Not shifting in first gear

[Tonya]

Normally happen when you take off from a stop but it doesn’t shift into 2nd rpms goes way up and it won’t shift. Changed cvt fluid and filter still doing it. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

[KuroNekko]

CVTs don't have gears at all but use a pulley system between two spindles connected by a steel band. If your car isn't changing ratios (or what can be best described as shifting gears), you have a serious problem and should take it into a Suzuki Service Dealer near you. What is the model year and mileage? You may still be under the Powertrain Warranty.

[LPSISRL]

If the car is accelerating normally while the engine is revved up, that's the way a CVT works. It keeps the engine RPM in the optimal range for economy or power. So if hit the gas hard, the RPMs will go up and stay up as long as you keep on it. So the big question here, which you didn't mention, is the car accelerating and when you get off the gas, the RPMs drop and the car seems to drive "normal".

[Tonya]

Sometimes it drives fine then you stop or slow down to stop and when you go to take off it revs up rpms go up but it doesn’t accelerate past maybe 10-15 miles per hour like it’s stuck in first gear.

[LPSISRL]

OK. If the engine revs but the car does not continue to accelerate past 10 or 15 MPH, then you have an issue with the CVT and it needs to be checked. It may be locked in service mode meaning that it has a major problem and needs to see a tech as soon as possible. I'd have it towed as I would not want any further damage that might occur by driving it. Good luck!

[Ronzuki]

If that's what'S actually occurring, the CVT and/or TCM is/are toast. Every time this has happened in the past (years ago), it's been a trans/TCM replacement under warranty. The recent TSB may have something to do with this as well. Maybe they've found upon failure analysis the CVTs have had issue because of the lifetime fluid being not-so-lifetime. There's also mention of the TCM eluding to the possibly of it being the culprit. Has the fluid been replaced, or diluted by drain fill method?

[Tonya]

Changed cvt fluid. When we hook it up the code we get is P1818 neutral safety switch short circuit. Where is this located? Anybody have any clues

[Mikias]

I’m not sure if we have the similar problem but here’s mine. When i’m at a stop light and i floor it, it always stays in 1st gear (while i’m still flooring it) all the way up to high gears. The only way it shifts is if i let go of the gas and go back on the gas pedal a bit. Can someone please tell me what’s wrong

[Woodie]

That's the idiotic way that it works. It's not a conventional transmission and doesn't have gears. It's a "Continuously Variable Transmission" that constantly and smoothly changes the ratio between the engine and the drive wheels. When you drive normally it tries to keep the engine at it's most efficient rpm, when you drive like a maniac it keeps the engine at it's most powerful rpm.

It's also quite weak and insanely expensive, running it hard is going to shorten it's life.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... y0Fnsci9N4

[KlutzNinja]

Building on what Woodie said, the CVT doesn’t really react well to hard driving, like flooring it. If you watch or read Kizashi reviews from automotive journalists or YouTube review channels, they will often point to the CVT as being the weakest aspect of the car. For us, it’s weak mainly because of longevity issues (~120k miles), but for the reviewers, they are critical of how it performs when driven hard, as all reviewers drive. Frequent complaints of the notorious CVT groan and how the tranny saps an otherwise fun car of excitement. Drive a Kizashi smoothly and the CVT will feel more natural and not misbehave as much. I used to drive the Kizashi a little aggressively for a little while after I got it, until I learned on here that it was bad for the lifespan of the transmission - then I changed my driving style to more relaxed and I’ve enjoyed how smooth the CVT is at city/neighborhood speeds.
Unfortunately the rest of the Kizashi asks to be driven with more passion, so there’s a bit of an inner conflict between the car and the CVT.
You can try the paddle shifters if you want a sportier experience, but I’m not sure how they work lol, and I’ve heard they can adversely affect the lifespan of the CVT.

I would also stay on top of changing the CVT fluid at 30k mile intervals, especially if you drive hard.

Just a tip: don’t be one of those people who say “CVT transmission” because that’s essentially saying “continuously variable transmission transmission.”