The WanLiYang CVT7, which was installed on Chery and Lifan cars, has a number of design weaknesses. Ilya Khlebushkin, an expert from Za Rulem magazine, spoke about the key problems of the transmission.
According to him, the CVT most often fails after 80-100 thousand kilometers due to wear of the shafts connecting the cone pairs. Guide balls are placed in special grooves of the shafts to change the gear ratio. Over time, they fall out, causing the cones to shift and dangle.
The balls scattered around the insides add to the destruction - the CVT starts to work with a crunch, like a coffee grinder. If such symptoms appear, the movement must be stopped immediately - and then the repair will be less expensive.
Another problem with the WanLiYang CVT7 is the bearings. Usually they start to hum after 100-120 thousand kilometers. In some cases, the bearings break the seats, which forces owners to change body elements or install repair bushings.
The expert emphasizes that the combination of these factors reduces the transmission's lifespan and increases the cost of repair. That is why the WanLiYang CVT has gained a controversial reputation among owners of Chery and Lifan cars.
