along with the Extreme oil additive) not so long ago (less than 3 months) from the Agents. They only used 3.5 liters. Is this correct?
I am not sure if there is an oil leak. However I have not notice any oil stains on my garage floor.
Could it be the agents are adding insufficient CVT oil our cars? (could explain why most of us have the gear box issues) just a though 🙂
I was unable to find a single reliable site on the site, which mentions the amount of oil to use.
Thanks
Dinesh
Hi Dinesh, The CVT oil refill is around 3.5liter (you will have half the bottle left). This is fine, unless the want to flush the gearbox oil in which case you need around 5L. If you fill it too high, you will notice a leak and also jerky behavior when changing the gears from idle.
Hi Riyaz,
My Honda fit aria arrived in Sl and took to stafford for service. All went well thanks for your advise. However they have mentioned to change the gear box oil and will call when the new stocks arrive. Also they have found that a filter in the air conditioner is missiing. Is this something important??
This is a common thing that is missing in cars from Japan. Seems they don’t use air filters, or remove it and dispose it before the cars are sent to auctions. I am not sure which is the reason, but the end story is that you rarely have an air filter for recon cars from Japan. However since the auto mode in the AC tends to open the vent to get fresh air, this means dirt particles in the air is sucked in and can mess up the compressor. Hence for Sri Lanka having an air con filter is important. I would advise you to install an air filter. I think the price from Stafford would be more than outside shops, so you might be better off buying this and installing it from outside.
Thanks for that Riyaz. One other question. The remote of the GD 6 was missing and it has been grabbed by one of our friendly staff in the harbour as the tag was there in Japan. What is the best place to get a replacement remote for this car?
Also when do Honda’s GD6’s have major services due. i.e Fuel filter + air filter replacement and timing belts.
yes it is very important to have an a/c cabin filter in the car.As it is used to purify the air that is coming out from the A/C.
Hello Dears,
Can you tell me about Honda Civic Hybrid. I m interested to buy 2008 model.
Rgds.
Raja
Hi, I doubt if even one of the hybrids are in the market, as the local market value is not known. If you can check with stafford and share the market value it would be useful for other interested parties. The engine in that car is the L13 engine coupled with a electric motor. The vehicle is not a puller due to the lower powered engine, but its all about economy with the car. Let me try to put up a blog entry on this car 🙂
Hi Rayaz
thanks for your comments on the comparison of belta and honda fit. then i would go with the Honda fit. as mentioned since its GE6 version i am assuming there wont be any gear box problem. still do i have to change gear oil every 10 ks?? again many thanks for taking the time to help.
Hi, with the GE6 you don’t need to change the oil every 10K!!!, you can do it every 40K which is a good cycle for city driving. You also don’t need to use the oil extreme additive with the GE6 auto box. Dinesh also note that the GE6 comes both in standard auto and the CVT, you need to use normal ATF oil for the standard auto and the CVT oil for CVT gearbox.
Hi Rayaz, sorry i didn’s see you note…Upul’s number 0777735251- U motors, godallawatte rd, malabe…Just .5 Km form Malabe to Athurugiriya rd, you will get the road board name as “godalla watte rd” and just everyone knows in that area…
Thanks susantha, the office friend of mine visited the chap and was very happy as the guy fixed his starter motor issue, and many other smaller niggles for around 10K, when the start motor alone new would have cost him 100K from the agents.
Dear friend,
I have Honda fit 2002 GD1 model . I want to change my CVT box. How much will be the cost
of brand new CVT box from japan. Am in srilanka, Is there any place in srilanka to contact to import new
box from japan.
Prabhath
Hi Upul, the best options are to check the car parts dealers in delkanda area (past nugegoda). A place named maruchi motors deals a lot with honda parts, though the others should also do the same. However be vary getting an used CVT box, as you really don’t know if that box has been run and has the same problem!. Not sure on a new gearbox, as stafford is the only option and the price is going to be very high buying from them. I think it will cost you around 5-600,000 SL rupees at minimum to get a new gearbox down (possibly even more).
hi i have seen Honda upul is replacing gear boxes, nad he has additional stocks as well. just contact him and you will get the best price.. i hope it is 100000-150000 with fixing charges.
upul – 0777735251
I have a 2005 honda fit. Recently i service my air condition after being out of service for 1 year. After servicing and regas, i realise a loud vibrating sound when the car is put in reverse. I was told by a mechanic that the rpm was too low when the air condition is on.
Regards,
Mitzcam
Does the car vibrate with the AC on in idle? Coz if the rpm is too low that should impact you in idle. Usually the fit is around 800-1000rpm in idle with AC on. If it’s not happening something else is wrong, and you best get the car checked, specially since everything was fine before.
Hi Susantha
Thank u very much for the quick reply… i’ve decided to go to upul.
By the way, how many kilometers have u done after adding the oil extreme…
Cheers!
Reply
it is less than 3K as yet…
Hi Kaushalaya,
I am sure Honda Upul must be knowing a lot more than us, however please ask him what is his assurance with the repair for the Honda Civic. Unlike the Fit the Oil Extreme is not effective with the Civic ES and the problem appears after just a few thousands of Km. Based on my research long time ago, as several of my friends have the CVT ES Civic and they inquired from me, I found that it required several hardware fixes such as the EGR valve, etc. In the case of the HRV CVT which also had issues, there is a Honda repair kit which is around 75-100K which fixes this problem fairly well. The CVT issues with different honda gearboxes are different, so just check with Honda Upul on his assurance, as after all that expenses if the problem is going to resurface in 2-3000Km you won’t like it 🙂
However keep up updated as i believe there are a lot of ES series honda’s with the CVT boxes, and your solution will be most useful for them 🙂
hi
i am planning to buy a Honda Fit 2008/03. GE6. should i go for it or will the CVT problem still be existing in the 2008/ 03 version. comments are appreciated.
Hi Anuka,
The GE6 CVT box has a torque converter that reduces the stress on the belt, and also has gone through a lot more changes, so problems with this gearbox has not been reported, and considering the car has been in the market since 2007 that’s a good thing. You would also notice that the newer Honda CVT gearboxes seem to be a lot less troublesome, so you should be fine. The GE6 also comes with a manual auto which is sold in Singapore/Thailand as people there were worried over the CVT. This gearbox it seems is not as smooth as the CVT and people are now missing the older CVT !!
The vehicle i have reviewed (Brought by my bro) has a CVT box and is over 50K in mileage and the box is smooth. The GE6 is also a much better car now, bigger, more comfortable, and more powerful yet very economical. I am in the process of collecting scans of the car reviews of the GE6 and uploading them for benefit of others, as after checking the new Vitz/Demio (Mazda 2)/Swift i believe the GE6 Fit is one of the most practical cars and is actually bigger inside than larger cars such as the axio/corolla!!
Hi Rayaf
Read your comments. many thanks. so based on the comments is seems it is okay to buy and there are no gear box problems. my only question is is it a reliable car. what would be the price for honda fit GE6 2008 would be?
i want a good reliable car. based on your experience is the honda FIT GE6 a better car or the Belta 1.3. if this option is given to you which car would you choose.
Here is my comparison
– Belta is over 3-5 lakhs more than the Honda Fit
– Fully equipped Belta’s are hard to fine, fully equipped Honda Fits are easy to find
– Good condition and choice of colors limited on Belta’s due to high local demand, Honda Fit you can choose
– Panaroma room only available for Honda Fit
– Belta 10% more fuel economical in town, outstation both are similar
– Honda engine is more powerful than the Belta
– Both cars have CVT gearboxes, yet should have no issues as Honda has learnt from the GD model issues, while Toyota seems to have also learnt from the same model!
– Toyota parts would be cheaper locally mainly due to the availability of third party parts, if you were to buy from the agents and do the repairs there is no big difference in the price
– Resale of the Belta would be easier thanks due to the high Toyota brand loyalty in Sri Lanka
– Space both cars are similar, though the Honda Fit rear legroom should be a bit better thanks to its design
– Though the Fit has one of the largest boots in the hatchback market, the Belta boot is larger due to the sedan design
– Belta suspension copes better with the choppy roads, though the HOnda is now much better with the new model, but still not as smooth
– Honda Fit has a more sport ride, though the Belta does a fair job in the handling department
– Honda interior design classy and traditional, Belta has the weird digital speed in the middle concept, depends on the user. Honda steering wheel uber cool, compared to boring toyota 🙂
From a reliability point of view, both cars should serve you well, though from general awareness of my friends using Toyota’s, the Honda’s have a bit more petty repairs that need to be done more frequently such as the rubber mounts on shocks, etc.
Take pure reliability into place, i would say they pretty dead even, as the Honda Fit has a top notch reputation worldwide, while the Toyota Vitz (which the Belta is based on) is also highly rated, though down played due to the very bland design. So i would say its your decision, just given you an unbiased opinion.
Rayaz
I am considering to buy a Honda Fit GD6, I have not used a Honda before. Most of my colleagues who have Honda’s have not shifted from honda!!.
The other option i am looking at VitZ 1.3 CC – can any of you guy let me know if this Honda Fit 2007 GD6 will be a good choice -trouble free and less maintenance. Mainly for running in Colombo and suburbs.
Will it be a wise choice ?
Hi Darhana,
Are you looking at a registered car or unregistered. If you are looking for a unregistered car, a Vitz 1.3 i believe is going to cost you well over 2.7 mil, and for that price you can bring down a Honda Fit GE6, the newer model!! That might be a better option.
The Vitz is brought in the bucket load due to the madness with Toyota, but if you compare that with any other car in that market you will find the Vitz is the cheapest quality, smallest interior and the quirkiest design !! and mind you i don’t hate toyota’s as some of the newer cars such as the Mark X are GREAT even in design, let along engineering. The Toyota IQ is superb in design and though i have not driven one, supposed to be great to drive!
However the Fit is a much better overall car with higher grade plastics, a lot more space and superb seats and also a better design externally (that wouuld depend on your personal view though, some love the round chubby looking Vitz).
The GD6 by the way is the sedan version, though if you are interested in a Vitz that means you are okay with hatchbacks. If your budget permits do see if you can get a GE6 Fit as its a lot better than the older model. Another car i would recommend to see is the new Mazda Demio (based on the Ford Fiesta, well known for its great driving experience), which is cheaper and a bit smaller but a great car, though part prices are a bit more than the Honda.
Thanks for your info it was helpful in taking the correct decision.
Decided to go for a Vitz F Edition 1.3 @ 2.95 Mil . In top condition. Mileage 19K. The decision to go for the VITZ was on the Gear Box issues and Toyota’s resale and spare part availability.
The options
Fill option, Air Condition, Power Steering, Power Window, Power Mirror (Retract), 8 Passenger Air Bags, Built-In HDD TV Navigation System, Reveres Back Camera, DVD, CD, CVT-i Automatic Transmission, 5 Door, 5 Seats, Gasoline, 1320cc, ABS, Dual Airbags, Hid Discharge Lights, Back Monitor, Intelligent Key With Push Start, Winking Mirrors, 14″ Wheels, Interior Colour-Beige, Deluxe Floor Mat Set, Metallic Beige Pearl, Engine VVT-i
Tks for taking the time.
Cheers
Darshana
Trying to avail waranty previllage for CVT gear box.
Any idea of warranty period for CVT gearbox in Thailand?
I am a 2nd owner of Honda city model 2003, which is going to be 5 years this coming December. I’ve been complaining to the service center for the jirking issues similar to many feedbacks above, but response from service center is unsatisfactory.
Any experience CVT gear box replaced by honda service center under warranty?
Any feedback is greatly appreciated.
hi Kaushalya, i tried extreme oil for my FIT as per very valueble advises of Rayaz.
it is perfect now..very smooth trassmssion in heavy traffic. no vibration or jurk at all. what is the cost as per upul.
hi personnaly know upul and i do the maintainance from him..charges are very reasonable for me….
Hi Susantha
thank u very much for the reply…i was waiting for some news from u guys…
Susantha, he said that for cvt oil (4 to 5 liters 8000 to 10000) + additive( Rs 5000) will cost around Rs 15000 and his labour charges will be Rs 3000.
what do u think…
( about 2months back i spent 8000 for the cvt oil)
pls reply
yes. 1L of Cvt around 2000-2500 place to place X 4 or 5 as per your gear box capasity. extreme oil is exatly 5K @ Tech motors as wel. i have no idea of cleaning gear box belt…since i just change only cvt with extreme oil….however, upul has very reasonable charges as per others and he is trust worthy person. ( ever time u can see more than 10 cars in his garaj)
Hi Susantha, could you please share Honda Upul contact no and address in case you have it? One of my office mates HRV has seems to have seen better days and requires a good mechanic 🙂
Hi Susantha
Thank u very much for the quick reply… i’ve decided to go to upul.
By the way, how many kilometers have u done after adding the oil extreme…
Cheers!
Dear Rayaz, I am planing to go for GE6-FIT,,it has AT gear box and FAT gear box ..what is the difference between, AT and FAT
Hi susantha, the auctions show AT and FAT inter-changeably. However the Honda Fit sold in Japan comes in two flavors, one with a standard 5-sp automatic gearbox and the other a 5-sp CVT gearbox. The new CVT gearbox does not have the problems that plagued the GD series, and in japan most of the cars are CVT. The 5-sp automatic gearbox is usually coupled with the GE7 which is the 4WD version. However in Thailand and Singapore honda sells the Jazz with a manual-auto gearbox, an electronic implementation of the manual.
i was able to show my car to Honda-upul …he said the problem is a valve in the gear box ( which releases oil to the chain) which may be blocked now. he said he will have to open the gear box, clean the valve and need to put the cvt oil plus a additive oil ( which i think is the oil extreme) .
Assurance of the job, he never explained me clearly……
The cost all this will be little high… shall i try the oil extreme my self
because i changed the cvt oil 2000km back…..
pls reply
THANX
Hi Rayaz
I also want to know some technical advice as I have a Honda City Varion 2007 Model in Karachi Paksiatn. I bought it in June 2007 and uptill now it has travelled 58000 Kms. For the past two months I am observing some engine vibration sounds when I put the automatic gear on “R” to reverse. The sound comes when the AC is on and as I cahge the gear to Reverse and the engine gets pick it give a big sound of vibration. While on other gears it works fine. The Honda Service told me that the transmission box needs to be changed while another said there might be some initail stages which can be rectified by minor gear repaurs. lease advise what is all this as I am a non technical person and the cost of repair is very high in Pakistan for the fault
Hi Rashid,
58K is also the time the issue can start and the reverse gear is one sign of this problem. However for many the first solution is to check the left engine mount. Sadly visual inspections don’t confirm a fault so you have to get it removed and checked since the cracks come from within and 60K is like the normal period. The check and replace won’t take more than 1hr, as the left engine mount is easy to replace (maybe honda new the problem and made it easy to replace). Why not first check the engine mount before we go any further.
HI
let me thank all of u for doing a wonderful job..!
RAYAZ… i have a 2003 civic with a cvt gear box. my car is being maintained by the Stafford and upto now it was ok until now where it gave the jerky sound with pickup, 10000 km after my last cvt oil change.
After my mechanic’s advice i changed the cvt oil ( 5000km earlier) . the sound completely disappeared. Now, 2000km after the oil change i feel the jerk is reappearing on and off.
I am so disappointed and confused.
Am i to ad “oil extreme” now? will it help?
is there a way where you can assess the damage of the gear box?
pls advice
thank you
kaushalya
Hi Kaushalya,
We tried out the oil extreme with the ES3 Civic, but found that unlike the Fit/Jazz/City, the fix was not permanenty and very short lived, hence i would say don’t bother with the additive for the CVT. However the issue with the Civic seems more due to the EGR valve than the gearbox, I will try to unearth a link that gave more descriptions of this solution and share it with you.
Dear Rayaz..
thank you for the quick reply. really appreciate it. i love my civic and really want to settle this problem. Rayaz, the jerk dose not come always. dose that mean that it is at a reparable state? if i am to repair this EGR valve, to whom should i go to…
pls reply
rgds
I would the agent is a good starting place, though i hear there are better mechanics outside the agent in Sri Lanka. However i have never had the need to meet these experts, so in case anyone who visits this forum knows of such chaps please help Kaushalya. I will check with some folks i know of any of these contacts and update you shortly.
Hi Rayaz
i was able to show my car to Honda-upul …he said the problem is a valve in the gear box ( which releases oil to the chain) which may be blocked now. he said he will have to open the gear box, clean the valve and need to put the cvt oil plus a additive oil ( which i think is the oil extreme) .
Assurance of the job, he never explained me clearly……
The cost all this will be little high… shall i try the oil extreme my self
because i changed the cvt oil 2000km back…..
pls reply
THANX
hello Guys
i have a honda fit 2003 and am looking for a CV join inner am in Zimbabwe Bulawayo you may drop me an email at mushcole@gmail.com.
thank you
Mushamba
Dear Rayaz,, is there any thing as CVT filter change…and after how many KM ? Pls advise..
also i went through oil extreme @ USA website but particuler product is not avaiable with them
hi I used the extrem oil and CVT today and it is a real magic and everyhing work perfectly. i mean no jurk under any circumstances…You know my garaj owner did not trsut me and he was repuse to put the oil since it is mentioned as “adictive for engine oil”….however, i got the solution and only worry is cvt oil price is varu from place to place…
thank you again rayaz and dinesh…
Dear Rayaz, ” honda’s must be on the rise with the Airwave and the GE6 becoming more common, so stocks are going to be a problem!” exactly,
kindly advise, is it posible to replaced GD 1 engine with GE6…?
I don’t think so, as the GE6 is a complete new car, totally different engine, several new gearbox types, suspension, chassis. I am sure some auto tuners might do such things, but if you are talking straight fix change, no its not going to work out.
Hi.. I live in Dubai and use a Honda Jazz (as the Fit is named here!) 2008. I got a second hand car at 42K and have been running it for two months. It gives about 15kmpl mileage and me and my wife,we both love this car. We were thinking to buy one when we get back to Sri Lanka. But after reading the comments I’m wondering whether this car suites our conditions there. Here in Dubai it’s amazing road conditions and not to mention highways too. So please advice me whether I should settle for a another model, perhaps from Toyota or Nissan which suites Sri Lankan conditions.
Thanx.
Well if you are using 2008 fit you should not have a problem as it has a new gearbox that does not seem to have the problems with the old model. The new Jazz which is the model sold in Singapore, etc go further in that it does not have a CVT gearbox in most models, and has a “manual-automatic” or a normal automatic. So either way if you go for a GE6 Fit/Jazz you should be fine. Currently due to the Toyota madness the prices of Toyota cars are ridiculously high, however the Honda’s are lower and if you are fine with the Fit/Jazz its make it an awesome buy.
now it have this problem in my cvt have cgange the oli and now had more problems
thank u any way
you changed the CVT oil or you used the additive?
Dear rarayaz and Dinesh,
thanks to you i also bought Extreme oil from TECH for 4500, it is a very small and 200ml, is it enough for 3.3L cvt?
same thing again CVT out of stcoks ,,,I hope some garaj are paurchasing
bulk and selling for hire price exsample : RTS motores at Ambagahandiya-Rajagiriya is seeling 1L for Rs.2500.. however, tech said wait till next week and get it for less than 2000…
do we have any place where we could buy other tahn Tech..thanks
Susantha
Hi Susantha,
I added the whole bottle with my oil change.
As for the CVT oil… check from MAG city. I heard they also sell this. Not too sure of the price though. Also check with the Agents (just in case – they might have some stock)
Regards
Dinesh
Also check with auto miraj, as they also carry stocks. However last week my bro was told they were out of stock as well. I guess the import of CVT gearbox honda’s must be on the rise with the Airwave and the GE6 becoming more common, so stocks are going to be a problem!
Hi,
I got the CVT oil changed from the Agents. Also added the extreme oil.
The vibration / jerk upon pickup is completely gone. The question that I now have is what should be the frequency for oil change? 15K or can I wait a bit longer?
Also found this interesting article on transmission oil change
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/transmission-flush-problems.html
Regards
Dinesh
Hi Dinesh,
I am so glad to hear that the additive has done the magic once again 🙂 What’s the mileage of your car currently like? In case the car is over 75K, and you run mainly in Colombo and that too in traffic times, then i would say first run for 15K and see if you are good 🙂 and if you are maybe stretch the next change to 20K, and each time remember to use the additive.
By the way i forgot to ask, what price does Tech Motors sell the Oil Extreme additive at?
The transmission flush i don’t think is a recommended option, as highlighted by the latter part of the article. However i saw this option also discussed in some Honda Fit forums, but this had not caused any gains to the owners who had tried this option out.
They quoted Rs.5,500- but I got a reduction of Rs.1,000- as I also bought the CVT oil from them. Btw CVT oil is selling like hot cakes! When I called Tech Motors on Wednesday there were about 20 bottles left with them, I reserved 4 and went to collect on Thursday… by then all the rest was gone!
Every time check with the agents… I get the same answer. OUT OF STOCK.
So all you guys out there nearing the CVT oil change better buy the oil beforehand. (also double check with the agents if they are willing to change the oil if brought from outside… that is if you are hoping to get it changed from the agents) They changed it for me as they were out of stock. Not sure what will be the case if they have stock.
That’s pretty decent price since it needs to be shipped rather than hand carried. True its only about 2500 in singapore, but the value of that oil for Honda Fit/Jazz/City/Fit Aria is a lot more!! Yeah its taken a while for Sri Lankans to get used to the CVT oil being different from ATF oil, as many still do their oil changes from their own garages as opposed to the agents, and hence have not known about the CVT oil which was another reason why the CVT issue became so common in Sri Lanka.
Shame that the agent does not stock, though i guess i must have been lucky as throughout my 2 year period i changed the oil 3 times, and had no issues with stocks. However now a lot more cars in the Honda line up having CVT (Jazz, Fit, Airwave, Civic FD1, Fit Aria, etc) the need must be a lot more. The toyota folks also better learn their lessons from the Honda crowd and use the Toyota CVT oil for the new cars, as most new japan import toyota cars are with CVT.
rayazmuthalif , thank you again,,, i was trying to find a way getting “additive ” even in ebay ( It say extreme oil)…is there any place or person get this product..? pls, help
Hi Susantha,
I was able to get the extreme oil from Tech Motors.
Regards
Dinesh
Wow dinesh, that’s very good news indeed. Glad that finally the most well known Honda spare part shop has finally decided to bring the oil. Very good news indeed.
Dear Dinesh,,, thank you very much….
Hi All,
Thanks for the very useful information published in this site.
I bought a Honda Fit Aria , 1.5 cc/ year 2005 / GD8 Model, (7 speed tiptronic), G grade
It has done 48K, and the car is in perfect condition.
Need to understand few things,
1. Does it have a CVT or Manumatic gearbox? (as its tiptronic)
2. Will i face the same issue as a user of 2001, 2, 3 Honda Fit Aria car user?
3. How often do i need to change the gearbox oil?
Please comment
Thanks
Nishan
I would assume since the vehicle is a 2005 model that this would have been imported prior to the tax changes, since the earliest you can legally import based on the 3.5 year limit is a 2007 model. So be a bit watchful on the mileage and the condition of the car, which maybe different from what is stated. Any idea which car vendor you brought it from? Did they register the car for you or did you register it yourself? Did they give you the original JAAI certificate (the documents will include japanese sheets that are laminated and have a hologram).
If the gearbox is a 7-speed, then its the CVT 7-speed. There is no normal auto with tiptronic for the Fit Aria. Basically what honda did in 2004 was to introduce the CVT oil which helped improve the CVT jerk issue, though they have supposedly improved the gearbox over the years silently that models post 2004 should be a lot more reliable, though not immune from the problem, and I have friends who have had the newer post 2004 model who have faced the same problem. The internet forums in Thailand and Malaysia also indicate that the problem was not eradicated.
Assuming you are a Colombo City runner who commutes during our wonderful peak traffic times, you will have to stick to a 15,000km cycle for the gearbox oil. However getting a few additive bottles will give you that extra protection, as mileages of cars brought down prior to the new tax revision is doubtful, as they even doctor the copies auction reports (since JAAI certificates were not necessary in the last few years, and was resurrected back with the new tax scheme).
hi, rayazmuthalif | could you please tell me , what is the normal oil change interval if i am in colombo and monthly i used to travel 1200-1500 colomobo and 600-800km out. aslo where we can find spare parts for reasonable proces…since i was expending lot of money for my prevoius jazz and few parts of currecnt fit-2004. sellers are telling that the HONDA parts are expensive as trend ?….
Agent prices for parts are comparatively expensive, though if you were to compare prices with the toyota original the prices are not very different. However it seems some of the honda parts need more frequent replacement than a Toyota. The advantage is that Toyota cars have many alternative parts other than original available locally which are cheaper and these are what most “local garages” use so you feel your costs are less.
For honda a popular place is Tek Motors in Panchikawatte, as they carry both original and good alternative parts, where the prices will be less than 50% of the original. You can save a decent amount by opting for OEM air filters and oil filters (air filters in particular, OEM is Rs 1500-1700, original is close to Rs 5000). Though the OEM (most popular being the VIC brand) is not as efficient as the original, you may need to run both and see the total per km cost difference to decide which ones is suited for you.
Looks like you do around 2-2500km a month, which means in 6 months you are close 12000 km. In your case using the OEM filter with standard oil, and changing both every 4-5000km might be good on the pocket and your engine. Travelling within Colombo in traffic is a big strain on the gearbox as we are constantly changing to neutral and doing stop-start situations every few meters. So this is something the CVT gearbox simply has problem with on endurance. You should definitely change your CVT oil every 15k, and i would strictly advise that you also get the additive to ensure you keep the CVT jerk issue out of your troubles 🙂
Thank you very much for quick and valuble advices
First thank very much sir rayazmuthalif for you valuble comments. I am a Honda FIT – 2004 user and I alos had considarable jerk when pick up and replaced the both upper mounts and now it jerk is very low. kindly advice is it the same CVT issue, I used do CVT changes thourgh person know as “HONDA UPUL-MALABE” who is x-stafford tech. kindly advice me on the small jerk, Is CVT gear box reparble?, Cant we fix a ordinary gear box ?and where we can get the”extreme additive oil ?
Thanks you again… Susantha.
Hi Susantha, glad to hear this blog is being useful 🙂 Officially the gearbox is not replaceable though there is a guy that car dealers use who seems to be able to fix it, though it seems the fix does not work always. However if the jerk is only low after the mount replacement the additive is the cheap and best option as it works well. However the additive is not locally available. If you can find someone going to Singapore why not get 1-2 bottles, its about 2500 bucks in SL currency for a bottle. The address and location of the garage selling it can be found by going to http://www.buddyclub.org. The bottles though sealed have a tendency to leak, i would advise that you give the guy a small plastic lunch box that is around 8″ in height to keep the bottles from getting squeezed when stored in the luggage (you can’t hand carry it due to regulations). The bottle is around 7″ x 2″ in size, and is around 125ml in volume. You pour the additive with the CVT oil and it sorts the problem out and also helps bring back the oil change interval to normal.
Thanks for the quick reply. The car has done 66 k. Not sure of the accuracy as I am the second owner. (or at least according to the CR I am the second owner ). Anyways I found a guy called Irvin who is selling the extreme oil on one of the forums regarding the same issue. He quotes the following prices
120ml bottle – AUD$30
250ml bottle -AUD$50
The problem is I don’t know how genuine the guy is. Keeping this as my last resort to get down the additive oil.
Dinesh
I will get the engine mount checked when I take the car for the oil change. Still waiting for the CVT oil.
Did you check Teck motors in panchikawathe? They should have CVT transmission fluid.
Is there now any place where I can get the oil additive in Sri Lanka?
Thanks
Dinehs
Hi,
I own a Honda City – 2003, I just reached 15k from the last CVT oil change. For the last few weeks I too seem to be having the jerking on pick up. When I contacted the local agents (Sri Lanka), they say that they are out of stock and I have to wait at least another week or two until they get new stocks. Also I checked about the additive – extreme oil, the guy who answered the phone was not aware about this. However he said that they are now repairing or at least open the gear box and see what the problem.
Another issue that I have been having is there is a hum that comes from the gear box, this was there for quite some time (nearly 2 ½ years). Could this be a contributing factor to the above issue?
I need to get this checked.
What would you recommend? Should I go the agents are shall I try autozone?
Thanks
Dinesh
Sadly no one locally is bringing the additive, the only guy who brought a few has now stopped after the new tax revisions he is now back to new car imports (earlier i think he was interested as it allowed him to buy cars with faulty gearboxes for low prices and use the oil additive to get them to prime condition and make good buck reselling).
However contact Dhanuja (Technical manager) at Stafford, i shared him the info, and i think he might be knowing people who bring this done. Stafford cannot sell it directly since this is not a Honda approved oil, and Honda still does not accept the CVT is a problem. The strange this is the CVT issue is only a problem in hot climates and when driven in traffic, cars in Japan and other colder climates don’t have this issue. So maybe the engineering and testing forgot the conditions like those faced in SL, Singapore, etc.
If not buddyclub a garage in Singapore is the closest source (http://bcfmotorsport.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3). Try to get a few bottles as the things works.
However before you go changing the oil, did you check the engine mounts, as the Honda Fit left side mount fails at short intervals, and also causes a judder / jerky feeling.
You did not mention the mileage of the car, but if its recondition and brought during the last few years most cars had their odometer manipulated in Sri Lanka, unless you got it down direct or new the vendor very very well. However if your mileage is over 50-60K, and you are running without the additive, 15K is far too long, you have to change the CVT oil under 10k (in Sri lankan driving conditions, this will not apply for people running this car on highways).
With regard to the hum, never really noticed such a noise in my Honda Fit, nor in the other cars i have driven including the city and the Fit-Aria. So unable to comment.
The agent is the best place to check your car out, or get the contact of one of the senior technicians at Stafford as i hear they do personal work during the weekends. They do hate the CVT gearbox so they will always be negative! so bear with them but get the checks done their or by one of their technicians.
Hi
And don’t forget the Jazz rear wheel bearing issues that Honda refuses to acknowledge with a recall. The bearings are tending to chop out at the 40k mark. And some crazy Honda engineer in Japan designed the wheel bearings with the race bearing integral with the hub. Sounds sophisticated until the owner realises that worn bearings require an A$270 Honda specific part instead ofa a cheap set of standard bearings.
Yeah i had this as a comment in my 2 year experience, and i thought i had got a faulty hub. Coz i had to change it twice during my ownership period. Based on your comment it looks like its another “known” issue 😦 The crazy thing is that this car went through 7 years sales, and was a best seller in several countries, and still Honda seems to have never fixed these common problems. I am sure they could have provided a fix for the gearbox (maybe avoided to say they screwed up and have to replace all for free), and for smaller things like the engine mount wearing, and the issue you just highlighted. The AC valve is another issue that the agent themselves mentioned as a common failure on this model.
Hi,
I’m planning to buy a Honda Fit aria soon (unregistered) and found this blog which turned up to be very useful. When I checked in the internet for this model I though t this could be the best to buy. Further I got to know from some people using the car that it is fuel efficient and does about 13km/l in Colombo. I thought at a time, Oh this is the car I should go with.
After reading the comments posted, I feel like thinking twice before I make the move. Hopefully the model will be 2008 but not sure about the mileage.
What is your advice dear friends? Could there be any developments from Honda on this matter? Any updates?
Cheers!
Hi Buddika,
Be a bit careful buying Honda Fit aria’s these days, as I was trying to find this car for some of my friends. I found that these cars are rare in Japan now, and most cars are high mileage. Vendors may tray to clock the odometer and sell them here. I also hear of talks that local vendors who in addition to keeping healthy margins when selling with the new taxation, are also resorting to even dirtier tricks by editing the auction reports. They are buying cars with high mileage and low grade, fixing the car up and then selling them as high grade. Since we are now in a digital age, its very easy for them to take the original auction report and edit it and show you fake information.
If you do find GD6 or GD8 Honda Fit Aria its a good buy as the local market value on which the taxation is done is very low (even lower than a Honda fit by 200K YEN!). The latter editions of the Fit/Fit Aria/City/Jazz seems to be less prone to the CVT problem, though not immune and you will need to resort to the additive to protect the gearbox.
However the newer Honda Fit (GE6) comes in two variants. The one’s sold in Singapore has the new auto gearbox (which i hear is actually a manual gearbox with override auto controls). This same gearbox is also used in the 1.5L version in Japan. However the 1.3L version in Japan has a CVT box. However Honda seems to have fixed the problems they had, as they are now confident enough to use this gearbox worldwide on the Fit. The gearbox is also a lot smoother thanks to what they call a torque converter.
A GE6 is nearly the same price in Japan to a GD1 Fit or a Fit Aria, but the local agent value is bit more (around 200-300K YEN more than) which is the difference. If your budget allows go for the GE6, and try to import directly by getting hold of vendor who can buy you car from the auctions. I dealt with ramadbk (specifically a sales chap in japan called Gayan) who was very good, though the local contacts are not that great as they are overwhelmed by the orders! You should be able to get down a decent condition fit under 3Mil SL rupees.
Cheers
Hi! I’m from Malaysia and had bougth Honda City 1.5 VTEC in the mid of september 2007. After hearing the CVT gear box issue here, I wonder that my car will having the same problem stated on those posted mail here. If yes, could I require to apply the additive for longivity of the gear box lifespan? Any prevention can be taken from these issue happen?
What if I change my car to the new version of the Honda City which was launch recently? May I know any difference between these 2 version of the Honda City in the aspect of the technology used and the gear box quality?
Please kindly advise. Thanks…
Hi,
Though Honda was supposed to have improved the gearbox in the post 2004 gearboxes, I keep seeing enough comments and people still having the issue. However the problem is less pronounced indicating some changes may have been done by Honda. However using the additive has helped many reduce the occurrence of the problem, so it definitely is one thing you can do. Also in case you drive a lot in traffic make sure you change the gearbox oil with CVT oil every 15,000km along with the additive that should definitely sustain your gearbox for a long period. So i doubt if you need to be getting to excited on changing your car, since it seems to have held on for over 3 years with no issues. So do the additive and change of the transmission oil and you should be fine at least for around 100-120,000km.
The newer Honda City has dropped the CVT gearbox and has what they call a manual automatic box. This is similar in concept to the ferrari 360!, but nope it no racing gearbox like the one in that car. The gearbox is supposed to be a manual gearbox where the clutch is operated electronically. Hence the issue of the CVT gearbox is not going to be an issue, however i hear the new gearbox is not as smooth. Sadly i have not been able to test drive this car as its only available in minute quantities, and none of my friends have it either 😦
The new honda city is built with higher quality than the previous City, hence the increase in price!, and also now features a i-VTEC engine, though this is not the same as the i-VTEC in the civic cars, though they use the same branding. The engine is a lot powerful than the i-DSI, though similar to your VTECH engine but more economical than the VTEC.
Hi Rayaz,
I have an issue with my gear box, though it is for the Honda HRV – it is a 2001 model, automatic transmission
Problem is it does not seem to change gears past 3rd gear, hence it has a very high RPM towards the 4 mark, and it does not switch down even with continuous accelaration.
Even so, the car is able to move at pretty high speeds, only that it is not as powerful as expected.
And I am worried that the strain on the engine will cause it to knock.
I have gone through most of the comments and will definitely like to try out the oil additive, issue is, it is not available in my country – Kenya, might you suggest an alternative?
My mechanic and I suspect it may be a sensor issue, and one of the comments suggested cleaning the sensors – we were wondering if we could get direction on which one.
Basically, is there anyone out there with a similar issue and how did they resolve it?
Thanks.
Sold my Honda Fit GD1 to a friend, the odo meter is now 73K, i got it at 53K and used it for precisely two years. I first ensured the CVT oil was changed more frequently to avoid any gearbox issues, and then once i found the additive i resorted to a normal 15-20K cycle. However i did not finish that cycle by the time i sold the car, and the good news is the gearbox is faultless. I also had brought 2 bottles of the additive for future use, and passed it to the new owner, since those are vital for the trouble free running of the car.
Several of my friends who have brought fit/fit aria/city cars have now used the additive and have been blessed with trouble free running. In addition several vehicle vendors i know who got the info from me have been using the additive and it seems they are happy (as they bring the additive for personal use). The bad news is that i hope they are not using this additive for cars with real gearbox troubles, as the oil will cover the problem up for a short period of time!
Overall the car served good with the following observations,
1. Fuel economy
Average in Colombo Sri lanka running where you find a color light every 100m! is around 10-11kmpl.
Average driving outstation in rather narrow roads is around 12-14kmpl
Best fuel economy when driving a long trip i got was 19.5 kpl on a hot and humid day
Best fuel economy i have seen on the dial when driving in colombo late night when the roads are deserted was 21kmpl
Worst fuel economy i have seen is when the car is idling with the AC on in traffic, and this can get bad as 4-5kmpl
2. Repairs
a. The AC fan motor packed up (same happened to my CF4 accord i had previously) around the 60K period. I changed this from a company called Suraweera AC, they are near my house and are AC professionals. I found out that they seem to be supplying the agent as well, and their charge is much much less than the agent, specially on the labor.
b. The rear hub bearings went, this was weird and the agent themselves were surprised. Replacement was not cheap !
c. The engine mount (the infamous left mount) busted as expected, and had to be changed. This again was a common thing with this car and seems to need replacement every 30-40K. The other two mounts remain intact. The agent also mentioned that unlike others this car only had 3 mounts.
d. The front shock bushes on top had to be replaced, the agent informed me this was a common thing with this car.
e. The AC valve started a wierd squeal, like a rat !!! The agent indicated this was another common problem not with this car but with several other honda’s. I got this changed before i handed the car to the new owner. The repair was to cost less than 10K but went to 21K as the part alone was 11.5K and the labor + filling AC gas (the had to flush the gas out before doing this replacement). Well the squeal is gone, and my pocket dented. Lucky new owner 🙂
Fuel economy dropped to 9.5kmpl, and i thought this was due to carbon build up in the injectors. I got the agent to remove the injectors and clean them by hand and do the fuel injector cleaning (using the WURTH product). Removing the injectors is a messy job, unlike my older CF4, and the O-rings tend to crack and had to be replaced. Seems the O-rings are not stocked by the agent everytime so watch out. When the removed the EGR valve parth was almost 80% blocked with carbon deposits, and ye the car seems to be have been working pretty fine with this 🙂
The surprise was that the fuel economy got worse (7-8kmpl) after the treatment, and then agent then reset the computer, but then informed me that in some cars the cleaning is so effective that like a new car the fuel economy drops and it takes time before the fuel economy comes back to normal as the injectors have to get a bit of dirt it seems, wierd. However as informed by them the pull has increased so maybe its the truth. The good news was that the economy started to improve, and informed the new buyer that the best economies would take a bit of time as the 1000km has not yet been achieved after i did this cleanup. When giving i was getting 9-10kmpl in colombo city, and 13kmpl in crowed outstation so improving indeed.
So word of warning, don’t bother with the injector cleaning unless you really think it needs one. Which i guess is when the EGR path is fully blocke that the car does not accelerate smoothly. First make sure you replace the spark plugs, and here again stick to originals as the after markets seems to cause problems, and avoid the platinum one if your car is the i-DSI model. Also replace the air filter regularly, as this impacts the fuel economy pretty heavily. Again aftermarket (VIC) sold all over Sri Lanka is not good enough, so get the original. However the VIC is 1/3 the price of the original 😦 OUCH.
Hi,
My Honda Civic EK3 CVT problem is wont engage any gear during cool start, If hit a gas it will be a big bang engage the gear.
But after warm upto 30 mins its engage the gear but a bit bang. After driving 1 KM it normall.
But if park after 2 hours it start again, so need to warm to 30min and so on.
What do you think?
did you find a solution for your problem. as i am experiencing the same problem with my 2002 civic ES8
Hi, I have a 2003 honda civic, The engine check light started flasing on my dash board, and the car gitters when at slow rpm, specially after starting.Then when attached to the engine scaner the technitian told me that the two gearbox sensors are fused, and that i have to replace them, Can any one please tell me where can i buy these sensors and a garage where they can be replaced. Thanx in advance….
hmm my dad got problem with his jazz, his milage around 167k, he already change his gear box to 2nd hand, after few years, the problem come back, he go to honda agent, they said it cvt sensor, how to avoid this thing?
From what i have checked with the local honda agent in sri lanka, the issue is clearly with the gearbox, and no sensor replacement has worked for this issue. However they are also now “unofficially” recommending the additive, since several clients have heard about the additive from this blog, and by word of mouth and have had success stories that has assured them the additive is good.
In the event your dad is using a new gearbox, tell him to get the additive, and use it. The additive is best used when you change the gearbox (transmission oil), and is poured after you pour the gearbox oil. i had the guy pour 3 bottles of gearbox oil, and then add the additive before adding the last bottle of gearbox oil to ensure the additive was flushed into the gearbox 🙂
Using the additive has improved the lifetime of the gearbox, and it could help an expensive repair. However being a honda fan i am very disgruntled+disgusted that Honda could not solve this issue when they had the model running for almost 7 years!!
Guess the reason to use the normal auto gearbox in the US tells the story of the their own lack of confidence. Strangely they even used the same gearbox it seems on the much newer variants based on this fit/jazz which is the airwave and freed. I have read that the Airwave too has the same fault, which means they still have not resolved the issue.
I bought a honda fit with CVT last year 2009. After that i want to know more about CVT and I found your forum. I’m so disapointed that the salesman didn’t tell me the truth about this CVT problem. He told me or rather he con me that this is a new improve CVT, so should be better. Now I want to know is it possible to replace it to a normal 5AT, should the CVT give problem? If it is possible then what is the price of the normal honda fit 5AT? In actual fact, I believe that it is Honda design and research problem and Honda should take the responsiblity to replace honda CVT transmission to a 5AT transmission. If not Honda is telling the whole world that their product honda fit 2009 cvt car will only good till 100 to 150k km only. That is really a shame to Honda as a whole company.It also admit to the whole whole world how responsible Honda Chief in it head office really is. They produce a Fail product or rather their hondafit will be good till 100 to 150k km depent on your Luck.
Hi Horton,
In the case you have the 2009 model, the CVT on that model is not like the older fit, and is supposedly a manual gearbox with automatic controls, and hence the issue mentioned does not apply to your car 🙂
The newer gearbox has been designed differently, however my research has shown that this gearbox is not as smooth as the older CVT, but it is trouble free (good news!). However the fuel economy of the new car in actual driving conditions is less than the older according to current user comments on forums. However i can’t substantiate this since i have not driven this car or owned this car. This of course is possible considering the car is slightly heavier and has as more powerful engine.
now i facing my cvt prob. mileage only 60k but im using my car almost 5 years. not used regularly n keep maintance by honda. tech says, have to change oil. already change but still has sound. now they say, need to replace mounting gearbox. aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
Hi,
Can anyone please answer to the question from Aizuddin? I have a similar problem. Please hep
Aizuddin Says:
November 28, 2008 at 8:41 am | Reply
Hi, I’m a Jazz user in Malaysia. I’m facing this CVT issue right now.
On highway, my RPM is not constant, it will keep rev up and down between 3 and 4. Sometimes when I’m on city driving, i will get stuck on a low gear and this is when the gear indicator will keep blinking (the “D” with greenlight). It is becoming worse now. I’m in the process of looking for a 2nd hand CVT gearbox to replace mine. Heard that Honda Malaysia is selling new CVT gearbox for rm26k ! That is a ridiculous price!
Oh ya, before this problem happens to me, there is a small symptom showing that my CVT having faulty.. At first there was a small jerking whenever i started to move from a stop(traffic light, tolls) . I did change the CVT oil every 10000km . I even had it flush twice, but its not working.
i am not sure what EGR valve are u reffering to. the only one i am aware of is the one fitted in the engine called for emission purpose. what does EGR valve in the gear box mean? is it located near the belt area? and was it available in the internation market as a retail spare?
Oh my soul! For about a year I was trying to find a solution for the CVT gear box issue.
I drive a Civic RS. I get a growling sound at pickup but, not a jerk. As you all mentioned the agent’s first idea is to make money off of my sorry state and I became a victim of it. Agent told me to change CVT oil and a filter (located close to the back of the radiator). As advised by the Honda experts I changed the oil and later found out that I have done it before 8000KM. The issue was never resolved. So, I again went back to agent and they gave me two options 1. get rid of the car. 2. replace the CVT gear box. The following oil change was done at 15000KM. I will try out and keep you all posted.
One more issue: Electronic Power Steering unit! Since Colombo city roads are similar to off roads, my rack has a huge rattling noise. I replaced everything in the front except for the EPS unit. I am considering whether to replace the whole unit. Please advice. Once I went to agent with the issue and they did a minor repair and forgot to fix the stabilizer bar links on both sides. I had to go back next day and had to complain to and we found out that links were hung on coil springs. Disappointing experience and some of my friends told me to complain to the management. I didn’t bother to do so since my effort would not bare any fruits.
hey, any idea where this extreme additive oil can be bought in SL?
sadly i could not find anyone selling it here (surprisingly, considering they sell all the crap type of oils and not one that is actually useful). My friend’s car is working fine with no jerks after applying the oil, and its run over 6000K since the additive was put!!! So it does work like magic.
Your best bet is to get someone to bring it down from singapore, or if you have contacts coming down from the US.
I have a Honda FIT 1330cc auto transmission and vibrates at start up and is very slow but once it starts there is no problem. kindly help
Hi pal, a few more updates on diagnosis based on personal experience.
1. Change the CVT oil and see if the problem is resolved, if you are lucky that should do the trick.
2. Another one reason for the judder which normal technicians sometimes think is the CVT failure is caused by the engine mount. I had the problem with the jerky start, and though the local Honda agent’s lead technician who seems to hate CVT gearboxes was quick to blame it as gearbox failure was later resolved when the mount was replaced. I did a fair bit of research and then found that the left side mount is prone to cracking quickly as it seems to be stressed more than the right side mount due to the transmission also adding stress. So take the car to a good garage or the agent and check if your left side engine mount has to be replaced. You should see the car get smooth immediately.
3. If you still have the problem then you are in trouble, and a solution that tested with a mate of mines car was to use the oil extreme additive and it worked like a charm. The car had a noticeable judder at the start though the odometer was just barely 60K. Once the additive was included and for good measure he also replaced his CVT oil the car is back to its normal running and excellent fuel economies. You need to pour 45ml of this additive, and though its an official solution it seems to do the trick (How it works and what it does, I have no clue!).
4. If the oil extreme additive also fails you will then have to find a technician who is willing to open the gearbox and replace the EGR valve, which is supposed to be the cause of the whole problem. However the agent’s don’t do this replacement (not sure why, as i know they do it for the Honda HRV CVT and the Honda Accord CF4 CVT over here). This might sort your problem.
5. Failing which sadly you will have to run with the jerky until the gearbox dies, or get ready for a huge cost of replacing the gearbox.
Sadly Honda never provided a proper solution to its large Honda Fit/City/Aria/Jazz customer base on the CVT failure and quietly disposed the CVT gearbox in the new Fit and City models.
Hey, my car is a 2003 city with the same prob judder when accelerating . Just would like to know if you can mention who is your mechanic for cvt repairs? i too tried the agents they changed oil etc but no good.
tnx
Contact autozone, the car dealer in high level road. They know a mechanic who can fix the issue, as they bring a lot of Jazz and City vehicles from singapore. Since these vehicles would have been used in city driving conditions they tend to get this problem even during the warranty period provided by autozone. I have heard of many friends who got cars from this place have their problem solved via this mechanic (place and person sadly unknown). However if you can get the oil down it will sort the problem out without any hardware level fixes 🙂
Have a workshop in Mumbai,India. I have a Honda City on transmission repair at my workshop. The car come up with jurks as i try to gas it for power.So far have not recieved any complients on honda city CVT.As with regular clients we have been replacing transo fluid at 10k with normal transo fluid.can any one help with repair manual.I have chked the electronics on this box which has no problem with the actuation program run thu my dignostic scanners
I’m now looking a buying a 2008 Honda City V-TEC that has the CVT. The car has 20,000 km and has been well maintained.
I’m concerned about the longevity of the CVT, which is why I found this site in a search. Any thoughts on the long-term issues with the transmission or the car?
I’m in Thailand if that makes a difference.
Thanks.
Tony
Hi, it seems like many of us from Malaysia being conned by Honda. I drive a Honda Jazz CBU Japan, and it has the same problem here.
Initially the jerk’s interval was only intermittenly. When I complained to Honda service center(Tmn Tun) during warranty period, they ignored my complaint and mentioned they have tested my car without any jerk.
These guys are good in sweeping the problem under the carpet for Honda. Now the jerk is getting worsen from last few services( They have charged and changed the gear oil for me 3 times within 80k km). The worst thing is the warranty period is over. The jerking happens almost everytime during 1500 rpm. Honda is charging me USD7,000 in Malaysia for changing a new gearbox.
They are very unprofessional, when I called honda about the pricy charges, they advised me to sell my car!! This is so irresponsible, not mentioned my car is fully maintain and service by them.
My recommendation to Honda owner, do not service your car in Honda agent after warranty period. They are so pricy and no privellege given to you when problem arised.
To those who planned buy a new Honda, please consider Toyota.
Here is another poor guy who having the same problem: http://www.thesuzette.com/2009/02/say-no-to-honda/
Sadly what you say is true Ching, all Honda Agent’s simply stick by the the rule that the CVT oil replacement is the only cure, and just say keep changing it regularly and you will be okay but if the problem comes up you have to change the gearbox. The use of oil extreme seems to sort the issue, and so does replacing the EGR value. Maybe the EGR valve replacement is a complex, and error prone hence the reluctance for Honda agent’s to carryout this repair.
From what i have seen Nissan seems to be able to make sound CVT gearboxes that even work well in their large engined cars. Toyota has been using CVT gearboxes very silently on many of its small cars, and there has not be any notable issues raised on these cars, so maybe they work fine. The initial implementation with the EK3 Civic has proved to be fairly solid, though the Honda HRV CVT and the Accord CF4 both had reliability issues and needed repairs every 50-60,000km. However its the Fit/Jazz/Aria/City where Honda seems to have got it wrong, very wrong 😦
hii…that additive is called “oil extreme”?
yup thats what it is called
Hi … I drive a Honda Civic ES8 – VTi/CVT 2000/1 model. Averages about 10Km/l in driving within Colombo city -where my most of travelling is concentrated.
Lately I get a noise -similar to a warped wheel rubbing against cover.. This is not that noticable from outside, but faily audible inside the car. I don’t feel any other issue – no jerks, no issue in pick up/consumption etc..
When I checked with the local Honda agents – they were quick to point the issue was due to work done by third parties… But changed the tune after learning that I have done all the servicing through them. I must mention that I am very dissapointed with the expertise the local agents have – they are only good at replacing parts. After going though a check (for of course which thay gave me a nice bill) they confirmed that the noise is coming from the gear box -advice was to just ignore it – as any effort to touch the gearbox would be very expensive (which could be of course true).
Any advice on this on the cause & possible solutions would be greatly appreciated. (I have been regulary changing the CVT oil as recommended. I noticed this noise somewhere in September – last CVT oil change was in May)
Thanks…
Hi upul,
Sorry for the delay in response, yes the standard answer the Sri Lanka honda agent has is they don’t touch the gearbox, and recommend complete transmission unit replacement. This is a sad story, when in reality the CVT gearbox belt can be replaced. I believe the issue is that the local agent does not have trained resources to do this, and they do not want to burn their fingers as they need to provide a warranty for their fixes. They however have the training to repair the CVT gearboxes of the EK3 Civic, HRV and Honda JDM CF4, as they did bring these vehicles down for a short stint as reconditions vehicles over 5 years ago and presumably they also got the training to maintain these vehicles.
However i know of place call AutoZone who are among the leading bunch of car importers from Japan and Singapore. They currently provide warranty for their vehicles, and they have got some mechanics trained to replace CVT gearbox parts. It might be worth getting your vehicle checked up from their mechanic.
The next thing i can recommend is the oil extreme additive that is very popular in Singapore based on the forums (i have not tried it yet, but i am hoping to very shortly as a preventive step to keep my gearbox from any problems). I checked with the local agent, who as usual was lost on the subject but they had actually used it for one customer who had brought the additive, but were unable to trace the chap to see how successful it was. Shocking they actually indicated that it would be a good idea to use it, so there maybe some truth in it. Remember Honda are not the CVT specialist, that goes to Nissan who have a lot more complex and stronger CVT gearboxes.
Could anyone tell me where I could buy this extreme oil additive in Singapore
Hi,
I got it from singapore through a friend of mine. The address is
Buddy Club
712B Gelyang Road
Tel: (065) 63841239 Fax: (065) 67498066
http: http://www.buddyclub.org
email: enquiry@buddyclub.org
Hi, I’m a Jazz user in Malaysia. I’m facing this CVT issue right now.
On highway, my RPM is not constant, it will keep rev up and down between 3 and 4. Sometimes when I’m on city driving, i will get stuck on a low gear and this is when the gear indicator will keep blinking (the “D” with greenlight). It is becoming worse now. I’m in the process of looking for a 2nd hand CVT gearbox to replace mine. Heard that Honda Malaysia is selling new CVT gearbox for rm26k ! That is a ridiculous price!
Oh ya, before this problem happens to me, there is a small symptom showing that my CVT having faulty.. At first there was a small jerking whenever i started to move from a stop(traffic light, tolls) . I did change the CVT oil every 10000km . I even had it flush twice, but its not working.
I love my Jazz but the CVT is giving me a headache!!
Hi,
I am owner of the CITY from Malaysia. This issue of CVT gear box worried me becoz my mileage ia already about 114K. What should I do to avoid the CVT failure that can cost me a RM? Should I aak the Service Centre to change the belt? clean up the censor? Any sugesstion?
Well based on forum research there are Honda Fit/City owners with mileages over 200K who have not had any failure in the gearboxes. However the wear and tear of the gearbox is usually far greater if you are running a lot within city limits where the stop and go type of driving really strains the box. So i am not sure what is your driving pattern. However if you vehicles is currently at 114k and still doing smooth, make sure you replace the CVT oil at 15K intervals. Further i am sure you might be able to find some store in malaysia which sells the oil extreme additive (make sure the store is a genuine one) which is said to improve the smoothness and longevity of the gearbox.
However i also noticed that the warranty period for CVT gearbox for new vehicles had been increased from 5 to 7 years and would be worthwhile if you checked if that covers your vehicle as well, since that should atleast cover your CVT gearbox part cost in the event you have a situation that necessitates a gearbox change (though we would prefer that no such change is necessary!)
Hi Mastanauv,
Honda AT gearboxes have a good history, as most of the direct imports in my country by the agent skip the CVT and gets the normal AT boxes as they run with no issues.
The CVT failures is partly due to the technology where the belt does wear out, and though the City/Fit/Jazz is harped as a city car, the wear and tear in heavy traffic has caused the belt to fail in far shorter intervals than what Honda seems to have planned for. The constant stops in traffic, where the wait is not 20-30 secs, hence the need to shift to N (neutral) means the belt is constantly under heavy duress. The fact that honda has moved away from the CVT for the new Fit (and maybe the City) to manual with auto shifts shows they have understood this problem. However the use of CVT in small cars is quite common in Japan, as other cars such as the Nissan Cube also feature the same technology.
However in addition to the technology, a big problem as mention is that people mistake the CVT for a normal auto gearbox. Many there use the normal ATF oil (Honda code – ATF-Z1) for the gearbox which results in the breakdown. The Honda CVT oil (Honda code – CVTF or similar CVT specialized oils) must be used in order to increase the livespan of the gearbox.
Being more careful on the shifts of the gearbox is another common recommendation, but i can’t see the logic of one having to stomp your foot on the break and keep the car on drive (D) at color lights being a practical solution!
I am surprised how sensitive is Honda City AT/CVT to failures ( is it CVT or something else) Also anyone n=knows which sensor needs cleaning or replacement for jerky drive? Also what CVT Oil make is best for honda city automatic transmission? Also it is horrifying to read so many people reporting issues on CVT!!!
what is the name of the oil maybe in malaysia we can get it?
Speaking of the belt can we actually replace this belt as often as we like?
thanks a million
One good site which provides a very active set of subscribers who seem very keen on discussing jazz/fit upgrades and troubleshooting is “http://forum.sg-fit-jazz.com/viewforum.php?f=29&sid=8c52426139a6228e4b566214c090a611”. The technical issues section is a gem.
Here you see that owners in Singapore have started using an additive called “Oil Extreme” which is also sold in US. This product is poured into the CVT oil during each change (a small quantity) and it seems a lot of user have managed to resolve their jerk issue which then transforms to a busted gearbox in long term. Using the additive before the jerk issues have come has enabled owners to avoid this problem. Unfortunately we don’t have any dealers locally and i want to get this product as it might help all Fit/Jazz users.
Another fact that identified is that the Jazz (and the Sports Fit) which comes with the 7-speed gearbox with manual change is more prone to failure, mainly due to the higher wear and tear on the belt. So while the 7-sp might allow improved smoothness and responses, the downside it seems is the faster failure of the gearbox. So that makes the 5-sp version a lot more safer, though users who drive the car on highways may be far better of with a 7-sp.
hi all i m a jazz user in malaysia, clocked 75km changed CVT oil at every 8km… once every 20 km do flushing, meaning that; change once 3.5l go drive a few km and change a fresh new bottle of 3.5 litre again. gives you a satisfying drive….but very disappointed to note all the comments on how useless this gearbox is. anyone got any proper idea to convert to manual and the ecu? pls help
hi,
not a honda CVT user and not a fan of it either.
one glaring fact is that for the new jazz/fit launched in malaysia, honda has ditched the CVT g/box and welcome back the old automatic gearbox.
heard this will be implemented for the new city too.
cost cutting is one reason that i can think of. what cost? i’m not sure. it’s either the cost of:
1. the replacement gearbox due to expensive and high-rate of under warranty replacement.
2. new g/box in a brand new car (CVT more expensive than standard auto box). so use old auto box = better profit margin.
or both.
So that confirm my belief that the local vendor opts for the easy (and very much more expensive option), which is very sad. Wow 12-13km/l in the city, is this the ES3 or the EK3 Civic? I used to have a Civic RS ES3 before with manual and could not get more than 9km/l, and i guess it also means my driving style might be too aggressive 😦
I have noted in the Fit if you can keep the acceleration slow, the economy meter hovers around 13-16km/l, but within colombo city its very hard to keep a stable speed due to the constant stops for road bumps, traffic lights, vehicles that cut across (nobody really keeps to the lanes, specially the buses), and the traffic.
My friends who also have Fits (and Jazz) who drive from out of colombo city and come to work report mileages of over 11-12km/l. Sadly i have not driven out of colombo city, so i cannot confirm what economies are possible.
I also faced same issue with my Honda civic RS, as honda agent in sri lanka does not know much about the CVT gear box. they simply said to replace the gear box. but the local technician who help me to repair the box by replacing one sensor.
good point is, with 1.7Ltr engine and CVT gear box, car has 12-13km/Ltr fuel consumption in colombo city.
i have a i dsi CVT honda City which has done 1,36,000 Kms. the problem i am facing is the car would jerk when in driving.now the car doesnt move forward for 20-25 mins with the D light blinking. but it moves in reverse.pls help. what sensor did u change
Any idea what kind of mileage one should get from a Fit (1330cc) when its run in a 80% city traffic condition? I get around 9-9.5 km per liter under such condition with the AC switched on (at the lowest setting).
A top up of CVT requires around 3.5 liters, and the CVT oil comes in 1 liter bottles over here. The total cost locally is around $55 for the oil (minus labor)
HI Riyaz.. Could you pls tell me where to buy CVT oil with additive ..Honda Dealer or some third party. if you can specify the place it would be great. (Colombo or Kurunegala)
Teck motors in panchikawatte was the only place that regularly had stocks. I had heard that some service centers and motor car dealers also bring this oil, but i don’t have precise contact details.
Hi, here in Malaysia, i heard alot about the problems u mentioned.
I wrote to Honda M’sia, they just simply said not to worry. THAT reply really worries me coz i’m driving 1 myself for the last 3 yrs. Immediately i had the cvt oil changed & i really noticed the difference i.e. improved power & smoother gear change. 3rd party cvt oil (Eneous / Nippon Oil) supplied to Honda as OEM.
Guess to be on the safe side, i’m changing the cvt oil every 30k km or so, tho i don’t get stuck in traffic much. Looking on the bright side, this car really gives excellant mileage compare to, whatever thats worth comparing.
cheers,
billytan
Interesting info. Thanks for sharing it. Any idea on how expensive CVT oil change can be?