Okay so I have a 2017 Maxima Platinum that I bought brand new 2 months ago. I know that it has a CVT transmission so I know there is no gears but what it seems to be doing and this just started a week ago is when driving at about 20-25 miles an hour it will go from 2000 RPMs and 2nd or 3rd gear (when I quick switch it to manual mode it says 3 on the instrument panel) down to 1000 rpms and 6th gear... The only way I can explain it is as if I was driving a manual transmission car and you're at a stoplight and the light turns green you hit the gas in first gear and at 25 miles an hour you put it in 5th or 6th Gear how it would feel kind of Boggy ish and no power that is what it feels like. But when I do cram on the gas it does respond and raise rpms and gets up to speed so idk.. And like I said when I first bought it it didn't do that. So I called the dealer and one of the guys back in the service department told me that it learns the way you drive. He said that when I first got it I was probably was driving it quite fast so that's why the RPMs were higher. (I was driving it faster coming from a Kia optima it's a bunch faster) He said now that I've had it for 2 months I probably have been slowing down on the accelerator (which I have) and that has now throwing it up to six gear to save me on gas. Now learning that I granny the accelerator more.. I was just wondering if anybody else has this issue with their Max? I came from a regular transmission with gears .. a 2011 Kia optima.. and I'm still not use to this CVT transmission... I may have to take it back to the dealer I still have to take it back for a few other things so might as well bring that up while there. Thanks 😁 ps.. wish I could post a video to this forum so you guys can see 😔

 

I cannot make sense of what you are asking. Can you rephrase exactly what is happening?

And your Kia wasn't faster than the Maxima, lol

 

Yes there is some sort of continual learning going on by the CVT and engine electronics. Even my 2010 had that. I think that is all your experiencing.

 

Ok well that's good to know .. I'm worried it needs a transmission at just 2000 miles lol

 

Hello ... No I wasn't saying my Kia was faster .. I was saying coming from a Kia my max is faster n that I was driving it (Maxima) faster for the first month or so of owning it . I guess I really don't know how else to word my question.. other then when driving around 25-30 mph my car drops in rpms.. from 2000rpms to 1000rpms and if I keep my car at a steady speed of 30 mph the car has no power because it's driving at such a low rpm.. almost feels like it's going to bog out.. but doesn't.. when I shift the shifter over to manual mode at 30 mph it says it's in 6th gear on the instrument panel.. again I know there's no gears but in comparison to gears which it tries to simulate so the dealer has told me .. so my question is does you max go down to 1000 rpms and 6th gear when driving 25-30mph on flat road ? U can see what gear ratio it's in by shifting it to manual mode while doing 30 mpg.. hope this makes my question clearer 😁

 

If I understand you correctly, then yes, what you are experiencing is normal CVT operation. And no you are not really in 6th gear, or any gear for that matter. The CVT has no gears. In manual operation the gearing is defined as the relation of the drive belt to a certain position on two opposing gear "cones", if you will. Aw heck, just read up on CVT's and their operation and you will understand more about your transmission's magic.

 

The CVT does all it can to get the RPMs down in normal driving so you get great economy. Good analogy to a manual tranny where you shift early into a higher gear. Some might feel like it is bogging down but a quick gas pedal shove will bring back the power you are missing. Around town, it is not uncommon to see 1200 rpm on the tach. The engine has the torque to handle this.

Not a bad idea to have the dealer read the CVT fault codes- if there are any, just to be sure. I still can't believe the great mileage I get on this car - 25 MPG in town and 33-34 MPG on the interstate @ 73 MPH. I have 31K on the clock on my 2016 Platinum.

 

No, you cannot see what gear ratio it is in when selecting manual mode. When you select manual you are forcing it to choose from seven pre-programmed ratios, in essence you are changing what the transmission is doing. If you want to go faster push down on that little pedal under your right foot.

If you are just cruising at 25 it will select its highest ratio to give you the best fuel economy.

 

Thanks all for the replies .. it's good to know that my car is acting as it should .. my husband has told me it's normal but it just feels off to me. Thanks again 😉😉😉👍👍👍

 

I wouldn't worry bout it too much, so far this generation of CVT has been pretty darn reliable (for most folks at least). Ditto what everyone else said about the CVT "learning" from your driving style. I had some complaints at first but it has smoothed out considerably the longer I've driven it

I will say, this drivetrain appears to be more favorable to more aggressive driving. In other words, you'll get better behavior out of it if you don't baby the pedal too much.

 

Ok so I this is my second cvt car. First one was a 2016 Infiniti Q50 and it did the same thing your talking about. Now my 2017 Max does it also. I've learned that when your driving and decide to go into manual mode the transmission automatically drops a gear so to speak as soon as you put it in manual mode Without You downshifting or telling it to. Also noticed if you drive normal you will be in 6 or 7th gear so to speak at or around 40-45 miles. Thats how the car act when u drive slow but it's great because it's doing you a favor by saving you gas and getting up into the gear quickly.

 

The Infiniti most certainly DOES NOT have a CVT, but it's interesting you say that they behave in similar ways. The Max CVT can put on a pretty dang good performance at times

 

Mine slips into the "4th" speed when I drop into the manual mode which I use when coasting to a stop.

Hey Fishman, I believe the mid sized Infinity SUV has had the CVT for some time.

 

7 speed auto

 

I have a 2018 SL. I came across this thread and your response I read. When I’m driving in 40-45 I do notice the lower gear that you speak of but I’m also getting a terrible vibration in the seat when I accelerate from that speed. I’ve taken it to numerous shops and no one can tell me anything. If you still have your Maxima do or did you ever notice this?