In article <TeydnYe8Op9c5wvbnZ2dnUVZ_rOpnZ2d@suscom.com>,
"Peter Adler" <adler_1@comcast.net> wrote:

> Thank you, everyone. I guess niggling at the back of my mind was the
> thought, if this transmission is so efficient, how come it isn't on every
> car out there? Even Honda seems to have given up on it. OTH, it's such a
> nifty idea ...
>
> Other than careful driving (which I do, mostly) are there secrets to
> promoting longevity? Additives? Frequent fluid changes? An external filter?

CV Transmissions have been becoming more common.
Nissan has been a leader in their manufacture and uses one in their V6
SUV, the Altima, Sentra and Versa.
Chrysler uses them in the Caliper/Compass vehicles, Mercedes B class,
Audi A4 & A6, Honda and Toyota hybrids and Ford in some mid sized
models, but Ford has dropped it in the Ford500/now called Taurus.
Subaru is planning to add the gearless transmission into every model
they make by 2010.
A search at Wheels.ca hit on 44 vehicles with CVT.

As suggested already I'd stick to the maintenance recommended by Honda,
including only using Honda SUPPLIED lubricant.


http://www.edmunds.com/ownership/tec...4/article.html
> CVT Enters the Mainstream
> CVT has been around for more than a hundred years. However, until recently,
> it was reserved for industrial applications ‹ running lathes or light-duty
> drill presses, for instance. With the introduction of improved materials,
> such as high-density rubber belts, advanced hydraulics and, more recently,
> high-speed sensors and microprocessors, the stage was set for CVT's rise in
> the automobile.
>
> CVT's design advantages lie not only in its efficiency but in its simplicity.
> It consists of very few components.

http://cars.about.com/od/thingsyouneedtoknow/a/CVT.htm
CVT - Continuously Variable Transmission, What it is, how it works