I didnt read this entire thread, but they have had problems with the dog teeth on the syncros wearing out (mainly second gear) which would be most of the problems that you all are having. The shift forks have also been braking because the castings are too thin around the shift rod. They have corrected, for the most part, the shift fork problem by using much beefier shift forks. By the way, if you dont have a warranty these trannys are really easy to overhaul. Mazda has tsbs on all of these issues... But you probily have to work for them to see them.

all the tsbs are avaialble thru this forum. check the stickies. service tips are avaialbe as well in a pinch

I dropped my 04 with 29k off at the dealership for it's 30k service (i know 1k early) and recieved a call that my MT was making a chirping noise.

Long story short, they opened the transmission and found that the TB was bone dry, the clutch plate was starting fray at the edges and the springs in the clutch plate where loose.

No burning on the FW or pressure plate (i think that what its called).

They are replacing the whole clutch assembly, clutch plate, pilot bearing and TB all under warranty.

They did recieve a little grief from someone at MNA, but a second call got it approved.

I didnt really notice any problems before I brought it in, but after they told me all this I started thinking back and recall small issues during shifting, such a lagging while shifting at slow speeds, and generally not smooth shifting, although at the time i thought it was just the way the transmission functioned. Glad i brought it in, and glad my dealership was forthcoming when they noticed the chirping..

Ive never had problems with my second gear, but my clutch is making noise when I passed about 16,000 miles. By comparison, my Mustang I drove till 116,000 miles and it just started the same noise. Yea I'm very concerned in as much as I drive the cars the same....

Ive never had problems with my second gear, but my clutch is making noise when I passed about 16,000 miles. By comparison, my Mustang I drove till 116,000 miles and it just started the same noise. Yea I'm very concerned in as much as I drive the cars the same....What is the sound?

Mine began making a chirping or squeaking sound right about 10,000 miles. Really only notice it first thing in the morning. The noise is steady once the clutch in released in reverse, then again in 1st (as I back out of my overnight parking spot then pull away). I don't notice it later in the drive or later in the day.

My sound "the chirp" was the throw out bearing.

UPdate-

Whole new clutch assembly. shifts like butter.. no noise.. we will see for how long!

I agree, just put a new clutch in with a replacement trans, much better now. My old clutch disc had loose springs, but otherwise everything looked fine. Only 3600 miles, but probably close to 200 7000+ rpm drop clutch drag type launches. There are now three revisions of clutch parts available from the dealer on the disc and two revisions on the throwout bearing. I don't know why they would sell multiple revisions of the same part at the same time, but I threw caution to the wind and went with all the latest revisions.

Also running heavier oil; Redline 75W140NS. All those whirring trans noises are gone now. IMO one of the problems is the trans getting too hot from radiated exhaust heat produced during severe duty usage, especially uninsulated aftermarket cat/midpipes, etc.

TRANSMISSIONS - MTL® can be used in most manual
transmissions and transaxles for both street and racing
use unless the manufacturer requires the additional protection
of an SAE 90 or the extreme-pressure protection
of a GL-5. In those situations the MT-90 (GL-4) or
75W90NS (GL-5) will provide good shiftability and synchro
compatibility and extra gear protection.
LightWeight Gear Oil can be used in transmissions calling
for a 75W or 80W GL-5. 75W140NS will provide
greater high-temperature viscosity, reducing gear noise
and rattle. D4 ATF can be used where the manufacturer
calls for an ATF as the D4 has GL-4 gear protection
and provides the best low-temperature shiftability.

Is anyone having the issue of it being difficult to put the car in reverse? Sometimes, I have to try two or three times to get it into reverse properly. It feels like it doesn't want to go into reverse? Any comments?

Is anyone having the issue of it being difficult to put the car in reverse? Sometimes, I have to try two or three times to get it into reverse properly. It feels like it doesn't want to go into reverse? Any comments?

if your 8 has problems going into reverse when hot it may be do to the expantion of your clutch line as a result of heat however, this is rare and not usually the signature of that problem. I would have the dealer check it out for you. It should be covered under your warranty if there is anything wrong.

I have skimmed through most of this very long thread. I thought about starting a new thread, but I will put this here and see if I get any replies.

I am new to the RX-8, but have to say that the shifter feels better than the one my STi had. In the STi, the 1-2 shift was always the slowest, requiring a little more of a pause before going in. This is also true on the RX-8, but to a lesser degree. This may have something to do with the fact that the 1-2 shift (on both cars) is the largest ratio change, requiring the transmittion to slow more before the gear speeds are matched. When cold (meaning freezing temps in winter), double clutching was required to get the STi into second until fully warmed up. I'll have to wait until winter to see if the 8 does this, but it sounds like others have reported that.

Overall, even though the 1-2 shift feels slower than the 2-3 and 3-4 to me, it is not so slow that I would have ever thought to complain about it until I read this thread, which has me all nervous now. Maybe this is the start of something that just keeps getting worse with this tranny. As it is now, I can't imagine going to the dealer and complaining about it.

Are people expecting to be able to slam the shifter from 1st to 2nd with no resistance in 0.01 seconds? (a little exageration, but hollywood/FnF produced a generation of drivers, many of whom can now afford an RX-8, who think cars really do drive like the ones on TV and in video games.)

Every manual I have owned required some feel for the speed of the transmission in order to make a smooth shift. When the gear speeds match, it clicks in. Synchros make this easier and faster, but they will never make your car's shifter feel like the lever on an arcade driving game. In daily driving, I never force the tranny to shift faster than it wants to. On the RX-8, pulling the shifter from 1st to 2nd requires the same force I use to pull my desk drawer open if I let it take its time (definately less than 0.5 sec, probably less than 0.3 seconds but no way to time it.) It can be made to shift faster, but it requires more force, works the synchros harder (read: wears them out faster) and will occasionally produce a grind.

I have skimmed through most of this very long thread. I thought about starting a new thread, but I will put this here and see if I get any replies.

I am new to the RX-8, but have to say that the shifter feels better than the one my STi had. In the STi, the 1-2 shift was always the slowest, requiring a little more of a pause before going in. This is also true on the RX-8, but to a lesser degree. This may have something to do with the fact that the 1-2 shift (on both cars) is the largest ratio change, requiring the transmittion to slow more before the gear speeds are matched. When cold (meaning freezing temps in winter), double clutching was required to get the STi into second until fully warmed up. I'll have to wait until winter to see if the 8 does this, but it sounds like others have reported that.

Overall, even though the 1-2 shift feels slower than the 2-3 and 3-4 to me, it is not so slow that I would have ever thought to complain about it until I read this thread, which has me all nervous now. Maybe this is the start of something that just keeps getting worse with this tranny. As it is now, I can't imagine going to the dealer and complaining about it.

Are people expecting to be able to slam the shifter from 1st to 2nd with no resistance in 0.01 seconds? (a little exageration, but hollywood/FnF produced a generation of drivers, many of whom can now afford an RX-8, who think cars really do drive like the ones on TV and in video games.)

Every manual I have owned required some feel for the speed of the transmission in order to make a smooth shift. When the gear speeds match, it clicks in. Synchros make this easier and faster, but they will never make your car's shifter feel like the lever on an arcade driving game. In daily driving, I never force the tranny to shift faster than it wants to. On the RX-8, pulling the shifter from 1st to 2nd requires the same force I use to pull my desk drawer open if I let it take its time (definately less than 0.5 sec, probably less than 0.3 seconds but no way to time it.) It can be made to shift faster, but it requires more force, works the synchros harder (read: wears them out faster) and will occasionally produce a grind.

Well I'm not sure there was a question in all that but U seem to be very familia with manual shift. So, if U have a tranny problem with Ur 1-2 fork U will know it.
Fork problems show up as refusal to go into or come out of gear, grinding and gear disingaging. some times a symtom will start small and get worse over time and other times it will just show up outa nowhere.
If your 8 is new then it might have the updated parts already installed in the tranny. Either way,, trust Ur instinks and don't loose sleep over it . If U do have a problem U are covered,,, bumper to bumper!
Regards,
Grey

Yeah, I can get wordy.

I guess my question is this: Are people expecting more from the shifter than what it is and then abusing it to get it to work the way they expect?

I had a '92 Civic Dx that I drove years ago that my parents still have. The shifter feels exactly the same way now as it did back then: like butter. The bushings are so soft that there was absolutle no mechanical information passed to the driver. Sloppy, smooth, easy, vague. With the RX-8 (and my previous STi and a previous Civic Si) the shift linkage has shorter throws, stiffer bushings, and communicates more with the driver. You feel it leave 1st, feel it hesitate before 2nd, then feel it click into 2nd. I am just wondering if that means "trouble" to some people.

... When cold (meaning freezing temps in winter), double clutching was required to get the STi into second until fully warmed up. I'll have to wait until winter to see if the 8 does this, but it sounds like others have reported that....

Are people expecting to be able to slam the shifter from 1st to 2nd with no resistance in 0.01 seconds? ...... .


When cold, you have to pause between 1st and 2nd or use one finger to move the shifter down without pulling it towards you. This works about 90% of the time.

Personally, I've been told I am a pretty quick shifter and I have never had a problem with the shift keeping up. One thing is for sure, you will grind the gears if you sit too far back and try to shift quickly due to the grabbing point of the clutch. Its amazing by moving your seat up 1/2 inch or so could make a huge impact on the time of hands/feet and resulting smooth quick shift.

i am not having any major problems as of yet. 11K miles. However I do notice that when the car is in neutral and I take my foot off the clutch there is a slight change the transmission noise. Almost like a very slight grinding. The car has been doing this since i got it with 1500 miles on it. Anyone else?

Yup, we all have it. Aparently its normal. I took a brand new 8 right off the truck and it did the exact same sound. No ill affects from that noise, so far.

Just tossed in my Royal Purple: tranny, diff, and engine.

Smoother idle. (I think the Nissan dealer that sold me the car had put the wrong oil in, so I changed it even though I've only had the car for 2 weeks/600 miles)
Much improved 1-2 shift; all shifts feel smoother and faster.
No more shudder from the diff when starting off from stop on sharp turn.

Overall, I'm very happy with it.

Thanks to everyone for all the info in this thread.

Yup, we all have it. Aparently its normal. I took a brand new 8 right off the truck and it did the exact same sound. No ill affects from that noise, so far.

Well thats good to know, thanks.

My transmission is noisy when I do the following:

drive at around 35mph, clutch in, move shifter into 3rd or 5th note that noise and compare that when you put it in 4th or 6th, with the clutch in all the time and the car coasting at somewhere 30-50mph. 1st is noisy too but hard to shift into unless you are coasting at 10mph or so. So bascially what I'm doing here is listening to the noise from the transmission at different gear(since the coasting speed is somewhat constant so the rear diff noise should be constant too and the engine noise is minimal because it's at idle during this test).

So why is it noisy on 1st, 3rd and 5th but not 2nd, 4th and 6th? 1st loudest and 3rd less and 5th is the least but still louder than 2nd, 4th and 6th. Is this normal? Anyone else has similar issue? It doesn't sounds like it going to break soon but I thought it might be a sign of abused by the last owner. I think the desgin and manufacture is the same for RX-8 and older Miata(2002), and my old Miata(supercharged and tracked regularly) doesn't get these kind of noise when I sold it at 26k.

I bought the 8 used and has 18k on it so I'm not sure the last owner had abused it or not.

Things I did:

Changed Motul Gear 300v oil 75W90 tran and diff.
Checked the shifter bolts if they are loose(My brand new '02 Miata went lose after 2 weeks driving) but they are not and the rubber boot is not torn either(very commom on Miata which transmit noise to the cabin).

Terence

im having a combination of problems/concerns. (1)when reving the engine in neutral or in gear with clutch in there is a rubbery plastic type smell thats pretty strong even with the windows up. (2)sometimes wont go into reverse, have to go back to neutral and try it again. (3)occasional grinding or gear wont drop when trying to shift into 2nd above 5k. (4)gears seem to stiff to me, not smooth at all. ill be taking it ot dealer on tuesday

It may help to put it in 1st or 2nd gear when stopped before attempting to put it in reverse.

Reverse does not have synchros so doing this can get it lined up for going into gear.

Used to have to do this on my Dad's trucks going into first gear as it did not have synchros for first.

The service department may ask why you are revving in neutral :(

Do you all warm your RX-8's up to normal driving temp before driving? Are you going over 3,000RPM before your engine is warmed up? And or turning the engine off before it warms up to normal driving temp? If you are not, I'm not surprised you have so many problems. If you all do these things, I guess I should sell mine before I hit 4,000 mi.

I just bought an 8 less then a week ago.
I noticed that when stopped if i release the clutch in neutral there is a noticable rattling sound and when i push the clutch back in it goes away if just a little bit and is perfectly silent. I took it to the dealer and they said that its normal. I just wondering if it really is. This happens all the time no matter the temperature or anything. i work with a bunch people more knowligable then I and they told me it could be a bad release berring.

Wondering if anyone else has had a similar problem.

Is it a rattle or is it a soft grinding?

If it is grinding that is normal.

its definitly a rattling then a grinding sound, but it goes away once you put pressure on the clutch. Maybe if i could start up another rx8 in the area i could find out for myself.

its definitly a rattling then a grinding sound, but it goes away once you put pressure on the clutch. Maybe if i could start up another rx8 in the area i could find out for myself.

It's normal. I took mine back to the dealership and had them start up a new rx-8 to prove it. Same sound.

That gives me some relief thanks for the reply

The factory new bearing in my 04's tranny did not make a peep when the car was spinning the shaft in neutral with the pedal released, however, the replacement bearing that was installed when I replaced my first clutch did. It was actually quite loud. After about 1K miles on it the noise disappeared and has remained quiet now after an additional 10K miles.

The factory new bearing in my 04's tranny did not make a peep when the car was spinning the shaft in neutral with the pedal released, however, the replacement bearing that was installed when I replaced my first clutch did. It was actually quite loud. After about 1K miles on it the noise disappeared and has remained quiet now after an additional 10K miles.

Interesting, I have noticed since my transmission was replaced and I have over 1,000 miles on it the noise has quieted as well. I believe they replaced the throwout bearing during the swap.

Hi, I'm a noob and have a few little worries about my trans.

My 8 is my first manual car... owned two ATs before, drove a few MTs now and then and finally got the 8 as MT.

I've had the car for 5 months and put about 5000 miles on it.

I have two little things worrying me:

1) My 1-2 shift doesn't feel as smooth as when I first got the car. It feels like there is a "notch" just before the 2nd gear so that when I take the shifter from 1 to 2 instead of going "out 1st, neutral, 2nd" it goes "out 1st, neutral, notch, 2nd". And it seems to be worst than it was before. Anyone got that feeling? Makes it hard to do a quick & clean 1-2 since I don't want to force it down in 2nd, big fan of the "2 fingers pressure, no more" method.

2) My shifter in neutral position used to be firmly in place, meaning it was either in a gear or in neutral, but it would not "move" within its neutral spot. Now it seems like when the shifter is in neutral position I can move about 1 inch in any direction as if it's "dead zone" was getting larger and had less resistance. I usually don't touch the shifter except to shift, so I don't think this could come from wear from resting my hand on it or something like that.

Any comments you more experienced guys have is appreciated... am I being too nervous about it?

Thanks a bunch

Ok... after a while reading a bunch of posts, I realize a lot of us have a notchy second. But how to tell if this is a notchy second, or a "sick" fork?

I guess the only intelligent reply now would be "uh... take it to the dealer" :nono:

My transmission problem started about a month ago.
While I was driving to Haapsalu, to have a little driving contest, 6th gear started to go in real hard, and a little while after it didn't go in at all.
Ok, fine 6th gear gone, I can still live the day and go to the dealer next day, but things just were getting started...
While driving back, I lost the 5th gear same way. It didn't grind or anything, it just didn't go in, like there would have been a wall or something.
And finally when I got home, the reverse gear also was lost, so the whole right fork was gone.
I took the car to the dealer and with no 5-6-R gear, I just left it there to wait for diagnosis.

Results of the diagnoses:
Clutch housing had been faulty and it has broken down many parts of the gearbox. As a result, they'll change the clutch housing and all the broken parts of gearbox (There was a request to finland in order to replace the transmission as a whole, but the answer was negative).
So it is going to take another month to get all fixed, luckily under warranty.
I have never felt that the clutch had acted wierd in any way. I love the way the clutch behaves, but it occurs, that it was the major destructor of my car.

I have 2003RX8, 15k miles on it.
VIN# JMZSE173640101808

OK i am having a few problems with my transmission now as well. here is the list, some of which may just be normal:

1. when idling and letting the clutch out, putting it in neutral, i get this rattling sound and it goes away when i depress the clutch again. Normal? Abnormal?

2. sometimes when i try to put it into first after coming to a stop, it is very difficult to get it in, and most times i have to let the clutch out and depress it again, allowing first to engage with an audible "thud".

3. when in 5th gear, as i get right around 3000rpm, i get this annoying "wah-wah" sound from the engine......only happens in 5th.

4. awfully hard to get it into reverse just about everytime i try now. it will slip in when i start to release the clutch a little, but it just seems like it doesn't want to go in.

Now, i have 51,400 miles on my car. Should i just take it into the dealer and see what the problem is and risk having to sacrifice my first born child or is there another way?

thanks for any advice on the matter.

Hi, i am experiencing the same problem, when i'm trying to downshift my car from 3rd gear at 3K rpm to 2nd gear or 1st gear, it feels like the shifter is hitting something, like you really cant move the shifter at that side of 1st and 2nd gear even you give it a force... i have to shift it to other higher gears for a second then that's the time my shifter can go to 1st or 2nd gear... why is that happening? is that really natural?

OK i am having a few problems with my transmission now as well. here is the list, some of which may just be normal:

1. when idling and letting the clutch out, putting it in neutral, i get this rattling sound and it goes away when i depress the clutch again. Normal? Abnormal?

2. sometimes when i try to put it into first after coming to a stop, it is very difficult to get it in, and most times i have to let the clutch out and depress it again, allowing first to engage with an audible "thud".

3. when in 5th gear, as i get right around 3000rpm, i get this annoying "wah-wah" sound from the engine......only happens in 5th.

4. awfully hard to get it into reverse just about everytime i try now. it will slip in when i start to release the clutch a little, but it just seems like it doesn't want to go in.

Now, i have 51,400 miles on my car. Should i just take it into the dealer and see what the problem is and risk having to sacrifice my first born child or is there another way?

thanks for any advice on the matter.

I can answer a couple of your questions:

1. Yes, this is normal "gear chatter." Swapping your fluids to synthetic should reduce this, but it won't go away completely. When I swapped my fluids out, I put a couple more ounces than recommended, and it really made the sound quiet.
2. That's not normal. You should probably get that looked at now that your car has the extra 10k miles of warranty given to us by the recall gods. Could be a bent fork.
3. This could be just the sounds from the synchros, but your description isn't very clear to me. If it's a high-pitched whining when you first shift into the gear, it's normal. If it's something different, prolly not.
4. This is normal. It's caused by reverse not having its own synchro, so you have to sorta let the clutch out as you're slipping it into gear. Another thing you can do if you're having issues is, with the clutch in, put the car into another gear before attempting reverse. This will line up the gears better.

Make sure to bring your car in and have them take a look while it's under warranty. I just brought mine in for a problem with second gear and they're ordering me a new transmission...

Hi, i am experiencing the same problem, when i'm trying to downshift my car from 3rd gear at 3K rpm to 2nd gear or 1st gear, it feels like the shifter is hitting something, like you really cant move the shifter at that side of 1st and 2nd gear even you give it a force... i have to shift it to other higher gears for a second then that's the time my shifter can go to 1st or 2nd gear... why is that happening? is that really natural?

I had the same thing and they're replacing my transmission for it. I would say to bring it in.

The below service bulletin may cause issues that are being discribed in thiese posts.
The chatter at idle with the clutch not depressed is the throw-out bearing and is normal for Mazda. I have a 14 year old Miata that has done the same thing since new.

Mazda North American Operations
Service Bulletin
Irvine, CA 92618-2922
© 2006 Mazda Motor of America, Inc.

Subject: Bulletin No: 05-004/06
MANUAL TRANSMISSION - CLUTCH HARD TO DISENGAGE
Last Issued: 6/13/2006


APPLICABLE MODEL(S)/VINS
2004-2006 RX-8 vehicles with VINs lower than JM1 FE**** ** 206481 (produced before May 1, 2006)

DESCRIPTION
Some vehicles may experience that the free play on the clutch pedal increases and the clutch is hard to disengage.
At hot ambient temperatures or approx. 85 F (30 C), ethanol used during installation of the clutch release cylinder boot becomes vaporized and expands. As the pressure in the boots increases, the piston is pushed back into the release cylinder body. As a result, a gap appears between the piston and the push rod, resulting in excessive free play and the clutch hard to disengage.
As a mass production change, ethanol is no longer used during clutch release cylinder assembly. Customers having this concern should have their vehicle repaired using the following repair procedure.

REPAIR PROCEDURE
1. 1. Verify customer concern.
2. 2. Remove the clutch release cylinder. Refer to Workshop Manual section 05-10 - CLUTCH RELEASE CYLINDER REMOVAL/INSTALLATION.
3. 3. Disassemble the clutch release cylinder. Refer to Workshop Manual section 05-10 - CLUTCH RELEASE CYLINDER DISASSEMBLY/ASSEMBLY.
4. 4. Using brake fluid, wash the rod, inside of the boot and piston rubber.

NOTE:
• Use care when washing rubber parts. Do not allow brake cleaner or any volatile grease to remain inside of the boot when assembling or condition may re-occur.
1. 5. Reassemble and install the clutch release cylinder.
2. 6. Bleed the clutch release cylinder. Refer to Workshop Manual section 05-10 - CLUTCH FLUID REPLACEMENT.
3. 7. Verify repair.

Page 1 of 2
CONSUMER NOTICE: The information and instructions in this bulletin are intended for use by skilled technicians. Mazda technicians utilize the proper tools/ equipment and take training to correctly and safely maintain Mazda vehicles. These instructions should not be performed by “do-it-yourselfers.” Customers should not assume this bulletin applies to their vehicle or that their vehicle will develop the described concern. To determine if the information applies, customers should contact their nearest authorized Mazda dealership. Mazda North American Operations reserves the right to alter the specifications and contents of this bulletin without obligation or advance notice. All rights reserved. No part of this bulletin may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical---including photocopying and recording and the use of any kind of information storage and retrieval system ---without permission in writing.
Bulletin No: 05-004/06
Last Issued: 6/13/2006
© 2006 Mazda Motor of America, Inc.


WARRANTY INFORMATION NOTE:
. • This warranty information applies only to verified customer complaints on vehicles eligible for warranty repair. Refer to the Warranty Wizard for warranty term information.
. • Additional diagnostic time cannot be claimed for this repair.

Warranty Type A
Symptom Code 70
Damage Code 93
Part Number Main Cause F151-41-92XA
Quantity 0
Operation Number / Labor Hours: XXB334RX / 0.7 Hrs

Page 2 of 2

I was writing about my issue with my RX8 tranny then found this thread. Would anyone know if this problem can be found on the recall list? Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Aloha-
I recently bought a used 2004 RX8 with sport package. I has 22K miles on it. So far the Mazda dealership has been taking care of the recalls I have been encountering...I'm 3 for 3 right now...nothing out of pocket, yet. So far they have changed the battery, alternator, starter and will be taking care of the fluctuating A/C problem. I been noticing that during revs above 5k RPM's I'm having a hard time shifting from 2nd to 3rd and a slight problem from 3rd to 4th. There's also this awful grinding noise (probably the synchro gears going?) accompanying the mis shift. Will the SR Motorsport short shifter remedy this problem? What about changing the gear box oil? Is there a special formula or weight of gear oil I should use? Also, my RX8, at idle, runs little rough like it's missing or has a vacuum leak somewhere. Once I start going the car runs fine. Any one encountering this sort of problem at idle and had it fixed? Please let me know. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Mahalo.

I was writing about my issue with my RX8 tranny then found this thread. Would anyone know if this problem can be found on the recall list? Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.
Aloha-
I recently bought a used 2004 RX8 with sport package. I has 22K miles on it. So far the Mazda dealership has been taking care of the recalls I have been encountering...I'm 3 for 3 right now...nothing out of pocket, yet. So far they have changed the battery, alternator, starter and will be taking care of the fluctuating A/C problem. I been noticing that during revs above 5k RPM's I'm having a hard time shifting from 2nd to 3rd and a slight problem from 3rd to 4th. There's also this awful grinding noise (probably the synchro gears going?) accompanying the mis shift. Will the SR Motorsport short shifter remedy this problem? What about changing the gear box oil? Is there a special formula or weight of gear oil I should use? Also, my RX8, at idle, runs little rough like it's missing or has a vacuum leak somewhere. Once I start going the car runs fine. Any one encountering this sort of problem at idle and had it fixed? Please let me know. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Mahalo.

Common issue on trans. The 1 to 2 shift is always the most prone to grinding if done too quickly or if you are not using a good fluid to help the syncros work their best.

I would start with changing the trans fluid to see if this helps. I would recommend BG Syncroshift II fluid change (some others use Royal Purple and may be a good alternative if you can't find a BG dealer).

If this does not help, issue could be a severe syncro/trans wear or breakage problem which that may require rebuidling.

Good discussion here for some more reading on trans fluids
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=100978

MY car has been at my dealer for 4 days now....grinding when high rpm shifting from 1-2 and when downshifting above 42mph into 2nd. They said they are waiting for 2 syncros and a gear before they can rebuild it.

I noticed today, that while driving above like 3,000 RPM's, i get a sort of rattle sound coming out of the transmission, and also, that the same noise but louder occurs while letting off the clutch, it kind of sounds like a slip, but the car handles normally, and im not experiencing any slip feel.

can anyone help?

Does it happen when your in neutral and sounds like an annoying lil rattle/squeak. Then it goes away when you push in the clutch? If that's the case then thats the usual Mazda Throw Out Bearing doing its usual loud noises.

Does it happen when your in neutral and sounds like an annoying lil rattle/squeak. Then it goes away when you push in the clutch? If that's the case then thats the usual Mazda Throw Out Bearing doing its usual loud noises.

thats what i thought at first too, but it happens while driving, and makes noises when you clutch to shift as well.

My eight has only 7,000 miles on it and I'm pretty sure 2nd gear synchros are f'ed. At over ~37mph the only way i can downshift into second is by double clutching. Also I can't even do 1-2 redline shifts without grinding.. even with the clutch to the floor for a good second before moving the gear stick. I'll be bringing it into the dealer soon.. I noticed some people saying that the reason the 1-2 shift grinds in the first place (which is how i assume the 2nd gear sychros go bad) is because of the rubber clutch line. I ordered some technafit one from ebay and it was only $30 shipped. Hopefully I can get my dealer to install that when they're working on it even though its not a mazdaspeed part.

Common issue on trans. The 2 to 3 shift is always the most prone to grinding if done too quickly or if you are not using a good fluid to help the syncros work their best.
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=100978


See this really confuses me... for me 2-3 is the easiest shift out of all of them. It's 1-2 that kills me.

i had to get a new tranny myself. was driving home one evening and could no longer shift into third. took it in and thought i was going to catch hell because of my aftermarket parts but i hardly drive the car (1500 miles from an open ticket they had on me from 6 months ago). transmission is doing well so far. i am now having the "freeway power loss" problem so i will have to take it in and see what's happening.

my 8 grinds from 3rd to 4th if im in the higher rpm's if i change as quick as i do with all the other gears,i haved to wait a second or two, so all the others are fine, clearly there is a problem here. south africa.car is on 85.000 kms now but has done it since i bought it pre owned on 19.000 kms.

Just got my eight back. I sent it in at about 7k miles telling them that I cant upshift into second at redline or downshift into second above 35 mph. They had it for about a week. On the papers it says that the transmission oil had a ton of metallic flakes in it. They replaced second gear, second gear synchros, fourth gear, and fourth gear synchros. I think this problem developed from a few missed 1-2 shifts and just got worse over time. Anyways it was completely covered under warranty.

gonna send mine in then and get it sorted while it's still under warranty... funny my only problems i've ever encountered have been going into 2nd and going into 4th guess i'll expect the same report.

From reading various owner reports on shifting problems in the MT, it seems like the most common gear showing issues is 4th. Perhaps this excerpt from an older Automobile Mag article has a clue for us here, "Once you get into the throttle, the rotary engine crackles upward to its 9000-rpm redline, and the gearchange seems supernaturally precise, especially if you pause for an instant in neutral to let the synchros do their work (there are triple-cone synchros for first, second, and third gears)." Pausing to let the synchros rev match is not in the playbook for the most optimized Zoom Zoom experience - 4th apparently does not have the triple cone design the lower three gears offer.

You can find the rest of the article at: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/coupes/0304_mazda_rx8/index.html. It is a nice review of the RX-8 against competitors like the Z and the 330i.

Just got my eight back. I sent it in at about 7k miles telling them that I cant upshift into second at redline or downshift into second above 35 mph. They had it for about a week. On the papers it says that the transmission oil had a ton of metallic flakes in it. They replaced second gear, second gear synchros, fourth gear, and fourth gear synchros. I think this problem developed from a few missed 1-2 shifts and just got worse over time. Anyways it was completely covered under warranty.


This happenned to me too. It was covered and repaired under warranty twice. But the problem kept reoccuring which led to eventual failure. I still think it was a clutch problem the whole time..Whats your build date ?

Ill go check on my build date in a second. One thing i did notice is that there is now a ton of throwout bearing noise. When I let the clutch out and have the tranny in neutral it rattles like crazy and when I do it right after I start the car is actually moved forward a little bit. I know it didn't sound like this before I took it in.... sick of this damn tranny.

quick question you guys... is this considered normal for the tranmission/car... i drive the car on first gear and let go of the gas and it decelates to around 7mph... then the car starts to buckle... and same thing goes for second gear when it reaches 13-14mph. i drove many manuals and usually the car slows down smoothly.. but my rx8 gives this bucking incident. i'm not too familiar with manual transmission... so i wouldn't i know if this is consider "Normal"

100% normal. If this is your only issue with your transmission, you are the luckiest guy reading this thread.

In all seriousness, that's A OK. Normally you shouldn't let cars do that. Push the clutch in once you get to 1200rpm or so.

that makes alot more sense now. thank you.

thanks a lot :). now i wonder about this other issue i have where i am driving i 4th 5th and 6th and i get this rattling or scraping noise when going above 4000 rpm.. but no prob with 1st 2nd and 3rd... i wonder if its the transmission or its the engine mount... gonna talk to dealer about it... its quite anoying..

Gotta problem that's been happening for a while. When I'm at a long light I usually put the car in neutral and let out the clutch. If I shift into first gear immediately after depressing the clutch, I get a clunking noise in the drivetrain. Could this be related to the Clutch Release Cylinder TSB? If not, what else could cause this? It didn't used to happen. I have an '04 MT with 67K miles.

Gotta problem that's been happening for a while. When I'm at a long light I usually put the car in neutral and let out the clutch. If I shift into first gear immediately after depressing the clutch, I get a clunking noise in the drivetrain. Could this be related to the Clutch Release Cylinder TSB? If not, what else could cause this? It didn't used to happen. I have an '04 MT with 67K miles.Could it just be nothing? I think I generally get a big of a benign "clunk" sound as I put it in first at a dead stop. It's not seemed like a problem yet after more than a year.

I believe that is caused by not letting the synchros do their work (speed up or slow down to mesh with the gear).

Used to get that before. Now I put the transmission in 2nd before into 1st, seems to help prevent the dreaded clunk.

An issue that I had, and my dealer told me they are seeing this more often, is that the clutch pedal assembly bracket broke one of the spot welds it has. I figured it was from my ACT Xtreme Duty clutch kit which has a very heavy pressure plate, but it may have just been an inferior weld. It was covered under warranty but I am beginning to wonder if THAT has been a major cause of many of the shifting problems we seem to have around here. When the spot weld broke it did not evidence itself in the free play of the clutch, it only became apparent when there was pressure on the pedal. The symptoms of such damage would be failure of the clutch to fully disengage, difficulty shifting, and grinding gears. To check your own pedal assembly climb under the dash with a flashlight and push down on the clutch pedal a bit. Look to see any movement or separation of the bracket assembly from the backplate.

You can add me on hte list of transmission troubles, my friend is a mazda mechanic and he says that it is common for the synchronizer spring to go like that, also to fix the rattling in your door just roll down your window 1 mm

hey guys im sorry but i just dont feel like going through 21 pages so if the answer to my question is in this thread i apologize in advance. im new to manual transmissions and im not sure if this is normal or not but when im in neural the transmission feels great but as i accelerate it becomes harder to get it into gear.i figure that it should stay smooth. i feel like i have to put more effort to get it into gear. does it do this at the higher rpms? should it be smooth throughout? am i doing something wrong? transmission screwed? thanks

Couple of tips for helping with smooth shifting:

(This will take some experimenting to get good at)

1. Don't let off the accelerator before clutching
(let up on the gas at about half or quarter clutch)

2. Try not putting the clutch all the way to the floor shift out of gear at about half clutch and into gear at about 3/4 clutch. You'd be surprised at how much smoother it is.

3. Be patient when shifting grinding gears doesn't make a car faster. ;)


Some other things that can heighten your shifting experience and you will notice everytime you drive your car.

1. Get a Axial Flow Engineering short shifter (solid short shifts).

2. Change your transmission and rear diff fluid over to synthetic.

3. Install a stainless steel braided clutch line.

4. Change out the brake / clutch fluid with something like Super Blue brake fluid (they share the same fluid) Speed bleeders help a lot when bleeding the clutch and brakes. ;)


Hope that helps snipaz2420. Your 8 is not screwed it takes time and shifting in this car is different partially because it has a hydraulic clutch.

awesome thanks a lot for the help i thought something might have been wrong with the car. i realize that i do those things when i shift(getting off gas and going to the floor with the clutch before i shift). thats how i was taught so i assumed i was doing it right. it just seemed odd that it would only do it when the rpms were up. but thanks for the tips and hopefully it will smoothin out.

Before you do all of that, take a look under the dash of your car at the clutch pedal assembly, particularly the welded bracket that holds it together. These two spot welds have been known to break and cause the problem you are asking about. You'll need a flashlight and you'll be trying to look for separation of the welds. It may be hard at first but I bet you'll find your bracket coming apart. There is also a Mazda TSB regarding the same issue but they believe it to be from problematic slave cylinders but I would look at the bracket first.

Charles, first of all, its been a long time since I seen you post. I know you have been back for a little while and hope things are back to normal for you and your family.

Not to be a royal pain, but if you have a digital camera, can you snap a shop and indicate what we are looking for because I have the same issues.

Welcome back.

Shamble, thanks for the sentiment, and things are back to normal. I'll get them up as soon as I can.

I just took my 2004 RX-8 to the dealer to get the transmission fixed. Reverse is gone on the car and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th make noises when your driving the car.


the car has 19,000 km on it as of right now.

I brought mine in to have the mechanic "experience" the grinding going in to 2nd gear and in to 3rd. It only happens when its cold for about 10 minutes. So I have to drop it off on Monday (downtown mazda) for them to apparently drop the transmission and look at what's going on. Mine is a 2004 with 41,000KMS.

I brought mine in to have the mechanic "experience" the grinding going in to 2nd gear and in to 3rd. It only happens when its cold for about 10 minutes. So I have to drop it off on Monday (downtown mazda) for them to apparently drop the transmission and look at what's going on. Mine is a 2004 with 41,000KMS.

I am having the same problem. I thought it was because I just had my fluids switch to redline and maybe they did not fill it up properlyl??? Gonna call the dealer tomorrow.

As you read through the many threads on this site and others regarding MT RX-8 noises & issues you tend to find several similarities:
1). Many issues with synchros, all gears affected but most often 2nd. Given the low torque profile of normally aspirated rotary engines and the zoom-zoom nature of their drivers you would have to think that we all probably put a beatin' on those 2nd gear synchros from time to time.
2). Dealerships from coast to coast will tell you that all sorts of various sounds and feelings are normal operating parameters for this vehicle. To this point, I never had anything but flawless performance from my 93 RX-7 and the same was true with my 06/03 build date RX-8 right up until I had the original clutch and throwout bearing replaced at 60,000 miles. Now the throwout bearing in noisy when holding the clutch in at a red light, etc. and my dealership has just added me to the "that's normal for an RX-8" club even though they know it has not been normal for me.

Closing the loop here, got my 04 MT with just over 70K miles on it back from the dealer. One month without my car and $3,000+ out of my pocket for a tranny rebuild. No signs or claims of abuse. Only good thing to say is that Mark at Werner Mazda in Manchester, NH did his usual fine job - all issues with grinding and synchro issues in 3rd & 4th have been resolved - at least for now. Have to see how long this major repair lasts now (along with the engine replacement at 58K miles). :banghead:

I bought my car used its an o4 and it came with 34 k miles and when I hit 45k I heard a whining noise in forth gear. A couple of days latter the car would not shift into reverse. I took it into the dealer and they said that I craked the thrust plate. I asked to see the transmission and there was a large crack in the transmission housing and thats what was causing my reverse problem.

I brought mine in to have the mechanic "experience" the grinding going in to 2nd gear and in to 3rd. It only happens when its cold for about 10 minutes. So I have to drop it off on Monday (downtown mazda) for them to apparently drop the transmission and look at what's going on. Mine is a 2004 with 41,000KMS.


A an update, 3 master mechanics at the dealership felt something was wrong, but Mazda Canada said this is normal. So, guess what? We're going to war. I can't beleive these monkeys.. I'll keep you posted if I make any progress.

Using Royal Purple or RedLine oil by chance? When the lube is cold it doesn't allow the synchros to spool-up as quick as it does when the transmisiion is warm/hot. To counteract this slow down the shifter motion when shifting a cold transmission. Also, be sure to have the mechanics check the spot welds on the clutch pedal bracket assembly. The tend to separate.

Good advice Charles.. At times --when cool -- i actually bring back the art of double clutching. I am about to try the Redline Heavy shockproof oil. That may help with the little whine i have in the lower gears. Trans is fine-- i am just playing.
OD

well i put it in and it is really thick stuff-- car does shift better, whine is about the same.
I dont know about this stuff. Seems too thick for me. I may swap back. I ill run it for a week and see.
olddragger

well i put it in and it is really thick stuff-- car does shift better, whine is about the same.
I dont know about this stuff. Seems too thick for me. I may swap back. I ill run it for a week and see.
olddragger

Try the BG Syncroshift II - I tell you it is good stuff as I have very smooth shifts and almost no whine anymore.

Try the BG Syncroshift II - I tell you it is good stuff as I have very smooth shifts and almost no whine anymore.I always hear of RP and Redline. How long have you used the BG?

A an update, 3 master mechanics at the dealership felt something was wrong, but Mazda Canada said this is normal. So, guess what? We're going to war. I can't beleive these monkeys.. I'll keep you posted if I make any progress.


I just got called up by the mechanic. Since I use Redline fluids, the first answer was that it was the redline fluid. They suggested to change the fluid to a Mazda certified fluid first and see if the problem continues. If it does, then it would be feasible to crack it open.

Cool thing was the service guy even asked me if I have read anything on this forum about this, and some of the procedures that some other dealers have done. Since they have not had any complaints about this here in albany for this issue.

update: So my service guy was able to call up mazda tech line about the concern. Mazda told them that it is a reported concern and to use a mixture of 90 weight and dextron 3. Which I was surprise since dextron 3 is an automatic fluid. I do not know the ratios or what company oil they are using but I will try and find out.

They verified that the Redline fluid was not a problem (meaning that if it was a problem then it should have been faulty in warm weather) since my car has been reported using it and never had a problem with it before. They confirmed that this was due to cold weather.

Next step is to drive it around town and see if the problem persist.

Punksux, keep me posted on any developments on your end because I am going nowhere with Mazda Canada. I have to know follow the advise provided below of double clutching or simply taking a pause of a second or so in between moving the lever from 1st to 2nd for the first 10-15minutes of driving. Its a bugger to get used to. I still don't think I should have to do that.

Well this new concoction of fluid seems to being working out better than the redline for winter purposes. The change in gears seems to be much better, as grinding is not bad. There is still a little hesitation with the gear changing, but no grinding.

Shamblerock: The dealer was very helpful with this situation as he was open to any suggestions that where out there on this forum. It resulted with just the technician talking to the mazda hotline and them telling the mechanic to use the mixture of 75w90 and dextron 3. The great thing about it too is that it is warranty work and I did not have to pay for it and got a rental. (Orange Mazda in Albany)

Shamble, when you took your car to the dealer did you leave it overnight? I left mine over night and let one of the mechanics take it for a spin in the morning knowing that the car would be cold. Also thats how i got my rental too.

I am still confused as to why the redline was performing so bad in the winter, since I used it last winter and did not have this problem.

PUnksux, I left the car overnight not once but 3 times so other "master mechanics" could opine on what the problem is. I had a rental at their expense for like 4 days. Aparently, the master mechaninc and service manager told Mazda Canada that there was absolutely a problem, but Mazda said it was normal and for the customer, me, to go suck someone's d--k. The dealer said that if they opened the tranny, Mazda was not going to compensate them and they would be out of pocket. Needless to say, the last Mazda I'll buy. I think I'm going to make a little video for Mazda canada so they can hear and see for themselves and if that doesn't work, then I'll share the video with all the other car dealers for kicks. Probably will put it on youtube too. Why not!

can anyone help me with this problem? major rattles in 2-4-6 and also when i floor it to above 9000 rpm and try to shift to second it grinds really hard.

Shamble that sucks..... The only thing I can say is that my dealer has been very helpful and willing to listen to other ways to find a solution if Mazda has not stated it.

By any chance did you ask them about changing the fluids to a mixture that I have. Perhaps it is something really new that just been posted? I do not see why Canada will not have the same maintanence. The only other thing I can say is write or call up about your concerns to mazda north america.

The mixture definitely helped for the cold shifts. I hope it will also hold up in the summer time though. I may switch it out and put in Royal purple.

Edit: It seems like you have been talking to mazda north america already

No I haven't asked about the mixture you have. Mt situation took place before I read your post. But as usual, Charles Hill has the most logical explanation, again. (See a few posts down). Its the only thing that makes logical sense that I have trouble when its cold and no issues once everything is nice and warmed up.

Charles, your feedback, experience and way you explain yourself is first rate.

Cheers

Sham, thanks again for the props. I am beginning to think that synthetic fluid, itself, is the real problem. Maybe it is all of the clinging-type by design and therein lies the problem(s). There seem to be two problems with these transmissions that are running parallel; 1) The shifting issue as discussed here and, 2) fluid smell in the interior after draining and re-filling. I used to use B+M manual trans fluid, after trying Royal Purple, and found it to exhibit neither of these problems. Since it is no longer offered by B+M I switched to Mobil1 synthetic and, voila, the smell and stiff shifting in the cold came back. The smell came back after driving on the freeway for about 20 minutes so I am becoming convinced that the clinging fluids cause issues with the flow of fluid through/around the case of the transmission. The factory fluid flows like a 0 or 5 weight when it is warm so I would imagine the flow channels in the tranny are designed around that weight.

Well damn. I just bought an 04 with 29K miles 7 days ago and I'm having a bitch of a time shifting into 2nd at high RPMs - consistently. Guess she'll go into the dealer. Can anyone think of a reason this wouldn't be warrantied (I'm still covered)? Charles I'll check those spot welds too.

Whatever you do keep in mind that Mazda seems just as puzzled as the rest of us regarding most of the issues we discuss here. I would emphatically say that your chances of finding answers are better by involving yourself in this website rather than hanging around at the dealership. Actually, the dealerships are starting to recognize that we here are way ahead of the curve regarding discovering new issues and solutions.

I agree with Charles. I know my dealership has been open minded about the situation and they are willing to hear any outside solutions to try and better the situation.

I'll second that they lurk here. I walked into my dealership for a service appointment and had to wait for another customer to finish so I strolled into the attached showroom to look over a Miata. A salesman came over and introduced himself and the next thing he says was, "Hey, are you Cool-Blue-Dad?" I about fell over.

I'm joining the club. Earlier this week (monday) I was driving in 3rd gear and couldn't get the car out of 3rd. I thought it was odd, so I tried again and it came out no problem. However, I couldn't get back into 3rd gear. So I came to a stoplight and ran the shifter through all of the gears and everything was fine.

Tonight, after a day of running errands and going out to eat with the family, I stop at the grocery, get supplies (making gumbo tomorrow), and then, on the way home from the grocery, I cannot get the car into 3rd gear. I thought it was odd since I had just shifted it into 3rd gear 2x previously on the way home from the grocery.

I managed to get green lights the rest of the way home, so I couldn't stop and run the gears like I did previously.

In front of the house, I come to a complete stop and try to run the gears. 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and reverse all work fine...no grinding, no resistance, nothing. Smooth. 3rd, however, refuses to engage. I cannot even push the stick shift into the 3rd gear position.

I turn the car off and ran the gears again. Still no luck with 3rd gear. I'm pretty confused at this point. I figure the best thing to do now is go about 20mph, and rev match (20mph = 2K RPM). Again, 3rd gear will not engage and I am unable to push the stick shift into the 3rd gear position. All other gears are fine, including reverse.

I have 35.1K miles on it, so we'll see what the dealer has to say on monday.

I just bought my car used, its a 04' and just hit the 11,000 mile mark this week, Im starting to have lots of difficulty shifting into 2nd gear like it doesnt want to go, sometimes itll be fine though. Thinking about having it checked out . I also hear a knocking sound shifting to third sometimes..dunno what this could be ...

UPDATE!

This morning I had to run an errand, and figured I'd just avoid 3rd gear. About 2 miles away from my house the whole transmission went out. I cound no longer put the car in gear.

Luckily, I was a very short distance away from a dealership, so I managed to get the car into 4th and left it in the service driveway at the dealership. I'll have to see what the dealership says tomorrow. And I need a loaner/rental. ugh.

edit:

And this really confuses me. Prior to the transmission going out, there was no grinding. I did have occasional 1-2 grinding and sometimes grinding when downshifting from 3-2, but otherwise there was no grinding whatsoever in gears 1, 3-6 and reverse.

I'll follow-up when I get more info from the dealership.

I'll second that they lurk here. I walked into my dealership for a service appointment and had to wait for another customer to finish so I strolled into the attached showroom to look over a Miata. A salesman came over and introduced himself and the next thing he says was, "Hey, are you Cool-Blue-Dad?" I about fell over.

:rofl:

Yeah, I am waiting for that to happen but since we have a local forum as well with a growing membership I don't think I will be as shocked. Still entertaining to be recognized with such awe. :Eyecrazy:

I just took my 2004 RX-8 to the dealer to get the transmission fixed. Reverse is gone on the car and 2nd, 3rd, and 4th make noises when your driving the car.


the car has 19,000 km on it as of right now.

I got my car back last month and got all the problems fixed and now I'm having a problem shifting to 5th.

And Sometimes when city driving when shifting to third it won't go into gear or even back in the last gear your were in for a couple of seconds. It's like it gets stuck in between the gears and won't move.

The car is scheduled to go into get fixed on the 19th of March so hopefully they get it all fixed or I'm trading the car in for a new STi and taking the hit.

the clutch on my 04 went out at 9900 miles.. just fell apart when driving off the exit ramp.. i rammed it into 3rd for a mile.. went in circles with the dealer and MNA who kept saying abuse.. even though I had bought two new manual miatas from the dealership over the past 13 years and driven them with no problems and knew the sales manager well at the dealership. I had another transmission place put in an ACT clutch and replace the 2nd gear synchro which was about shot at 9900 miles.. all has been well, its been a year now since that work was done (now at 26kmiles), and my 2nd gear synchro is starting to get weak again.. it clumps when cold (does fine when warmed up), and now my 5th gear is gone.. it doesnt seem like a synchro, as it will shift fine 1 out of 10 tries probably, but the other 9 tries, it goes into gear fine, but when you let up on the clutch, it pops out and sits up against the gear grinding until you pull it away. just pops it out.. 5th gear isnt crucial, ive just been goin from 4th to 6th, and slowing down if needing to go from 6th to 4th to compensate, and ive gotton used to it.. 5ths been shot since christmas.. im looking/researching several non-mazda vendors to perhaps replace the 2nd synchro and check into 5th gear prob. Other than that, I LOVE MY 8!! .. and besides a cat replacement a couple of weeks ago under warranty, the car has been great.

I got my car back last month and got all the problems fixed and now I'm having a problem shifting to 5th.

And Sometimes when city driving when shifting to third it won't go into gear or even back in the last gear your were in for a couple of seconds. It's like it gets stuck in between the gears and won't move.

The car is scheduled to go into get fixed on the 19th of March so hopefully they get it all fixed or I'm trading the car in for a new STi and taking the hit.


I got my RX8 back today from Mazda and the problem is fixed. They took blame for the problem it happened when they stuck the tranny back together the shift pattern was misaligned and that was causing the problem.

It's time to get the car ready for the Nurburgring and hopefully some lower times this year.

To continue my saga... i shifted into second at about 3k rpms.. big mistake aparently. The entire transmission exploded. They took it apart at mazda and dont even want to rebuild it its so bad. They are waiting for mazda to ok a straight replacement.

The interesting thing is I took the car in last week becuase something in the linkage didn't feel right... of course they said everything was just fine.

The friggen cars have trannys made of glass!!!

Does anyone still remember what the old clutch tsb said. It told you how to clean the old release cylinder... the new one tells you to replace it. Seeing as my dealer refuses to do the clutch recall I just want to go ahead and do it myself before I fuck up a third transmission. And please dont tell me to bring it somewhere else.. tried that.. ive literally brought it in 3-4 times with that clutch recall printed out and taped to the steering wheel. I always get it back with a "clutch operation feels normal" note.

OK, so when I'm driving doing more than 50 mph in 3rd gear and I down shift to 2nd the gears grind in, even with rev matching. Is it safe to assume my tranny as an issue. It only does it when I'm above 50 mph though. Made an appointment for Monday :(

Hmmm... do you down shift at that speed into second gear very often?

I did it on accident once going 60 mph from 6th to second when I was going for 4th into a cloverleaf. The back of the car jumped over about 6 feet :eek: and thankfully I had the stability control on because it did its job. :D:

OK, so when I'm driving doing more than 50 mph in 3rd gear and I down shift to 2nd the gears grind in, even with rev matching. Is it safe to assume my tranny as an issue. It only does it when I'm above 50 mph though. Made an appointment for Monday :(

Based on my experience I would say a tranny rebuild is in order. My issue was downshifting into fourth (which eventually expanded in to downshifting in to third followed by grinding on upshifting to fourth) at anything above 60mph. Rebuild for me (I'm well out of warranty at 75k miles) was a $3000 bill. :icon_no2:

Hmmm... do you down shift at that speed into second gear very often?

I did it on accident once going 60 mph from 6th to second when I was going for 4th into a cloverleaf. The back of the car jumped over about 6 feet :eek: and thankfully I had the stability control on because it did its job. :D:
No, I don't ever do it on public streets. At ther track though I do downshift to 2nd at about 50-55 going into certain corners. 2nd is good till about 62 mph. Downshifting to 2nd second doing 55 as I know it should not cause any grinding. Hope I don't need a nerw tranny :Eyecrazy:

Based on my experience I would say a tranny rebuild is in order. My issue was downshifting into fourth (which eventually expanded in to downshifting in to third followed by grinding on upshifting to fourth) at anything above 60mph. Rebuild for me (I'm well out of warranty at 75k miles) was a $3000 bill. :icon_no2:
Luckily I have 20K so I'm well within warrenty.

No, I don't ever do it on public streets. At ther track though I do downshift to 2nd at about 50-55 going into certain corners. 2nd is good till about 62 mph. Downshifting to 2nd second doing 55 as I know it should not cause any grinding. Hope I don't need a nerw tranny :Eyecrazy:


If you keep grinding into second that will hasten the need for one. :(

If you keep grinding into second that will hasten the need for one. :(
The problem just started after my last track day :icon_no2:

I just got back from the dealer. He said that the grinding into 2nd from 3rd after down shifting is evident. He said it's probably a slightly worn synchro (slightly because it only does it at high speeds). He stated that since its only doing it when I shift b/w 48 and 58 mph MNAO will more than likely not cover it under warranty. They classify worn syncros as abuse especially since I only have 20K on the car and it only does it when I downshift at high speeds. The dealer said that the owners manual says to downshift at a much lower speed from 3rd to 2nd (which it does) He said that if it did it at the lower speed then I may have a chance of having it covered but since it's only at high speed then I'm taking a risk. He told me they can take it apart and see what's wrong but if it is a worn synchro the I'm taking a risk of having to pay for it myself. He is a really good guy so I leaning towards believing him. The tranny is great otherwise, just that one small issue. Granted I hardly ever do it, mainly only at the track. His advise was to ensure I slow down bellow 48 at the track before I downshift, he said the tranny feels great and that he doesn't see a need to pull it for a small issue that can be solved by slowing down. According to him if he new it would be covered he would definitely do it for me but since it may not its a risk he thinks I shouldn't take. He also said that even though the RX-8 is a sports car the tranny is not built to take repeatedly high RPM downshifts, one bad downshift could of damaged a tooth or two on the synchro causing it to fail at high speed downshifts. Any thoughts on this guys?

Add me to list of damnificated shitty tranny owners. My 3rd gear started grinding slightly a couple of days ago on 6000 rpms or more. Now it grinds anything above 1000 rpms! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

I've had this problem for quiet some time. Been complaining with no results. They keep telling me I'm fine and asking me if i speed shift, which I don't. Can ANYTHING be done about this?

Unfortunately you may just have to wait till it goes then they can replace it.

That is what they did with mine. :sad:

But really it is good you tell them because then there is a record that there was an issue.

The times they have only replaced damaged gears or synchros the rest of the transmission went shortly after that so a partial is not a good deal which Mazda knows after several attempts at it.

I was a lucky one that noticed it acting up real early and by eleven or twelve thousand I was having a new transmission installed. Nice thing was I was within 2 miles of the dealership when it didn't want to stay in gear. :dunno:

If you are close to your end of warranty call MNAO and discuss it further with them.

Unfortunately you may just have to wait till it goes then they can replace it.

That is what they did with mine. :sad:

But really it is good you tell them because then there is a record that there was an issue.

The times they have only replaced damaged gears or synchros the rest of the transmission went shortly after that so a partial is not a good deal which Mazda knows after several attempts at it.

I was a lucky one that noticed it acting up real early and by eleven or twelve thousand I was having a new transmission installed. Nice thing was I was within 2 miles of the dealership when it didn't want to stay in gear. :dunno:

If you are close to your end of warranty call MNAO and discuss it further with them.

Yea, dacument your complaints about the tranny. If the dealership does not give you an invoice for when you took it to get checked out, I say e-mail them with the dates of when you complained about the problem and have them acknowledge it. This can be your written record. If your at the end of warranty they me be trying to stall you. They make more off of charging you than getting it done under warranty.

Anyone with advice on my trans. mystery, I would appreciate a response. This long story starts last August (06) when at highway speed my MT 6 speed jumped out of gear. I chalked the first occurrence up to not seating it all the way into 6th. Since then it has continued to pop out of gear at highway speeds (65-75). Dealership of course "could not duplicate problem". I explained to them that it seemed to only happen after being driven for a couple of hours when it was warm. Of course they were not going to do that. Then onto chapter 2 of this story:

This winter I began to complain about stiff shifting (mainly from 1st to 2nd) until it warmed a bit. One morning in garage I started car (in neutral), let clutch out and car started rolling forward like it was slightly in gear. Brought to dealership's attention and they said they were getting good results out of changing gear oil with Dextron ATF due to the lower-viscos. I have not seen a change in the difficult shifting and it continues to jump out of 6th gear (no warning and I can't tell how long I have to be driving before it does it). A 2nd dealer now has my car today because the other dealership was completely non-responsive. Any thoughts?

Well, the shift from 1st to 2nd is stiff especially when the trany is cold. That's normal, as for the popping out of gear that is not. If the dealer won't do anything contact MNAO.

They make more off of charging you than getting it done under warranty.

dealerships make more money doing warranty work than charging customers. at least that's the case when i worked for toyota and that's how it is for the dealership im currently working at.

Well, looks like I'm starting to experience some transmission issues as well.

- When upshifting at high RPM's (or downshifting), I am grinding into 2nd gear. It hasn't locked me out of the gear but now I find myself waiting for the rpm's to drop below 4,000 because I'm afraid it'll grind.

TeamRX8 suggested adjusting the clutch or bleeding out the lines. I know Charles recommends checking the spot welds so I'll have to do that when I get home.

Car Details:
July 05 build
30,000
Using RP 75-90 the past 25,000 miles. (replaced just last month)

hey guys, this is technically post #1 for me, and I've read about 8 pages of this and lightly skimmed throuh a few more pages, does anyone else have a problem with 1st? from a stand still, clutch all the way in, when I try to slip into 1st, there is an audible clunk and the car jerks a little. take off is smooth, but the clunk/jerk is always there. I also noticed the whirring noise when in neutral. it goes away when I seperate like someone else mentioned.

i have an 04 gt, 41k mi and i'm the 3rd owner, but i have full service sheets pulled from the dealer. outside an engine mount, tranny mount, and computer flash, nothing much has been mentioned about the engine being serviced to any great extent. reply or not, I thought I would volunteer this here.

i have a 2004 black 6 speed GT. 36k miles. bone stock.

everytime i am driving in 3rd gear (close to redline) and i shift into 4th gear, the transmission grinds. its NOT a little grind and the shifter slides into 4th. its bad, i have to actually push it thru the grind to get it into 4th. i took it into Lee Johnson Chevrolet-Mazda in Kirkland, wa. i haven't changed the tranny fluid since i got it. I've had it about 15k. the service advisor told me that the fluid in the tranny wasn't full synthetic. he told me i had to put full synthetic in and the grind would go away. so they charged me $62 to change it or they were going to charge me $40 for an inspection if i didn't change the fluid. a mechanic at work told me that it doesn't sound like it's synching good. if they tranny fluid wasn't good enough, shouldn't it affect other gears as well? what do you guys think? i just got it back tonight. i am going to drop it off in the morning again.

the manual does not state to put full synthetic. 04 an 05 manual stats 75-90 GL-4 or GL-5.
What he's telling you is that the fluids that mazda put in there aren't good enough...umm, that makes no sense.
Besides, isn't the transmission supposed to be flushed at around 60K? (off the top of my head)

In other words, you wore out the fluids (that are recommended for this vehicle) in HALF the normal time???

Time to break out the -------> :bsflag:

i talked to them yesterday because it was still grinding. and he told me that i didnt have a synthetic in it at all. and he put in a blended synthetic. the grind isnt as bad now. but i spoke to a mazda rep and he told me that if there is a problem with the tranny, usually mazda just replaces the whole thing. i asked the mechanics and service advisor at my dealership about this. they said the changing the fluid was probably bullshht. and he should want to change the tranny because it will generate more revinue for the service center. i am going to try to get it into the shop monday.

dam i wish we did mazda at my dealership...hahaha...

Hmm My 3rd gear doesnt want to go sometimes, also it can be very loud shifting ito it. Can anyone help me on this?

My 8 is at Lee Johnson Mazda and Chevrolet in Kirkland, WA. right now. i havent heard what the diagnosis is yet.

Hey this may be a stupid question, but for us AT guys do you need to be stopped to switch to and from manual mode or can it be done anytime?

Just pull it into manual mode at any speed and it'll keep the same gear. Then, up or down with stick or paddles. Even though I liked my RX3 manual, 2nd gear was a bitch then with only a 6500 redline. The auto brings unreal smoothnest and no noisy clutch throwout bearings.

Add me to the list of RX8s with the tranny problem. Currently rosenthal has been working on it for the past 2 weeks and I should get it back today. Based on the info i have been given my throwout berring was shot to shit, gears 2-5 were going, 2 had a crack in it, some springs or something exploded and a list of other stuff. I will post my work order on here when i get the car back.

my 8 is still at lee johnson mazda. now they tell me that they cannot fix the transmossion because they cannot recreate the problem. but whats funny...is that when i took it in, and told them that 3rd to 4th was grinding...they told me we drove it and you just need to change the fluid. now that i changed the fluid it doesnt grind all the time, but it does grind often. now they wont fix it. and im pissed off! does anyone know of a way i can FORCE them to fix it?

Add me to the list. Second gear synchro gone, grinds if shifted 1-2 above 5000 rpm, which in the RX8 is all the time.

The same Lee Johnson Mazda in Kirkland (mentioned above) looked at the car yesterday, replaced the fluid, and then found it did not address the situation. They've reccomended a transmission replacement, which I hope to have done locally next week.

This is on a 2006 with less than 10,000 miles. Very disappointing.

my 8 is still at lee johnson mazda. now they tell me that they cannot fix the transmossion because they cannot recreate the problem. but whats funny...is that when i took it in, and told them that 3rd to 4th was grinding...they told me we drove it and you just need to change the fluid. now that i changed the fluid it doesnt grind all the time, but it does grind often. now they wont fix it. and im pissed off! does anyone know of a way i can FORCE them to fix it?

Point them to here or go to another dealer.

Ok I finally got my car back and the tranny work was pretty extensive. They basically did a rebuild from what I can see. Mwood, you sound like you had the same problem I had and they may have to do the same thing to your car. TK Take the workorder im posting and tell them your having the same issue and show them what needed to be done to my car to fix the problem. That should get you a headstart on the repairs

http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/6860/workorder1ax3.jpg

yup.... 04' 45k miles.... wotn go iinto 2nd if higher than 7k and fourth is really troublesome....... put in royal purple and no difference

yup.... 04' 45k miles.... wotn go iinto 2nd if higher than 7k and fourth is really troublesome....... put in royal purple and no difference

Sounds like you may need the same service that I got. My car rides niiiiiice now ever since

ok guys. i went to lee johnson today. he service advisor, scott trail, said that drove my 8 home (which left me below E). he said he did feel the grinding problem in 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th. so he will be getting approval from mazda and then order in the parts. i am driving my 8 until the parts get in. from my understanding the transmission will be replaced. i am gonna work on getting a refund on the $60 tranny fluid change that was unnecisary. if i can get them to email me a copy of the work order after its done, ill post it.

ok guys. i went to lee johnson today. he service advisor, scott trail, said that drove my 8 home (which left me below E). he said he did feel the grinding problem in 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th. so he will be getting approval from mazda and then order in the parts. i am driving my 8 until the parts get in. from my understanding the transmission will be replaced. i am gonna work on getting a refund on the $60 tranny fluid change that was unnecisary. if i can get them to email me a copy of the work order after its done, ill post it.

Congrats man. keep us posted on how it goes

mines grinding on the 2-3 upshift now, started off as a small grind upshifting on the dyno, now it grinds on every fast or high rpm 2-3 upshift :banghead:

those parts cost $780 at discounted Motorsport prices, it's bad enough it's a POS, but then they rape you to fix the f'ing POS, might as well buy a new one if it's a major failure :icon_no2:

I will Landon. it should be soon when the parts come in. TEAM...take it in and make sure you drive with the MASTER MECHANIC...and show them whats wrong.

one look at my car and they would be ROFLTAO at the idea of doing any warranty work on it

oh i see.

I'm anticipating a new transmission...none of the "techs" at the local stealer can do much more than plug in diagnostic tools and replace parts :lol2:

pray they do, most stealer rebuilds don't last long

I'm anticipating a new transmission...none of the "techs" at the local stealer can do much more than plug in diagnostic tools and replace parts :lol2:

whats a local stealer?

sorry if thats a stupid question

today, i talked to scott trail (service advisor)...still waiting for parts. he said it should be about another week.

Add me to the list, but my problem is quite a bit different from everyone else's. My tranny was shifting just fine but I was getting a very loud gear whine throughout the entire rpm range. Sounded very much like straight cut gears (think rally car), so I brought the car to my local dealer, they wanted to change the fluid (at my expense) because AZ is considered extreme driving conditions and would be due at 30k miles. I said no thanks, and swapped in some Royal Purple which made ZERO difference in sound, shifted a little smoother albeit... Took the car to another local dealership who weren't trying to play any games and we scheduled an appointment to bring the car in so they can change out "some bearings" which involves cracking the case and therefore "2-3 days" in the shop. That was 2 weeks ago and I have not seen my car since, but I have to say this loaner CX-7 is a piece of shit (turbo lag like crazy and a worthless 6spd slushbox). Every time I call I get another excuse about having parts on special order or the tech has 3 days off, blah blah blah. I stopped in a few days ago to get a straight up answer, he basically said they just finished up the same repair on another RX8 and it took them a month and a half of dicking with replacing a few parts here and there and they decided to just replace all of the parts on mine the first time around which involved a few additional special orders of parts. At any rate, I should be getting the car back in the next few days and I'll report back with the results.

Now I'm worried...I just spoke with the dealer (stealer) and they said they are going to just repair what's broken, not swap the trans...I'm not sure I trust any of their "techs" to effectively rebuild a transmission:scared:

^^^ Mazda's new policy is to rebuild the transmissions if possible.
I would also imagine this is higher profit for the dealerships, as it's gotta take longer to rebuild one then to slap a new transmission in.

mwood...i am currently waiting for the transmission to come in. but they charged me to change the fluid in the beginning which was unnecisary. so scott trail said he'll work something to compensate me for the $63 i wasted on a fluid change when my car only has 37k on it.

have him give you 3 free oil changes. Those are easy for Service Managers to give away.

thats what i was thinkin since my oil needs to be changed right now. hahaha...

recently i've been hearing a strange noise on my rx every time i shift from 1 to 2
right before enge 2 gear took it to dealer they said could't hear nothing probably
morons technitians they did told me power train and [ transmition] warranty have
have been extended for what i've been reading in the forum i belive mazda know theres problem with the trannys and blame it on the way we drive the cars
they won't make a recall just because it will be a verrrry expensive one

I talked to my service advisor today. he said...at this point mazda won't be replacing the tranny. the techs need to take it apart and find out which parts are not working properly. everything that doesnt look right, he will add to the work order to try to get a new tranny. after they have checked out the tranny...mazda will decide to repair or replace the tranny. meanwhile i will have my car in the shop for atleast a week to a few weeks. i will be stuck in a shit box mazda 3 base model for up to a month it sounds like!!! and i probably won't even get a new tranny. another thing that pissed me off....he made me change the tranny fluid first thing when i took it in. he said if its not the problem i'll take care of you...now he said he cant do anything about the $63 i paid for a tranny fluid change because it needed to be done. eventhough its not due until about 60k. he cant even give me a free oil change...

they will have to put new fluid in the tranny after they take it apart and repair it or if they replace it right?

Just picked up the car from the dealership, look back a few posts to see my issue. I highly doubt they did a damn thing... :dunno: Car sounds exactly like it did when I dropped it off, VERY loud gear whine through the entire rpm range when under load. They did however stick a big 1" thick foam pad under the shifter in hopes of covering up the noise I guess, all it did was limit the shifters range of motion and make the car very unpleasant to drive home until I could pull it out. Dealerships are worthless... :tear:

I cant get my 05 into 2nd gear from 1st at anything over 5000rpm shif. Mazda dealer had 3 diff tech take it for a ride and said it was fine and wanted me to drive back to slc 200 miles away to show them what I was talking about. I told them that 3 of my friends drove the car and all 3 couldnt shift it to 2nd the first time the tryed to get it to 2nd. They took it for another ride and one tech thinks clutch ( NOT) and the other is thinking 2nd gear or sinchro. Clutch is not under warrentee and will cost about a grand but tranny is under warrentee. I asked what it will cost to find out and they said nothing, and I could tell them to put it back together at no cost if its the clutch. I grew up with my dad who was a profesional mech his whole adult life and I learned a few things from him. I know its not a clutch (as it shifts in all other gears just fine and it doesnt slip and only has 30 thousand miles on it) but I am afraid that they will tear it down and say it is the clutch even if its not just to get my money and replace the tranny paid by mazda with out me knowing. Am I just paranoid?

pflo...i dont think you're being paranoid. the shops are like that. they should like to do warranty work. its more revenue for them!

Howdy folks,

I am the proud new owner of a silver 2004 RX8 with approx 37k miles on the odo. I love most everything about the car, from the steering to the snick-snick tranny to the quite utilitarian interior. My weekend car is an S54 powered M Coupe with coilovers and other goodies and the RX8 out of the box is more of a proper sports car than the M Coupe is STOCK =)

My only minor nuisance is rearward visibility and blindspots. It doesn't give me as much confidence backing up and changing lanes like other cars.

Now for my very serious concern:

90-95% of the time when I shift fairly rapidly only from 1st to 2nd (note I'm not banging the gears by any means or trying to shift abnormally fast) the clutch or gearbox will produce a thunk/bang that is audible and definitely noticeable through seat of the pants feel.

The clutch or gearbox thunk happens after I clutch in and start to move the lever into second. Before it even moves into 2nd gear it will produce a clunk that you can hear and feel. I've driven many stick-shift cars and this is the first time I've ever encountered this problem. I highly doubt it is normal. This occurence also happens on occasion while doing the 2 to 3 shift.

I would really appreciate it if any of you guys could help provide some input regarding my situation. Most of the time I have to literally granny the 1-2 shift to make the transition feel 'normal'.

I took it in to the dealer on Friday to have the techs look at it. One of them went along with me for a test drive and I showed them what happens when I shift at a normal pace around 4.5k rpms. He then asks to drive the car to see if he could replicate the problem (you guys know the drill) and he intentionally shifts slowly so that the clunk wouldn't occur. You gotta love these jokes who pull all types of bullshit out of their ass to deny your claim(s). He said something along the lines of, "This car has a special driveline since it's rear-wheel drive. It's different from other sports cars so it is perfectly normal for that to occur."

After the short diagnostics drive, we head back to the dealer and he decides to have me drive one of the RX-8s on the lot (a customer's 2005 car) with 29k on the clock. Note, my car has a tick over 37k miles. I fire her up and start moving the shift lever through the gate and I immediately felt a difference. It felt more buttery smooth and less notchy overall. On to the test drive... no banging at all from 1-2. Everything felt wonderful as it should be. I knew the tech silently acknowledged that something was wrong with my transmission but you know how they operate.

Update:

Service manager calls me up on Saturday to inform me that they had a couple other techs look at it but they couldn't replicate the problem whatsoever. Okay. He then goes on to tell me that the regional service rep will be coming in on Tuesday and if I wanted him to inspect it. I gave him the green light to keep my car until then and that was that. What can I do to insist on getting my tranny replaced under warranty? Go to another dealer with the possibility of getting shafted too?

They will not replace the tranny from the start, they will attempt to rebuild it first which in my situation didn't do a damn thing. You cannot insist them to put in a new tranny, if anything that will make them less willing to do anything for you.

Update on my car:
The tech tore down the trans last week and found not just 2nd gear problems, but also 3rd and 4th were toast. Mazda is supposed to be giving the word on whether this warrants a replacement transmission, but I can't imagine that they would bother trying to rebuild mine...but, you never know. Parts alone are going to be more than just doing a full replacement...

I will have a serious problem if they try to enforce a rebuild and will take it up with the regional people before a wrench is turned...

I just got off the phone with my service advisor, says that he will be in touch with Mazda within the next few days to get this past service order approved and he will then speak with them about getting a new tranny since the noise has not changed after the rebuild. At first he was saying "I don't know what, if anything, they can do." I made it very clear that is not an option and will take this as far as I have to get it fixed. We'll see what happens...

Oh well, I guess everything is a lost cause. The bastards (including the regional tech) all claim there is nothing wrong with the transmission. Should I try for another dealer and take the risk of having my car gone for a week and probably beaten on again?

How were some of you guys able to push for a new transmission even after all their denying of any problems?

My car had such an obvious problem (grinding into 2nd) that there was no way to deny its existence...once torn down, the whole trans was a mess, probably due to all the metal from 2nd floating around...

Anyhow, the cheapest way for Mazda to repair ends up being to replace, which is what I figured when I was first given the news that 3rd and 4th were also toast.

ETA for the trans is Monday, they promise the car back by Wednesday.

Jesus Christ..... this is ridiculous...... ANYBODY HERE HAVE THIS ISSUE OVER AT MAZDA/SUBARU OF THOUSAND OAKS IN SO CAL!?!?!?!?!?!?

im having a touch time getting this horrible grinding into 2nd and 4th resovled with them.......

I took my car into the dealership about a month ago to get 2nd and 5th gear downshift grind looked at... they replaced 2nd and 5th gears under warranty with relatively little trouble or questions asked... but now shifting from 1 to 2 is really notchy... 2 to 3 makes a weird "thunk" sound.. and downshifting from 2 to 1 is both extremely notchy and grinds. Took it back a couple weeks ago to have them check it again, and they said everything is normal. Not sure what to make of it. Is it really "normal" for the 8 to have these shifting inconsistencies? I'm not yet convinced since so many other people seem to be having similar issues.

Hopefully this is the last update on my car...

Just picked it up, new trans installed. They said it would be done by tomorrow, it was done today...always better to underestimate and outperform expectations...anyhow, it feels like, well, a new transmission, which makes sense, since that's what it is:lol2:

The young tech who worked on it from start to finish was in to the job, maybe because of the Konis or single exit Borla making the car a little different or something...seemed like a good guy and he got it back together right.

I'm pleased with the way Diablo Mazda/Subaru in Walnut Creek treated me. It did take longer than expected to get Mazda to approve the new trans, rather than a rebuild, but that's in part due to the Labor Day weekend. Once they got the green light, it was three and a half business days to get the trans and install, which is pretty darn good, I feel. :)

I took my car into the dealership about a month ago to get 2nd and 5th gear downshift grind looked at... they replaced 2nd and 5th gears under warranty with relatively little trouble or questions asked... but now shifting from 1 to 2 is really notchy... 2 to 3 makes a weird "thunk" sound.. and downshifting from 2 to 1 is both extremely notchy and grinds. Took it back a couple weeks ago to have them check it again, and they said everything is normal. Not sure what to make of it. Is it really "normal" for the 8 to have these shifting inconsistencies? I'm not yet convinced since so many other people seem to be having similar issues.

I think it IS normal for the RX-8 as its happening to a lot of us. But it should not have this problem at all.

Well i have recently been experiencing heavy grinding when downshifting to 2nd and upshifting to 4th (above 6k rpm) and i took the car to the dealer to have it looked at

I changed the tranny fluid to royal purple before i took it in

They first off noticed that my shifter assembly was broken in the middle, you could litterally pull the shifter knob up and out of the black housing it sits in... They also stated that they could not recreate the grindin problem

They said that it was my fault and would cost 400 $ to fix, so i had them just order the part for 200 $ and i installed it my self flawlessly...

This had no effect on the grinding obviously... i could have left it the way it was for it had nothing to do with the gears of the tranny assembly... just a fact of holding down the leather shifter to the black shifting assembly...

So i took it back to them and drove first with the Tech that noticed the broken assembly, he did not speak very good english (lol these are the guys that are working on our cars using english manuals and bulletins.. :Wconfused ) So he got the lead service manager to drive with me (this guy is a suit and does not actually work on cars) I showed the manager the problem and he agreed that there is a problem present and that he will call the Mazda Corporate office and see what they say....

After a weekend the manager calls me to inform me that a Mazda Corporate Rep will come in and look at my car and decide where to go from there.... they would not let me drive with him using the excuse that since the manager experienced the problem there is no need for the Coporate Rep to drive with me... I let it be and waited for the call...

They call and tell me that i need to authorize a transmission "tear-down" ( i like the wording they use ) so they can diagnose the problem....

This is the Catch and what i need advice on..

They are proclaiming that if they look inside the tranny and find evidence of malfunction from abuse, misuse, or no problem at all, then i will have to pay the bill for the labor which is a ridiculous $1235.00 :SHOCKED:

so i took my car back for the weekend..... my birthday is the 21, friday so i want my baby by my side.... and i will think this over.....

I have never "tracked" the car or abused it.... i change the oil every 3k miles and always fixed anything that was wrong.... i have never touched the transmission except for fluid change and shifter change.....so there should not be any reason for them to slap me with the bill....

I do have aftermarket parts but they have nothing to do with the tranny

1. borla exhuast that came with this car as it was the dealers demo-car and it had 7500 miles on it when i got it
2. new coils, wires, plugs, battery (all oem except for RB wires )
3.AP pulley.... nothing to do with tranny
4.SR cold air intake.... again nothing to do with tranny
5. my wheels.... makes them think i "track race"

My idea so far is to let them tear the tranny apart and if they proclaim problems that are my fault... i will go to court and have a hefty paper trail from this forum showing the growing majority of the rx8's do indeed have a defect

SO THAT IS MY PROBLEM.... WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK OR HAVE EXPERIENCED????????

dan i feel your pain! you're basically experiencing the same problem as i am. i still have not found the time to make it back to the dealership. i think i am going this saturday! my dealership said they cant work on it under warranty if they cant verify a problem. which finally they did. next is taking apart the tranny. but they said nothing about me paying for the labor if there is no problem. i'm not sure of any advice i can offer...other than maybe seeking out another dealership. GOOD LUCK THOUGH!!! MAZDA REALLY SUCKS AT CUSTOMER SERVICE.

thank you for your your reply TK... i noticed that your heater control unit was replaced...... what was the problem with yours? mine does not get hot anymore...... i have to go back and forth about 20 times for it to get hot.... and thats after a good wamr up time so i know the heater is hot! ive p0retty much replaced everything you have replaced !!! hahahahah we have good luck huuh!?!?!?

Dan, that sounds a lot like what the first dealership I went to tried to pull on me. I turned around, scratched my ass and walked out. Found another dealership willing to work with me however they NEVER return my phone calls...

My story is up above a few posts, got the car back after a full "tear-down" where they replaced a few internal bearings and shift fork to try to eliminate my excessive gear whine, the sound was just as bad when I got it back. After filing a claim with Mazda USA they said a regional rep will need to see the vehicle in order to authorize further work on it. I'm probably another week or two away from "her" being in the area, per my dealer. I really wish I could get a video camera with good enough sound capture to show you guys how bad this whine is, I can't hear the exhaust or the engine over it. Sounds exactly like a WRC rally car on the inside, would be pretty cool if it really were a rally car with straight cut gears and the whole bit, but it's not...

yeah no kiddin dan! i love my car but thank god its under warranty. i bought an extended warranty which i didnt NEED to buy. but i have already paid it off and then some. my heater would intermittenly* blow WARM or cold air. it stopped getting hot. then after a few more days it blew cold air for the most part. the worst part...this was only a couple days after i had bought the car. the dealership told me i could hold onto my car until the part came in (which ended up being a week or two) or stay in a rental...but it was about 20 degrees out during that time...so i got the rental! lol. atleast the heated seats worked!!!!!!!!! might have died without them

yea.. that really sucks. I had the same problem, but it was covered under warranty. my service people even knew what the problem (broken synchro) was, but ordered a "tear down" to make certain. They took a day to take it apart and confirm and then told me I had to take it somewhere else to get it completely replaced. Those people took 2 weeks to fix it (i was driving a dodge durango rental for two weeks!), but it got replaced, and I didn't have to pay any money, so I'm just happy about that.

So, really, it depends on where you go for service. Some places will blame you for everything, but not all places. And you know for sure you aren't under warranty rite? (i haven't read the previous pages yet... so I don't know if that was covered already.)

Yea I am 100% covered under warranty and I made an appointment to let them tear it down.... so i am just waiting to see what kind of BS they will try to pull.... im not too worried about it anymore... I think they are just trying to scare me away from making them do REAL work for once.... no reason why it shouldnt be under warranty anyway... ill keep you posted and scan the work order for future reference!!!!

I have moved kind of far from Lee Johnson mazda, which is where i was going to have the tranny work done. It kind of suck though...because I have to start over with a new dealership. But i will be taking it in on wednesday to drop her off and hopefully it won't be a huge problem.

So after about a week and half driving a Corolla.. the dealership is saying that everything on the transmission is up to spec and that they see nothing wrong with it... they say that mazda will not give up any new parts and therefore they want me to pay the $1235 for the transmission tear down not to mention driving around in that shit corolla which cost about 30$ a day...

Needless to say i thought that was BS... the gears are grinding under normal driving conditions and they are trying to say that there is no problem... i told them to send it somewhere else and have them look at it... I am so infuriated with the way they treat customers and that dealrship... they NEVER return promised phonecalls and they give you the cold shoulder with everything... i asked them to explain to me the reason why im only having this grinding problem NOW not 40k miles ago... OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING IS WORN OUT OR BROKEN!!!!!!!!!! it is simple logic!!!!!!!!!!!!! i dont know what to do anymore but try and get a court case together..... they guy even went as far as to say that this is "normal operation for this vehicle" .................. so the transmission is made to fail? god what these people say..................... yay i dunno i just wanted to post the story on here....

the dealership i went to is MAZDA/SUBARU of thousand oaks in SO CALIFORNIA
BEWARE

dam DAN i'm sorry. if they dont want to fix something...they always say "its supposed to do that." which is bull.

i was going to take my car to a closer dealership...but they said they wouldnt have any rental cars until jthe end of the month. i told him he was a moron for not having enough cars or be willing to outsource to hertz like every other dealership. so i took it back to lee johnson. so far they are doin ok. i am drivin around a mazda 3 hatch back. basically i look like a jackass...but oh well. good luck dan!! i'll keep you guys posted
tk

DAN DON'T READ THIS!!!!!!!!!!! LOL

I just spoke with Scott Trail, my service advisor at Lee Johnson Mazda in Kirkland, WA. He said Mazda will be replacing the entire transmission. The new tranny should be here Friday. I should have my car back mid next week. Sorry Dan. You might consider trying different shops. I don't think they should be able to charge you for that work. Call Mazda and talk to them about it! GOOD LUCK!!!

hahah i envy you TKSNOBORDS!!!!!! im happy for you!!!! yea they said a mazda corporate rep came down and inspected everything on the car and said it was fine.... i called mazda corp. and they indeed say that the guy checked the car.... so i told the dealership to put the car back together and see what happens from there!!!!

I will see if the car is still acting up or if they fixed it..... in any case i think that further "legal actions" are needed and i am gathering as much information as possible to go against these guys!!!

Good Luck Dan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have this problem that my rx8 when put into first gear and going forward sounds like that winding sound when you are in reverse. and i can barely ever get it to go into reverse. i got 64k on my car but before this happened the problem that you were having with second was the same problem i was havin with 4th. does anyone have any suggestions before i go dump a couple thousand???

I have this problem that my rx8 when put into first gear and going forward sounds like that winding sound when you are in reverse. and i can barely ever get it to go into reverse. i got 64k on my car but before this happened the problem that you were having with second was the same problem i was havin with 4th. does anyone have any suggestions before i go dump a couple thousand???

Have you replaced the transmission and rear diff fluid?

reverse is the toughest gear to go into on our cars. I normally put it in second before going to reverse. :dunno:

no, but i think its might be a little late for that. do you really think that replacing the fluids is going to do something?

If you haven't replaced your fluid then it is a good time to do it. ;)

how much did it cost you to replace your gearbox? you weren't under warranty were you?

On a bit of a side note, I have a auto/manual transmission and has anyone with the auto/manual transmission had any problems? With only 13k miles it has always been perfect. I never thought I would like an auto, but it does a great job. Or, is all the problems with manual transmissions?

you said you have an auto/manual transmission? i dont understand ... do you have a stick shift true manual transmission or an automatic with paddle shifters on the steering wheel.... i think you are talking about an auto tranny... i have no idea about auto tranny problems.... you should search this forum... im sure there is something on it

HAHAHAH got my car back today after 34 days in there shop..... i dont feel like typing everything right now but the problem is fixed and they screwed something else up REALLY badly.... its going back there.....

Ill type the details another time and post the work order and details of how i finally got this fixed

No i'm talkin about a manual transmission. Like stick.

good job dan...i'm glad you finally got it fixed...too bad something else has happened. i just got mine back from the shop again. the sensor in the gas cap was too sensitive and tripped the CEL. so they reflashed my car witha new update and now everything is good.

5th has always been notchy since I drove it off of the lot, but the synchros in 4th and 5th let go. Anything but a very gentle shift resulted in grinding. Service rep told me they are waiting for the new tranny to arrive to put it in.

Never had any complaints about the lower gears.

Changed out stock fluid to Redline at 15k, changed the Redline to Royal Purple at 45k, started having major grinding in 5th, changed to Mobil 1 to be positive it wasnt the oil, in the shop at 47k.

I just put a new clutch in while it was being serviced for the throw out bearing noise, saved a bunch of $ due to the labor being saved under the warranty bearing replacement.

I brought it back since 2nd grinds when cold and often. Mazda will replace the gear and snyncro (sp?). I have 40K on it and bought it used. Rosenthal "Arlington" Mazda rocks!
They are really taking care of me!!!

More later!

J

Since 47k is on the clock, I have a new clutch and Mazdaspeed flywheel going in. No labor since the tranny is already out, which I thought was very nice, considering the price of the parts.

Just wanted to mention: I was having a bit of a roughness issue with my tranny, and it seems to be better after a fluid change (used Redline MT-90 for tranny, 75w90 Gear Oil for diff). On the tranny drain plug there was a rather large amount of silver goo :uhh: so it may very well have been the original fluid.

So I just bought my 04 GT MT Velocity (pull me the F-over) Red and I LOVE it. I was hesitant after many threads on this forum, but I'm an engineer and am meticulous by nature. This car rocks if you are willing to take of it. It has a body that has me answering questions constantly from my coworkers. People love this car and it can be terrific. I've had my '04 for a month now and am still amazed every time I walk up to it. This car is FUN and be ready for a bombardment of Q's. To pay under 20k for a car that draws this much attention is great. For all you doubters out there, this is a solid car.

I paid $13K for my 2004 Sport MT Winning Blue with 50K.
I have conditional grinds on 3rd and 4th. I'm going to the dealer tomorrow and ask them to replace the trans.

My story is up above a few posts, got the car back after a full "tear-down" where they replaced a few internal bearings and shift fork to try to eliminate my excessive gear whine, the sound was just as bad when I got it back. After filing a claim with Mazda USA they said a regional rep will need to see the vehicle in order to authorize further work on it. I'm probably another week or two away from "her" being in the area, per my dealer. I really wish I could get a video camera with good enough sound capture to show you guys how bad this whine is, I can't hear the exhaust or the engine over it. Sounds exactly like a WRC rally car on the inside, would be pretty cool if it really were a rally car with straight cut gears and the whole bit, but it's not...

***UPDATE***

The Mazda regional rep finally made out to my dealership (after waiting nearly 2 months) and after a little back and forth with the service adviser they have determined that it needs a NEW TRANSMISSION and they placed the order and should have it within the week!!! VICTORY IS MINE! Not only does it feel good to know I'll be getting a NEW TRANSMISSION ($3804.19 list price in case you are curious) but that my concerns have been confirmed and the dealership has to eat their words that "nothing is wrong, it's within spec". So after a total of 5 months of dealing with this crap, hopefully the end is in sight...

I think my trans is shot. I was coming to a stop, I had the clutch disengaged, and I was down shifting. I shifted down to second and my 8 shuddered and made this horrible noise. I turned off the engine and turned it back on. The clutch is stuck open, it shakes when the engine is running, makes weird noises and shakes more violently when in gear, and it is now really hard to put it in gear.

In short, does anyone know wtf happened?

39k miles
2004 MT base model
fluids are regularly replaced
normal maintenance

I had my dealer do a clutch and flywheel for me since I had it in for a bearing under warranty.

Now the whole car shakes and rattles over bumps.

Also, my 2nd to 3rd shift under casual driving is notchy like a lock out or something unless I wiggle it around in nuetral then put it into 3rd.

Any idea on how this 2nd to 3rd notch came about when it wasnt there before my clutch was done?

Alright... so the rx8 has been my dream for a while... i've had a bb6 h22a1 for years and I was way excited to possibly be getting an 8....but I have to say that 18 pages full on transmission problems on a single thread scared the sh*t out of me... I'd like to think an 8 is worth the risk, but is it? If there is an extened warranty are most these common issues covered?

Alright... so the rx8 has been my dream for a while... i've had a bb6 h22a1 for years and I was way excited to possibly be getting an 8....but I have to say that 18 pages full on transmission problems on a single thread scared the sh*t out of me... I'd like to think an 8 is worth the risk, but is it? If there is an extened warranty are most these common issues covered?

remember, 18 pages, 1/2 or maybe more came from the *suggestions/questions* group. and 1/4 of them came from *replies from the actual problem user*

so only 1/4 of them has a problem, and how many Rx-8 has been sold to date ? I dont know. but probably 99% of the people has no problem with their tranny.

So no fear my friend.

I'm an RX-8 noob... have an '04 and am not having the described rough shifting but my gear box whines like a school bus. I would expect it to be much softer, but I can barely hear my engine over the gear noise... is this a synthetic oil fix?

I went to my local dealer about my own transmission problems. Grinding during high RPM shifting, sounds like twisting metal sometimes. Since the car is not under warranty at 70000 miles, instead using a third party offered by another dealership from which I bought my car, this local dealer will not honor it. So he said I had to pay 110 for them to "drive around" my car, then if they really think theres a problem, they would open up the case for another couple hours of labor at 110per/hour. At that point, they would ask me whether or not I wanted any problems (if at all found) to be fixed. Yes, means more hours of labor, plus the cost to "close" the case. No, means that they would just "close" the case without doing anything, but would still charge me the 110per/hour just to re assemble the damn thing. Screw dealers! What can I do, this really is a big a problem but I don't have the money at all to wager on the hope that they find a problem, and even more, don't determine the problem to be from mechanical failure.

Where are you located? If you're in TX, we can take a look at it... I rebuild these all the time for racing. I can do a rebuild for less than an dealer for sure. It sounds to me that internal work is necessary, unless the clutch just needs to be bled.

Jason, I think you need to relocate out to the Reno-Fernley track in Nevada :D:

I just bought an '04 RX-8 with 45k about two weeks ago and there has been so much snow that I couldn't drive it too much. However, after driving it today I discovered that no matter what I would do, besides driving slow, it would lightly grind into 4th at high and low rpms, after coming out of third. It was bad in 3rd but I wait and let the rpms drop and it would go in smooth, that technique did not work for 4th though.

I guess my question is, is it me or is it the transmission? I have been reading your posts here and it sounds like you have the same stories as me. Of course, I have had quite a few people tell me how great these cars are, which makes me think it is me perhaps. I have been driving a Subaru for the past two years anyways, jk.

Otherwise, I guess I will go buy the extended warranty...:)

What, Mark... no "I suck at the intar-web" .gif for me? Just trying to help out! :P I may need to make Team MER a vendor and offer trans rebuild services. Hmmm... who'd want theirs done?

lol, more like I need a "trying to beat Jason is teh suxorz" gif for myself :lol2:

I don't seem to do well against drivers named Jason ... :icon_no2:

two of these now: http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=1064034&postcount=1

third trans is now grinding on the 2-3 upshift :rolleyes:

http://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php?p=2259151&postcount=27


anyone have a problem like that before?

i have an 05 AT with 30,000 miles and on 2 sepret occasions it wouldn't change out of 2nd and the check engine light came on only one of the times i wasn't driving it hard (flooring it) but i was on the gas passing a car on the highway, the beep came on when 2nd reached the red line so i check to see if i was in slap stick but i wasn't so i left off the gas fully and at about 5k RPM it finally went into 3rd and 4th with no problem and drove fine since then then bout a month later it did it again but i wasn't on the gas as hard nor did the check engine lite come on...my car also idols pretty hard at a stop every now and then its a day by day thing with the idol problem though...i also flooded mine once and had to change the plugs and a hose

ok so i took my car to the dealer and they said they are going to rebuild the tranny =/

the guy said it could take anywhere from a week to 3 weeks time.

they wouldnt give me a loaner car 'cause im not 21 yet so im going with my father on monday (he cosigned for me) to get a car.

ok so i took my car to the dealer and they said they are going to rebuild the tranny =/

the guy said it could take anywhere from a week to 3 weeks time.

they wouldnt give me a loaner car 'cause im not 21 yet so im going with my father on monday (he cosigned for me) to get a car.

What are they charging?

for the repair? nothing

for the repair? nothing

Cool, I didn't know if it was under warranty or not.

if they're rebuilding it at the dealership you can be assured that it will break again

yeah... i kind of figured that :(

UPDATE!

So the dealer called me on Monday, and told me they took it all apart , and realized the extent of the damages, finding alot of metal shavings , because a (i can't remember what he said exactly) plate got loose and just tore everything up inside.

So they are replacing the transmission with a new one :)

And I should get my car back by Friday! yay.

Ha! now an '05 with problems? I guess Mazda really is in denial!

my car is a 2006 rx8....... at 74 miles they replaced the transmission......now at 17000 miles second gear is doing the same thing again the dealer tells me they have not had this problem before.... bull,,,,,now if i want to fix this problem i will have to pay for the repairs myself....it seems mazda has had this problem alot..why should all of us have to pay help.....jb....

Where are you located? If you're in TX, we can take a look at it... I rebuild these all the time for racing. I can do a rebuild for less than an dealer for sure. It sounds to me that internal work is necessary, unless the clutch just needs to be bled.

Hey Jason,

How much would MER charge for a rebuild? My second gear is starting to grind pretty consistently on high rpm 1-2 upshifts. I've bled the clutch several times and Mazda recently replaced the slave cylinder, but the problem still persists.

The car is still under warranty, but I'm wondering if I'd be better off paying MER to rebuild it properly than letting the dealer repair it and stave off the inevitable.

im at 10k miles now and when i shift into second after 7500rpms it grinds into the gear...my tranny has been replaced before becuase of the same problem except that it would grind at any rpm instead of just high rpms...WTF

2nd gear problem here as well. The first time iI went in, I got the "could not replicate, feels fine!" answer. I'm going in Tuesday and sitting in the car with them when it gets driven. I've got 35k on my 04. At this point, I'm not confident the dealer is going to do anything for me.

2nd gear problem here as well. The first time iI went in, I got the "could not replicate, feels fine!" answer. I'm going in Tuesday and sitting in the car with them when it gets driven. I've got 35k on my 04. At this point, I'm not confident the dealer is going to do anything for me.

That's too bad because it takes a lot of time to go to the dealer and leave the car.

When they went to replicate my problem they said they couldn't get the car into first gear when they got it back to the shop. So, they just called it an "internal failure" and put a rebuilt transmission in. I am curious now how long this one will last...

My car is in the shop right now as we speak with the 2nd gear grinding at high rpms..shit..even at low rpms! They had to replace my 4th and 5th gear syncros this past fall and now they told me this past week they need to do a somewhat tranny rebuild..wtf? I just want my car back!

Also, its leaking tranny fluid..twice its been in the shop because of that in the past 1.5 weeks..anyone know whats up or what I should look for? Maybe they are filling it up too much?? Not sure! :Wconfused

My car is in the shop right now as we speak with the 2nd gear grinding at high rpms..shit..even at low rpms! They had to replace my 4th and 5th gear syncros this past fall and now they told me this past week they need to do a somewhat tranny rebuild..wtf? I just want my car back!

Also, its leaking tranny fluid..twice its been in the shop because of that in the past 1.5 weeks..anyone know whats up or what I should look for? Maybe they are filling it up too much?? Not sure! :Wconfused

I don't know why they don't just give you a new one.

been way to many problems with this car lol...kinda off the subject but when i flooded my engine bout half a year back when i was up in PA my g/f's dad knew a mech so after about 30 min of trying to start it we just decided to have it tow to his shop and seen the plugs were soaked blah blah and finally de floddded it he had to call his freind that was a mazda tech b/c for about 3 hours with new plugs he couldn't get the car started the tech said yeah common problem blah blah about being turned off cold (my fault:banghead: ) but he also said hey i'd try to sell the car honestly and get somthing else because of the 5w20 oil that is required for the non void of your warrenty is actually really bad on the cars engine and an averge of every rx8 04-present has an engine life of 30,000 miles b/c mazda had to use that oil grade to meet EPA's standerds for gas milage but every where else in the world the manual says to use 5w30 at lest and supposedly average engine life for the rest of the world is 100,000-150,000 miles with no problems and advertised by mazda of a 200,000 plus engine is way of from our average :lol:

and no the engine is the highest number replacement under warrenty lol but not everyone has a manual and i personally don't have any problems with my tranny i have an AT though:lol:

There is a lot of debate about the whole oil thing, check out some other threads.

Well, they decided to go the TSB route, and they're replacing the slave tomorrow. Curious if that'll help. I should run down by Goodridge clutch line and have them swap that in while they're messing around down there.

I've been having some grind issues when shifting to 4th gear around the 4-5k range. I've got 48k miles so I'm going to take it in before my warranty runs out. I didn't read all the pages but this is a common problem right?

I've been having some grind issues when shifting to 4th gear around the 4-5k range. I've got 48k miles so I'm going to take it in before my warranty runs out. I didn't read all the pages but this is a common problem right?

Yup - and if the dealer tries to claim otherwise tell them you would be happy to copy of several dozen threads with multiple participants from rx8club.com to help document this for them. :puke:

Expect them to say it's your clutch.

Or expect them to have your car in the shop for two weeks.

Thanks guys. I'll let you know what happens after I take it to the dealer after work.

Went yesterday after work but they were a lil short handed on staff so they I'm going today. He did look up the warranty and told me the transmission and stuff is actually covered for 6yrs/60k.

okay i guess ill add my story to the pile. Yesterday when i was driving, i was in first gear evening out the gas and the clutch when all of a sudden i heard a snap. I didnt think too much of it at the time, but then i started noticing the clutch has a horrible squeak to it every time i shifted. This morning i was on my way to work when i realized my car wouldn't even go into reverse or even any gear really. I practically had to force it into first.

im thinking 3 things

clutch line snapped off
throwout bearing went out
clutch is done with

i have 60k on my 04 rx8. 2 years ago when the engines were getting recalled i was informed that my powertrain warranty was extended. What should i do if i cant even get my car out of the driveway?

I've been having some grind issues when shifting to 4th gear around the 4-5k range. I've got 48k miles so I'm going to take it in before my warranty runs out. I didn't read all the pages but this is a common problem right?

Exact same problem here.
Except I've not taken my car to the dealer...... They won't repair mine under warranty

okay i guess ill add my story to the pile. Yesterday when i was driving, i was in first gear evening out the gas and the clutch when all of a sudden i heard a snap. I didnt think too much of it at the time, but then i started noticing the clutch has a horrible squeak to it every time i shifted. This morning i was on my way to work when i realized my car wouldn't even go into reverse or even any gear really. I practically had to force it into first.

im thinking 3 things

clutch line snapped off
throwout bearing went out
clutch is done with

i have 60k on my 04 rx8. 2 years ago when the engines were getting recalled i was informed that my powertrain warranty was extended. What should i do if i cant even get my car out of the driveway?

If your warranty got extended that means you should be able to call Mazda roadside and have your car towed into the dealer.

Exact same problem here.
Except I've not taken my car to the dealer...... They won't repair mine under warranty

Why did they void your warranty?

^^^ Last time I was in the dealer shit I wanted them to check the coils and replace the plugs.

They had the car all day, I called in the evening to see if I could pick it up and they said they hadn't done anything to it.
Why? I ask.
Too many modifications they say, like the lightened flywheel, ACT clutch, and RB REVI CAI.

I didn't even bother to argue with them it was the last of many problems I've had with those guys.
So I gave them the finger and left.

Since then I've installed even more stuff so .... why bother.
However I don't believe my car is officially "black listed".
I could take it to another dealer, which would be a bit of a pain and I would really have to un-install some of my aftermarket equipment ,... (N2O)

Ok. So I finally got it back after three weeks. They told me usually the just replace the tranny with a new one, but this time they were told to take it apart and inspect it and rebuild it. He said they replace the 4th gear, some synchros, and bearings and a few other parts. He said they didn't have any experience with rebuilding a transmission so they had to take it to some other shop and they had to do the work. 4th gear works fine, funny thing now is the 3rd gear. When I shifted into third it doesn't grind but rather kinda whirls. I noticed it a little when I drove back to my house and then I drove it a bit more later and that's when I noticed it. When I actually put pressure on the gear, like holding it up after I shifted into 3rd that is when you can hear it continously. I never heard it do this before and no other gear does this. So should I take it in yet again? Or maybe take it to a different dealer?

Wow, they just rebuilt it, I am sorry. Give them a call and ask them what the whirl or whatever is about, they should give you an idea. It might just need to break in a little bit...

okay i guess ill add my story to the pile. Yesterday when i was driving, i was in first gear evening out the gas and the clutch when all of a sudden i heard a snap. I didnt think too much of it at the time, but then i started noticing the clutch has a horrible squeak to it every time i shifted. This morning i was on my way to work when i realized my car wouldn't even go into reverse or even any gear really. I practically had to force it into first.

im thinking 3 things

clutch line snapped off
throwout bearing went out
clutch is done with

i have 60k on my 04 rx8. 2 years ago when the engines were getting recalled i was informed that my powertrain warranty was extended. What should i do if i cant even get my car out of the driveway?

This is the classic "Clutch Pedal Doth Snappeth Off" problem. The RX-8 is prone to broken clutch pedals when nearing 50K miles. The dealer should replace it under warranty.

I'm taking it back to them today after work. I didn't notice it so much on the drive home cause it was a bit windy but later when it died down I heard it more. It barely makes the sound when I shift it into 3rd because i'm shifting normally but when I hold it forward that's when you can really hear it. Not just inside with the windows up but with the window down you could hear it loudly outside the car. The thing that gets me is, why does my car have to be the ginny pig and get a rebuilt transmission when everybody else gets a new one?

Because not everybody gets a new one.

Ok fine. I don't care. I'm just tired of taking in my car for tranny problems. First it was the throwout bearing and forks (twice), then the 4th gear problem which is what I took it in for recently and yet again I'm having to take it back.

There is no doubt the RX-8 has transmission issues but exactly the cause isn't quite clear. From silly TSBs discussing re-bleeding the system, to snapping clutch pedals, to different fluid blends and what-not......you name it, Mazda has groped around for answers as to what the deal is with these things.

So now I just got a call back from them and they said a field guy came out and checked out before they bothered to take apart the tranny. He said under normal driving conditions he couldn't find anything wrong with it and stuff. So they're not going to do anything. It makes me pissed that they did this because my car never did that before I took in to get repaired the last time. And just because some guy came out and drove and he says nothing is wrong they're not going to do anything.

I have an 04 RX-8, Manual, GT package 58K miles and this problem just happened to me two days ago. I now have the squeeky clutch pedal and reverse requires two hands and a swear word. I am running redline synthetics tranny and diff. Taking it into the dealer on Monday.

Bummer, let us know what happens. You are still under warranty :)

2nd gear is grinding bad when I shift into it at high RPM's. The dealer said it could be a worn synchro. The dealer said it's a hit or miss with MNAO on the warranty work, he said if the syncros show signs of power shifting they won't cover it. They said if the synchros look worn or have broken teeth that is a sure sign of power shifting. He said the tranny is not made for shifting fast, I asked him to show me in the manual where it says how fast to shift "it doesn't". We'll see what happens, the dealer is cool and he said he will do what he can to help me out. No matter what I'll fight Mazda on this if they chose to use the power shifting claim. I admit I don't baby the tranny but I don't abuse it either.

Good luck, I've been in 3 times, have been given three different answers, and little more than a kick in the ass on my way out the door.

ALL you guys with shifting issues and grinding synchros, especially those nearing 50K miles (factory clutch or not), first need to check your clutch pedal assemblies for signs of cracked/broken welds.

ALL you guys with shifting issues and grinding synchros, especially those nearing 50K miles (factory clutch or not), first need to check your clutch pedal assemblies for signs of cracked/broken welds.

Will do, but it's ony 2nd gear.

As Hans and Franz used to say, "You can listen to me now or believe me later!":lol2: I have written too much about this issue to restate it any further than that.