Team-BHP - Honda recalls 3,879 units of the City CVT - Updated software to optimize CVT hydraulics

Press release:

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HCIL to recall 3879 units of CVT variants of Honda City New Delhi, 23 October 2015: Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) today announced that it would voluntary recall 3,879 units of CVT variants of Honda City manufactured from Feb'14 to Nov'14 to update the software that manages the continuously variable transmission (CVT) as part of Honda’s recall campaign in several regions globally. The CVT control software will be updated to optimize the Hydraulic Pressure applied to the CVT.

The software will be updated free of cost at HCIL dealerships across India from 24th October 2015 and the company will communicate with customers directly. The customers can also check whether their car is covered under this campaign by submitting their 17 character alpha-numeric Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) on the special microsite which has been created on the company’s website (www.hondacarindia.com).

Customer information:

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Dear Customer,

We at Honda would like to thank you for your association with Honda products and hope you are enjoying your ownership experience.

Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL) is carrying out a recall to update the software that manages the continuously variable transmission (CVT) as part of Honda’s recall campaign in several regions globally. The CVT control software will be updated to optimize the Hydraulic Pressure applied to the CVT.

The updation would be carried out free of cost at HCIL dealerships across India from 24th October 2015 at Honda authorized dealerships across India.

Please go through the following instructions to check if your car is part of this campaign.

We seek your cooperation in this regard & sincerely regret the inconvenience caused.

With best regards,

Honda Cars India

You can check if your car is affected here: https://hondacarindia.com/PUD5VG/5ZK...erInquiry.aspx

Link to Press release: https://www.hondacarindia.com/mediac...aspx?pr_id=350

They're going to reduce the hydraulic pressure - about 20 cars ended up with broken drive pulley shafts because they couldn't handle the stress.

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Honda is recalling 143,676 examples of the 2014-2015 Civic and 2015 Fit for a problem with the way that its software controls the CVT. Currently, the system uses high hydraulic pressure in the transmission at times, which can put stress on the drive pulley shaft. Also, some of those parts "may have been produced at the low end of the hardness specification" during manufacturing, the automaker reports.

When the two factors are combined over time, the high pressure could cause the shaft to break. If this happens, it would result in losing drive to the front wheels or in them locking up. According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (as a PDF), Honda received the first report of a shaft breaking in July 2014 in the US, and there was a wheel lockup in Canada in January 2015. As of September 3, there were 23 warranty claims about this issue but no reported injuries.

The fix will be an update to the CVT's software, and the recall will begin October 16, according to NHTSA. Honda is urging owners to get their vehicles repaired as soon as they receive the notification.

Source - Autoblog.com

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Originally Posted by rselva (Post 3832651)

In what way will this affect the performance of CVT engine? Will the torque come down?

See, this part is key:

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stress on the drive pulley shaft. Also, some of those parts "may have been produced at the low end of the hardness specification" during manufacturing, the automaker reports.

Basically means that the shaft isn't as strong as it should have been. Instead of replacing that - which would be more expensive & complicated - Honda is conveniently reducing stress at the gearbox level.

Can't comment unless I drive a CVT before & after the software update. Just guessing that it'll upshift earlier? Again, just a shot in the dark. No clue really.

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Originally Posted by GTO (Post 3832635)

They're going to reduce the hydraulic pressure - about 20 cars ended up with broken drive pulley shafts because they couldn't handle the stress.

I do not really understand the concept of these recalls, I mean are you saying you goofed up in the first place and trying to fix something now? Or is it to show you are improving continuously hence recalls are normal??

This is a very core functionality and how come it never cropped up during development or testing?

So tomorrow, if the brakes are found to be faulty, will they recall and make the car run much slower???