Reliability of the Jatco variator and features of its maintenance

Useful information | Typical faults | Repair

Over the past few years, the CVT has moved from the category of exotic to the category of a completely familiar “automatic” and has managed to survive several serious crises, either gaining the status of a reliable continuously variable transmission or losing precious reputation points.
If German automakers have taken the predominantly robotic route of shaft gearboxes, then Japanese engineers, like several years ago, still focus on improving and producing continuously variable transmissions. Jatco, one of the largest manufacturers of automobile transmissions, has been particularly successful in this direction. The company is owned by Nissan (75% shares), Mitsubishi (15% shares) and Suzuki (10% shares). Boxes produced by Jatco are most often found on cars of the Nissan-Renault group. The JF011E variator, which used to be equipped with most Japanese passenger cars, is considered a real bestseller. But already in 2012, the JF011E is being replaced by a new modification of the CVT - JF016E, which will be destined to replace its predecessor virtually everywhere within a few years, where it was installed. Also in 2012, the JF017E gearbox appeared and it became the main one for Nissan and Renault cars with engines from 250 to 400 Nm of torque. Next we’ll talk about the reliability of these two continuously variable transmissions.

CVT or manual transmission - that is the question?!

Judging by the reviews of Koleos owners, they were initially very wary and distrustful of continuously variable transmissions.

However, over time, some drivers were forced to change their driving behavior from aggressive to more restrained driving when their CVTs broke down. And others, due to age or a change in marital status (the appearance of children in the family), also moderated their fast appetites.

And now, both the first and the second, almost in a single impulse, scatter compliments to the CVTs, like famous birds about their swamp.

As already noted, when choosing whether to buy an Arcana with a CVT, or, nevertheless, give preference to a traditional manual transmission, everyone needs to think about it. Or, as they say, ask yourself the question: is this game, in the sense of a variator, worth the candle?

You can, of course, take into account that the Arcana with a CVT will accelerate faster, drive quieter, and consume less fuel. On the other hand, you need to get used to the variator, it has expensive maintenance and, if, God forbid, a breakdown occurs, then repairs will also be required.

In general, every city has its own character and rights, and every car enthusiast has his own mind.

Read further:

Renault Arcana gearbox: manual, variator, automatic or robot?

Advantages and disadvantages of Renault Arcana all-wheel drive

All the pros and cons of Renault Arcana in owner reviews

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Tuning Renault Duster

CVT JF016E

The JF016E continuously variable transmission is designed for medium and premium class cars with an engine up to 2.5 liters. It replaced the tenth family, becoming part of the CVT8 series, so the JF016E CVT is also labeled as Xtronic CVT8 RE0F10D. Despite the fact that a whole generation change has occurred, new units are designed on the basis of their ancestors. In fact, the new CVT inherited the entire engine range from the well-known JF011E, the circulation of which by 2012 was breaking all absolute records and was approaching the mark of 5 million units produced. The Japanese have taken a very sensitive approach to the issue of mass production of cars with an updated continuously variable transmission. At first, the JF016E was installed exclusively on the Nissan Serena and Altima with a 2.0 and 2.5 liter engine, respectively, as well as on a smaller power unit in the Renault Clio. The first tests made it clear that there were some electronic diseases. The initial CVT settings turned out to be aggressive, which led to early failure of the valve body. It was replaced under warranty, and after that the Japanese modified the firmware of the electronic unit, which was the solution to the problem.

Buy spare parts for variator JF016E/JF017E

After minor adjustments, the continuously variable transmission was installed on the group’s mass-produced cars – Nissan Teana 2.0/2.5 and Qashqai 2.0. At first, these cars were tested exclusively in Japanese operating conditions, and only in 2014 a new modification of the variator began to conquer the hearts of car enthusiasts around the world. The box began to be installed on the Chevrolet City Express, Mitsubishi Outlander, Lancer and ASX. This is not the entire list of models equipped with JF016E. Since 2013, CVT8 has appeared on both the legendary Nissan X-Trail and the Nissan Juke with a 1.6 engine, popular among European motorists. The main difference between the CVT8 and the previous transmission was the presence of a manual control mode: the driver was able to independently switch virtual gears using a pair of levers located under the steering wheel.

In addition, other changes were introduced:

• the oil pump has become more powerful and slightly more compact;
• early locking of the torque converter;
• the presence of only eight valves in the control unit instead of twelve as was previously the case;
• the CVT power range has increased from six to seven units;
• Thanks to the low-viscosity lubricant, it was possible to reduce the level of friction of internal parts.

If we compare the endurance of the unit with the already installed resource JF011E, then the reliability of the JF016E variator has decreased by 1.5 times. Even taking into account the fact that engineers have already eliminated almost all the problems and replaced unreliable parts with analogues with higher strength, the average transmission service life is 200 thousand km. We'll talk about the main faults of the variator below; they are the same for CVT8 units.

Is a CVT really that reliable?

The improved Jatco unit is designed to adapt to engines with medium power parameters and volumes up to 3.5 liters. As for Renault Arcana engines, these are, firstly, mainly 150-horsepower engines, and, secondly, with a volume of 1.3 liters.

Therefore, the strength parameters inherent in this design have a sufficient reserve of both power and resource capabilities. And this is nothing more than an argument in favor of the fact that Renault Arcana CVT transmissions should be both reliable and maintainable.

CVT JF017E

The older brother of the JF016E continuously variable transmission is the JF017E variator. The unit was specially designed for powerful front-wheel drive cars for an engine with a torque of 250 to 400 Nm. In order to “digest” the increased torque through the gearbox, the manufacturer decided to make a modification in two fundamentally different designs:

• with Bosch push belt for Nissan Murano;
• with a pull chain produced by ZF for other models, including those for powerful Renault engines;

The design differences between JF016E and JF017E are minimal; the second modification is, in fact, a strengthened version of the first. Now about the known CVT problems. The most intricate component of the CVT8 family of boxes is the valve body. The manufacturer decided to save on the iron base and eliminated the stepper motor. It was thanks to this device that in the variators of the previous family the oil pressure was regulated in order to change the gear ratio. They also decided to change the inside of the valve body by installing new-style solenoids. From this we find that the reliability of the JF017E variator is identical to the same indicator of the potential resource of the JF016E.

Disadvantages and problems

Statements that CVTs transmit forces without interruption are only true at average power parameters, since they are not capable of delivering maximum power and maximum rotational forces for a long time.

Moreover, they are, let’s say, scrupulous under harsh operating conditions. On Renault Arcana with a CVT, you should forget about:

• sudden acceleration;
• maximum speed on climbs and overcoming obstacles;
• hard braking.

Actually, all of the above can be a warning to those who like aggressive road behavior. They should think carefully about whether they should choose a Renault Arcana with a CVT.

Common faults of the JF017E variator

1. Jerking while shifting gears. This phenomenon most often indicates increased contamination of the transmission fluid. The material especially quickly becomes unusable due to accelerated wear of the clutches, which was a consequence of the extended range of activation of the fluid coupling lock.
2. Weak cone bearings. This weakness of the variator has been known for a long time. Even in the previous generation, insufficiently durable bearings caused car owners to seek early repairs. With the advent of the CVT8, the situation did not change and this weakness of the continuously variable transmission was inherited by the new family.
3. Noise and vibration. The smaller oil pump did not live up to expectations. The components of the device wear out quickly, over time the box begins to hum and vibrations occur. Therefore, excess noise does not only come from the cone bearings.

But it is worth saying that the CVT8 retained its maintainability. Typically, repairs do not exceed 150 thousand rubles and most often cost a much smaller amount. The most costly failure is the failure of the hydraulic unit. It cannot be repaired and must be replaced with a new copy. But the difficulty is that using a new assembly or solenoids separately will not work. Appropriate calibration will be required. Almost always, car owners look for a valve body at a disassembly site together with a control unit from the same car.

Maintenance and repair of variators

There are problems with both maintenance and repair of these units, due to the fact that, firstly, special repair shops are required, and secondly, repair work is not a cheap operation.

As for maintenance, this service requires:

• Particularly strict adherence to the frequency of replacement of both oil and filters. No later than after 30 thousand mileage; (detailed information on replacement here)
• CVTs require special grades of oil. They must have improved lubrication and cooling parameters;
• Maintenance manipulations should be carried out in special service centers, as well as operations for diagnosing and adjusting CVT control systems, the availability of which in Russia is very limited.

At the same time, violation of the timing of maintenance and diagnostics of transmission control systems not only contributes to their incorrect operation, but also leads to breakdowns that require expensive repairs, and often even replacement of variators.

Repair

Scheduled repairs of the JF016E/17E variator are performed at a mileage of about 150 thousand kilometers. As part of such work, the clutches, all torque converter consumables, gaskets and seals, bushings are changed, the necessary cleaning of the valve body is carried out, and the oil pump, which may have a worn valve, is also diagnosed. Timely implementation of such repair work is an excellent prevention of serious malfunctions, the elimination of which will require a major overhaul of the gearbox.

Any major overhaul of this variator includes replacing a worn belt, often requiring replacement of cones, diagnostics and restoration of the oil pump, worn clutches and discs. It may also be necessary to replace iron, including bearings, which were originally made of soft metal that is not very resistant to increased loads. In rare cases, when the variator is used for a long time on old oil, it is necessary to replace all linear solenoids as a set.

CVT resource

According to the manufacturer, the period of proper operation of the JF016E CVT transmission without repair is 150 thousand km. In fact, with careful driving in urban conditions, according to statistics from our specialists, a CVT transmission will last for 70–100 thousand km. will not require repair. However, the period of trouble-free operation of the gearbox can be significantly reduced due to violations of the requirements for the operation of a CVT transmission:

• Towing a loaded trailer or other vehicle.
• Wheel slipping when driving on an icy road or in snow.
• Heavy loads on the transmission when overcoming off-road conditions.
• Overheating of the variator in hot weather.
• Long-term movement at maximum speed (maximum engine speed).
• Filling the continuously variable transmission with non-certified low-quality oil.
• Use of non-original filter elements.
• Failure to comply with the regulations for changing transmission oil.

The manufacturer recommends replacing the lubricant every 40 thousand kilometers or earlier when operating the vehicle in difficult conditions. The volume of the lubrication system is 7.9 liters.

DIY JF016E repair

We strongly do not recommend doing repairs yourself, as this requires experience in diagnosing and repairing continuously variable transmissions. But we will share the general steps for your reference.

1. Automatic transmission valve body repair. Each slab is disassembled and washed. Regulator solenoids and, if necessary, speed sensors are changed. The unit requires precise calibration.
2. Repair of a continuously variable transmission due to overheating. The reason for overheating of the JF016E box is a clogged cooling radiator. The defect can be eliminated by cleaning the cooling system. The connecting hoses are also removed for purging. Overheating can be prevented by frequent transmission oil changes.

3. Planetary gear repair. For repairs, the variator is removed from the car and completely disassembled. Usually the input shaft fails. The sun gear may also break. Malfunctions are eliminated by installing new spare parts.

4. Torque converter repair. The pump wheel often fails and requires replacement. To replace parts, the product is cut along the seam with a grinder. After the repair, the gas turbine casing is welded.
5. Adjusting gear ratios. Setting up the JF016E variator is carried out after installing the unit on the car and filling in new transmission oil. The learning is reset and the gear ratio adjustment procedure is carried out.

Repair operations are complex, so it is better to entrust the repair of the Jatco JF016E variator to our service center. Experienced craftsmen will perform all operations in accordance with the requirements and tolerances of technical documentation.

How to extend the life of a variator

prevent the need for complex repairs of the JF016E/17E variator by timely changing the oil with all filters, carrying out a planned restoration of the gearbox, including changing all torque converter consumables. This variator does not like fast driving, which often leads to its overheating and rapid wear. You should also properly maintain the heat exchanger, which is cleaned of existing contaminants during each scheduled repair. If repairs are necessary, you should use only original spare parts, which will extend the life of this variator.