OK, I've noticed something about my 09 max and gotta ask if it is me or if I need to bring this in, and if so, what I should expect to hear at the dealership. A lot of the time when I get heavy on the gas, the car just taps out between 3500 and 4000 RPMs. It keeps acceleration, but the RPMs just flatline. Sometimes it revs up to 5K or so without issue. Does this happen with everyone's, or am I just "inconsistent" with the gas and the CVT just naturally reacts that way?

 

The car can easily continue to accelerate while the RPMs stay constant in many situations with this CVT. I notice this almost every day when I pull out from a side road and begin moving up this slight grade on a 55 MPH highway. I hold the gas at one position, meaning the RPMs don't change, but the car continues to accelerate until it reaches 55 MPH as the road levels out, and I let off the gas, at which point the RPMs drop, but the car speed stays at 55.

Having said all that, if I floor the pedal, I have no problem whatsoever getting the RPMs up to 5K or so in almost any situation. But I have only done that a dozen times or so in the 4 1/2 years I have owned my '09. I often move along at a fast speed, but I get to speed gently, seldom getting my RPMs above 4K. If you cannot get the RPMs to 5K at any time you really want them there, you may have something out of adjustment smewhere. I'm certainly not an expert at high RPMs, since I seldom go there.

 

OP, I think the best way to respond to your question is that the Maxima has a CVT (as you know.)
Have you had a CVT before? It took me a while to get used to the CVT as well.
Also, is your car used, or did you get it brand new?
You may also want to consider that there is a TSB out there for 09s I think regarding a valve body or something. You may want to look into that.

Let me go ahead and explain the some of the algorithms behind the beast of a CVT. If you already know about how it works, feel free to skip all of this below. Grab a drink or something, I wrote a lot.

Here is how I understand the CVT:
Continuously variable transmission, or CVT, is a type of transmission that does not have any "gears" at all, but instead relies on two rotors (so to speak) that are able to change diameters as needed, and a belt in between that transfers the power. There are other types of CVTs out there, but I will not be covering them in this overview.
Using the above fact, the engine and computer calculates what the driver wants in terms of acceleration, performance, and predicted new target speed. While doing the calculations, it also takes into account driving history, speed of how fast you pressed down on the gas pedal, road grade (uphill/downhill/flat road), current speed, and a whole bunch of other variables in order to command the CVT and engine.

So what does this all mean and why did I explain that?
Well, the car probably calculated that you just want to get up to speed X, and based on how fast you pressed the gas pedal, and again, some other variables above, it got to a solution on how to get there.

Let me try breaking down that solution with an example.

• Lets say you are going at 35 miles per hour, transmission in D mode, and you have rarely accelerated really hard before.
• For fun, you now want to go at 65 miles per hour (within all applicable laws in your area, etc etc.)
• So, you mash down on the accelerator pedal.
• The car sees that you just mashed down on the accelerator.
• It thinks at the speed of which it thinks (lol, but this explanation works), and it comes to a solution that you want to get to around 65 mph "mildly quickly".
• It commands the CVT to downshift a bit, while at the same time commands the engine to accelerate to a good RPM with enough torque to get the car moving (remember, it has 261 lb-ft of torque @ 4,400 rpm)
• Both the engine and CVT responds, and goes to their commanded performance targets.
• The car accelerates at that "mildly quickly rate" you asked it to, and does not need to go above calculated RPM to get you moving, thus saving you fuel as well.
• After all that, you are now going 65mph, and let off the accelerator pedal to start coasting again.

Lets now assume that you are on an on-ramp to a high way. My favorite is always the New Jersey turnpike. The speed limit is like, 65mph or something, but EVERYONE, including the POLICE, are going at 100mph and above. Its kinda strange every time I see it. This was 5 years ago, so maybe things are different now.

• Going 35mph on on-ramp, etc etc.
• You mash down hard on the accelerator.
• Maxima thinks again, and sees a "OH CRAP, WE GOTTA MOVE!"
• On-board computer calculates a solution that requires more horsepower and torque than the scenario above.
• The engine and CVT respond.
• Car goes VQ35DE POWERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
• You start flying down the road at the speed of light and then some (within all applicable laws in your state.. Please don't ban me, not advocating street racing or any illegal activities lol)

What you just described sounds like any regular transmission.
Let me differentiate between them a bit:
A CVT has infinite ratios as well, so the perfect power band point can be achieved anywhere in the range of the CVT.
However, a regular transmission only has set gear ratios, so to go faster, it selects the best gear ratio in a small limited set, it revs the engine higher to keep the same speed and unlocks the torque converter letting the engine rev even higher. Thus, the engine speed change is more noticeable and is able to reach higher RPMS than required in a CVT setup.

Does this all help? Or did I completely miss the question?

 

Wow. Long explanation. I look at it this way. The CVT is trying to keep your rpm's as low as possible in order to save gas. Compared to traditional tranny's, cvt's have the ability to be in the *optimal gear* at all times. Which is to say, the lowest gear (with lowest rpm's) possible while still getting the car to the speed you want at the rate you want. If you nail the accelerator, the rpm's will fly up and the car will move. But halfway acceleration still allows the rpm's to remain low.

Light, were you serious when you said you've only gone above 5k rpm's a dozen or so times?

 

Serpent - Yes, it is true that I almost never exceed 5K RPMs any more. I retired almost twenty years ago, and try to schedule my driving outside rush hours, and usually avoid jack-rabbit starts. On open freeways, I travel with the flow, which is always over the limit, but not over enough to attract attention. But cruising at 80 MPH is a breeze for this car, and does not take the engine anywhere near 5K RPMs.

There is also the factor that I have had State Farm insurance since the 1950s (I had SAFECO before that), and also have a State Farm Homeowners policy, a State Farm Umbrella policy (in case a kid falls off a horse or tractor in one of my meadows, etc), State Farm Life insurance, and have earned a very low 'safe driving' rate. I don't want to mess all that up by getting a ticket.

I am lucky in that all the freeway ramps I seem to use are from overpasses over the freeway, so accelerating onto the freeway is easy. The only times I really get into the 5K RPM range are in passing vehicles on a two lane road in a very short passing area. Fortunately, I seldom need to do that, but I can floor this baby when necessary.

There was a time when I 'frequented' higher RPM areas, but that was over sixty years ago. Time passes and things change.

 

You made me laugh! Good explanation, & I appreciate the comedy!

 

This is my first CVT, which is why I figured I should ask the question. I have had this car since it had .1 miles on it, and have always felt like it is really inconsistent in how it accelerates. The "last straw" causing the inquiry was going up on on-ramp to a 65 MPH road and laying into the gas peddle to get up to speed with traffic, and watching the RPMs "hang" below 4K. Yes, it was still accelerating, but at no where near the pace I feel it should, or have had it do in the past. It is weird, cuz if I go from a dead stop and turn, and accidentally press into the pedal a bit, it takes off. If I'm coasting at a lower speed and lay in, again, it takes off (usually). If I am at a dead stop and accidentally "double pump" the peddle, same thing. But many times, not all, from a dead stop trying to accelerate quickly, it can just seem to "hang" right between 3.5 and 4K, and no matter how hard I press the peddle in, it will not push the RPMs up.

 

I can only recommend that a few more tests be performed, then take in to the dealer for diagnosis, and replicate the problem to them.
I forgot to mention that there are actually a few TSBs about the 09, 10(?), and 11(?) CVT.
One is a replacement valve body, the other is an updated shift algorithm that may or may not be applicable to you.
I see that you got the 2009 model at .1, so essentially brand new.
Your warranty is 10 years and 100k for the transmission, see here:
http://www.nissanassist.com/faqs.php, so it won't hurt to take in for some checkups.

 

^^^ exactly. Sounds like something's wrong to me. Make Nissan fix it.

 

I think you can't drive the CVT as you would a regular automatic. I think that if you hold the pedal at the same point the computer will think you don't want to keep accelerating and it'll drop the revs to save fuel. Try slowly pushing the pedal further in as you accelerate - I don't think there's a direct correlation between the pedal and the acceleration, if that makes sense. If you keep pressing a bit more the car will keep accelerating.

 

how many miles on it...the CVT fluid is due for a change at 60k iirc.

 

Only at 45K miles right now, so early next year the CVT fluid will be changed.