I am new here - I have been blasting through as much as I can find on the CVT adaptations for the last two weeks while I've been waiting on parts for my 2003 Mini Base w/ CVT, its got roughly 92k miles on.

I bought it in a no run/no drive condition for $1k two weeks ago, and I think I'm CLOSE to having it moving. (I use all OEM parts wherever I can)

It needed a fuel pump & filter, I replaced those and cleaned out the tank, it had a cylinder 1 misfire, so I replaced all injectors, the coil, wires, etc...

Now the dreaded CVT - I like a challenge, so I'm not too worried but I'm still having issues with it. I had CEL's for the neutral safety switch as well as the transmission speed sensor, so I replaced those, topped the thing back up with fluid, and I'm having problems getting it to complete the adaptation process.

What I've done so far:

Reset the CVT adaptations using INPA - tried to do the re-adaptation process but cant keep the car from dying half way through.

Driven it around my block, shifted through the gears to get the new fluid moving through it (I used valvoline CVT oil that was rated for this machine) - but it seems to have a LOT of trouble stopping. It wants to die every time I stop.

I drained what I'm imagining is the whole transmission (or nearly the whole thing) from the NSS hole when I pulled it & then topped it up with 3 qts initially, and ended up putting the 4th in too.

I'm guessing the damage is already done, but I'm hoping somebody here has some insight on anything I might be able to try to get this thing re-adapted. I've driven it maybe 1 mile since clearing everything, and sometimes its shifting amazing, others its not. I did get it into xP mode just fine, I just cant get it to complete the process without the engine quitting on me. I have been doing it with the engine warm, and have seen a few things about it needing to be cold to learn, is there truth to that?

Anyway, I'm hoping someone on here can tell me something helpful, if the transmission is trashed so be it - but I just dont "feel" like it is. It's got good power, it feels pretty nice when driving, I just cant figure out this last step. Maybe someone on here has had the same issue

Thanks for the help in advance - hope to hear from someone soon!

 

I just bought the Foxwell NT530 scanner and used it to reset Adaptations on my car today. It took several attempts to get it into adaptation relearn mode but it went like this:
In park for 3 sec, xP showing as the present gear, shift from park to neutral, xN, for three seconds, the to Drive, xD again for 3 seconds. Repeat ten times
In park for 3 sec, xP, shift from park to neutral, xN, for three seconds, the to Reverse, xR again for 3 seconds. Repeat ten times

now the weird part

In xD, accelerate to 50 mph and coast back down. You will need a long empty road. It will act like it wants to stay in first gear but will shift near redline at 45 mph or so. It measures something as it slows through 4500 rpm, 3500 rpm, …1500 rpm.

When mine coasted through 1500 the first time (after several attempts) it popped from xD mode back into D and I think it was done resetting adaptations. I think.

Good Luck,
Peter