Abstract
Demonstrated benefits in fuel efficiency and reduced emissions are leading to increased interest in the continuously variable transmission (CVT). The OEMs active in CVT development are taking various design approaches to achieve these benefits while maintaining torque capacity and improving overall vehicle drivability. Some designs also incorporate features that are commonly associated with conventional automatic transmissions. It is essential that appropriate fluids are used in these transmissions to ensure long term reliable operation. However, while current OEM specifications establish standard test procedures for characterizing a fluid's automatic transmission performance capabilities, no standard industry tests exist to evaluate CVT fluid performance capability.