Hi all, first time on this forum and have just bought a 2007 Jazz Vti with CVT (privately). I've always hated automatics in very small cars since they can turn something sporty into a slug, and the whooooRRRRRRRR that many make on acceleration drives me crazy. So how did I end up here?
Well we bought our 5th Honda car, a new Accord in 1999 - that was auto' (to keep the missus happy) and worked really well. She kept banging into things with it though as she's really tiny and couldn't judge where the front was. When it reached 250,000 km I ditched it and got her an almost-new (at that time) 2006 top-spec' Civic (auto) and it's perfect for her. I got a cheap brand X "light car" just to get to work but arthritis has made it increasingly difficult to operate the heavy clutch and gear-change. Pushed to get something automatic and instructed that we "don't need TWO Civics!" the obvious choice was the Jazz. I've seen all the comments about CVT shudder and expensive repairs but this one drives like new and has only 91,000 km so I'm taking a chance on it.
Thing is, the recent services have been done by the previous owner and are completely undocumented. He said the TSB (CVT flush and reprogramming) HAD been done and when I called the dealer they said it was, in 2013 at 69,000 km. So, reading here and elsewhere, people say it should be done at HALF the 80,000 km interval that Honda suggests. I'm now thinking to leave as-is until 100,000 km and spring for a genuine Honda service (including another CVT flush). Something inside me is screaming DO IT RIGHT AWAY! but as he swears the oil change / filter is only 1,000 km old that could be expensively over-cautious.
As an aside, the dealer warned me that if I change the battery, the setup of the CVT can be lost and damage will result if I don't get that reprogrammed. Seems very unHondaish if it's really that fragile! All comments welcome, but be gentle I'm new here. Felix.
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Really surprised nobody has commented as this is obviously a famous topic about the Jazz (and similar Hondas) namely the CVT transmission. I've hardly driven the car in the week I've had it, but took it for a short run yesterday and realise there's a gentle whining sound coming from the tranny. Could well be a bearing noise. Somehow I don't think it presages an *imminent* failure and as I'm extremely undemanding on my cars it may well keep happy for another 9,000 km until the next service. I really regret NOT sticking to my policy of manual-only for small cars though (sigh) but the missus insisted it's time for me to get an automatic. Someone else's 2005 Jazz manual I drive regularly is not nearly so strenuous as my brand-x car was, but it's too late now to save worrying since I've gone for
the cvt transmission. Only time will tell, Felix.