Modern Buddy

I'm riding my usual daily route home from work, about 15 miles through downtown Nashville then South and into the rural roads. At about mile 10, there is a long gradual hill, about one-half mile or so, and traffic usually flows at 50 mph. Near the top of the hill, I start to lose power and slow down. I turn the accelerator, but the Buddy still slows down, just with more engine revs. It's a freaky feeling, especially with SUVs behind you, so I pull off the road. Everything sounds and looks as usual, and after a couple of minutes of pretending to check everything out but not doing anything I just get back on the road and drive home without incident.

So... everything is fine for a couple of weeks, but yesterday on that same gentle hill, almost at the exact same place, the same thing happens. !

I am up and down hills all the time - never happened before or since. I drive the same road every day as a part of my commute. My Buddy as 12,000 miles, but the belt was replaced 3,000 miles ago. Could be a slipping belt, but it's not acting like a slipping belt in the traditional sense. Any ideas?

Definitely sounds like something slipping if revs go up but transmission doesn't react. Clutch pads? Contra spring maybe?

Any other factors for the times when it did act this way? Riding temp? Moisture/rain?

You can take the CVT cover off and see if the belt is slipping. There would be a lot of black powder and worn teeth.

+1...

Clutch worn or belt worn out seem to be the most likely suspects. Your local service/dealer could diagnose and fix this for not too much money I think, if you are not prepared to.

I go with clutch not working right on this. Could also be warn rollers.

Maybe fractured clutch arm springs (pill springs) or contra spring.
Could be something wonky with the secondary sliding sheave or the torque driver in general. Maybe the pins and bushings in the sliding sheave. Called "pin. gride" and "bush" (#'s 14&15) in this diagram. Going this direction since it happens on inclines when the torque driver is responding to changes.
Could be something as simple as a roller/slider popping out of position.
Just throwing out possibilities.

Won't know until you get in there and send us some pics.

Tocsik wrote:
Won't know until you get in there and send us some pics.

Thanks for the thoughts. I didn't really think about the clutch when this happened. The rollers are new, and I clean the variator out fairly regularly, so I don't think its likely to be a roller or dirt problem, though it is still possible.

There's no dealer (anymore) in Nashville . I either fix it myself or bring it to an independent mechanic.

What pictures would be helpful here, or is there something specific that I should look at ? I can pull of the transmission cover and take off the clutch cover. Will there be signs that the clutch needs replacing?

I'd check for glazing, dirt and debris in the clutch bell. Then check the contra spring (they can go bad) and make sire the clutch springs can move freely.

But the chugging sound makes me wonder if it's something else, especially since it happened on a hill but nowhere else. A clutch issue would usually be noticeable on flats at certain speeds and RPMs.

My secondary guesses are fuel or air issues.

Actually sounds a lot like the evap… Is yours still connected and do you have a vented cap?

[quote="hal888"][quote="Tocsik"]

Won't know until you get in there and send us some pics.[/quote]

Thanks for the thoughts. I didn't really think about the clutch when this happened. The rollers are new, and I clean the variator out fairly regularly, so I don't think its likely to be a roller or dirt problem, though it is still possible.

There's no dealer (anymore) in Nashville . I either fix it myself or bring it to an independent mechanic.

What pictures would be helpful here, or is there something specific that I should look at ? I can pull of the transmission cover and take off the clutch cover. Will there be signs that the clutch needs replacing?[/quote]

Hey Hal,

I would suggest you reach out to the scoot Nashville crew too they might be able to help on the home front. Dimelo motor works is usually where I go here in Nashville. He is very close to downtown. He is a great mechanic and knows his stuff. He actually rides a buddy and on MB too.

I would look at the clutch springs.. under load one of them could be broken or not moving correctly..

So take CVT cover off and clutch bell and pull out the clutch. If you know how to remove contra spring do that and flip over the clutch and you will see the 3 springs..

Thanks a million for your help, everyone!

I'll be able to take the transmission apart this weekend and will try to take a look (with pictures) to see if the clutch looks worn or broken.


rfman81 - Thanks for the heads-up on Dimelo Motorworks. I definitely need to check them out.