Why severe frost is especially dangerous for Chinese ‘robots’ and CVTs
- January 13, 2024
- 0
Just a few years ago, the intricacies of driving cars from the Middle Kingdom were of interest to a fairly thin layer of their owners in Russia. But
Just a few years ago, the intricacies of driving cars from the Middle Kingdom were of interest to a fairly thin layer of their owners in Russia. But now that Chinese cars have flooded the domestic market, this issue has become relevant for many motorists.
A typical modern Chinese passenger car on the Russian market is equipped with a CVT or a two-clutch robotic gearbox. In addition, a large share of Chinese passenger cars currently sold in our country are occupied by models originally intended exclusively for the PRC domestic market. In this case we are not just talking about the presence or absence of certain “winter” options in their configurations, such as a heated windshield or steering wheel. This is of course an important aspect, but not crucial for the operation of the car.
The fact is that Chinese suppliers often do not worry about much more serious matters. Namely the parameters of technical fluids in the vehicle. Few car owners realize that the oil in the “robot” or the working fluid in the variator, like engine lubricant, has distinct viscosity properties that depend on temperature. That is, they tend to thicken when cooled and become less viscous when heated. In the case we are considering, the ‘icy’ aspect is interesting. Not all Chinese car manufacturers pay the necessary attention to it. Russian climatic conditions require that the “slurry” in any type of gearbox does not lose fluidity to at least −50ºС.
In China, the vast majority of cars drive at much higher temperatures. Therefore, their transmissions usually use cheaper fluids that thicken even at −30ºC. In Russian reality, this leads to the fact that even at 20 degrees of frost their viscosity becomes too high for the normal operation of the gearbox. But the car owner, who started the engine of a car with such a consistency of fluid in the variator or oil in the “robot”, is not aware of this. And it starts moving, forcing the device to work on a creamy substance.
An indicator of such a state of affairs in the transmission can be extremely slow shifting, jerking and the smell of a “scorched clutch.” This continues until the mechanism warms up and the oil (or fluid in the variator) reaches normal operating temperature. So far it does not fulfill one of its main tasks: it does not protect the transmission from sudden wear.
That is why the owner of a “Chinese” car with an automatic transmission of any type should be extremely careful and careful with the accelerator pedal for at least the first 10 minutes of the drive, when the street is noticeably less than -10ºС is. If you “pull the trigger” immediately after starting, the gearbox will require serious repairs much sooner than the deadline set by the manufacturer for the first replacement of the working fluid.
photo thecarexpert.co.uk
A typical modern Chinese passenger car on the Russian market is equipped with a CVT or a two-clutch robotic gearbox. In addition, a large share of Chinese passenger cars currently sold in our country are occupied by models originally intended exclusively for the PRC domestic market. In this case we are not just talking about the presence or absence of certain “winter” options in their configurations, such as a heated windshield or steering wheel. This is of course an important aspect, but not crucial for the operation of the car.
The fact is that Chinese suppliers often do not worry about much more serious matters. Namely the parameters of technical fluids in the vehicle. Few car owners realize that the oil in the “robot” or the working fluid in the variator, like engine lubricant, has distinct viscosity properties that depend on temperature. That is, they tend to thicken when cooled and become less viscous when heated. In the case we are considering, the ‘icy’ aspect is interesting. Not all Chinese car manufacturers pay the necessary attention to it. Russian climatic conditions require that the “slurry” in any type of gearbox does not lose fluidity to at least −50ºС.
In China, the vast majority of cars drive at much higher temperatures. Therefore, their transmissions usually use cheaper fluids that thicken even at −30ºC. In Russian reality, this leads to the fact that even at 20 degrees of frost their viscosity becomes too high for the normal operation of the gearbox. But the car owner, who started the engine of a car with such a consistency of fluid in the variator or oil in the “robot”, is not aware of this. And it starts moving, forcing the device to work on a creamy substance.
An indicator of such a state of affairs in the transmission can be extremely slow shifting, jerking and the smell of a “scorched clutch.” This continues until the mechanism warms up and the oil (or fluid in the variator) reaches normal operating temperature. So far it does not fulfill one of its main tasks: it does not protect the transmission from sudden wear.
That is why the owner of a “Chinese” car with an automatic transmission of any type should be extremely careful and careful with the accelerator pedal for at least the first 10 minutes of the drive, when the street is noticeably less than -10ºС is. If you “pull the trigger” immediately after starting, the gearbox will require serious repairs much sooner than the deadline set by the manufacturer for the first replacement of the working fluid.
Source: Avto Vzglyad
Donald Salinas is an experienced automobile journalist and writer for Div Bracket. He brings his readers the latest news and developments from the world of automobiles, offering a unique and knowledgeable perspective on the latest trends and innovations in the automotive industry.
