CVT - issue with "choppiness"

[chickenbak]

It has been brought up a few times, but I couldn't find a real resolution.

Is the CVT itself typically choppy, and you just have to "learn" how to drive it.

It is embarrassing when you are driving, and you are steady on the gas, and the CVT shifts between different "gears" like it isn't satisfied with any of them.

Is this an issue that everyone has faced, or should I go to the dealership and get them to take a look at it.

[A4TwoZeroT]

IMO.. i think is because of the 7 gears.. the 7th gear is just there for the smooth ride and save on mpg.. and when u slightly touch the gas pedal.. the gear drops to the 6th gear.. thats what im thinking..
and also .. i dont know if u noticed... when ur at a dead stop and start taking off slowly.. u feel a rapid change of gears.. feels like it skips the first gear and start on the 2nd gear.. and just jumps right to 3rd in like a second..
i dont know if any of this made any sense.. im sleepy

-Tim

[chickenbak]

Originally posted by A4TwoZeroT
IMO.. i think is because of the 7 gears.. the 7th gear is just there for the smooth ride and save on mpg.. and when u slightly touch the gas pedal.. the gear drops to the 6th gear.. thats what im thinking..
and also .. i dont know if u noticed... when ur at a dead stop and start taking off slowly.. u feel a rapid change of gears.. feels like it skips the first gear and start on the 2nd gear.. and just jumps right to 3rd in like a second..
i dont know if any of this made any sense.. im sleepy

-Tim

Well it only really happens at really low speeds. I feel it jump back and forth between gears like it really doesn't know which gear to stay in.

My foot will be completely steady, and it will shift up, and then all of a sudden shift down and jolt the car forward. It doesn't make any sense, and it wholly erratic. :/

[Flatline Avant]

OK, good. Somebody else is having this issue too. I thought something was wrong with the car, and it only has 1000 miles on it. Thank God that's normal...

[chickenbak]

Originally posted by Flatline Avant
OK, good. Somebody else is having this issue too. I thought something was wrong with the car, and it only has 1000 miles on it. Thank God that's normal...

I don't think its normal. I test drove 4 cars (not mine unfortunately since it was brought in from another dealership), and none of them had issues like that.

[A4TwoZeroT]

^ but when you are test driving.. you dont drive slow.. you try to feel the power of the car.. now.. since its your car.. you will probably drive slower and be more careful and also pay more attention.

[chickenbak]

Originally posted by A4TwoZeroT
^ but when you are test driving.. you dont drive slow.. you try to feel the power of the car.. now.. since its your car.. you will probably drive slower and be more careful and also pay more attention.

I actually kind of did both. I really wanted the A4 to be a luxurious comfortable daily driver...never purchasing the car to be a sporty racier car.

It didn't really seem like the other cars I test drove did that.

I will be going to the dealership on Tuesday though and will update you.

[A4TwoZeroT]

^ cool .. thanx
i wanted to go to the dealership too .. but i dont have my car..
2nd day with the car.. someone rear-ended me..
20th day with the car.. someone rear-ended me again.. car not drivable.. but next week ill have the car back.. finally!!

[chickenbak]

Originally posted by A4TwoZeroT
^ cool .. thanx
i wanted to go to the dealership too .. but i dont have my car..
2nd day with the car.. someone rear-ended me..
20th day with the car.. someone rear-ended me again.. car not drivable.. but next week ill have the car back.. finally!!

Now that is what I call luck!!!!!!!! Remind me bet exactly opposite of anything you bet on :P

Only 1500 miles on my car. Great thing about living downtown is that you don't have to drive...I just walk to work. Put about 50 miles a week on the car typically.

[Spidee]

Originally posted by chickenbak
Only 1500 miles on my car. Great thing about living downtown is that you don't have to drive...I just walk to work. Put about 50 miles a week on the car typically.

I had a great time test driving a fronttrack CVT at the dealer. It had an S-Line package too. It felt like the fastest Audi when I test drove it. I did run it hard though. So I didn't get to feel what you guys are experiencing. At the end, I wanted quattro so I opted for a TIP. I have 1100 miles on mine and it's running good. [;)] I put 600 miles a week on my B7. It runs so quiet that I tend to get a little drowsy when the Sirius isn't playing some 50 Cent.[:p]

[chickenbak]

Originally posted by Spidee
I had a great time test driving a fronttrack CVT at the dealer. It had an S-Line package too. It felt like the fastest Audi when I test drove it. I did run it hard though. So I didn't get to feel what you guys are experiencing. At the end, I wanted quattro so I opted for a TIP. I have 1100 miles on mine and it's running good. [;)] I put 600 miles a week on my B7. It runs so quiet that I tend to get a little drowsy when the Sirius isn't playing some 50 Cent.[:p]

I ended up getting XM instead of Sirius, had no clue which one was better and don't listen to Howard Stern.

I really like the S-Line package, it looks great, but it was hard for me to justify the cost...the paddles are definitely nice though, but almost ironic on the CVT :P

I got the CVT because of the smoothness of the transmission, which as of now I can't really say it possesses. Obviously there is a disparity from when I test drove the cars and now...question is, is there truly a difference or is it just a figment of my imagination.

Still waiting for weather in Houston that I would need quattro for :P

[JettaJoeVR6]

There is a TSB from Audi on this issue. Shuddering can be semi
normal under breaking. If you can feel it jerk your body it is \probably not normal. the transmission should opperate smoothly
under any driving condition.
reccomend taking to a dealer if if your questioning the drivability.
road test either with the service manger or the shop foreman.

[A4donkey]

Same as mine when it was new, after 5000km run-in, the CVT jerk will gone. May be the metal parts needed to be smooth out.

[chickenbak]

They ended up replacing my tranny completely, and it works fine now.

[AudiGuy666]

Originally posted by chickenbak
They ended up replacing my tranny completely, and it works fine now.


[eek] [confused]

[chickenbak]

At first they rebuilt the tranny...then after that, it didn't go away, so they replaced it.

Interestingly enough, after the new tranny, it still did it for about 200 miles, then all of a sudden worked itself out.

I suspect the system ends up tweaking itself into some kind of homeostasis...that is my only guess.

[Dangler]

uh oh....audi's old gremlins are back...
A.U.D.I = accelerator under demonic influence

lol...j/k

[Slo.Mo.Shun.]

So when I blow my cvt, they will replace it. [:D] can they get me a manual[wrench]

[PRESSURIZEDB7]

Im CVT with 11K + on the odometer.
Mods=CARBONIO.
APR 91,-93 flash.
Test Pipe (crackpipe)
still need of an exhaust. (anyone know what would fit)
I drive my car Hard.
CVT has no hickups at all.....once again the smoothest tranny i've driven.
On the plus side..CVT is claimed to keep the car at the top of the powerband for each shift when driven hard.
p.s just for the record...i'm willing to try the K04 set up....see if the tranny holds. if not time for a new tranny.

[blackb7]

new cvt tranny costs $9000 to replace if not covered by warranty.

[Slo.Mo.Shun.]

Well for the moment my CVT is working flawlessly, and I know someone that is doing over 320 WHP on a CVT (with REVO, ZEX and others), and it works perfectly.

Why isn’t covered by the warranty, if it is a stock car?

[;)] [;)] [;)] [:D]

[chickenbak]

320 WHP on a CVT?

That is amazing...who exactly is this?

[Slo.Mo.Shun.]

The owner of the tuning shop I go to, and that is just his wife’s car, so just imagine...

[lucifer]

Originally posted by chickenbak
Well it only really happens at really low speeds. I feel it jump back and forth between gears like it really doesn't know which gear to stay in.

My foot will be completely steady, and it will shift up, and then all of a sudden shift down and jolt the car forward. It doesn't make any sense, and it wholly erratic. :/

you were mentioning that it was happening at low speeds...i have a 6MT and ive noticed that the car doesnt shit as cleanly or as well at slow speeds...our cars are not meant to go slow i guess lol

[audib7a4]

i think i understand your problem, try to load your car with 5 ppl on a hot day, when u slowly acclerate it will chock then get into the right gear and go...is that what you mean? i am hitting 8k miles and still have that problem...should've never gotten the auto... i thought it would suk in traffic with manual...

[TypeMRT]

Same choppiness/hesitation here. I just passed 2K miles and it's the same "Is it in neutral?" kind of hesitation since mile 18. I was obviously being pretty easy on it for the first 1K miles; did the tranny "learn" that I tended toward easy takeoffs & acceleration in the beginning and that's what it's sticking with?
Guess it's time to see how well the service dept at the dealership is...

[jdigga99]

They ended up replacing my tranny completely, and it works fine now.

I fear this is what is going to have to happen with mine...it is jerking at low speeds worse than ever and it even shudders some at higher speeds...I'm thinking of just selling it.