Huge Problem w/ Sportmatic Transmission... Please Read!

[BlackMP5]

Here's what happened...

While driving home to lunch yesterday afternoon on the Expressway going about 50 mph, the car jerked forward REALLY hard and the RPM's shot up to about 5000. I looked down and I was in 3rd Gear!? :wtf: So I try to put back into 4th and it won't shift! I slow down and stop at the light. Now it won't downshift into 2nd or 1st! So here I am stuck in 3rd gear at a complete stop, and the car is shaking really bad and the idle is really low, so I put the car in Neutral and wait for the green light and the idle goes normal and the car stops shaking. I put it back into Drive and it starts shaking again, so I put it into Manual Mode and it is still in 3rd!! So I pull over at a Shopping Center and turn the car off and wait for a minute. I start the car again, and everything is still happening! I limp it home, and call the dealership. After lunch, I go start it, put it in Drive and everything is fine. It is now at the dealership, and I am awaiting for what they say. The best thing is this happened in January and the dealership wouldn't do anything because they can't recreate the problem. So, I have a feeling that is what they are going to say again.

What should I do in this situation!? Also, have any of you with Auto's had any problems like this?

 

[REMillers]

Nope no problems yet.
Do you use the shift mode alot or just for merging, since the only problems I've heard are from owners that use it all the time or close to it.
If they can't re-create it make sure they atleast drive the car some to fully get the fuild warmed up. Had a problem with a auto before where it would only fail when the tranny was fully warmed up. Once warmed up it wouldn't shift and constantly get stuck in grears. Hopefully you don't have the same problem as I did, cause bascially the diff broke.

 

[BlackMP5]

Nope no problems yet.
Do you use the shift mode alot or just for merging, since the only problems I've heard are from owners that use it all the time or close to it.
If they can't re-create it make sure they atleast drive the car some to fully get the fuild warmed up. Had a problem with a auto before where it would only fail when the tranny was fully warmed up. Once warmed up it wouldn't shift and constantly get stuck in grears. Hopefully you don't have the same problem as I did, cause bascially the diff broke.

I use the Shift Mode probably 95% of the time... I hope they didn't make the Sport Mode that poopy! I think next time I will be going back to a Manual! They said that they are going to drive it today to see if they can recreate the issue, we shall see what they say...

 

[tonkabui]

so did this happen yesterday or in january? i'm a little confused.

REMillers, who else have you heard that has had these problems? i haven't read anything about it.

 

[BlackMP5]

so did this happen yesterday or in january? i'm a little confused.

REMillers, who else have you heard that has had these problems? i haven't read anything about it.

It happened in January and then it happened again yesterday, twice within a 5 month period...

BTW, the car is only 8 months old, and doesn't even have 7000 miles on it yet!

 

[tonkabui]

yikes... i think the next time it happens, just limp all the way to the dealer. it sounds like the computer seized up (can that happen on an ecu? i mean, can it "crash"?), and after a while, it was able to reset itself. i drive mine in manual mode about 65-75% of the time and have had no problems. i have had the car for 10 months and have 8300 miles on it. i even use it for engine braking. hmmm... maybe i shouldn't be doing that. keep us posted!

good luck.

 

[BlackMP5]

yikes... i think the next time it happens, just limp all the way to the dealer. it sounds like the computer seized up (can that happen on an ecu? i mean, can it "crash"?), and after a while, it was able to reset itself. i drive mine in manual mode about 65-75% of the time and have had no problems. i have had the car for 10 months and have 8300 miles on it. i even use it for engine braking. hmmm... maybe i shouldn't be doing that. keep us posted!

good luck.

Hopefully I will know something today.

Just as an added bonus, the dealership wanted me to pay for the rental car!? I told them there is no way in hell that I am going to pay for a rental car, and that they would be responsible for it since this is a warranty issue. They finally agreed after 15 minutes of arguing with them. This dealership is starting to suck huge nuts. :mad:

 

[Laser5]

I had a similar problem with my '92 Accord. It turned out to be a transmission computer. Once it was reset, it was fine for a few weeks until one of the failing components finally went altogether.

 

[BlackMP5]

Dealership said that they are going to drive it again tomorrow, and if they still can't recreate it they are going to call their Mazda rep and see if he has heard of anything similar. If they can't find anything more, they told me I had to drive it until the problem became more consistent!? I think that is complete and total BS... Why should I have to keep a brand new car that has intermittent problems? I think that we need better Lemon Laws that cover these type of issues...

 

[sykotick]

My Craptacular Sportmatic gets suck in gears too. A lot of times I'll being going up a hill in 2nd start going down the other side and it won't shift to 3rd or 4th. I can do mine manually though. I have yet to get stuck permanently. I am waiting 'til it does before I take it to the dealer b/c I hate them. Oh my car only has 8000 miles and its 5 months old. Also I have a slow leak in my right rear tire. It takes a week to lose half its air...its really slow.

 

[BlackMP5]

Mine hasn't gotten completely stuck, it went back to normal after about an hour of letting the car sit.

BTW, I have never abused this tranny at all. I use the "Sportmatic" probably 90% of the time, and have NEVER had it above 5000 rpms (except for this problem, when the car shifted on it's own :mad: ) and have only had it @ 4000 rpms a handful of times. I generally shift between 2500 & 3000 rpms.

 

[Mp5978]

I have too have a Sportmatic and this sound very serious. My car is hitting 12000 miles tomorrow and so far no problem of that sort what so ever. but to be honest, I hope i get that kind of problem where the dealer can't fix it! my exuse to get an MSP! ;D but I spend so much on my P5 already though....:'(

 

[BlackMP5]

If they don't fix anything I am really considering trading it in and getting something else. I find it hard to swallow (blowjob) having an 8 month old car with less than 7000 miles that is having these types of tranny issues. Especially since the stealership will probably say "Sorry, couldn't recreate the problem."

 

[JOS3]

i warned people about this problem...................

ive probably posted the story of my fiancees brother 100 times. he used his autosport 100%of the time and his tranny crapped out at 11,000 miles. it happened similar to what happened to blackmp5, it just started acting crazy for no reason. be prepared to be without your car for at least 2 weeks....

 

[JOS3]

i believe the lemon law states that it has to be the same exact problem 3 times in one year.................but dont quote me on that

 

[JOS3]

i even use it for engine braking.
good luck.

if you continue to do this you will be posting a similar story very shortly............the autosport tranny is crap...........it always has been no matter what manufacturer has had it in their cars (acura, honda, lexus.......)

 

[TURBO3WAGON]

The sad thing is that Mazda auto tranny is crap period. It always has been crapy and should not be ragged on. Can you say MPV, 626, 929,323, RX7, B-truck, Millina, Miata, & Protg. Ive seen all these transmissions fail prematurely at my buddies shop. The fact is that Mazda does not make a very good auto trans.

 

[ToysMP5]

Makes me even happier that I have an automatic and not the sport auto.

 

[digitalpro5]

Well I'm at near 8000 miles now and using the sportauto 50% of the time. So far the only thing I've noticed and this happens like once in a blue moon, is when I stop really quick I would get stuck on 2nd gear (thats what it shows anyways) but theres no shaking, and idle looks good to me. It won't do it again for a long time. I tried to recreate it but nope I can never recreate it, it just happens. Man I hope I don't get the same problems as you Blackmp5, cause I plan on keeping this car for a long whiles.

Maybe it is the ecu?