Manual Owners - How many miles do you have on your clutch? Original or New?

[markuszoom5]

deisz001 made some very good points. The #1 reason why I still want a manual is the ability to have control of the car. This is helpful to make the most use out of 4 cylinder engines, not as much of an issue with 6. If my primary use is to commute in ‘stop and go’ traffic for long durations, I would agree an auto makes a whole lot more sense. That and it allows other people to drive the car are the only reasons why I would want an auto. Since you are a long time manual driver, I am somewhat surprised at your statement it requires more concentration to drive. It really does become second nature but can still be an annoyance if you crawl in traffic a lot. I’ve always wondered if they can add an override gear that allows you to move slowly (enough not to stall) with a supplemental joystick or something in these situations

I would take a good automatic over a sloppy manual any day. Not all automatics are bad but only a very few are good (Mazda makes decent transmission overall). I think the main draw back is the pre-programmed shift logic that may or may not suite your needs depending on the situation that you are in. It is not smart or fast enough to know exactly what it is you want to do at any given moment but this is changing. Even for automatics, 4-5 speed is not most efficient (I suppose this depends on the application). CVTs are even worst in driving feel but good on gas. I do like the idea of dual clutch paddle shifters (not the fake shift thing), best of both worlds. I don’t NEED to row the stick, I just want the ability to have control and apply it to my real world situation, not some preprogrammed logic that may or may not suite me at any given situation.

Btw, can I assume you are a fan of the autonomous car? I would hate to loose all ability to control but integrating some of that in to HW cruising and traffic jams would be fantastic!


Oh, one last point. I find manual drivers, like bikers, (excluding idiots that exist in any scenarios) are generally more aware/alert of the road b/c it does require a little bit more attention (driving attention, not shifting). You have to read traffic to determine if you should upshfit or downshift (I like the downshift part –gives you a kick in the pants if go down two gears), and not simply cruise along. I am willing to bet that you will never see a manual drive ride their brakes, I guess unless they are driving a CRZ (manual+regenerative braking).


Back to topic: Any other MT owners here and what is the condition of your clutch? Or feel free to have the side bar but do comment on your clutch also. Thanks.

OK I agree on everything you say. What I meant is let's say you are backing up in reverse through a very tight driveway. Walls on both sides (my driveway hahah). Well, it is so much easier to just have to ease the brake pedal, because the car moves in reverse by itself, rather than clutching (you know what I mean), or when you are stuck in traffic, god do I hate that.

 

[markuszoom5]

ANYWAYS, I WOULD PROBABLY TRADE IN MY MZ5 FOR A MAZDA 6 GRAND TOURING 6 -speed - MANUAL (if there is actually one). I could only imagine the FAHRVERGNUEGEN.

 

[DKaz]

ANYWAYS, I WOULD PROBABLY TRADE IN MY MZ5 FOR A MAZDA 6 GRAND TOURING 6 -speed - MANUAL (if there is actually one). I could only imagine the FAHRVERGNUEGEN.

It does, in Canada. 2.5L engine only.

 

[flatlander937]

Thanks. I will remember this and give it a try. I don't claim to have driven many different manual cars but this is the first car that has this unique feature. What befuddles me is the rare/random occurrence I would rather (be it good or bad) this be a consistent 'feature'. Now that I think about it, it happens after letting the car rest and I always park in neutral+ebrake (level surface). It does not happen (I don't think) if I've been driving for a while.

EDIT: random though but I wonder if this is a safety measure. I wonder if Mazda intends for you to park in gear (as one really should) so that when you try to go into 'R', it has to pass through/out of 1st before it opens the shift gate to R. The thing you mentioned about releasing the clutch a little bit made me wonder if it signals the system somehow to open the shift gate. Just random thoughts here.

In additional to trying to what you mentioned (releasing clutch a little), I will also try going into 1st gear first and then back into R. I have a good feeling one or the other might work.

It's not electronically disabled or anything... most manual transmissions have some kind of mechanical means of preventing a 5th to R shift... I honestly don't know how the Mazda setup is personally.

But...

Yeah this is a normal thing on almost (if not all) manual transmissions. Like I said earlier I have had it happen on every single manual trans vehicle I've owned. Honda, Nissan and Mazda. I don't think it has anything to do electronically about opening the gate. It's more in the lines of the reverse gear not having synchros (as with most if not all) manual trans. It's random because it just depends how the reverse gear stopped the last time you used it and it not lining up into the gate. Try my method. It works every time!

This is exactly right.

By putting it in first gear, you are stopping the transmission mainshaft from spinning and you are aligning the gears up with each other so if you go from first to reverse, it is much easier since it is all lined up. Reverse has no synchros so it is normal to be a bit "tough" to get into gear. When it doesn't go right in but you are applying a small amount of pressure, the reverse selector hub is trying to mesh the mainshaft and output shaft reverse gears together, but the hub is butting teeth up against teeth... not able to mesh them since they aren't lined up... when you let out the clutch ever so slightly, you "bump" the shafts/gears in relation to each other and it will pop into reverse. Using the first to reverse method just lines up all of the gears and essentially accomplishes the same thing but without using the clutch.


FWIW I haven't had a Mazda transmission apart... but this comes from fiddling around with a few RWD transmissions and a ton of transfer cases(they use basically the same exact shifting hub setup... just with no synchros except for some oddball NP205s in Chevy trucks in the 80s... or maybe Fords... meh).


I have a Mazda3 so otherwise I cannot comment(whistle)

 

[doctorz]

72k, original clutch, but we did have to replace the slave master cylinder around 45K. Sometime in the last year when cold, if you force the 1-2 shift too quickly, it grinds a little. As long as we take time shifting it's fine.

Occasionally I have to shift to first in order to get it into reverse, but it's nothing like my '88 Accord, which required it EVERY time.

 

[Silentnoise713]

It's not electronically disabled or anything... most manual transmissions have some kind of mechanical means of preventing a 5th to R shift... I honestly don't know how the Mazda setup is personally.

But...



This is exactly right.

By putting it in first gear, you are stopping the transmission mainshaft from spinning and you are aligning the gears up with each other so if you go from first to reverse, it is much easier since it is all lined up. Reverse has no synchros so it is normal to be a bit "tough" to get into gear. When it doesn't go right in but you are applying a small amount of pressure, the reverse selector hub is trying to mesh the mainshaft and output shaft reverse gears together, but the hub is butting teeth up against teeth... not able to mesh them since they aren't lined up... when you let out the clutch ever so slightly, you "bump" the shafts/gears in relation to each other and it will pop into reverse. Using the first to reverse method just lines up all of the gears and essentially accomplishes the same thing but without using the clutch.


FWIW I haven't had a Mazda transmission apart... but this comes from fiddling around with a few RWD transmissions and a ton of transfer cases(they use basically the same exact shifting hub setup... just with no synchros except for some oddball NP205s in Chevy trucks in the 80s... or maybe Fords... meh).


I have a Mazda3 so otherwise I cannot comment(whistle)

Thanks for the feedback. Mz3 is like the brother from another mother to the Mz5. I am familiar with slight difficulties going into R but never this hard. I guess it is the randomness but mostly difficulty of engaging it that caught my attention. Perhaps I can ask this in a different way. What am I doing when I last shift out of R that causes it to misalign by SO much? Something I'm doing wrong/different that I can avoid? It hasn't happened in a few months now.

Of topic, do you know if there's a better cruising 5th gear for the Mazda 5 speed transmission?

I'm glad to hear the Mz5 cluth can hold out. I sold my Miata with 120k (put about 60k on it) on OE clutch and it was still grabbing fine!

 

[M2P503]

I replaced my Clutch at 111,000 miles because just about every time i let off the clutch the car would jump forward so i found out that when it was removed that the pilot Bearing was bad.The clutch was on its way out and it wa san Excedy Clutch so i dont think that was OEM. I replaced it with an Excedy stage 1 Clutch and i love how the car drives. I didnt replace the Clutch fluid i just got my Gear oil changed now the car shifts nice and Smoothly

 

[flatlander937]

Thanks for the feedback. Mz3 is like the brother from another mother to the Mz5. I am familiar with slight difficulties going into R but never this hard. I guess it is the randomness but mostly difficulty of engaging it that caught my attention. Perhaps I can ask this in a different way. What am I doing when I last shift out of R that causes it to misalign by SO much? Something I'm doing wrong/different that I can avoid? It hasn't happened in a few months now.

Of topic, do you know if there's a better cruising 5th gear for the Mazda 5 speed transmission?

I'm glad to hear the Mz5 cluth can hold out. I sold my Miata with 120k (put about 60k on it) on OE clutch and it was still grabbing fine!

I honestly can't say what is up with your car... it's possible you just have a "Friday at 4:45" transmission... it may be possible that your clutch is not 100% disengaging... it might be disengaging enough for the synchronized gears... but not for reverse. I would adjust my clutch pedal a wee bit higher(so there is more clutch pedal travel) and then adjust the pushrod to make sure it has minimal(but still present!) free-play before it engages the clutch master... after doing this you can see if it is any easier to engage reverse or not.

When I say a "wee bit" I mean it... like back out the clutch pedal height adjuster by maybe 1-2 turns and that is it. Then adjust the pushrod as necessary. I personally haven't messed with a MZ3 or MZ5 clutch pedal, but I'm assuming it has very similar adjustments as a MazdaSpeed6 which I had to do once.


As far as anything you're doing to "cause" it... that's nothing I can really answer. Every time you shift to a new gear everything is spinning and the synchros are doing the aligning of gears for you. As far as reverse is concerned... it's pretty much just luck. If you shift into first... then reverse(all without taking foot off of clutch) you shouldn't have any issues.

FWIW on my MZ3 if I try to just put it right into reverse in the morning when leaving for work... It usually goes halfway in, so I let the clutch out just slightly, and then it pops in and I go. It really has just become second nature and didn't really notice myself doing it until I thought about this thread this morning.

If you really wanted, you could always try changing the trans fluid for s**** and giggles. I know that the transmission in my Jeep gets temperamental unless the fluid is changed every 25-30k. In it I always go 5th to reverse to line it up though as it's a bear to put it in reverse sometimes... it has no 5th to reverse blockout though... I wish my MZ3 didn't either since I'm used to doing that.

 

[thaxman]

54,000, 6.5 years (Oct 05 build date) no clutch yet. We've had it since 27,000/2009, and I don't imagine the PO burning out the clutch in less than 27K.

Reason we got the MT was longevity. I am comforted in the knowledge that clutches are wear items and need replacement, but if an AT goes, the whole thing gets replaced or rebuilt. I plan to keep the car until neither my wife or I can press a clutch pedal. By comparison, if we got the AT instead, I know that about the time the car has no real value, the trans would die & we would have to buy another car. The side benefit is 4+ mpg city that we would not be getting with an AT because of the natural losses of the torque converter.

 

[DKaz]

Mz3 is like the brother from another mother to the Mz5.

Um, I believe they're siblings from the same mother. lol.

I never thought about manuals lasting longer than automatics, I just like them because they provide a more engaging driving experience, and for the most part get better gas mileage. Hybrids excepted, I'm a master at getting at least 55MPG in a Prius in city traffic.

 

[speed5]

bought 06 Touring w 68k miles, clutch seemed fine. A year and at about 80k miles, it was slipping. I kept driving it (about a month) until it was slipping badly. Fried the flywheel. Luckily, I also ordered the Exedy lightweight flywheel along with the Stage 1 clutch. New setup works great. Pedal doesn't feel heavy at all. Engine seems a tad quicker to spin up.

 

[thaxman]

bought 06 Touring w 68k miles, clutch seemed fine. A year and at about 80k miles, it was slipping. I kept driving it (about a month) until it was slipping badly. Fried the flywheel. Luckily, I also ordered the Exedy lightweight flywheel along with the Stage 1 clutch. New setup works great. Pedal doesn't feel heavy at all. Engine seems a tad quicker to spin up.

How much more do you think you spent vs. OE replacement?

 

[DKaz]

Clutches are pretty cheap, it's the labour that costs the big bucks.

 

[speed5]

I got my parts from Amazon shipped free
EXEDY 10809 Racing Clutch Kit $265.97
EXEDY ZF501 Chromoly Racing Flywheel $245.14

Compared to stock, it was a little more but worth it for more expected durability and performance.
Mazda OEM clutch disc/pressure plate/pilot bearing 245.96 online plus shipping
Mazda OEM flywheel 189.53 online plus shipping

I had indie shop do the job which cost almost as much as the parts. So I maybe spent about $70 more for the parts, as labor is the same.

 

[jmcglynn]

Just to add my two-cents... Purchased new in 2006, and now we're getting close to 57,000 miles... no clutch concerns yet...

 

[$chocker]

Late input here, but bought mine new in 2006, now at 111K miles and still on original clutch. Doesn't slip, but has had a tendency to chatter for a long time (since 45K or so). Shifts fine, but there were times that the chatter has been so bad that I thought I would change it just for that. Gonna nurse it as long as possible. Still love the car after 6 years.

 

[Silentnoise713]

Late input here, but bought mine new in 2006, now at 111K miles and still on original clutch. Doesn't slip, but has had a tendency to chatter for a long time (since 45K or so). Shifts fine, but there were times that the chatter has been so bad that I thought I would change it just for that. Gonna nurse it as long as possible. Still love the car after 6 years.

Never late when it comes to feedback on how well a part endures. The more mileage the better. Nice to know it can last up to 100K (I had doubts). Given your location, I suspect your daily routine is more back roads and highways and less harsh and frequent metro stop and go up/down shifts. Btw, have you replaced your brake/clutch fluid?

 

[$chocker]

Can't recall if the fluid has been changed, so I'm guessing it has not. You are correct on the type of driving. No continuous stop and go urban stuff for us. Small town driving and highway commuting with some back roads trekking mixed in.

Probably will get to changing that fluid in the next year or so. I'm going to try to keep the car until 2015 if rust doesn't kill it first!

 

[Heat]

'09 Mazda5 Sport, ~ 31.5 K miles (~ 50.7K kilometers)

The clutch is fine though I am not too happy with the gearing on the manual transmissions - high RPMs at highway speeds. This was apparently fixed with the addition of the 6th gear in the '12 model.

As far as a clutch going bad - I have never had a clutch go bad so I don't know what it feels like. I have put ~ 120,000 miles on a Dodge Shadow ES - sold it with the original clutch. My '99 Honda Accord has about 131,000 miles on it, still original clutch.

Back to the Mazda5 - is it possible to put a 2012 manual transmission on '10 and earlier Mazda5s? If so, what would be the approximate cost?

 

[was98strat]

193,000km on the original clutch and no feels of slippage yet. still 2900 rpm at 100km/h! same as day 1