new honda jazz

[Skyrider]

Car manufacturers don't usually carry out software updates, you buy a 2015 car you buy 2015 software. They are in the business of selling you a new car. You would not expect them to fit facelift bumpers and headlights to a superseded model.

[guest1372]

The Honda newsfeed about the facelift includes the following: "The CVT system itself has been revised to deliver a more linear and refined response under acceleration."  What does this mean?

The original Mk3 PR bumf seemed to hint that the CVT had been given software 'steps' for the European version although I don't recall anyone describing it like that on here.  Maybe the facelift is a return to a purely linear response/economy equation?

Original Mk3: " The CVT’s driveability uses new control software, exclusive to Europe, which simulates seven speeds and provides optimised gear change."
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TG

[andruec]

My friend has an automatic mainly because it is easier on his arthritic knees.

Definitely an advantage, there.

In my experience the biggest pain is the new engine. I think the manual gearbox has an advantage here because the gear selection implicitly 'wakes up' the engine by forcing it into the appropriate RPM band. I noticed when I drove manual courtesy cars that it was less of an issue.

The trick I've adopted now is to use 'kick down'. If you move the accelerator sharply down half way it will jump the engine to 3,000 rpm. If unsure best to practice on the open road because if you press the pedal all the way down it will jump to 4,000 rpm and definitely won't be sluggish

This same problem can afflict on hills. I have one I drive up every weekday to work and again I find it better to kick the car to 3,000 rpm at the bottom. If you don't you can keep pressing the accelerator pedal further and further before - suddenly - it wakes up.

Neither of these issues afflicted the two previous CVT equipped cars. It's just the engine. It might be very efficient but Honda seemed to have missed a trick when marrying it with the CVT.

One other thing I've noticed is that right at the bottom of the accelerator pedal travel there appears to be a switch. I can't remember if it's on the manual version or not. But if you press far enough to active that you'll get a very rapid response indeed. Or about as rapid as a 1.3 litre engine is going to get

It's a shame this is needed on the new Jazz. It shouldn't take too long to learn and ingrain the habit but the reason I liked the CVT originally is that it was smooth and required no thinking. The new engine has removed some of the smoothness and requires at least a little thought :-/

[andruec]

The Honda newsfeed about the facelift includes the following: "The CVT system itself has been revised to deliver a more linear and refined response under acceleration."  What does this mean?  Presumably it's a software change, so if it's an improvement, it should be possible to incorporate it into existing cars by means of a software update.  On the other hand, it may apply only to the 1.5 litre version, where fuel economy is a lower priority.

Maybe they've got it working better with the new engine. With the current version it seems a little too content to leave the engine in Atkinson mode despite the driver's urgings. We shouldn't have to kick-down to get it to accelerate away from a roundabout in a brisk fashion. An update to our models would be nice...but sadly I wouldn't expect it.

[Downsizer]

Original Mk3: " The CVT’s driveability uses new control software, exclusive to Europe, which simulates seven speeds and provides optimised gear change."
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TG

Despite this PR from Honda, I have not been aware of 7 steps in normal CVT driving in the Mk 3.  Using the paddles reveals them, but this must also have been the case with previous models.  I agree with Andruec that the main criticism of the MK 3 CVT is the need for a heavy kick down to get rapid acceleration.  A smoother response would certainly be an improvement.  However, the paddles work well when needed.

[trebor1652]

I prefer the paddles to kick down. IMO the engine reacts quicker.
On going up hills, if you can use cruise control I find this better than trying to push the accelerator through the floor.

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

[mikebore]

I prefer the paddles to kick down. IMO the engine reacts quicker.
On going up hills, if you can use cruise control I find this better than trying to push the accelerator through the floor.

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

I find the same, paddles more responsive.

[andruec]

I prefer the paddles to kick down. IMO the engine reacts quicker.
On going up hills, if you can use cruise control I find this better than trying to push the accelerator through the floor.

Sent from my XT1039 using Tapatalk

I find the same, paddles more responsive.

I usually run into the issue when pulling away from roundabouts and with the wheel turned the paddles are probably not under my fingers. That always seemed to be the case with my first Jazz so I gave up using them except for driving down long hills. At least I always know where the accelerator is and I nearly always manage to give it the right amount of jab.

One thing I have noticed going back to that switch at the bottom of the pedal travel - the acceleration can be quite violent if you press that switch then let off again. It's odd that the manual doesn't mention anything about it.

[ColinB]

One other thing I've noticed is that right at the bottom of the accelerator pedal travel there appears to be a switch. ... if you press far enough to active that you'll get a very rapid response indeed. Or about as rapid as a 1.3 litre engine is going to get

One thing I have noticed going back to that switch at the bottom of the pedal travel - the acceleration can be quite violent if you press that switch then let off again. It's odd that the manual doesn't mention anything about it.

Just speculating if this switch is associated with the "Clear Flood Mode" described in this and subsequent posts:
https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=8930.msg48854#msg48854
The two things seem to kick in at the same point in the pedal travel, although I'm not sure that a sudden "leaning" of the mixture would produce the result described by Andruec: but the ECU probably does other things in addition to simply adjusting the mixture when it goes into that mode. If so, it may not be intended to be used whilst driving, perhaps Honda aren't expecting typical Jazz drivers to floor the pedal !

[Jocko]

Every automatic I have ever driven (never a CVT) has has a "kick down" switch at the extreme travel of the accelerator pedal. Firm pressure activates it, and it gives an immediate down shift (sometimes two gears) to give swift acceleration. I would be most surprised if the Jazz didn't use something similar.

[andruec]

Every automatic I have ever driven (never a CVT) has has a "kick down" switch at the extreme travel of the accelerator pedal. Firm pressure activates it, and it gives an immediate down shift (sometimes two gears) to give swift acceleration. I would be most surprised if the Jazz didn't use something similar.

That is my assumption but it's also not necessary to actually press that switch to get a kick down. Rapidly depressing the pedal will do that anyway. But I wonder if the switch is there to trigger a kick down if you've got the pedal almost to the floor without already triggering one.

On the rare occasions I want rapid acceleration I push all the way to floor anyway. But I've noticed that occasionally when I go too far if I then back off the pedal I seem to get engine braking leading to an uncomfortable back then forwards as the car lurches but only if I've pushed down that switch.

It's all a bit odd and further confused by the previous two models not having such a switch. Because of the violence of the reaction and the general risks I've not experimented with it :-/

[andruec]

Hmmm. Just found another possibility. On some cars it's a switch that overrides the speed limiter. One way of verifying that would be to ask if Jazz owners with a manual box have the switch.

[Skyrider]

Hmmm. Just found another possibility. On some cars it's a switch that overrides the speed limiter. One way of verifying that would be to ask if Jazz owners with a manual box have the switch.

I don't think my manual Jazz has a detent or switch on the accelerator pedal. The car should land on the drive in a few minutes, I will check with a hand. I believe that the accelerator is a non contact (magnetic) sensor so it should not have any "feel" other than the return spring.

[Skyrider]

I have checked and my accelerator pedal is smooth throughout it range of travel with no "feel" of any detent or switch.

Edit -

There may be an electronic or software switch in the engine ECU that operates at a certain pedal depression which has some effect on a CVT transmission.

[Jocko]

No switch on mine either.