CVT replacement!

[iad]

Subaru cvt equip a heat exchanger, it is a pieze wi

Yes, the 1.6 has a heat exchanger... but does not equip a front cooler, which is the best and neccesary option if you put more torque to the cvt.
These two pics are the vm4 heat exchanger.
the last is the vmg oem cooler, added to the upper cooler, what you need for more torque.
If your 1.6t equip the two coolers, please, take some pics.

Mine (levorg 2L in Australia) has the front mounted CVT cooler like what is shown in the second image.

 

[cheddle]

W

Hey guys

I had a ECU tune placed in the Levorg, and it has destroyed my CVT (bummed to the max). I was unaware of the issue until I took the car to Subaru to repair the 'gear slipping' that I had been experiencing while accelerating. After weeks of Subaru trying to diagnose the issue, they came to a halt as they realised I had a tune on the vehicle, and after getting the ECU flashed back to stock, they managed to diagnose the issue as too much torque going through the drivetrain, there fore destroying the CVT. Now, they are wanting 12-15k to replace the CVT as it's not covered under the factory warranty, and I am livid. I realise that I took the chance by putting the tune on, and now im trying to find a cheaper way to rectify this situation. Does anyone know if a second hand CVT has to come from the same model Levorg, or can I replace one from another Subaru model? And if anyone here has a lead to where I could potentially find a second hand one in good condition, or a reptutable place to start looking.
I'm based in Melbourne, but happy to look at other states to ship one in.

Please help, I want my baby back!

What a nightmare. I'm not sure I can help you out here but surley the high failure rates and extended warranty in the USA suggest that there is an underlying issue with the CVT... the JDM Levorg has 400nm...

How many kms on your LEvorg? how many with teh tune? every changed the box fluid? and what kind of problem did you start to notice before it really let go?

 

[nicodache]

the JDM Levorg has 400nm...

That's a different unit than the one fitted to the 1.6dit.
CVT stuffs have been discussed in here a few times already. If you go through the entire forum, you'll find more info

 

[cheddle]

That's a different unit than the one fitted to the 1.6dit.
CVT stuffs have been discussed in here a few times already. If you go through the entire forum, you'll find more info

I am aware of that, I assumed that OP had a 2.0 (their profile suggests so)...

Even if it was the TR580 I am interested to hear about the behaviour the CVT demonstrated prior to failure, I wouldn't have thought that failure symptoms would be any different between the TR580 and the TR690.

OP, did the tune increase line pressures in the CVT at all? If not then this could account for the slip (and eventual damage)

Ive had a bit of a trawl though this forum but havnt really found the answers I am looking for.

 

[Arkatee]

Subaru cvt equip a heat exchanger, it is a pieze wi

Yes, the 1.6 has a heat exchanger... but does not equip a front cooler, which is the best and neccesary option if you put more torque to the cvt.
These two pics are the vm4 heat exchanger.
the last is the vmg oem cooler, added to the upper cooler, what you need for more torque.
If your 1.6t equip the two coolers, please, take some pics.

I have just discovered my 1.6 does have the second cooler, in front of the radiator. If yours is a Euro spec car, it probably has one too.

 

[MikeAWD]

2018MY and above come with the front mount cooler. My 1.6 has one and another thread noted that was the year it changed. Probably to address premature failure. The MRT guys said 400nm is it for max tq before the cvt starts failing in the FA20 Levorg. That number is lower, 250ft/lbs or 338NM in the FB16 cvt. Swapping to manual possible but not worth it. Besides the ECU I guarantee you have to replace everything. Axles, drive shafts, rear diff, brakes. Probably even different mounting points, due to it being a longer vehicle. I did a 04 STI 6spd conversation to my 02wrx and that was also a manual and I literally had to replace everything in the drivetrain from the flywheel back. Just repair or replace. Dial the tune down. If you have a 1.6 then a intake and a catback with a tune for it is all you can do. If a 2L, then basically the same, but can swith to a high flow cat. Add a transmission cooler and a oil cooler and ensure the boost is not raised. Just adjusting for more air in and out. Look good, sound good, and funner to drive. But this car is not made to win any races.

 

[Tommygtt]

2018MY and above come with the front mount cooler. My 1.6 has one and another thread noted that was the year it changed. Probably to address premature failure. The MRT guys said 400nm is it for max tq before the cvt starts failing in the FA20 Levorg. That number is lower, 250ft/lbs or 338NM in the FB16 cvt. Swapping to manual possible but not worth it. Besides the ECU I guarantee you have to replace everything. Axles, drive shafts, rear diff, brakes. Probably even different mounting points, due to it being a longer vehicle. I did a 04 STI 6spd conversation to my 02wrx and that was also a manual and I literally had to replace everything in the drivetrain from the flywheel back. Just repair or replace. Dial the tune down. If you have a 1.6 then a intake and a catback with a tune for it is all you can do. If a 2L, then basically the same, but can swith to a high flow cat. Add a transmission cooler and a oil cooler and ensure the boost is not raised. Just adjusting for more air in and out. Look good, sound good, and funner to drive. But this car is not made to win any races.

I do not know the MRT knowlegde about the 1.6dit but i follow one workshop which had made more than ten swaps of the 2.0dit engine into the 1.6dit chassis.
They can not tune the 2.0 because the oem torque is near of the limit for our small cvt. In fact, they are running 2.0 engines with tr580 gearbox with 350nm torque without problems.

 

[MikeAWD]

That's good to know. I'm about to do the 40k km maintenance on mine and change the cvt fluid and filter. I don't have a tune. Just cat back exhaust and a open k&n filter with GFB BOV. Even with that I feel the CVT is saying no more .

 

[Robsyuk]

2018MY and above come with the front mount cooler. My 1.6 has one and another thread noted that was the year it changed. Probably to address premature failure. The MRT guys said 400nm is it for max tq before the cvt starts failing in the FA20 Levorg. That number is lower, 250ft/lbs or 338NM in the FB16 cvt. Swapping to manual possible but not worth it. Besides the ECU I guarantee you have to replace everything. Axles, drive shafts, rear diff, brakes. Probably even different mounting points, due to it being a longer vehicle. I did a 04 STI 6spd conversation to my 02wrx and that was also a manual and I literally had to replace everything in the drivetrain from the flywheel back. Just repair or replace. Dial the tune down. If you have a 1.6 then a intake and a catback with a tune for it is all you can do. If a 2L, then basically the same, but can swith to a high flow cat. Add a transmission cooler and a oil cooler and ensure the boost is not raised. Just adjusting for more air in and out. Look good, sound good, and funner to drive. But this car is not made to win any races.

The 400nm torque on the cvt in the sti what would that be in bhp?

 

[MikeAWD]

The 400nm torque on the cvt in the sti what would that be in bhp?

That would be about 300hp. So a couple of easy mods or even just a tune on the 2.0L Levorg. Which is stock 265hp and 350nm of tq (258 ft/lbs). So 300hp would also be about 300 ft/lbs of tq and equivalent to 400nm.

 

[Robsyuk]

Hey guys

I had a ECU tune placed in the Levorg, and it has destroyed my CVT (bummed to the max). I was unaware of the issue until I took the car to Subaru to repair the 'gear slipping' that I had been experiencing while accelerating. After weeks of Subaru trying to diagnose the issue, they came to a halt as they realised I had a tune on the vehicle, and after getting the ECU flashed back to stock, they managed to diagnose the issue as too much torque going through the drivetrain, there fore destroying the CVT. Now, they are wanting 12-15k to replace the CVT as it's not covered under the factory warranty, and I am livid. I realise that I took the chance by putting the tune on, and now im trying to find a cheaper way to rectify this situation. Does anyone know if a second hand CVT has to come from the same model Levorg, or can I replace one from another Subaru model? And if anyone here has a lead to where I could potentially find a second hand one in good condition, or a reptutable place to start looking.
I'm based in Melbourne, but happy to look at other states to ship one in.

Please help, I want my baby back!

What did you do in the end?

 

[Robsyuk]

Hey guys

I had a ECU tune placed in the Levorg, and it has destroyed my CVT

Did you get your CVT fixed?