CVT...Blows...Just Plain Blows. As does the EPA. The driving force behind Subaru's need to use it. What s*cked in a Nissan Rogue...s*cks in an OB as well. Sorry. The best transmission ever put in an OB...the JATCO 5EAT...needs revisiting. IMPO. Otherwise...


EEERRRRREEEERRRREEERRRR!!!!!. Yuk.

 

CVT...Blows...Just Plain Blows.

I disagree, for a whole host of reasons.

 

Have the dealer check it out. Can't say I have a sound like that on mine but I have the 3.6.

 

This is probably a long-shot but have you checked to determine if any of the insulation covering the transmission is off or out of place? I've got a little over 4000 mi. and no noises like in your audio clip.

 

My CVT audio posted at: https://youtu.be/BRqwdAfemPU

Did you record this under the hood or from the driver's seat. Doesn't sound normal if the second. I'll check mine out later, though I definitely have gotten the eggbeater-like whirring of the chain at low speed.

 

Is this the "normal" Gen. 5 Outback CVT Sound ?




This is my thinking too. If you made the recording from inside the cabin with windows up, then you have a problem with your transmission. Otherwise the recording is normal. ?
I have a 4 year old XV CVT with 54,000 Km on the clock and it gets noisier with age especially warming up. But I prefer the responsiveness compared to the conventional auto box.

 

The cell phone was on the floor in front of the car to record the audio, but I could easily hear it when in the car with the window rolled down.

 

RE: My first CVT
My first car....Years ago, I was given a Buick with a shiftless Dynaflow trans. "slow motion"
Then I bought a used 1960 Chev. Impala with a rare Turbo Glide shiftless trans. "troublesome"
Hope my CVT proves itself to be much better over time.
Since purchase..Have only driven it 400 miles in a month.

 

Ah....your post brings back fond memories of my first car, a 1961 Impala with the 2 speed Powerglide. I seemingly replaced those on a quarterly basis....wonder if it had anything to do with my driving style as a 16 year old...:grin2: Got tired of replacing those so replaced the car with '66 4 speed Chevelle....only had to replace the clutch once but seemed to wear out a lot of back tires.....must have been Chevy's fault...LOL

 

Are you sure it is the CVT. I had a 15 and it had a noise when cold under slow acceleration that sounded like a internal rod knock. Not a fan of the FB25 in the OB

 

The CVT definitely has a low/med whirring chain sound in R/D, quite apparent in an enclosed garage (or drive thru). But yours has a/some high pitch sound that doesn’t seem normal, or it’s relative to the mic pickup (which is not unusual).

 

Folks, let's not turn this into a transmission preference thread. I just wanted to know if this was the normal sound or not from Gen 5 owners. CVT feels fine and I have no complaints on the way it drives. Until this sound, I had no issues with CVT. That sound either got louder it or it was not there before. Took it to the dealer and they are looking at it.

 

If it doesn’t throw a code… “It’s normal, they all do that”.
Have the SM bring up another CVT and see/listen for the difference, and please report back.

 

@Brucey, is the CVT doing the same noise for you as it did in my video?

 

Sorry for rambling off topic.

Appears to be normal operation. I couldn't hear it before, but inside the garage with the car parked mine makes the same noise.

https://youtu.be/a7sHU8x7BFc

 

Back on topic. The first thing should be fluid level check by the dealer. Could be a noisy pump but that sound isnt "typical"

Just trying to think if an accessory belt load might change when the car goes into gear. What happens if your in Neutral and you raise the rpms some do you get a chirp or similar sound? Just trying to think if a pully on a belt is noisy if the load changes? Try turning on the AC while in Neutral that would probably be a good way to see if a belt under load gets noisy.

Just trying to eliminate possible things.

As for CVTs they are here to stay and the prious taxies are doing 500k or more on the original cvts these days. 300k they replace the gas burner with a crate engine.

 

Im thinking noisy high pressure pump in the cvt. If many of them make that noise it could be nature of the beast sorta thing. But I hope not.

 

Was curious so checked it in the garage through reverse, neutral and drive and all sounds were consistent. Can't say if it's a big deal or if it's normal or not as some folks have and some don't it seems. Maybe it is a 2.5 thing as Kentucky said

 

Summery/resolution: this noise is normal for CVT. When I dropped the car off at the dealer in the AM, the "consultant" tech said he has not heard that noise and to leave it there for them to investigate. When their technician looked at it, he said it is all normal and comparing it to another car had the same sound (and at that point, thanks to Brucey's video, I knew that he was correct).

I am not sure why I have not heard that noise before, maybe with warmer temps it is a bit louder than it used to be.

 

I remember having a 2.5 for 2 days while my 09 was being worked on.
It wasn't louder than the 3.6, and it pulled very well. But it did have a "Different" sound to it, compared to the 3.6.

 

If manual is better why does the maintenance schedule say to check the 5-speed version more often than the CVT?

 

3.6 OB'S and Forester Turbo's have the beefier HDCVT application. I have have found that CVT quieter in all conditions. Hot, cold, idle and driven hard. Perhaps when the OB gets it's much needed HP and TQ bump in the future that will be the base trans.

 

Enjoying the discussion but have question for 5th Gen Outback owners. I have a new Outback Limited 2.5 with 700 miles on it. I have noticed from early on a fairly rough acceleration with very slight pedal depression. In stop and go traffic or slow take off from a stop it seems to surge some or have a bit of a lag at times. Not sure if it is a transmission issue or the engine but it feels more like the engine is not accelerating correctly with minimal gas pedal. Very noticeable at times. Doesn't seem to do it when cold.

I brought it to the dealer and they drove it and checked codes. Nothing wrong as far as they are concerned. They blame the CVT. Has anyone else experienced this rough acceleration? Seems fine when accelerating harder like to get on freeway, etc. Otherwise the car drives great. Gas mileage is only about 21 MPG though in mostly city driving. Hope that improves but maybe is an indication of something related to the rough acceleration. Any advice or comments appreciated.