I see that the 2013 PF comes with the CVT type transmission.
How well does that type of transmission hold up for towing purposes?
My gripe for the current 5 sp is that in 4th, the torq conv does not go into lock-up, so what type of coupling (torq conv???) system does the CVT use? At what point does it “lock-up”?
I get the impression that lock-up only occurs in the “odd number” gears, could that be why some mfg have gone to a 6 sp trans?

Just wondering what the options are for the future replacement of my current 2006 PF.
Maybe a 6 sp manual Xterra?

I used to tow about 5K lbs worth of trailer and race car with my first generation Murano (which, like the current Murano and the new Pathfinder, is basically just a lifted V6 CVT AWD Altima wagon) with no problem. No idea how long the transmission would hold up to that abuse regularly however...

Here is a response from someone who does a lot of test drives for a living. Of course, these are brand new cars and how they hold up is another subject...

http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45877

Hi CPLTECH:

Here you go... (Pix at link above)
2013 Nissan Pathfinder First Drive

5,000 pounds of luxury machine... Both front and back. The Xtronic Cvt did exactly what it was supposed to. When heading downhill, either fuel cut or it moved to the maximum ratio... Up hill or launch, lowest ratio and it stayed there as required. Flat crusie, moved to near maximum and stayed there as needed.

Overall the Xtronic Cvt was just as seamless with a load as it was without and won me over.

Wayne

I tow an rPOD trailer with the 2013 PF CVT. It is a dream. Smooth towing good mileage, no hunt of gears ...

Best TV ever had.

Thinker wrote:I tow an rPOD trailer with the 2013 PF CVT. It is a dream. Smooth towing good mileage, no hunt of gears ...

Best TV ever had.

Thinker, Welcome & Thanks for posting.

Could you tell us the MPG and the usual speed you drove at?

Over on a RV forum there was a discussion of the rPod, that it did not cut thru the wind as well as owners expected. Back in 2000 went to Disney with a JayHawk 20ft lite weight and a ’93 Chev Blazer 4.3L. I noticed the temp started to climb at 57 MPH, hence had to drive it at 56. My guess is that wind resistance really increased at that speed curve for most any trailer. So for the moment, I try to stay between 55 & 60.

CPLTECH wrote:

Thinker wrote:I tow an rPOD trailer with the 2013 PF CVT. It is a dream. Smooth towing good mileage, no hunt of gears ...

Best TV ever had.

Thinker, Welcome & Thanks for posting.

Could you tell us the MPG and the usual speed you drove at?

Over on a RV forum there was a discussion of the rPod, that it did not cut thru the wind as well as owners expected. Back in 2000 went to Disney with a JayHawk 20ft lite weight and a ’93 Chev Blazer 4.3L. I noticed the temp started to climb at 57 MPH, hence had to drive it at 56. My guess is that wind resistance really increased at that speed curve for most any trailer. So for the moment, I try to stay between 55 & 60.

The shape of the rPOD does not really reduce wind resistance. Height is height -- that more than weight along with speed determine mileage.

Towing around 60 -65 I get around 12 - 13 MPG. I use the PF to commute in and get around 22 pushing 80 all the way. If I slow to below 70, I get around 24-26 not towing.

There is never any engine temp rise with the PF at any speed. I have towed at 70 - 75 but that cuts into mileage severely.. like down to 10 mpg.

The CVT transmission is sweet. I do not use OD lockout or TOW mode and the tranny tows at around 2500 RPM. Not towing I cruise at 2000 RPM.

I am shopping for a SUV that can tow my 2,300lb Lund Pro Guide 1675 (boat) and am surprised to see how much your mpg dropped while towing. I would expect around 15-16mpg not 12-13mpg. Hmmmm.

TapOut64 wrote:I am shopping for a SUV that can tow my 2,300lb Lund Pro Guide 1675 (boat) and am surprised to see how much your mpg dropped while towing. I would expect around 15-16mpg not 12-13mpg. Hmmmm.

A boat has a lower profile than my camper. I would expect to get 15-16 towing a boat also.

You're not likely to get a response from that person from a 7-year-old thread, but I can tell you that my friend had an R-pod and pulled it with a Lincoln MKX rated at 3500 lbs. You'll have no trouble pulling one with a Pathfinder.

I'll go 4 years past you then and ask about a 2019. We did some towing the first few years. Not much. It's a daily driver. Towing about 3700 lbs when we do.

This CVT dying now is making me to wonder if I should continue.

JimsPath wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 07, 2024 4:49 pm

I'll go 4 years past you then and ask about a 2019. We did some towing the first few years. Not much. It's a daily driver. Towing about 3700 lbs when we do.

This CVT dying now is making me to wonder if I should continue.

You need to change the fluid regularly for a CVT to last, and frequently when you trailer. You'll see why, here's how a CVT works:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHWqlfDZnmQ

Notice that there's a metal belt riding on a pair of metal pulleys. That means the fluid is the only thing preventing metal from meeting metal. Belt-drive CVT's have no sacrificial clutch material like a normal A/T, so the equation is dirt-simple: When the fluid dies, the tranny dies with it. The RE0F10E or '10J in the R52 Pathies is actually a great unit as CVT's go, a real brute. But if you "just run" any CVT without maintenance, it's guaranteed to fail no matter how sturdy it is. I recommend 30K intervals to my customers, and 20K if they've been trailering. Referring to the video, you can easily see why the back-and-forth loading from a trailer puts unique shear loads on the belt, and that shear force, along with the resultant heat, degrades the fluid in a hurry.

What's really screwed up is that Nissan won't tell you any of that. Their recommendations are purely based on keeping official cost of ownership down, and on the assumption that you'll keep the car for five years and make it someone else's headache. Under those circumstances, you can "just run it", and a lot of people do. If you need it to last, the story is completely different. Ignore the book and maintain, maintain, maintain. Because the happy flip-side of having no sacrificial material is that with good maintenance and a good cooler (which your Pathy already has), any CVT can be a perpetual motion machine. There's literally almost nothing to wear out. I know that won't help you with a unit that's already blown, but if you decide to replace it, that's the secret for the future.