Mazda Protege 1.6l Auto Transmission might be gone!

[SeaN69]

Mazda protege DX 1.6l Automatic transmission

Well my check engine like is on and my O/D light keeps flashing.. When im driving it shifts good into 1st gear but when going into 2nd gear it kind of slips and revs up really high so i have to slow down and kind of wait for it to shift.. barely can get past 40mph !!!

I think my trasmission might be dieing and i have no idea what to do

Any advice on how i can make this cheap as possible to repair ???

I was thinking about removing the transmission pan and cleaning it out.. also replace the filter but if i do will this fix the problem ???

 

[jcovelli]

you could try replacing the fluid and put a bottle of lucas high mileage trans fluid with stop slip in. make sure all electrical connectors to the trans are clean and properly connected. go to autozone if you can and get the code(s) read they do it for free. an auto trans doesn't really slip.. so it's most likely a solenoid going out. could also just be something stuck in the valve body blocking fluid flow. did you by any chance get stuck in the snow or ditch this winter and try to drive out? and how many miles on your car?

 

[SeaN69]

you could try replacing the fluid and put a bottle of lucas high mileage trans fluid with stop slip in. make sure all electrical connectors to the trans are clean and properly connected. go to autozone if you can and get the code(s) read they do it for free. an auto trans doesn't really slip.. so it's most likely a solenoid going out. could also just be something stuck in the valve body blocking fluid flow. did you by any chance get stuck in the snow or ditch this winter and try to drive out? and how many miles on your car?

Thank you for your concern

anyways my car has 115k, havent got stuck in the snow or a ditch. When i went to auozone the code read "Solenoid E performance or stuck off" Im not sure what that means but it sounds like i should be concerned about the solenoid right ? Know of any way to fix this solution ?

 

[jcovelli]

so unfortunately it is a solenoid. well you have two options; sometimes a solenoid will get gunked up from bad trans fluid so you could do a full trans flush and hope it works, or more likely the solenoid just burned out and you'll need it replaced. if you have some basic mechanical skills you could diy and save some money. the solenoid should run at most $50 if you have a trans shop order it for you. then you will still need a trans flush after that.
if you have to take it to a trans shop expect to pay for the part should be $50 or less, the cost of new trans fluid, and an hour labor plus tax and stuff

 

[SeaN69]

so unfortunately it is a solenoid. well you have two options; sometimes a solenoid will get gunked up from bad trans fluid so you could do a full trans flush and hope it works, or more likely the solenoid just burned out and you'll need it replaced. if you have some basic mechanical skills you could diy and save some money. the solenoid should run at most $50 if you have a trans shop order it for you. then you will still need a trans flush after that.
if you have to take it to a trans shop expect to pay for the part should be $50 or less, the cost of new trans fluid, and an hour labor plus tax and stuff

Wow thank you so much this helps alot Will go to a tranny shop today and get the info on how much this will cost me !

 

[jcovelli]

yep no problem. i just saw your in sin city which means there should be a few trans shops around and some will probably try to screw you, they think everyone's a high roller lol. you shouldn't pay more than $200 to fix this even that's a bit high, so if they want more go somewhere else

 

[JReichle1]

yep no problem. i just saw your in sin city which means there should be a few trans shops around and some will probably try to screw you, they think everyone's a high roller lol. you shouldn't pay more than $200 to fix this even that's a bit high, so if they want more go somewhere else

I seriously doubt anyone will do it that cheap. I usually charge $150 just to drop the pan and filter. I am one of the cheaper shops arround and my labor rate is only $65 an hour. Labor to drop the pan is usually 1.5 hours=$97.50. If you can get it done for $200 I would be skeptical. Make sure they use new fluid. Good luck.

 

[SeaN69]

Well I called a transmission shop today and they said that they can check my car but I would have to leave it with them for a couple of hours ? Is that right ?

Or should I be worried they might do something to my car and try to rip me off..

 

[JReichle1]

Well I called a transmission shop today and they said that they can check my car but I would have to leave it with them for a couple of hours ? Is that right ?

Or should I be worried they might do something to my car and try to rip me off..

A few hours sounds ok, just make sure they don't do any work unless you approve it first. Also ask them how much they are charging to diagnose the problem.

 

[FusilliJerry82]

If you change the fluid, throw in a bottle of Lubegard ATF protectant in the red bottle and see what that does. It's done wonders for people on another forum I frequent.

 

[SeaN69]

Well i went to the transmission shop and they test drove it and said that its an internal transmission problem and it needs to be rebuilt and said it would cost about $2500..

But honestly i dont think it is, i hope there just trying to rip me off because i cant afford $2500 right now. Im thinking about just dropping the pan myself and checking the valve body or the solenoids.

If i do tho how can i tell whether a solenoid went bad or not ? and is it easy to check these thing yourself ?

 

[jcovelli]

Well i went to the transmission shop and they test drove it and said that its an internal transmission problem and it needs to be rebuilt and said it would cost about $2500..

But honestly i dont think it is, i hope there just trying to rip me off because i cant afford $2500 right now. Im thinking about just dropping the pan myself and checking the valve body or the solenoids.

If i do tho how can i tell whether a solenoid went bad or not ? and is it easy to check these thing yourself ?

that's what all trans shops do...

there is a free pdf repair manual floating around these forums somewhere.. maybe someone else can link to it i can't find it at the moment. basically just get yourself a cheap digital multimeter.. can be found for under $20 and test resistance on the pins of the solenoid and the connector. the manual will show you exactly what to do and where solenoid e is located. if i find the link to the pdf i'll post it. if the trans needed to be rebuilt you feel and hear the gears grinding or binding. if it's just trouble shifting up then it's the solenoid

 

[SeaN69]

that's what all trans shops do...

there is a free pdf repair manual floating around these forums somewhere.. maybe someone else can link to it i can't find it at the moment. basically just get yourself a cheap digital multimeter.. can be found for under $20 and test resistance on the pins of the solenoid and the connector. the manual will show you exactly what to do and where solenoid e is located. if i find the link to the pdf i'll post it. if the trans needed to be rebuilt you feel and hear the gears grinding or binding. if it's just trouble shifting up then it's the solenoid

Wow thank you so much this makes me feel alot better

Ill search more about this problem ! Thank you so much for your concern !!! but yeh then it doesnt need to be rebuilt because i dont feel or hear the gears grinding, it just has trouble shifting..

 

[jcovelli]

http://www.floptical.net/mazda/

service manual

 

[SeaN69]

http://www.floptical.net/mazda/

service manual

Thank you so much !! Which one do u recomend to download ??

 

[jcovelli]

yep. probably the first one in the list there the regular pdf manual

 

[SeaN69]

Ohh before i do everything 2 codes came up, p0771 and p0741

p0771 is the shift solenoid e stuck off

p0741 is the torque converter stuff off

But does this mean i need to replace them with new parts ? or does it just mean that its stuck ?

 

[jcovelli]

p0741 is the torque converter clutch solenoid stuck off. when atx solenoids are "stuck" 99% of the time they are burned out and dead.. and stuck in that position. the second code p0741 is more than likely due to the solenoid e being "stuck" and is unlikely part of the problem. a lot of auto trans will go into a "limp" mode if they cannot shift correctly to prevent further damage and to let you "limp" home or to a shop. the torque converter code is probably a result of that. your best bet is to drop the pan, remove filter and valve body and test the solenoid on both sides of the connector with a multimeter. that pdf manual should take you right through those steps. if your trans fluid is good save as much as you can now and replace it if you need to replace the solenoid.

actually first.. kind of obvious but make sure you trans fluid is full as in right at the line.. not even a bit under and diffidently not over. some trans fluid temp sensors are really picky and will cause all kinds of havoc if the fluid isn't exactly where it should be.

also when working with the valve body be very careful, move slow, and take your time. there are lots of little springs and ball bearings and small parts that could fall out if you start knocking it around. do it on a day when you have nothing else going on so you're not rushed. it's kinda seems like you'd rather just take it to a shop.. but if you can't afford that you can diffidently diy it's not real hard, just takes time. plus then you also learn a thing or two

 

[SeaN69]

p0741 is the torque converter clutch solenoid stuck off. when atx solenoids are "stuck" 99% of the time they are burned out and dead.. and stuck in that position. the second code p0741 is more than likely due to the solenoid e being "stuck" and is unlikely part of the problem. a lot of auto trans will go into a "limp" mode if they cannot shift correctly to prevent further damage and to let you "limp" home or to a shop. the torque converter code is probably a result of that. your best bet is to drop the pan, remove filter and valve body and test the solenoid on both sides of the connector with a multimeter. that pdf manual should take you right through those steps. if your trans fluid is good save as much as you can now and replace it if you need to replace the solenoid.

actually first.. kind of obvious but make sure you trans fluid is full as in right at the line.. not even a bit under and diffidently not over. some trans fluid temp sensors are really picky and will cause all kinds of havoc if the fluid isn't exactly where it should be.

also when working with the valve body be very careful, move slow, and take your time. there are lots of little springs and ball bearings and small parts that could fall out if you start knocking it around. do it on a day when you have nothing else going on so you're not rushed. it's kinda seems like you'd rather just take it to a shop.. but if you can't afford that you can diffidently diy it's not real hard, just takes time. plus then you also learn a thing or two

Ahh i see what you mean, now i understand why probably the 2nd code came up. If i were to take to the shop how much do u estimate it would be around ?

 

[jcovelli]

well idk. i wouldn't pay more than $300. If you tell them exactly what needs to be done.. just replace the solenoid and add new fluid (and not rebuild) it should still be around the $200 range.