****** Tranny

[jmauld]

Just wanted to respond a little on some of this stuff, initiall33, I'm not flaming you, just used yours because it was near the end of the list.

Model: '01 MP3
Vancouver, B.C.
Mileage: 12300 KM
Tranny: Manual 5

Problems:

1) VERY hard to shift back into 1st.... not until the car is almost to a complete stop....
2) sometimes when upshifting from 2nd to 3rd... even if the clutch is fully in... theres an aweful grinding sound...
3) sometimes it doesnt allow me to go into 1st at all.. not until i ram it in 2nd then ram up to 1st...
4) sometimes it doesnt allow me to go into reverse...

1) This is by design. They're not going to even entertain this one.
2) This sounds like a problem with clutch adjustment, not a tranny problem
3) Ohhhh, don't do that. You really only need first when starting off, by ramming the synchro's like that you'll kill them in no time. Then you won't be shifting period.
4) Almost every 5spd (this is my 4th) I've owned does this. Put the car in 1st, then go to reverse. Works almost everytime.

As for Mazda actually "fixing" these problems. Don't count on it, unless a safety hazard comes out of it. I wish it wasn't that way though.

Some of the other problems sound like the car has weak shift linkages(and forks) and they are either bending or breaking. I bet the only way we'll ever get that fixed is for an aftermarket company to start producing stronger ones.

 

[mngai]

I drove a '92 protege manual before getting my MP3. There are 2 consistent problem with the Mazda tranny across the 2 cars:

- Difficult to shift into 1st gear, even at full stop. I recall a post way back talking about 'exercising' the shift from 1st to 2nd until it goes smooth. It helps a bit, but even after 8 years of driving my old car, this still happened. I'm now used to shifting around to different gears with my clutch down before going back to 1st if I have problem shifting into 1st.

- Difficult to shift into reverse. It sometimes help to release the clutch slightly to get into reverse, or try the same thing with shifting into 1st.

I guess I'm just used to doing this.

Aside from these, I don't have much problem with my MP3. I have had a few times when I have grinding noise, but that is only because I release the clutch too quickly before the gear is fully shifted.

My friend ('egg tart') does have a problem with clutch getting stuck in his P5. I didn't get all the details; I think it's different from the locked tranny problem?!