Well, I've got an issue with my MC with CVT. I place in in reverse, wait the appropriate five or so seconds for the car to engage into drive (usually noted by a slight drop in RPMs,) flip it into drive then press the gas to go...only over the last few days as soon as I press the gas to go it shutters, rpms drop way down and almost stalls.

Today I tried it a different way and kept my foot on the break for extra time after I'd moved from reverse to drive...and it still happened.

I've got the car scheduled to go in in about a week - but I'm wondering if anyone else has had this problem. I read a lot about pre-05s having this issue, but not a lot about 2005 MC.

I can only assume I've got a transmission issue, but maybe it's just the cold. I suffer the usual herky-jerky/stumble issues when slowing down, a few spiked rpms when it's cold, etc...but I thought those were pretty common to the car.

So I'm also wondering if there's any way I can tell what software updates my car has had. Do I have to ask the dealer?

Any and all advice accepted. I love my car, and as I'm still under my bumper to bumper warranty I feel pretty good about repairs being covered if it's the transmission...but I'm now quite nervous after reading all the threads about the nasty habits of CVTs.

Sage

 

try to clean out your throttle body. directly behind the butterfly, it usually get pretty dirty behind there. Use carb cleaner. It should fix the problem. Steve

 

Sweet!! Thanks a ton for your help - I'll try that tomorrow.

 

It isn't a high milage MC is it? Time for a transmission fluid change maybe?

 

Nope. Only about 20K so far.

 

did you find out anything ?

 

I thought there was "throttle body" cleaner available instead of carb cleaner. If memory serves there is an issue with carb cleaner fouling O2 sensors. Throttle Body cleaner doesnt' do that.
Sorry for the wishy washy post, but I remember this from some posts at Miata.net... wish I had saved them...

 

Ive used carb/throttle body cleaner on the inside of my intercooler and throttle body before. The stuff said right on the bottle "Carb and Throttle Body cleaner - safe for all cars" or something to that effect...the bottle, you see, is not infront of me nor can I get it from my garage.

 

I just got my Mini back from the service techs over in Nebraska - quite a hike, but I was out of things to try myself. They stated that although they couldn't get the problems to replicate they did find several "faults" in my software. They said they fixed those and think the issues should resolve themselves. We'll see I guess.

Thanks for all the advice.

 

I've been experiencing the exact same problem with my '05 MC with CVT. It's much more noticable when the temperature is below 32 degrees and when the car and tranny is cold.

Did the dealer software upgrade seem to help?

 

GreenMini937 -

Although I'm upset that your Mini is having the same problem, I feel a bit less crazy hearing that someone else is having the same issue.

I had the software updates, they did a complete look-over the car and still nothing. I continue to have the same problems...but today it was 52 degrees out - our first warm day in months...and the car behaved relatively like a dream. No problems to speak of.

I'm not sure if that makes me happy or sad. I guess this winter was the first time I truly realized how horrid CVTs are in the cold.

 

My 03 CVT will do it when cold but not while backing up but when going from reverse to drive I watch the RPM drop to 700 and then right back up to 1000 a second later acts like when you let the clutch out fast with 0 gas on a 5speed.

 

D3m0N - pretty much what I'm experiencing. Odd how I felt none of this last winter. Maybe it's because just now I'm getting the miles a touch above 21K. You've described the feeling exactly.

 

Maybe its just an Iowa thing...

 

Not at all out of the realm of possibilities.