Charles,

Checked the clutch and all looks good. I did however notice something. 2nd gear grinds only after the tranny is warmed up, I tested it and reved to 7K and shifted while tranny was cold and it didn't grind, just a little notchy but not to bad. I did this three times with the same result. I know not to rev a cold engine but I just had to try. Could it be that the fluid in there is bad? I changed it last October at the dealer. I have an appointment on the 14th for a tranny drop with the dealer. I guess my options are to have them inspect it or maybe try a different weight fluid. What do you think? I have some RP maxgear lying around or should I try something else?

When it comes to fluid use JaxRX8 is the flat-out smartest guy I know on the issue but he and I slightly differ in our opinions. I mention this because I would like to believe everyone has read, and respects as I do, his opinions on just which fluids we should be using. That said, I have tried a few of the "exotic" fluids(like RedLine and Royal Purple) and I always end up right back using my tried-and-true Mobil1, 75W90. I should warn you that it is a GL-5, as opposed to a GL-4, and it is said to not be suggested for our transmissions. This is the issue Jack and I slightly disagree on, which is only to say that I am not nearly as concerned as he is.

When it comes to fluid use JaxRX8 is the flat-out smartest guy I know on the issue but he and I slightly differ in our opinions. I mention this because I would like to believe everyone has read, and respects as I do, his opinions on just which fluids we should be using. That said, I have tried a few of the "exotic" fluids(like RedLine and Royal Purple) and I always end up right back using my tried-and-true Mobil1, 75W90. I should warn you that it is a GL-5, as opposed to a GL-4, and it is said to not be suggested for our transmissions. This is the issue Jack and I slightly disagree on, which is only to say that I am not nearly as concerned as he is.

Now do you think that my hunch about the oil in the tranny is true?

It's possible. What are you using and how many miles/months are on it?

It's possible. What are you using and how many miles/months are on it?

Oem Fluid, changed in November with 6K miles on it. I just find it weird that it doesn't grind when cold.

I should warn you that it is a GL-5, as opposed to a GL-4, and it is said to not be suggested for our transmissions. .

G_D M_THERF_CKING D_MMIT

WILL YOU PEOPLE PLEASE QUIT SPREADING THIS OUTRIGHT MISTRUTH :rant: :icon_no2:

I was going to try RP Maxgear on Saturday but that would just hide an existing problem, sooner or later it will re-surface. So I'm just going to the dealer, if they refuse to cover it I'll fight them tooth and nail.

way to go ray... pissin people off! :D

my car is in the dealer right now with the transmission apart. 47k 2004 Stock fluids.

Found: torn 2nd synchro, torn second gear, broken 1-2 shift fork.

Trying to deny warranty because thats a sign of "abuse". And because of my mods.. midpipe, intake, pullies, heavy appearance mods. I will find out tomorrow what the status is on whether or not its going to be warrantied. What to do?

Team just likes to "eff" with me 'cuz we are friends. He may have a point but I have heard all sorts of rationale for one view versus another and can only tell you guys what has worked for me, specifically. I figure the fairest thing to do when discussing differences of opinion is to at least acknowledge another opinion/point-of-view/concern in the discussion.:dunno: Team may not be much aware of opinions other than his own.::p:

The good news is that I am one of the few who can take criticism and not make it personal.;)

When it comes to fluid use JaxRX8 is the flat-out smartest guy I know on the issue but he and I slightly differ in our opinions. I mention this because I would like to believe everyone has read, and respects as I do, his opinions on just which fluids we should be using. That said, I have tried a few of the "exotic" fluids(like RedLine and Royal Purple) and I always end up right back using my tried-and-true Mobil1, 75W90. I should warn you that it is a GL-5, as opposed to a GL-4, and it is said to not be suggested for our transmissions. This is the issue Jack and I slightly disagree on, which is only to say that I am not nearly as concerned as he is.

My manual says to use GL-4 or GL-5. I have a 2005.

Yes, we know this already.

Hey check this thread out, may be helpfull for some of us.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=2441403#post2441403

Mobile One here. No problems.

Has anyone switched their brake / clutch fluid over to ATE SL.6?

It is half the viscosity of ATE Super Blue and is supposed to be better for systems with DSC and anti-lock brakes. Quicker reaction time because it can flow into smaller areas faster than the thicker fluid.

I wonder if this would help our clutch since it is hydraulic and uses the same fluid from the master cylinder.

NEED GL-4 80/90, 90, 75/90 HYPOID GEAR OIL ADVISE RECOMMENDATIONS:

so my '07 as of 2k miles went for a full royal purple treatment if i was to experiment with synthetics at all. ever since day one up til now of the fluid change, the synchros has been nowhere near perfect like factory. i changed both trans and diff 75/90 and 85/140 at the same time.

the royal purps has been nothing but notchy and chatters from first-to-second gear shifts. also in fif gear. and a hint of gear whine on cruise in 6th gear....
not a happy camper here. it only performs well when warm, but its unbearable for a street car that has to chance gear grinds on every morning start up drives.WTF!

so help me out. i'd like to possibly find straight 90 weight for the trans with a GL-4 grade... or whatever thatsgrat oil specific w/o any of that diff additive bullshi* in it.
no more synthetic experimenting for me...and the gear chatter stopped only to find out the royal purps burn up about 1/2 qt in the duration of 6-7k miles! i noticed this as i filled in "lucas oil stabilizer" to thicken that thin ass synthetic gear oil sucka up.
nd there's always that lucas 80/90 gear oil which is pretty thick... though i'm not sure about the GL-5 additives in there or not.

so is there any (hypoid???) trans specific 80/90 or straight 90 that i can find, and does valvoline carry straight 90 weight gear oil??? pepboys/kragen/autozone...which to go for conventional stuff but the best brands.
like i said, i'd like to see if valvoline has any gear oil available. i trust that brand, and i've searched everywhere from honda dealership to mazda to nissan with no luck. but was sent to a mom/pop shop that carries STA-LUBE 85/90 GL-4 specific which i bought just today to fill my dads 350Z. but its a crappy brand, which is ok for a slow driver like my pops in his 350z, but prefer a high quality conventional for me to at minimum match factory quality...

-any good conventional brands anyone can recommend here?

thanks,
troch

auto oil must contain some secret ingredient that instantly turns people into complete idiots ...

Yeah, it's called marketing and people mis-applying a given fluid for a given use. Lemme ask again, Mark; What are you using in your street-driven RX-8?

There is sometimes a strong similarity between engine/driveline fluids and ignition systems that are both engineered for racing use. Might you know what that similarity is? Anybody?

This is why I ask about your street-driven, as opposed to your track-only, RX-8.

auto oil must contain some secret ingredient that instantly turns people into complete idiots ...

c'mon man, stop trippin' like that. i know, i know. i knew it was coming when i was gonna mess around with it, and had a feeling i may be misapplying this stuff.

i'd have to admit, other than honda trans which pretty much uses motor oil, i'm challenged when finding a gear oil and diff lube. and with the grade so hard to find, its also confusing if we can really get away with something containing GL-5 additives in it.

but c'mon team, its not like i really didn't try hard dude. not even mazda nor honda carries this shit in stock. i ended up finding something like STA-LUBE 85/90 which don't sound like a popular brand. but sure as hell useable...

now i just wanna find some nice thick 90wt conventional stuff... its so hard to find. who has them is all the help i'm askin for. is it too much?

whatever info oyou can provide to make my life easier would be great.

hmm... i may have mistaken if that was for me.

but either way, anybody's help would be appreciated.

and to say the truth, i'm not a huge fan of synthetics. as long as its the highest available grade for the specified application, just like SM grade with motor oil, i'd be fine with whatever recommendations on the most populaar/ easily accessible transmission gear oil and diff oil.

thanks,
troch

pie???

anybody else???

its a big misunderstood argument. I use RP max gear. Lots use redline. Lots use Castrol. noone actually knows which is best for the rx8 tranny because noone has applied a specific fluid for long enough to know. Sure, teamrx8 uses a specific kind in his track car and im sure a different kind in his street car, but i dont see anyone with any PROOF of why a certain type is better. do you??

I noticed the shifts are better when I switched over to the ATE SL.6 Brake fluid.

The clutch disengages quicker and more consistantly.

I flushed the whole system with a liter and a half from the ATE Super Blue. No bubbles were seen during the entire flush into a bleeder bag. So that rules out that it needed to be bled. The Super Blue fluid was bled a few months ago so yes it is wasteful but I feel it was worth it. I purchased the ATE SL.6 from Tirerack.

Hello everyone I am new to the forums. I was trying to find the best place to ask this question and maybe it has already been answered so sorry for the repost. But has anyone had problems switching from 1st to 2nd gear? I have an 05 with almost 18k on it and I feel like when I switch between the two, going from 1st to 2nd it catches in 2nd like it is almost grinding. I can figure it out and someone told me that 2nd gear was going but I dont know how it could. Seeing that I dont grind the gears and with the current miles on it. Any clue to what I should do or info on the matter? Thanks a ton

Start by inspecting your clutch pedal for damage(there are threads on that). They are known issues that Mazda refuses to acknowledge nor address.

They started to put my car together on Tuesday, it's now Friday? Dealer said they had some problems with the rebuild and it will take longer then they thought. Guess it's easier to take one apart then putting one together.

I just purchased a 2007 mazda rx8 brand new. I have less than 300 miles on the car when shifting from 3 to second it is not a smooth transition it catches then goes into gear. also I live on a hill and if I do not pull the emergency brake the brake the car will not hold in place rolls back stops for a minute and then rolls back some more Is the shifting noise(catch) normal or is there a problem with the car. any help would be appreciated I am calling the dealership on tommorrow if they are open probably will have to wait untim Tuesday after the memorial days holiday.:banghead:

It all depends at what speed your downshifting. The tranny could be notchy at times, if your vehicle is new you deff. have it checked out just in case.

They started to put my car together on Tuesday, it's now Friday? Dealer said they had some problems with the rebuild and it will take longer then they thought. Guess it's easier to take one apart then putting one together.

lol, I managed to get a used rebuild from a Mazda tech for a pretty low price. Another tech at the dealership has attempted to rebuild the trans and it had a problem afterward that he couldn't figure out. So they ordered a replacement. This tech took a look at it one day and figured out the first rebuilder left out some some of the metal engagement balls. Somehow he came into possession of it with the repair :uhh: and let me have it for $500 :eyetwitch

i have an 04 with a ton of problems and i have only had it for just over a month.

first the clutch switch goes out and mazda pretends to fix it which they didnt do very well. then i was driving home one day and i drive a bit on the aggressive side occasionally once my car is warmed up and all i will let her ride out. well i was coming off a light and shifted from 1st to 2nd at about 7500-8000 rpm and i hear this really bad grinding sound so i take it to 3rd same thing but 4-6 are fine.

Now 1st is gone i put it in let the clutch out and it just grinds.

2nd and 3rd will move but they make a really bad grinding sound.

when my car is idlying in nuetral you can hear a whine from the tranny/clutch

any one experence anything similar.

i am pretty sure my transmission is shot

Dale, did they replace the clutch switch to due a clicking or snapping sound when you push the pedal? It also sounds like your shift fork(s) might be bent. How many miles do you have on the car?

no they have not replaced the clutch switch the engine light is on because of that and i was going to take it down the first chance i got witch was going to be this weekend to get that replaced.

i have 29565

thinking about it it does seem like it is the fork that is what i was thinking.

being that i am the second owner and bought it from a 3rd party dealer do you think mazda would warranty the work or am i going to pay for it and does anyone know how much this could cost.

I know in my last car i had the tranny rebuilt and i pulled it out and put it in and it still cost me 2500 just to rebuild the tranny internal parts.

I would ask you to do a search on the issue of broken clutch pedals and such. There are several threads that discuss it and you may see photos to guide you on what to check.

i have an 04 with a ton of problems and i have only had it for just over a month.

first the clutch switch goes out and mazda pretends to fix it which they didnt do very well. then i was driving home one day and i drive a bit on the aggressive side occasionally once my car is warmed up and all i will let her ride out. well i was coming off a light and shifted from 1st to 2nd at about 7500-8000 rpm and i hear this really bad grinding sound so i take it to 3rd same thing but 4-6 are fine.

Now 1st is gone i put it in let the clutch out and it just grinds.

2nd and 3rd will move but they make a really bad grinding sound.

when my car is idlying in nuetral you can hear a whine from the tranny/clutch

any one experence anything similar.

i am pretty sure my transmission is shoton the one hand, congrats on the acquisition ... !!! on the other, did you test drive the car before buying it? is the service book signed and do you have the receipts from the previous owner, on the work that was carried out on the gearbox? you should have warranty on the work that was carried out... if you don't have any records, contact the dealership headquarters with your VIN to find out what sort of work was carried out... report to the 3rd party dealer immediately that you have problems with the car and that it is not roadworthy !!

I never got any of the previous info from the last owner being that he had it repoed and it went from shop to shop for a few years i did test drive it and untill now the tranny worked fine it was smooth just like a newer tranny should be.

I called mazda today with the vin and the warranty has expired on it the only thing they will cover now is the engine core.

Luckily i have a tranny specialist here close to my house that i originally wanted to do the work cause they have rebuilt a tranny for me before and i was pretty satisified.

I am keeping the 3rd party dealer in the loop they seem like they want to help but arent doing much to help.

I never got any of the previous info from the last owner being that he had it repoed and it went from shop to shop for a few years i did test drive it and untill now the tranny worked fine it was smooth just like a newer tranny should be.

I called mazda today with the vin and the warranty has expired on it the only thing they will cover now is the engine core.

Luckily i have a tranny specialist here close to my house that i originally wanted to do the work cause they have rebuilt a tranny for me before and i was pretty satisified.

I am keeping the 3rd party dealer in the loop they seem like they want to help but arent doing much to help.

With an 04 I think you are out of the time frame for warranty work on the tranny or even the engine. If i was you I would call MAZDA and find out what was the the powertrain warenty on the 04's. Some had the warranty extended, you may want to see if your VIN falls within that group. I have an 05 and it was extended to 48 mo. 60K I think. I'll recheck that and get back to you.

Mmmm I am almost positive that the '04s have the extended warranty as well unless for some reason warranty is voided. :dunno:

yep! i called mazda corporate not just my local dealer and found out that i am still under extended powertrain warranty so i called mazda roadside assistance and had it towed 60 miles free of charge to the nearest dealer. Contacted the service manager there discussed a few issues about my car including the clutch switch and the clear coat coming off the hood as well as doing my best to explain whats going on with the transmission.

It should just barely be arriving at the dealer.

I will keep you guys posted.

I need to take my car in to the dealer because of the transmision .... My question is : do I need to put my OEM intake back in because I have k&n in mine ... Or it wouldn't matter because its just the transmision ?

yep! i called mazda corporate not just my local dealer and found out that i am still under extended powertrain warranty so i called mazda roadside assistance and had it towed 60 miles free of charge to the nearest dealer. Contacted the service manager there discussed a few issues about my car including the clutch switch and the clear coat coming off the hood as well as doing my best to explain whats going on with the transmission.

It should just barely be arriving at the dealer.

I will keep you guys posted.

---

:cool:

:icon_tup:


luv4eternity what you could do is call the service department that you are planning on taking it to and ask if it would affect warranty if you installed an intake on your car.

If they laugh and say no, you should be fine bringing it in with the K&N installed. If not then reinstall the stock airbox to avoid any hassle. An intake has little to do with the transmission. ;)

They pulled my tranny out today and said it would cost 10,000 to rebuild it and that there was 4 and 1/2 page long list of broken parts in my transmission. So i am assuming that the prev owner abused it bad because i have been relatively nice to my 8. Mazda is getting me a new transmission that will be here on tuesday. Not to bad replacing the tranny in less than a week.
but they said the clutch is shot also and want to charge me $700 for a new one. Since they already have the tranny out its less labor to replace it.

Could i have them order and install a stage 1 clutch? Or would that void my warranty since it is not a OEM clutch?

You may have to order the clutch yourself but they should install it for you.

Should not make a difference for your warranty unless it explodes and causes damage. The clutch is a wear item so it has to be defective in order to be covered.

I just drove a car with the Centerforce dual friction clutch and the pedal feel is lighter than stock. :icon_tup: Holding power is almost twice as strong as stock. :)

i bought my 04 with 30k on it and as far as i can tell it has always had the first to second shift problem, no matter what rpm i try. i never force it though.

So the dealer told me my car would not be done till thursday evening. Then they call me on Wednseday morning telling me its done to come and get it. Great extremely happy with the turn around time. Had the clutch and tranny replaced smooth shifts clutch is a lot grabbier than i am used to. All i am worried about is did they do a quality job in that short amount of time. Everything looked good when i looked at it. I hope it will last this time.

mine is giving me trouble as well. i dont have any transmission mods, short shifter, lightten clutch, so forth, and i shift normally. no insane downshifts. i do notice that sometimes when i shift into second it feels a little notchy. sometimes 3rd is the same way also. 4th 5th and 6th no real problems. ive never had any grinding, but i have noticed, very rarely, that at a dead stop, sometimes its hard for me to shift into first. i will have to put it into second then shift up to first. i will be seeing my mazda dealer soon, and report back what they tell me.

my car is an 05 with 28K miles on it.

^Have you changed the fluid since it was new? That could help. I got my tranny replaced and replaced the fluid 4,000 mi later and it was a mess. So you might just have dirty fluid swimming around in there giving you a hard time.

^Have you changed the fluid since it was new? That could help. I got my tranny replaced and replaced the fluid 4,000 mi later and it was a mess. So you might just have dirty fluid swimming around in there giving you a hard time.

not since i bought it. i bought it around 17K miles. i will try that first and see what happens.

Yeah get some good synthetic if you are doing it yourself, a lot of guys here (and myself) use Redline MT-90. I am sure Mobil 1 or Royal Purple would be good too. Or just have the dealer do it.

well, i called my dealer today. my service advisor is on vacation so i had talked to her assistant and she was about as useful as a box of condoms to a 6 yr old. so i talked to the service manager. he basically told me to bring it in tuesday and they will test drive it and they will go from there. he also said if it was nothing major they would put an additive that would help the tranny out. im not too sure how i feel about them adding an additive thought.

well, went to my mazda dealership today. all they did was test drive it. seriously. the tech said he didnt notice any problems and they let it sit there for about 5 hours while trying to find any service bullentons about the transmission. all in all a waste of time and gas.

so onto plan B. im just going to buy some Redline MT-90 and change the fluid myself.

Im having similar 3rd to 4th gear resistance followed by grinds at high (above 7k) rpms. Its only on the upshift. I can put it in nuetral then rev up to 7+k then shift into fourth and no grind.:eyetwitch

I want to take it to the dealership. But how am I going to get them to aknowledge the problem? By the time youre up to fourth gear youre well above the speed limit, and I also dont want them saving Ive been abusing it.

I just started reading this thread and realized that the problems I've been experiencing everyone has had for a while. I started complaining that my trans. was overheating first (approximately around 40k). Than it became that 4th gear would grind going in (but just slightly around 55-57k), than second gear gave up completely and will bounce out every time I shift unless I either pull it down hard in or slide it all the way against the left rail. I work at a Mazda Dealer and they have told me time and time again that that’s just what’s supposed to happen. "The way it goes so to speak." After the mechanic kept saying he never felt 4th gear I took him out in it to experience 2nd (about 64k), just wanting to know if I had to buy another trans. They ended up talking to Mazda about how long I had been complaining about it. So Mazda is giving me a trans. for a lower cost, but I will still have to pay for the new clutch and flywheel being that they are normal wear and tear items. I did add the Axial Flow short throw shifter to my upgrade list as well. All of which is going on right now and will be installed this coming weekend. I will have about 67k miles on it by next weekend when I get it installed. Hope this can be helpful.

Well, I'm having kinda the same problem, when the car is in any gear it gives this grinding noise, really loud, when I press the clutch it goes away, 2nd gear is really hard to get it, I really have to work on it to get 2nd gear... I have 60k on my car, don't know if warranty will cover this...??

Redline MT90
nuff said

Redline MT90
nuff said

I wish that was "nuff said". My last resort is the Mazsport clutch bracket. Well, technically my last resort is Mazda actually FIXING the stupid thing. I swapped the tranny fluid with RP MaxGear 75w90, and even swapped the RP short shifter out and I'm back to stock (feels strange). I took out the short shifter after the first dealer I took it to blamed in on the short shifter. My car has 37,200 miles on it now, I've had it for a year, and I've only put 5000 on the car. Short shifter installed about 4000 miles ago. I'm making yet another appointment tomorrow. My Mazsport bracket support will hopefully arrive this week, although it still hasn't shipped. I might be overly optimistic expecting it to arrive (ordered
7/11/08)

2nd gear only, no other issues with any other gears at all. None.

Spoke to the dealership yet again today. He said they can't diagnose the transmission problem with a bad clutch, so I have to replace the clutch ($1200) and I can not replace with an aftermarket clutch, because then they will not be able to diagnose the issue correctly. Asked if they would reimburse or pay for the labor if/when the clutch was deemed to be NOT the issue, and he said no.

So basically, I'll pay for a clutch that's only been on the car 8000 miles, can't potentially upgrade that clutch, and be stuck with a $1200 tab when it doesn't fix the 2nd gear issue, which then MIGHT be covered under warranty. I'm smelling a potentially trade-in, which sucks, as I really like this car. (I'll still see if the clutch bracket support resolves the issue, but I'm going on 3 weeks waiting for that...)

^You might want to go to another dealer or contact mazda too.

I wish that was "nuff said". My last resort is the Mazsport clutch bracket. Well, technically my last resort is Mazda actually FIXING the stupid thing. I swapped the tranny fluid with RP MaxGear 75w90, and even swapped the RP short shifter out and I'm back to stock (feels strange). I took out the short shifter after the first dealer I took it to blamed in on the short shifter. My car has 37,200 miles on it now, I've had it for a year, and I've only put 5000 on the car. Short shifter installed about 4000 miles ago. I'm making yet another appointment tomorrow. My Mazsport bracket support will hopefully arrive this week, although it still hasn't shipped. I might be overly optimistic expecting it to arrive (ordered
7/11/08)

2nd gear only, no other issues with any other gears at all. None.

Well your problem is most definitely the RP max gear. Search other threads and you will find that is a highly leading cause to second gear grinding. Switch to redline MT-90 like recommended and i bet you that and the bracket helps if not completely fixes the problem.

I actually just put the maxgear in 2 weeks (and about 50 miles) ago, and the issue didn't change for the better or worse. At this point, I've been to 3 different dealers: one didn't have a tranny tech, one didn't drive it, and the last one, the tech drive the car, said it was the syncros...only to have the service manager call me back to say that he knows the history of my car and that it's definitely the clutch. This is the same dealer that replaced the clutch 8,000 miles ago, more than likely for the same problem (before I purchased the car). I called Mazda customer service, and the @#%^@%$ on the phone said they stand behind their service managers 100%, and there was nothing Mazda would do.

Go to an independent and see if they say it is the clutch. They replaced you clutch already once then? So they won't do it twice...

Did you fry the clutch? :)

Nope, I just have the typical 2nd gear grind. No issues in any other gear. The clutch was put on at the dealer before I bought the car, and has had it since the day I bought it. I've now had it in 5 times to 3 different dealerships (2 times the dealer could not duplicate until magically, the clutch warranty was up. Then they could duplicate it.) I'm so ticked off at Mazda anyway that I'm probably getting rid of the car at this point. Not much fun driving a sports car I can't put into 2nd gear.

I actually just put the maxgear in 2 weeks (and about 50 miles) ago, and the issue didn't change for the better or worse. At this point, I've been to 3 different dealers: one didn't have a tranny tech, one didn't drive it, and the last one, the tech drive the car, said it was the syncros...only to have the service manager call me back to say that he knows the history of my car and that it's definitely the clutch. This is the same dealer that replaced the clutch 8,000 miles ago, more than likely for the same problem (before I purchased the car). I called Mazda customer service, and the @#%^@%$ on the phone said they stand behind their service managers 100%, and there was nothing Mazda would do.

MNAO said the same thing to me. wouldnt even help one bit. I ended up paying 1900 for my second gear because they said my midpipe showed them signs of abuse, even though my car is still under warranty they wouldnt cover a dime.... i suggest you get out before something like that happens to you as well

Nope, I just have the typical 2nd gear grind. No issues in any other gear. The clutch was put on at the dealer before I bought the car, and has had it since the day I bought it. I've now had it in 5 times to 3 different dealerships (2 times the dealer could not duplicate until magically, the clutch warranty was up. Then they could duplicate it.) I'm so ticked off at Mazda anyway that I'm probably getting rid of the car at this point. Not much fun driving a sports car I can't put into 2nd gear.

i have a transmission for sale if anyone is in need. No its not brand new (75k) but it sure beats paying 1900 dollars like gr3ddy did... and cheaper labor to just swap a tranny and keep the old one for parts than to just pay mazda for rebuild and service to your old one

^75k seems like pretty high mileage for one of these trannys, they seem pretty fragile...

huzer, I don't know what to tell, my tranny started grinding in almost all gears and they just flat out replaced it no questions asked.

At this point, MNAO is standing behind the dealer, giving me the same speech they've given everyone else "independently owned and operated, nothing we can do, blah, blah, blah". I did go to test drive other vehicles last night, but just like the RX-8 more. Damn, I'm finally in a car I want to keep, and it pisses me off every time I think about it! I've even offered to go ahead and pay for the clutch replacement, but if that didn't fix the problem, I wanted to, at a minimum, get reimbursed for labor. Both the dealer and MNAO told me no.

If only the dealers and Mazda would work as hard at keeping customers happy as they did at denying warranty service.

If you have the money and like the car enough, I would just cut them out of the picture.

Need some help...
06 almost 9K on odo, bought new with about 200 on it, daily driver, car sat/was started ocasionally for 8 months

First heard noise after spirited driving with original fluids and after long highway drives. When I stopped and started to go again it seemed like something was sticking or dragging cause more friction and sound than normal and when I turned into my driveway (lht) car made a rattle/gurgle noise.

Changed both tranny and diff to redline and installed short throw, sound seemed to go away.

Today after running some errands the sound was really noticable. I really made it when I had the clutch pressed in and the shifter out of gear just rolling into my drive way. Sounded like the clutch or tranny was making the noise.

Any ideas? Comments?

Thanks

Well I picked up my car after it being in the shop for the better part of 3 weeks. They replaced a whole bunch of stuff that apparently needed fixed because my transmission is now silky smooth just like the day that I bought it. The service manager said that they found a minor imperfection with second gear along with some other things.

As of now, I don't even think that they know how or why my transmission was acting up but it's fixed for the time being. Looking over the list of items they replaced, I see they replaced 2nd gear, 2 synchronizer rings, clutch hub and sleeve, synchronizer spring, along with some other minor things.

hey im getting the same problem at high rpm in second gear i cant push first past 40 km or it greats in secong just wanted to know how much u pay to do all that

The wheels on the bus go round and round...

Brief synopsis of last two weeks. One dealer says it's the clutch. I say I'll pay for clutch, and if it doesn't fix (I know it won't), they reimburse me for labor, and fix whatever's left under warranty. They say no. I call MNAO, and they say no, and recommend I get a 2nd opinion. In the meantime, they contact the dealer to get their take on the situation. I go to 2nd dealer, they say no way is it your clutch, it's your synro, and they move forward with replacing the tranny. District manager steps in and says no, tranny must be rebuilt, not replaced. Ok...but the dealer doesn't have a certified tranny tech. So the one dealer that agrees with me, can't do the work. Just found that out about 3 hours ago.

Fast forward to now, and original dealer that says it's the clutch calls me, to let me know Mazda contacted them. Now he's calling the district manager and is going to call me back. With what info, I dunno. So I've got the battle of 2 Service Managers that claim 2 different issues. (one I agree with, as do 2 independent shops...and one I don't agree with).

So involved now on the Mazda side is MNAO, the District Customer Service Manager, and 2 Service Managers. Hmm, who else can I drag into this?

Well, I am heading to the dealership to pickup my car. They are not going to warranty my tranny, saying that the clutch going out caused the synchro problem with 2nd. Which is funny since the clutch went out because of a bad clutch pedal and they warrantied the pedal but not the damaged caused by it.

Well, I am heading to the dealership to pickup my car. They are not going to warranty my tranny, saying that the clutch going out caused the synchro problem with 2nd. Which is funny since the clutch went out because of a bad clutch pedal and they warrantied the pedal but not the damaged caused by it.

That just seems wrong.

I just received a call from the 4th (and hopefully final) dealership my car has been to. They verified it was not a clutch issue, and they were going to either repair/replace the tranny. Furthest I've been in the now 11 months I've been dealing with this issue. I'll either have my car back on Friday, or sometime next week.

has anybody had a worn input shaft? my pilot bearing has some play on it.

don't know its effect on the tranny, but also, in the winter my box was stuck and wouldn't go into any gear, i was forced to ram it in gear (2nd) and since then my clutch was complete crap and grinded when going in at high rpms in 2nd and third, sometimes reverse too. recently got clutch replaced, feels really nice now, but i suspect input shaft is messing it up again

And for the time being, my case is now successfully closed! The 4th dealership was able to repair the problem under warranty. Replaced 2nd gear, 1-2 syncro hub and ring, and the shift fork. No more grind. Now I just need to get the clutch pedal bracket reinforcement.

oh joy :icon_no2: clutch is shot...symptom is basically that it needed a hurculean effort to shift into ANY gear, and occassionally 5th and 6th could not be had for anything, reverse was a just gone. Driveable, but only barely enough to get home. Also the whole car ran like the engine was unbalanced, heavy vibrating shifter at idle, stange noises whether clutch was engaged or not, driving or not.

Current diagnosis was replace clutch and misc assocciated parts...said clutch springs were broken, flywheel was ok...opps ... hold the phone ...now they call and say "that didn't quite fix it". "Techs" go back to the "MNAO Tech line" and although they are not exactly sure which (or both) they say now replace the Clutch Release Cyc and Slave Cyc. $1200> $1700 and counting and lets hope that's it in fact fixed and no more ..'opps!'

Hey guys I have an 04 RX-8 with 36K miles on it. Over the past few weeks I have noticed that when I am idling when stopped and don't have the clutch pushed in my RPM's start at normal 1k or so then my engine starts revving all on it's own. It will go up to about 1.5 or 2k then drop back to 1k. If i press the clutch down it stops and idles fine. Then I let it off and it starts again. It has been doing it right when it starts up, and when it is fully warm. I don't know what this is related to so I called the dealer and i'm getting it checked out on Monday. Any ideas from people here would be great.

thanks, and let me know if im not being clear in my description.

similar thing has happened to me, searched and found a bunch of threads on same thing. General consensus is the neutral position switch.

well, in the cold that would be normal, but if you say it does it when warm, the most direct way to look at it is that spinning your gears in neutral (load) is much more than normal. tranny issue?

about the reving that sound like a problem with ur computer or u could try cleaning ur trottle body......and about the second gear grinding i think its the second gear syncro i tried double clutching it and still gets the same problem i havent taken it to my mechanic as yet i dont go to mazda big rip off

my second gear used to grind, it turned out just being my clutch, and my input shaft is worn as well which destroys throwout bearings, but dealer doesn't want to touch it

I'm beginning to think my 8 (70k, '05 MT) is trying to tell me it doesn't want to be driven in the winter.

Last year I lost a month's time in December, having the transmission rebuilt thrice (2nd and 6th synchros replaced, followed by a neutral safety switch CEL fix). Now, a year later, sixth has starting to pop out of gear spontaneously. It only happens after a couple of hours on the highway, so wish me luck trying to get the mazda tech to "reproduce" the problem.

It is under warranty at least... any thoughts as to what it might be this time before I take her in?

my 05 has 26K on it and warranty is almost up. I have been hearing like a whine, but more high pitched from the tranny when giving it gas. the third gear seems to be harder to engage properly. wondering if this is because its cold or because the tranny is going.

update:

So after a 700km highway roadtrip the tranny developed this awfully loud whine under load in all gears except 5th, and was occasionally hard to engage 4th. Dealership is getting me a new transmission now. Maybe this would be a good time to get a lightweight flywheel and do the clutch as well. I was going to stick with Mazdaspeed.

add mine to the list of tranny probs, 2005 with 52k, 2nd is hard to shift into the lower the rmp the harder it is, it shifts fine above 7k most of the time.
When down shifting into 5th at about 60 mph grands. I have took it in a least 4 times and they can never reproduce the problem.

just got my car five months ago with a new engine but transmission is actn up..on the highway at 70 and threw me back to 40....now when in neutral its n drive.. and now it dont go n reverse...i need help or suggestions ((((automatic)))

can sum 1 help or sugesstions..transmission problems..no reverse and wen on neutral its on drive

please help..no reverse and its feels like its on neutral..and on neutral is on drive wont go pass 1st gear....its automatic

dont know too much but i got a AT transmission with low miles for sale cheap. pm if interested

Quick question. On 3rd and 4th, i hear some kind of noise coming from the tranny. Like two balls are in a spinning cylinder and they bounce around. It's not a constant-same noise, but exactly like something is bouncing around here and there. 5th and 6th are fine. Is worth getting looked at @ the dealer?
Car is '04 with 50k miles, thus warranty is up, but they did extend the powertrain to 8 or 10 years if i'm not mistaken, correct?

My fourth gear is grinding when trying to get it in gear at higher rpm's and under throttle. It usually only does this shifting from third to fourth gear. Under "normal" driving conditions it shifts with out grinding as long as I make sure it's in fourth. Yes the clutch is pressed all the way. It also "feels" / "can hear" a synchro is wobbling (not sure if that makes sense).

8 is 05 with 43XXX miles no mods done to transmission except aftermarket NRG shift knob.

Checked over this thread twice and didn't see the same thing happening to anyone else's car..

2nd gear is kind of hard to engage, its like I have to pull it into place, and when I do you can hear it click twice or more like a rubbing when putting it into second gear..
3rd gear has a strange kick-back. When shifting from 2nd to 3rd, third gear kind of kicks the shifter back when I try to engage, but after trying to push it into place if I hold it there for a second then it will engage.

Every other gear is fine, its just strange to me. My clutch feels fine and the car only has 62k miles on it. Stock everything, no modifications done to the transmission / clutch / shifter.

Any suggestions?

update:

So after a 700km highway roadtrip the tranny developed this awfully loud whine under load in all gears except 5th, and was occasionally hard to engage 4th. Dealership is getting me a new transmission now. Maybe this would be a good time to get a lightweight flywheel and do the clutch as well. I was going to stick with Mazdaspeed.

Same exact thing and as of yesterday getting a new tranny and engine under warranty yay!

this is a different issue/question...

i suspect my tranny is leaking fluid. i noticed the drain plug on the tranny was wet/greasy and just a bit drippy when i was changing oil this weekend. and then last night 2 instances when i was driving in reverse i heard a faint but whirl-ish sound (which disappeared by this morning). and then, (this may be paranoia now), i feel the tranny is louder when in gear/moving and when clutch is released in neutral. AND, i noticed a small spot in my parking space that may or may not be tranny oil. i'm a bit freaked and just ordered tranny and diff oil online, which i'll do asap. think i can make it back home tonight w/o breaking anything?

I just got my rx8 today.
Drove it from the dealership and went for a short drive (30 minutes top).
And it was hard to get into second gear(grinding) its an awful sound,i know when something doesent sound right.

Downshifting or shifting from 1st to 2nd...
I even had to jump from 1st to 3rd once because i was starting to loose speed when joining the highway...
Service on the car was done a week ago. oil changes filters ...
its a 04 with 60k (km-kilometers) on it.

Its embarrassing when theres people around,it makes me look like an idiot.

no more warranty and the dealerships are expensive,so if i knew what was wrong it would save me some time(and money).
i read the whole thread,some people changed oil,some changed forks,some changed synchros and shit in the tranny and it worked.
and yeah the car was owned by an older man (55 y old) so slow ,normal driving.
And i don't drive fast either and I'm not an aggressive driver (until someone pisses me off).
thank you.

Sometimes when I'm coming to a stop from 50mph I try to shift into 1st kinda slow around 20mph and its kinda hard or the stick wil pop out but if I shift into 1st fast it wont want to wobble and pop out.
Should I have my tranny looked at?

Sometimes when I'm coming to a stop from 50mph I try to shift into 1st kinda slow around 20mph and its kinda hard or the stick wil pop out but if I shift into 1st fast it wont want to wobble and pop out.
Should I have my tranny looked at?

never downshift into first bro it kills ur tranny just use ur brakes thats what there made for stopping u lol

What even at like 20 mph?

dude hes just fuckin around with you :)

What even at like 20 mph?

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/photo.php?pid=1576797&id=501972809 just dont do it man first gear is just to get the car moving trust me dont listen to these ppl on this crap they just think they got a bad ass car that could do nething but the car is like ne other dont get me wrong i love the car i own one but just dont downshift into first

Ok, so I've been having the 1-2, 3-4, and hard time getting into R for about 2 years now. No major mods and car is not raced or abused. Spirited driving on occasion and necessary to downshift to get into a hectic on ramp for my commute. I've had the trans/differential fluid changed out 3 times from stock to Redline, Royal Purple, and finally Amsoil every 15k miles hoping that would miraculously fix things. To tell you the truth, the Amsoil works the best all-around to make it less notchy but does not solve the problem. Car has 56,000 miles on it but is at 65 months so technically out of warranty period BUT I have at least 4 documented cases that I've complained about the issues during the warranty period which they could not reproduce, so they did not want to take any further action on it.

I knew it was not the clutch but just had the clutch and flywheel changed out to aftermarket at a reputable rotary shop last week hoping that would fix it. I would have had it done at the Mazda Dealer close to my house, but it closed up shop. As I suspected, the clutch did not fix the grinding issue. I am going to another Mazda dealer to see if they can do anything as a last ditch effort. I am pretty sure they won't be able to reproduce it, so I am thinking of having them break it down and inspect it (under my dime @ around $500). They said since I've complained about it before, MNAO might give me some consideration even though I am just after warranty.

I am curious to see what they find and what they will do. I love the car but if they give me some bad news and they tell me no on the warranty work, I am thinking about having them just put it back together as-is and I will part with the car by end of the year. Sad, because our other car, a family cruiser toyota, has 155,000 trouble free miles and was considering upgrading that car next year to a Mazda6 or a CX-9 but if Mazda cannot live up to their part of the warranty, I can't be expected to put my faith in another Mazda vehicle. Will keep the board posted..

Add me to the list. It would seem that my car has been slowly killing its clutch and transmission for the past few months. It's an 07 with just over 14k miles on it. Shifting into second feels like sticking a spoon into a blender full of rocks unless I nurse the gearchange like a sick puppy. The 2-3 upshift has been getting noticeably less smooth as well, but this may be a moot point, as I usually skip 2nd now because of the awful grind. Whenever I downshift, I have to hold the revs where they need to be while rowing the gears to avoid grinding or resistance, as opposed to simply blipping the throttle before de-clutching. It gets better after "warming up," but the warm up period has been getting longer and longer (about 20-30 minutes of driving at this point). In addition, the clutch engagement has been getting much 'mushier' and inconsistent. I'm guessing that I've got the "clutch won't fully disengage" problem.

Unfortunately, I can't get the car to the dealer until the end of May, but it's ironically due in for other warranty work at that time, so I'll have them look at it then. At least I can go for about a week at a time without having to drive it. Definitely going to be getting a stainless steel clutch line after I get all this sorted out.

:icon_no2: My tranny is killing itself along with the clutch,
not even high rpm just around 3k shifting into 5th always grind and rough
i cant shift at high rpm into second or else it rejects it and i lose speed
2-3 is still good but 3-4 is horrible my car only has 43k miles and i think i already need it replaced or rebulit

took my 04 to the track last weekend and burnt my clutch does ne one know where i could get an exedy or centerforce stage 1 in toronto like right away same day thanks

you can get a clutch pretty quick from racing beat, they have good prices too

in regards to the tranny, the rx8 tranny is so weak, i had to replace mine at 38k miles. never powershift the tranny either, it'll blow in 4-5 powershifts.

i had the "spoon in a blender full of rocks" at around 30k and it was just my clutch that blew, the rx8 clutch seems to grind rather than have slippage. also, if i revvd it past 5 or 6k and let go without hitting the clutch, it sounded like a transformer, a very weird way of slipping.

also, just a btw, watch out for input shafts being worn out and having too much play with the throwout, mine was worn and my throwout bearing turned to metal shreds after just a few weeks

hope my experiences helps somebody with tranny issues lol

in regards to the tranny, the rx8 tranny is so weak,

I find your statement a little hard to believe. I had an 04 model as well as the 08 model I have now and I never had a tranny issue in the 04 and so far no problems with the 08. Yes, it is a little notchy when cold, but once it is warmed up it is smooth. The transmissions I believe are made by Aisin who also makes the S2000 and possibly other Honda car's transmissions. I feel the trans will hold up just fine if you drive the car "normal" and don't feed it much if any FI power.

I find your statement a little hard to believe. I had an 04 model as well as the 08 model I have now and I never had a tranny issue in the 04 and so far no problems with the 08. Yes, it is a little notchy when cold, but once it is warmed up it is smooth. The transmissions I believe are made by Aisin who also makes the S2000 and possibly other Honda car's transmissions. I feel the trans will hold up just fine if you drive the car "normal" and don't feed it much if any FI power.

well, i would think majority of the people here drive spiritedly and shift hard occasionally. considering they used the same transmission from the miata, a super lightweight and low hp car, it's not bad. don't get me wrong, the shifts are smooth and box is truly a pleasure to row through, but it just can't handle abuse that a sport's car transmission should be able to take, hence the 25 pages of complaints about the transmission

well, i would think majority of the people here drive spiritedly and shift hard occasionally. considering they used the same transmission from the miata, a super lightweight and low hp car, it's not bad. don't get me wrong, the shifts are smooth and box is truly a pleasure to row through, but it just can't handle abuse that a sport's car transmission should be able to take, hence the 25 pages of complaints about the transmission


and we didnt buy the car to drive it like old people.
we bought it because we want some fun in driving.
and if its considered a sports car it should be able to handle hard shifting...

and we didnt buy the car to drive it like old people.
we bought it because we want some fun in driving.
and if its considered a sports car it should be able to handle hard shifting...

You can drive a hard aggressively without abusing it at the same time. Like I said I drive my cars hard from time to time and have not had an issue with either one of them.

You can drive a hard aggressively without abusing it at the same time. Like I said I drive my cars hard from time to time and have not had an issue with either one of them.

driving it hard without abusing it is a complete oxymoron. hard = abuse. and as you say "time to time." many people like to drive it hard "frequently." i personally did not pay all that money to watch the car sit at 3k rpms when it can scream at 9 grand and feel the ass kick out. now unless you have had an experience with a transmission issue that can help anybody on this thread, please keep your biased comments to yourself.

You can drive a hard aggressively without abusing it at the same time. Like I said I drive my cars hard from time to time and have not had an issue with either one of them.

when i said shifting hard i meant shifting at high rpm...
and well my car is good on every gear except 2nd. if i go higher than 3k rpm in 1st gear it grinds and i cant get in 2nd gear untill the car goes slows down to like 25kmh ,or when im downshifting i have to do the same thing,go really slow if i dont it grinds and it pisses me off.

one more thing. lets say i wanna race with my buddy,just for fun.
and i have to shift at 3k rpm when shifting in 2nd gear,thats alot of precious time and power lost right there.

where can i get a oem clutch i need one asap

i know mazda dealership has one but 2 expensive anyone kno any websites i can get on at ???? and i searched

i have an 04 with 50000 miles on it and i cant shift in to second over 5k rpms or it grinds....does anyone know if this is still coverd under warranty?

My 04 rx8 is acting up, ill give you a little info on the car then ill fill you in on the problem.

04 Rx8
50k miles
Racing beat intake
Racing beat cat back exhaust
racing beat catless mid pipe
racing beat header
Koni Shocks
ZexSmart wet nitro kit 75 shot, not been sprayed yet (im scared of damage)

Ok so heres the problem, i went to the drag strip yesterday, Kansas City International Raceway, i joined the test and tune group and had run 8 or so runs with no problems at all, after that i noticed my shift knob was shaking a little bit when it idled. Not thinking anything of it i kept racing. By the way my friend took his mazdaspeed3 and broke his motor mounts first run lol. Anyway i kept racing, did 5 or 6 more races with no problems, then on my last race, i noticed a LOT of wheel hop, finished the race with my best time of the night, running a 14.78 at 99 mph, when i got to the turn point, i heard a very bad noise...grinding. Now when i shift into first and try to take off, even verrry slowly, it throws out of gear, second gear makes a grinding sound when im driving and when i decelerate, it gets louder. The rest of the gears sound alright but still have a slight humming noise. revers doesnt go anywhere at all, just sits and spins while i listen to the buzzing/grinding sound. CAN ANYONE HELP ME AT ALL? parts, prices, hints on the DIY repair?

Thanks guys,
Casanova

So I've read a lot of the threads posted here, I can relate to a lot of them. But, I
am still convinced, that my car has a different problem(s).

I live in SF bay area, the closest Mazda dealer is Walnut Creek. I am not really happy with their service. I already, had the car there because the car was miss firing. The problem: corrosion on the plug wires, got em replaced... Then after getting the car 3 days later, I drove out of the dealer and when I got to the first red light and braked, a loud sound came from under neath the car. Their explanation was: "we put raw fuel into the catalytic converter, and it didn't burn fast enough, so the catalytic converter broke, and it's now in your mufflers"
GREAT!!
So, they ordered a whole new exhaust system and replaced it.

When I brought it in, I also mentioned that I had been noticing a problem, with my clutch.

Problems:
1) When I step on the accelerator hard, the clutch pedal goes to the floor (by it's self) for example, when merging on to the freeway on third gear.
2)When I shift from 1st to 2nd, past 3500rpm. It grinds and the gear wont go in until I release clutch and try 2 or 3 times.
3)Loud whistle like noise from transmission, when I press clutch it stops.
4)Inside cabin, driverside gets really hot where my right leg leans.
5)This is the worst! This one I cannot live with.
- When the car is driven for more than 10 minutes sometimes less than 2 miles.
The gears, will not go in. It seems as if the clutch becomes useless, even when I press the pedal down, the gears will not go in. (none of them, especially R) It's really frustrating, especially at red lights, hills, traffic... (you get the point)
If I force it in, it grinds.
Today, something different happened.
I was a drive thru, had the car in first gear and when I tried to take it out to put it in neutral, it wouldn't come out! Out of curiosity, I rev up the car to about 3k rpm, guess what!? The clutch engaged (by its self), and the car took off! even when I was holding the clutch pedal to the floor!

So, I am asking if anyone has any suggestions, or past experiences, and how they were solved. Advice as to what I should do.

Last time dealer "checked it" the invoice said: "Customer states a problem with clutch. Road tested, clutch seems fine. Quick engagement."

2004 Mazda RX8 grand touring
6 MT
47,000mi
Normal driving (babied)
Bought it 1 1/2 years ago with 32,000mi, didn't really notice any major problems, with the exeption of brakes squeeking really loud, and the airbag light flashing freaquently, and the tpms light coming on.

Also, if you know of another Mazda dealer, who has a better staff / service in bay area let me know ( I don't mind driving a little)

So I've read a lot of the threads posted here, I can relate to a lot of them. But, I
am still convinced, that my car has a different problem(s).
...

So, I am asking if anyone has any suggestions, or past experiences, and how they were solved. Advice as to what I should do.
...

They won't do anything unless the dealer can "replicate" your problem which is BS. Either insist the tech drive with you and show them what you mean and try to replicate it yourself or if you undoubtedly have a problem, have them drop the transmission to see what's inside. If you are under warranty it's most likely an issue they will fix as long as you have decent records. But if not, you may be on the hook for the whole thing which could be a new transmission @ $3k. Read this whole thread for information. The majority of transmission problems are 2004 MT models, so I don't think they will be surprised.

32k miles, touge racing. I dont drift i just grip draive as they call it. Well I had a good amount of fun yesterday and then it started grinding in every gear at mid to high rpm. I ended up losing 1st and reverse. It pops out of gear with a wonderful grind. Now I have 2nd gear as my first gear. Thank god for aftermarket warantees. This car was first sold in Oct 2003 so I'm past the dealer warantee. Now I have to change my short shifter and cat back and bring it in. Hopefully they won't bitch about the h-tech springs.

I had problems with second gear, even had the service department make a note of it on one of my service tickets. They suggested synthetic oil would help. I have since gone to Redline, and it does help, but the most help so far was from installing the Mazdaspeed Stainless Steel Clutch line. It seems that the old rubber line was swelling under pressure and not fully releasing the clutch when shiting out of 1st and into 2nd. Now, the whole operation of the clutch feels and sounds better, but I am still concerned as is everyone else.
I was talking with the mechanics from mazda the other day and they told me to never use synthetic in my rx8. They told me that it can cause internal damage to the motor. You should look into that and if necessary, flush your oil system.

Idhernandez, Hes talking about synthetic in his tranny, not his motor.

Last night I noticed that when my car came to a stop while in drive, it was making a marbles type sound. I put in neutral and it went away. Does anyone think a flush could resolve this problem? that is only thing I have noticed with the tranny. I have 60k miles, just had motor replaced at 58k. Never had flush before. Anyone know how much an auto tranny flush is? And at this point would you recommend it? Ive heard that flushing it too late in the life of the tranny, it can cause the metal shavings to get caught in gears? I appreciate any help.

how often should the transmission oil be changed and how could it be done? Also what oil is used by the majority of you all in the transmission?

Obteene,

Contact BHR (black halo racing) on this forum. He can answer all your questions for your transmission.

Ben

My '07 has been making a noise like a winding sound while at a stop light in neutral. the noise stops if I push in my clutch at the light but starts again if i let off it. Anyone know what this could be?

My '07 has been making a noise like a winding sound while at a stop light in neutral. the noise stops if I push in my clutch at the light but starts again if i let off it. Anyone know what this could be?


throwout bearing makes noise, it is normal, nothing to worry about unless you are at the stage of replacing the clutch it should be changed at that time. ;)

I think everyone that purchases a new 8 ... or a used 8 asks this question.

new 8 is quiet till it gets a 1000 miles or so used 8 gives that sound and people wonder if it is time to replace something. :rolleyes:

I know gear chatter is normal while idling and the clutch out, but is it normal to be rather noisy while actually driving in gear? Particularly, when I am in fifth gear, there is a lot of "chatter" and it sounds as if something is loose. Lately, though, I have noticed it more in other gears as well, especially around 2000-3000RPMs and while I am engaging or releasing the clutch.

In short, in sounds like something is rattling around while driving and is most prevalent in 5th gear, and most quiet in 6th. any ideas? thanks

Tigerfootball, If you think there is something wrong or loose then you should go wih your gut and investigate. from what you have written there is more then just bearing chatter going on here. even if it was a throughout or pilot bearing,, you would have it in all gears from the start and not getting worse to include all gears. your 8 has a longer warranty for the drive train, you may still be covered. and dealers love to swap out trannies under that warranty so it might not even cost you anything but time. bottom line, get it chacked out sooner then later.

Tigerfootball, If you think there is something wrong or loose then you should go wih your gut and investigate. from what you have written there is more then just bearing chatter going on here. even if it was a throughout or pilot bearing,, you would have it in all gears from the start and not getting worse to include all gears. your 8 has a longer warranty for the drive train, you may still be covered. and dealers love to swap out trannies under that warranty so it might not even cost you anything but time. bottom line, get it chacked out sooner then later.

I will get it investigated as soon as possible. My only problem is that I have 102,000 miles so I am well out of warranty. I may take it by a local transmission shop to them look at it. In the meantime though, I am going to change my tranny fluid from Royal Purple to Red Line and see if that alleviates any of the (hopefully non)-problem.

HI everyone im new to the forum but i have this problem that my second gear grinds at high rpm shift up or regular down shifts.... i know it has to be a syncro or something like it but... i took the time (like 5 mins) and emailed Mazda about this issue... If enough people do the same they might recall the transmissions on all our cars and we get new ones!!!! EMail them and tell them you have this problem suggest they do a recall and its gets sent to the admins at Mazda... MY car is is an 04 with less than 32000 miles on it (out of warranty) im sad that i cant drive the way it meant to be driven cuz of a little problem with a big price tag :(

HI everyone im new to the forum but i have this problem that my second gear grinds at high rpm shift up or regular down shifts.... i know it has to be a syncro or something like it but... i took the time (like 5 mins) and emailed Mazda about this issue... If enough people do the same they might recall the transmissions on all our cars and we get new ones!!!! EMail them and tell them you have this problem suggest they do a recall and its gets sent to the admins at Mazda... MY car is is an 04 with less than 32000 miles on it (out of warranty) im sad that i cant drive the way it meant to be driven cuz of a little problem with a big price tag :(

i agree 100% i've been having the same problem...where do i go to send them an email...put up a link to the site or pm it to me

I agree as well I don't really have any issues with 2nd unless I am redline shifting but my 5th gear will grind even if I baby it.:cussing: What's the link to email them.

MazdaCustomerAssistance@mazdausa.com
this is the email for mazda sorry for the delay ive been pretty busy... i got my tranny fixed using a fidelity extended warranty but i still think we should get the recall

this one will trip you guys out. my brand new 09 R3 grinds second gear. :( :( :( :(

if u have any synchro problems at all and ur still under warranty take the car in and do urself the favor i just had mine replaced less then 2 days ago because i thought the synchro would chill out but it only gets worse... dont deal with it..... fix it or u will regret it later and try to use redline gear oil

yeah i took it in immediately. that's bullshit though, what kind of QC is mazda running? my car had less than 10 miles when i took it off the lot and it was a 'non-test drive vehicle'

I have an 05 rx8 and it will grind going into second if im at a higher rpm than 6000 as well....sometimes it will even grind at a low rpm shift. 4th gear has been acting up the same for me too. The mechanic at the dealership in chicago said he thinks its the clutch, but i just had that replaced a month ago and this has been going on for about 5 months. It really takes the fun out of driving when you get that annoying crunch everytime you shift.

I agree as well I don't really have any issues with 2nd unless I am redline shifting but my 5th gear will grind even if I baby it.:cussing: What's the link to email them.

Ditto: 5th gear grind while under load :mad: Up or down shifting

this one will trip you guys out. my brand new 09 R3 grinds second gear. :( :( :( :(

My '09 with 600 miles on it "clunks" into 2nd gear. Typically clunks from neutral at a light into 1st, and then clunks again from 1st to 2nd. Also when downshifting into 2nd it makes a rumbling noise when the clutch is fully depressed and try to put it into 2nd. It always goes into 2nd, but clunks on the upshift and rumbles on the downshift (again with clutch fully engaged on ds). Is that normal? Is that a sign of grinding to come and thus bad sychros or new tranny?

^ im really sorry to hear that... the only i can personally tell u is that if it doesnt feel right get it fixed... tell ur dealer that ur tranny doesnt feel right describe everything in detail and have them take a look the car is under warranty so u have nothing to lose

My '09 with 600 miles on it "clunks" into 2nd gear. Typically clunks from neutral at a light into 1st, and then clunks again from 1st to 2nd. Also when downshifting into 2nd it makes a rumbling noise when the clutch is fully depressed and try to put it into 2nd. It always goes into 2nd, but clunks on the upshift and rumbles on the downshift (again with clutch fully engaged on ds). Is that normal? Is that a sign of grinding to come and thus bad sychros or new tranny?

My '09 is doing the exact same rumbling downshifting into second, unless you rev-match the gear. I'm hoping it just needs breaking in and it'll go away, like maybe the syncro is breaking in...if that even happens. I remember my Mazda3 shifted better at 49,000 then it did it's whole life. I traded it in to get the RX8.

As far as shifting to 2nd while accelerating...does it do it always, or only when cold? Mine is only when cold. And less of a clunk, and more like a slight grind, like I'm not pushing the clutch all the way down, but I am. Again, I'm writing this off has the tranny still breaking in. I'm at 1,800 miles, 2 months of ownership. My Mazda3 would be a rough shifter when cold as well, but not as bad as this 8.

ps....why don't the 2009/SII's have a separate tranny thread/sticky since the transmission is totally different?

I had this problem when I bought my car new. It went away, after a long time of not redlining and shifting. Maybe it was the shortshifter and the gear oil change. :dunno:

What about if i fell a little blockade when i shift on every gear? It could be the clutch pedal or just the oil in the transmission? I don't hear any noises from transmission.

04 MT
37000 miles.

My car had the same issue..i adjusted the clutch pedal and it went away.. a buddy of mine has the same issues.. i adjusted the clutch pedal and it went away. =]

Dont know if this is a repost.. but just thought i share :)

So changed All the oil in the car last night.. finally got rid of the nasty grind downshifting into second.. it goes in nice and smooth now.. :)

scratch that, had a question but answered it...

Hi everyone from Paris, France,

I have a question : since few month, i hear a noise coming from the transmission (gearbox, lsd or whatever ?).

the noise is ONLY heard when i stop accelerating the car, even if i have a gear engaged, or at no gear, or at pushing clutch pedal, it make the noise anyway.

like a sort "wooooooo" noise.

whenever i accelerate again the noise dissapears.

i was thinking of the LSD since i do track days and sometime i "shift lock" when i brake and downshift because i'm not good enough at braking and giving a little throttle at each downshift (how do you call that in english ?).

any thougts of people having to change their LSD or something else after too much track agressive driving ?

thanks alot and sorry for my bad technical english.

Tsar,

Sounds like you need to change your fluid, the other term your looking for is "heel/toe" technique. Its in the initial D series cartoons.

Good Luck.

P.S. Your english is better then most americans in high school.

I have changed the fluid just last year : Motul Gear 300V .

I brought my car to my mazda dealer so first thing they will do is indeed change fluid and see if there is any metal little stuff in the old one.

Too bad for me i didn't order the Motul fluid so they will put me the OEM Mazda oil.

I'll keep you informed what they might have found.

(thanks for the heel/toe technique ;) , i almost know how to do it but i'm so agressive on track i don't lose a single second learning it properly :lol:.

I think I have a problem with the throw out bearing. The sound occurs when I have the clutch disengaged and it in gear or in neutral. When the clutch is engaged there is no sound. Im not sure how to describe the sound, but I believe its unwanted. My car is an 04 6spd with 39k miles. Build date 9/03 Has anyone had throw out bearing problems?

it sounds like pilot bearing.just replace that and that will be it oh and also pilot bering seal pilot bering part #11-D030-N326
pilot bering seal part#11-404A-1881
total will cast about 12$ for parts and good shop should charge you about 200$ labor.
and if it get,s bad then you will need to by new clutch. so
that,s what i think

Ive got HighPerformance drivelines next session for class. Ill probably look at it then or just replace it.

Add me to the list. 5th gear grinds at 70MPH+, occasionally up-shift, but mainly downshift. It does limit the fun factor a bit but I am living with it. But we need more support!

ok so today i lay under my car and i saw that my transmission is leaking... the leak is on the back of the transmission end beyond the shifter hole and transmission mount. somebody had/have this kind of leak? how to fix it?

it's probably the rear tailshaft seal where the driveshaft yoke goes into it

pretty easy fix for someone with the skills and tools, based on your question I'd say this isn't you (no offense)

it's probably the rear tailshaft seal where the driveshaft yoke goes into it

pretty easy fix for someone with the skills and tools, based on your question I'd say this isn't you (no offense)

thanks for the answer. i really appreciate it.
Yes you are right, I'm not the skilled mechanic.
So a mechanic should drop the transmission to change the seal?


Edit: I found in the workshop manual how to do that.one more time thanks for help,

Good thing you found the manual, you can see you do not need to drop the tranny to do this!

one more question. where i can buy the seal?
i found something on the racing beat site "Transmission Front Seal and Rear Seal Kit" http://www.racingbeat.com/FRmazda4.htm
this is the seal what i have to replace?

I had started the thread looking for answers to difficulties going from 1st to 2nd while at high revs and i think we've found the explanation: anyone having this problem, check your motor mounts, it shifted fine when not accelerating but held at 7k revs, but motor and tranny aren't lined up correctly for smooth shift acclerating when motor mount is loose or broken. broken mount could cause other problems over time, check them carefully!

Hey guys. I thought yall might get a kick out of my message to Mazda.

----------------------------



Dear Mazda,

I appreciate the new 2010 engine I have received in my 04' Rx8 due to the recall. I am extremely great full but I have a major problem with my shifting. For the last two years my 2nd gear has been fucking me in the ass. Now my 6th gear and reverse gear will not engage. I do not race my car, and there are absolutely no modifications on it. I'm just saying, it's kind of hard to do 'any thing' when I can't even reverse. I used to be able to get the Revs just right to shift into 2nd but I have given that up entirely and shift directly from 1st to 3rd. I have tried transmission flushes and ect. The problem started around 20,000 miles.

In conclusion, I think my complaint should warrant a new transmission or at bare minimum refund half of the cost because you sold me only 3 Fucking gears out of the 7 modes that actually work.

Eternally your Customer,
Jacob Lemons :-)



PS: Bring back the Rx7 with more HP.

So I've read a lot of the threads posted here, I can relate to a lot of them. But, I
am still convinced, that my car has a different problem(s).



When I brought it in, I also mentioned that I had been noticing a problem, with my clutch.

Problems:
1) When I step on the accelerator hard, the clutch pedal goes to the floor (by it's self) for example, when merging on to the freeway on third gear.
2)When I shift from 1st to 2nd, past 3500rpm. It grinds and the gear wont go in until I release clutch and try 2 or 3 times.
3)Loud whistle like noise from transmission, when I press clutch it stops.
4)Inside cabin, driverside gets really hot where my right leg leans.
5)This is the worst! This one I cannot live with.
- When the car is driven for more than 10 minutes sometimes less than 2 miles.
The gears, will not go in. It seems as if the clutch becomes useless, even when I press the pedal down, the gears will not go in. (none of them, especially R) It's really frustrating, especially at red lights, hills, traffic... (you get the point)
If I force it in, it grinds.
Today, something different happened.
I was a drive thru, had the car in first gear and when I tried to take it out to put it in neutral, it wouldn't come out! Out of curiosity, I rev up the car to about 3k rpm, guess what!? The clutch engaged (by its self), and the car took off! even when I was holding the clutch pedal to the floor!

So, I am asking if anyone has any suggestions, or past experiences, and how they were solved. Advice as to what I should do.

Last time dealer "checked it" the invoice said: "Customer states a problem with clutch. Road tested, clutch seems fine. Quick engagement."

Also, if you know of another Mazda dealer, who has a better staff / service in bay area let me know ( I don't mind driving a little)

I hope u have had it fixed, if not, check the clutch pedal bracket!!

Be sure to check out the May issue of Road and track, in cars of the future... in 2012, Mazda is bringing back the RX7, with 16x renesis, set to go on current Miata platform, so will be small, light, hopefully for same$$range as RX8. The concept artwork is lovely, but ideally they should make the RX8 a true 2 door, 2seat, and put the 16x in that, update the body a bit.. meanwhile, good luck getting your issues taken care of;have your motor mounts checked, could be part of your problem. ;)04blue beauty

I changed a new clutch, a replacement made by exety which is supposed to fit as the original from mazda which is also made b exety. I don't get it why sometimes goes easily into gear, sometime doesn't go at all unless I stop the engine. It is very annyoing. When i'm driving the gears change. When I want to put it into 1st gear it doesn't go all the time, and also same problem with reverse. Might be the syncronizer or flywheel? or just the clutch is not fitting properly? or maybe even worst, the Gear box has problems? thanks in advance for helping me with this

alright so i noticed my car started making a whindy noise inside the cabin anytime i'm driving or idling its almost like a whistling sound its really fucking annoying i asked a few memebers what they thought it could be and they think its the throw out bearing what do you guys think?

It sounds like the synchro, there is usually alot of fine tuning when it comes to aftermarket parts. The flywheel/clutch assembly may not be meshing the way it needs to with the new tranny. Good luck.

It sounds like the synchro, there is usually alot of fine tuning when it comes to aftermarket parts. The flywheel/clutch assembly may not be meshing the way it needs to with the new tranny. Good luck.

Thanks a lot :) I thought it might be the synchro, I went for a check to mazda as yesterday it failed to start , so I thought it was the starter as I pushed it and the engine was moving, I forced started it to be able to go to the garage, and the checked, seems that my old mechanic was putting the wrong oil which caused the car to overheat ( Thanks to him...) got lucky that i went only 2 k with that oil and the engine did not messed up as it was fully synthetic oil, which is not recomended by mazda. Anyway they discovered now that there is a damage on the flywheel, and that's why I can't start the car, so maybe that's why doesn't go into gears, I must wait 2 weeks with out my 'love' and I'll have to see, I'll let you know, what will happen (if you care =) )

Hey Guys,

I have an '04 manual that makes a mild grinding sound when the clutch is not depressed, the lower part of the shift stock gets rather warm after driving, and shifting from 3rd-4th over 4000rpm's always grinds into gear and is sometimes followed by a burning smell. I also know that there is a mild oil leak in the gearbox, but the fluid was just changed.

Any theories what might be going on?

Thank you!

Tai-Stik- When you press the clutch pedal in does the sound get worse or go away?
How does the engagement point feel? Is it close to the floor or about mid-way up the stroke?
Easiest way to know is press the clutch pedal in, put it in gear, and slowly lift up the pedal and try to gauge when the clutch is engaging (you can hear the slower groaning sound just before the car starts to move).

And you mentioned a mild oil leak... is this from seeing fluid under the car?
When you replaced the fluid did you buy a new crush seal/washer?
I've reused mine a few times without issues, but maybe your seal is bad or the drain plug isn't tightened.

Hello people,

i was telling you about a noise last time at the rear of my car,

well it is the LSD which is almost dead, because of too much track days with no heel/toe help when i was braking.

i do it now since a year, but i guess damage was done already before.

i will try to put a R3 lsd which is 4.77 instead of 4.44, if too expensive here in france i will go OEM for my 2005 Sp model.

here is the noise :

TwaRGjGsFXs

Tai-Stik- When you press the clutch pedal in does the sound get worse or go away?
How does the engagement point feel? Is it close to the floor or about mid-way up the stroke?
Easiest way to know is press the clutch pedal in, put it in gear, and slowly lift up the pedal and try to gauge when the clutch is engaging (you can hear the slower groaning sound just before the car starts to move).

And you mentioned a mild oil leak... is this from seeing fluid under the car?
When you replaced the fluid did you buy a new crush seal/washer?
I've reused mine a few times without issues, but maybe your seal is bad or the drain plug isn't tightened.

Yes, the sound goes away when you depress the clutch. The clutch engages midway, about 45% up from the depressed position. I just purchased the car, and the dealership's pre-purchase inspection revealed a small leak from a seal between the transmission and LSD. I'm not sure if the crush seal or washer was replaced when the tranny oil was changed. I'm beginning to wonder if 4th gear is munched, as it grinds if I shift into 4th as quickly as I do other gears, especially from higher revs. Any thoughts?

Thanks!

raevN1, I'm glad your mechanic at Mazda caught the use of synthetic before the damage got worse! Yes, i care, please let me know how things turn out.

raevN1, I'm glad your mechanic at Mazda caught the use of synthetic before the damage got worse! Yes, i care, please let me know how things turn out.

Hi. :) they changed the oil , the air filter, oil filter. Seems that the engine is ok, no damage was made (thank God) . It wasn't starting, so they checked the starter, it was ok. The problem was the flywheel, so it will be replaced sometime today or tomorrow, I waited 1 week to bring it from Belgium :| . But as you know, one problem never comes alone, they said I might need a new clutch, even though I changed it 1 month ago. It wasn't original, it was a aftermarket brand, replacement made also by Exedy, as the original one. I did had hard shifting and sometimes not goin into gear, as mentioned in my other posts. I hope that it would be somethig else, because here in Cyprus the parts are too expensive. Usually I buy from Ebay parts, but they won't accept this . Anyway, I will wait till everything has been replaced, and I hope that my rx8 will run smoothly as it should.

raevN1, I'm glad your mechanic at Mazda caught the use of synthetic before the damage got worse! Yes, i care, please let me know how things turn out.

Hehehey , guess who's back on track ;) -------> ME
I fixed my rx8 yesterday, apparently the aftermarket brand clutch was not good, probably the presure plate, as it caused the flywheel to fall off from it's place. New flywheel, new clutch, oil change, air filter, oil filter, 1325 euro:rock: . It's working smoothly babyyyyyyyyyyyyy. i`m so happy :-) but unfortunately the check engine light is still not good, it's a bad senzor, but i can't change it now :( anyway cheers and drink as I will drink tonight ! :beer05::beer05::beer05::beer05::beer05::beer05::b eer05::beer05::beer05::beer05::beer05::beer05:

every time when i switch 1st to 2nd, 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th gear on high rpm it's scratching
i gotta step in the clutch and hold for one or two seconds then the rpm fall a little bit and i can shift without any scratching
does anyone could point me to the right direction so i won't have to remove my tranny and ask to someone take it apart to find the problem if sometimes i wouldn't need to
one friend told me that could just be the shifter but i don't know about that
thanks guys

hey, raevN1, I know you're happy now! congratulations, have fun and enjoy!:yesnod:

every time when i switch 1st to 2nd, 3rd to 4th and 4th to 5th gear on high rpm it's scratching
i gotta step in the clutch and hold for one or two seconds then the rpm fall a little bit and i can shift without any scratching
does anyone could point me to the right direction so i won't have to remove my tranny and ask to someone take it apart to find the problem if sometimes i wouldn't need to
one friend told me that could just be the shifter but i don't know about that
thanks guys

If by "scratching" you mean grinding, then it soulds like your synchros are going. Nto going to be cheap or easy, and you will have to pull the transmission. Sorry for the bad news.

i changed the oil in my tranny about a month ago and i add royal purple to it, so i was talking with a friend today about the grinding and he told me that could be the royal purple the reason, he told me that he already saw lot 8's that had royal purple on the tranny and after that they've been grinding
i will change my oil in the coming week and see how the tranny reacts

I had problems with second gear, but the most help so far was from installing the Mazdaspeed Stainless Steel Clutch line. It seems that the old rubber line was swelling under pressure and not fully releasing the clutch when shiting out of 1st and into 2nd. Now, the whole operation of the clutch feels and sounds better, but I am still concerned as is everyone else.

That the next thing I'll try (Stainless Steel Clutch line), mine was in today for 2nd gear, but as usually dealer say there's nothing wrong. The worst part of this is, until it really breaks they will not deal with it.

i changed the oil in my tranny about a month ago and i add royal purple to it, so i was talking with a friend today about the grinding and he told me that could be the royal purple the reason, he told me that he already saw lot 8's that had royal purple on the tranny and after that they've been grinding
i will change my oil in the coming week and see how the tranny reacts
Just got RP out of mine and no more 3rd to4th grind screw RP dirty basterds

had the 2nd gear replaced in my 06 shinka 6mnths ago under warranty.
2nd gear now with 8000 miles on it has gone out again , dealer attributes
it to abuse and said they will not cover it under warranty.

reading the posts in here , seems to me that we should collectively
file a class action suit. i was told the same thing about my 06 rx8
abuse, aftermarket parts . mazda needs to held responsible for these
defects.

Whelp I may be going backwards contrast to those who love using Redline MT90 as after I replaced stock tranny oil with new Redline MT90 (NS) GL4 oil and this weekend driving it on a 500 mile combined trip to NY and back I get grinding from 3rd to 4th if upshifting anywhere from 7k rpms and higher. Checked this out multiple times testing at what rpms the grind occurred and making sure clutch was pressed fully.

I find it hard to believe it's a synchro or a fork gone bad with no issue whatsoever in relation to grinding until I switched to MT90. After extensive research I've come across a few who've had the same issue using MT90; anyone else have similar problems and if so what oil worked in place?

My car has teh same issues with Redline MT90, Grinding going into second from first, and downshifting into second.
Changed fluid to Lucas Synthetic 75w90 but while changing fluid i found a steel ball on the drain magnet. Going into second grinds half as loud now. but for now we're staying out of second completely until we have enough $ to fix it.

Well Redline Heavy Shockproof 75w250 may be your hope and savior to lengthen the life of the trans. or rather, delay when it decides to go boom from what I've read. Placing in 75w140 later tonight before a test run. I'll report how it turns out. Although I don't suspect my trans. to be going since I had no issue until the MT-90, going to keep trying heavier or different oils if I have to until it gets back to normal running condition.

i've just developed the 2nd->3rd grind. My 2nd gear syncro is already damaged after 8k mi on reman. It was my clutch pedal being soft under heavy load the f'ed me.

I'm about to order some Redline Heavy Shockproof 75w250 now. hopefully i can get by until i can afford a trans rebuild.

Just going to post here what I did in the other transmission going thread. I went from stock fluids to MT-90 and had grinding issues from 3rd-4th. I tried heavier the next week at 75w-140 and same problem along with grinding from 2nd-4th. So seeing I had no transmission problems until I switched to new fluids, I tried going lighter to MTL (70w-80) the week after running the 140, problem solved and grinding eliminated.

My theory is from extensive reading that I think the MT-90 is slightly thicker than stock fluid. IF you have no grinding issue when switching to a new fluid I would get the MTL if you're gonna get redline. If you are having grinding issues before switching fluids and the transmission is wearing, then try thicker starting at MT-90 in hopes to prolong its life before failure. That's just based on my experience of course, yours may differ.

Been running straight GL4 140 for about 4 months now and made a couple of big trips my problem has been solved for now :fingersx:

I also feel that some synthetic brands are to slick and messing with the syncronizer's

Hi all,

I just bought a 2004 RX-8, and given that it has been in Japan (and still is), it is in remarkable condition. I do get the impression that the dealer did not know so much about car maintenance, so I fear some things may not be properly adjusted and I may be wearing out parts sooner due to this. I want to try and take the car to some tracks nearby, so I need to know if it is in good condition. I worry about one thing in particular, and I was wondering whether people here have experience with that.

Whenever going from neutral into 1st, a slight bump is felt, as if the clutch was not fully engaged. Shifting gear is also rather heavy from 1-2. Additionally, sometimes when f.ex. reversing, an odd smell emerges from the vents. Difficult to diagnose based on these meagre observations, I know, but perhaps someone has some input.

Also I noticed some have replaced their clutchcable with a Mazdaspeed/stainless one. Where can I get this component? Is there an online store or do I ask a dealer or mechanic?

B.

You have actually purchased one of the rarest cars in the USA, believe it or not. Go to a dealer with it, don't trust a reg. mechanic, RX8s are something most of them will never have seen. If you wish to race and/or autocross, make sure your suspension is healthy as well as your brakes. DO NOT use any syntnetic fluids in your car, they are not good for the Rotary, many probelms have been caused by use of stuff like Royal Purple. mazda has it's own aftermarket parts, Mazdaspeed can be found on the Mazdausa website. there you will find the clutch cable you mentioned. Depending on the # of miles on your beastie, have belts and hoses checked, too. Good luck, let me know how things turn out.

You have actually purchased one of the rarest cars in the USA, believe it or not. Go to a dealer with it, don't trust a reg. mechanic, RX8s are something most of them will never have seen. If you wish to race and/or autocross, make sure your suspension is healthy as well as your brakes. DO NOT use any syntnetic fluids in your car, they are not good for the Rotary, many probelms have been caused by use of stuff like Royal Purple. mazda has it's own aftermarket parts, Mazdaspeed can be found on the Mazdausa website. there you will find the clutch cable you mentioned. Depending on the # of miles on your beastie, have belts and hoses checked, too. Good luck, let me know how things turn out.

I have read nothing no where anything to suggest that all synthetics are bad.

There may be a formulation or additive of a few brands that are showing problems, but to blanket all synthetics as bad with absolutely no scientific evidence is just not right. Its down right dishonest.

RP may be causing problems in the trans, but it is fantastic for the engine. To say that many problems have been caused in the rotary from the use of products like RP is a flat out fabrication.

To be more blunt, its bullshit.

Why have the rotary running smooth with royal purple if raises havoc with the tranny? You can't have the fun desired if one or the other isn't performing up to snuff, so I still maintain it is much better for all involved to stick to the real stuff, no synthetic! 'Nuff said.

Whelp I may be going backwards contrast to those who love using Redline MT90 as after I replaced stock tranny oil with new Redline MT90 (NS) GL4 oil and this weekend driving it on a 500 mile combined trip to NY and back I get grinding from 3rd to 4th if upshifting anywhere from 7k rpms and higher. Checked this out multiple times testing at what rpms the grind occurred and making sure clutch was pressed fully.

I find it hard to believe it's a synchro or a fork gone bad with no issue whatsoever in relation to grinding until I switched to MT90. After extensive research I've come across a few who've had the same issue using MT90; anyone else have similar problems and if so what oil worked in place?

i havent read past ur post yet but i have been having the same issue.... i had to get a new clutch becuse my other was slipping pretty bad... when i got this done i added royal purple to the trans..... it was good for the week i wasnt hitting it hard then i got use to the clutch and started taking it high on the rpms and i grind usally only when i go past 6 to 6.5k rpms mainly 3 and 4... sometimes also 5 and 6th very annoying.. is the change of oil to blame? i dont wanna drop the tranny again.:dunno:

i havent read past ur post yet but i have been having the same issue.... i had to get a new clutch becuse my other was slipping pretty bad... when i got this done i added royal purple to the trans..... it was good for the week i wasnt hitting it hard then i got use to the clutch and started taking it high on the rpms and i grind usally only when i go past 6 to 6.5k rpms mainly 3 and 4... sometimes also 5 and 6th very annoying.. is the change of oil to blame? i dont wanna drop the tranny again.:dunno:

Your scenario is a bit different than mine. In my case I had absolutely no issue with the transmission, until I tried MT90. After putting in the new MT90 at 30k miles, I got grinding from 3rd-4th and only those gears, when at 6k+ rpms. After reading how people with grinding went to 75w-140, I tried that..it was even worst. I resorted back to the drawing board and after some thinking, believed that the thicker oil was for those who have worn gears/synchros and found through extensive search that the transmission oil is really closer to Castrol 75w-85 (yes I'm aware of the manual stating 75w-90). I resorted to using Redline MTL (70w-80) after reading about the Castrol and problem solved.

In my case the transmission never had issue, it was solely the switching of the oil that created the problem until a suitable selection was used. In other words I only had one factor in the problem, the oil selection, where your scenario involves a different clutch because the old one was slipping and so forth. Using the same line of thinking that helped me resolve my problem I think yours is the opposite contrast to mine. If your clutch was slipping likely you've worn some of those gears/synchros out more. In other words, I believe going to a thicker oil may be needed for your scenario. The real question is the oil in your transmission the same one from factory never changed? If so, I would propose willing to spend around $60-80 to fix the problem simply by trying new oil. I would start with MT-90 and see if that helps after 2 days on it. If not, then get 75w-140 and try it.

At least that's where my line of thinking goes based on my experience. I hope it helps reduce if not remove the grinding for you, good luck.

nevermind figured it out

I am going to advocate for Redline MT-90 as in my case it did wonders. When I first got the car @ 104.5k miles, I used to grind 5th up shifting and down shifting. But since switching over to MT-90, the upshift grind is gone and downshift is much less problematic, although still present. The fact that the fluid did so much was a really a boon. I had the fluid changed right away when I got the car and the mechanic said there wasn't any pieces of transmission or anything that came out either.

-Chris

Sorry for the late reply.

Well, I am not in America, I am living in Japan. No access to the US mazdaspeed suppliers, therefore. I will ask (with my limited Japanese) a local car mechanic whether he can order parts for me.

Also, maybe it is because of a high level of engineers and scientists here, but there are two RX-8s on our home carpark and one RX-7. I know of at least three other RX-8's at work.. Turns out they are still quite popular here.

If only I could figure out if they have track days on the local cirquit...

p.s. Bought a Scangauge II, which reports no errors, so I am less worried now about clutches and the likes. I did try to test the tightness of the wheelnuts, though, which turned out to be so tight I cannot release them with the supplied wrench..

Mine has grinded going into second a little bit ever since I owned it. Now, it is horrible and wont go in above 6500 RPM. It has gotten progressively worse ever since I put my new clutch in.

I did ACT 6 puck and ACT prolite, afe short shifter, and synchro saver all at the same time. Did one of these cause it? Or could it be the fluid they put back in?

Also, I took the shift boot off and exposed the shifter so I could make sure the synchro saver wasnt just keeping me from going into second and noticed that the whole transmission shakes like crazy going down the road. I mean A LOT from side to side.

Is this normal or a bad motor/tranny mount? And could this have something to do with my problem that is ONLY in second?

ok so i just bought an 09 rx8 a little over a month ago and im starting to think it was a very stupid idea. i got the car for 23000 with 16000 mils from the mazda dealer with a warren. only thing is after having the car only 48hrs!!! it starts to grind realy bad shifting into 5th.. so i take it in they replace the scro in 5th gear and 6th? wtf? 6th? then i have surgery on my ankle which puts me on my ass for 2 weeks.. i finally get behind the wheele 2 weeks ago and instanly feel a difference in A. the shifting B. it starts to pop out of 3rd and 4th gears and C. the acceleration SUCKS! oh.. and does anyone know why an accidental drift would cause the check engin light to come on and read crank shaft sensor. i didnt hit anything just lost complete comtrol did a 360 then stalled out.. that was this morning on the way to the fucken dealer ship. i had advanced auto reset it before i got there. will this code pop up again or was that a one time thing due to the lose of traction?

SEANMAC777: I would have all mounts checked, sounds like somethings eith er loose or missing. Is more pronounced in lower gears 'cause we're usually accelerating quickly when shifting, so tranny & motor aren't aligned, causing shift iisues. In higher gears, load on motor isn't as extreme, so no shift issues. hope this helps.

joejoethedog: I'm afraid you either got a very badly abused beastie or a very rare lemon. Did your dealer have access to CARFAX? That would tell you the car's history. Take advantage of your warranty such as it may be, and get it in working order, or get your $$ back and find a healthier one. sorry for your bad experience.

I been having an issue with my auto tran! Sone times I'll put it in park and the "AT" light comes on then I'll try and put it in reverse and the car jerks forward and back REALLY hard then when I get it to drive the 0 in the rpm spot does not come on it stays blank then if I give it gas it run really sluggish

I have to turn the car off and turn it back on and everything clears up Its happen 3 times already not sure what's wrong

05 auto 42,00 miles

Here's my dealeo.

changed trans fluid at 30K. Spent the next 15K miles getting the funky sulfur stink out of the car. Ended up with LubroMoly 75W-90 - smells fine. I noticed a grind 2 to 3 at high RPM shifts (>7k), even with carefully ensuring that the clutch is all the way down. It's gotten worse and so I need to depress clutch, wait for rpms to come down, shift, release clutch. Synchros gone bad?

Thanks

Anyone try Amsoil MTF for the car?

I haven't had any problems with 2nd gear, but I've temporarily lost 6th gear on two separate occasions. A couple of months ago, I could not shift into 6th gear without grinding, no matter what I did. Last week, I completely lost 6th gear, meaning the tranny simply wouldn't shift into 6th. It was the strangest thing... after 20 minutes of driving, the tranny returned to normal. I did a bit of searching and it seems at least a handful of people have experienced this same problem. I'll be sure to make the service techs aware of this next time I bring my car to the dealer. I want Mazda to have a record of the problem in case of any future warranty disputes.

Hi guys, I dont come here very often, too busy usually and you guys are so far ahead of me in techy stuff I feel a bit intimidated. However, last week when I drove my RX8 (its a 2003 model) I was surprised to see it didnt go into 6th gear - its as if 6th gear just doesnt exist. It wont go in no matter what I do (obviously I dont try to force it), at speed, at rest, engine on, engine off, warm or cool. Just wont go. Other gears are fine. But really annoying when i try to cruise at 110KPH on the highway (the speed limit in Oz), as it will keep itself there but at about 4200 revs. Kinda annoying. Car is due in to Mazda HQ in Sydney next week - their reply "we have never heard of this happening before"
Other gears are fine.
Hmmm.......... your opinions would be truly appreciated

My '04 transmission finally died this past weekend. 37k miles. Will shift into every gear when the car is stopped, but won't shift into 3rd or 4th when rolling. When driving in 1st now has an occasional clunk while motoring along. Has been grinding gears when shifting into 3rd and 4th for about 18 months. No fancy oil, light modifications to car (CAI, exhaust, lightened flywheel), no FI. AFE short shifter and clutch-bracket reinforcement. Clutch seems to work fine.

Some HPDE track days, but no clutch-dump-starts. Heel-toe downshifts always at HDPEs.

I haven't pulled the tranny yet, I'm guessing I balled up the synchros in 3rd or 4th, and have bent the 3-4 shift fork.

Anybody know whether the "extended" warranty Mazda gave us early owners covers the tranny, or only the engine? I'm guessing this one is on my dime.

Thoughts on rebuilding vs. buying new? Is this just going to happen again in a couple of years? Anyone know a shop to trust a rebuild to in SE Michigan?

I think we have enough data here to prove the transmission in many of these cars are defective. Any motivated volunteers to start a shared google doc which we can use escalate to a vehicle recall? I think it's about time.

dangg, so many transmission issues. I'm sure that Mazda should cover it under warranty if it's a manufacture design problem right?

Hey fellas, I'm a new owner of an '04 8, I absolutely adore the car. However I've noticed a bit of an issue with shifting. When I attempt to go to 1 2 or 3rd it gives me resistance and whines a little bit as I push through it into gear, this is only while rolling of driving, when stopped the gears shift with no issue. It is not hard to push it into gear and once it's in gear it drives perfectly fine. Also sometimes 4th gear will grind a bit if I attempt to shift into it with the rpm's high. All of these problems happened within a short span of a few days. Any thoughts on my issue? My dealer has given me a 30 day warranty, I'd like to know if I need something replaced or if I'm just low on tranny fluid or something trivial such as that.

4idarmy- Welcome to the club.
1st... you might want to change out the tranny fluid since you may not know when it was last swapped.
Redline MT-90 is a popular one to use.

2nd... the "whining" sound you hear are the synchos spinning-up as you go into gear.
Its perfectly normal and more noticeable if you have a short shifter.
This would also explain why you don't hear it while the car is stationary.

When I attempt to go to 1 2 or 3rd it gives me resistance and whines a little bit as I push through it into gear, this is only while rolling of driving, when stopped the gears shift with no issue. It is not hard to push it into gear and once it's in gear it drives perfectly fine. Also sometimes 4th gear will grind a bit if I attempt to shift into it with the rpm's high.

This is the same problem I had before my transmission died. It started about 18 months before the tranny died, and became progressively worse. The grinding going into fourth is because the synchro is worn and cannot speed 4th gear up before you push the shifter home. Eventually it becomes so hard to shift that you bend one of the shift forks.

It sounds like your case is in a relatively early stage. As a previous posted suggested, changing tranny fluid might help. Make sure you are pushing the clutch all the way down when shifting and are not just partially disengaging it. Driving style apparently has a lot to do with how quickly the disease progresses. Shifting at high RPMs and moving quickly between gears (such as might happen when autocrossing, drag racing or at HPDEs) is harder on the synchros (as they have to do their work faster) and speeds up the degradation. Most likely the existing damage was done by the previous owner and not you.

Good luck getting the dealer to do anything about it. I'm not trying to be sarcastic, but they are unlikely to want to fix anything that isn't obviously broken. You may drive your car for 10 years before your transmission eventually fails, or you may drive it for 6 months before it does.

The RX-8 is a wonderful car. I'm sorry you are having this problem and hope it is something simple like a fluid change.

Hi Tai Stik and everyone. I do agree that there are too many posts concerning transmission issues with the RX8. I cannot believe we are all such crap drivers that we are the cause of these problems. I have been driving for 50 years and learned to drive on geared cars, preferring to drive them in fact. I have a driving record without blemish - touch wood no driver errors have caused me to have accidents etc. Not one speeding fine ever.
after my post about the car suddenly being found not to go into 6th gear I took it to the Mazda dealership in sydney - where it has always had maintenance etc - so have not had it to anything other than Mazda for its prescribed health checks. I have addressed these on a time-basis, not mileage, as I havent driven it far enough to do this. It iS a lovely car, no doubt about that, a joy to drive, but I am really disappointed in Mazda for allowing this to continue. It just cost me over $5000 to have a whole lot of work done on it in order to get it back into driving condition again. I had to have the entire gear box removed, with all synchroniser on all gears replaced, all needle roller bearings, thrust washers, clutch assembly replaced, new gear box oil, hub, clutch costs on invoice, and a bunch of other little things I am not sure about. It was seen that 6th gear was stuck on the shaft - they had to heat it up to get it off. They asked whether we had ever driven it to get it really hot - absolutely NOT. I also know well how to change gears with sensitivity and of course without crunching but do notice that, as its due date for next service comes up, that the gears do get a bit "harder" feeling - ie not the lovely soft slippery feel you get from unworn synchro.
All I can say is that i am really sad because the car has given me so much joy - I dont drive it much around the city as I dont like the traffic jams we have here (Sydney Australia) and believe I have given it a really good life. My son also drives it - he is harder on it than I am but I dont see that he is fiercely tough on it, he gets the revs up higher but I have never seen him crunch gears when I have been in teh car when he is driving. it should cope with this in any case, it is a CAR after all, designed for some small variation in driver preferences, surely.
really sad anyhow, :(
cos I still love the car. Going to take it out for a nice drive up to the mountains tomorrow, it loves that trip! Will see how it feels now.

Adjust the clutch pedal it helped me on the tranny I put in, it wouldn't go into reverse unless I had a push going reverse n hard to put in first adjusted the pedal n it goes in now. Do you know if you need clutch?

Could the latest recall SSP82 perhaps resolve shift issues?

"On certain 2004-2009 RX-8 vehicles, it is possible that the clutch pedal bracket may have a crack, causing an abnormal noise. lf the clutch pedal continues to be operated with this condition, the clutch pedal bracket may break, changing the disengagement point of the clutch and possibly preventing the shifting of gears. lf your RX-8 experiences this symptom, please make an appointment with a Mazda dealer to have the vehicle inspected. lf the clutch aM/or shifting problem is due to the broken clutch pedal bracket, your dealer will replace the clutch pedal assembly free of charge, during the terms of this warranty extension program"

Not sure what to call this so it's hard to search for on the forums...

I don't think I have any grinding problems other than the common 1st into 2nd sticking when the transmission is cold (I also knock, not grind, but knock into 3rd gear sometimes when it's cold, but that could just be my shifting)

The problem seems to be when I'm in 4th or 6th gear, but mainly 6th, on the highway, I can hear a grinding sound, sort of like when your brake pads are finished and the metal on metal grinding you hear when the wheels are spinning (or like if I took a piece of metal and dragged it on the ground when the car is moving).

My friend asked if 2nd, 4th, and 6th were on an independent shaft and that it could be the bearing for said shaft... Dunno really what he meant by that.

Anyone else know what it could be?

So my problems are:
-1st into 2nd when it's cold takes some force to get it in (doesn't grind unless I force it in the wrong way)
-2nd into 3rd makes a knock sound when it goes into gear but that may just be me being to forceful on the shifter
-I wouldn't say going into 5th and 6th is like butter, but there definitely is no sounds when I go into those gears
-All in all, I don't hear any sounds going into and gears, only a grinding sound when I'm already in 4th or 6th gear and driving

For your knowledge, I put in Redline MT-90 at the start of this season (April) and plan on flushing and doing so again next Spring, and I'm running a short shifter so noise levels are little higher from the center console.

Thanks in advance!

Hey ,

From my experience it's more probably the bearing, or the presure plate.
I had a similar issue after i burned my clutch, i've put an aftermarket one, which the pressure plate was not fitting properly, and damaged my flywheel etc.
You should have a look at the bearing, if it's the bearing, i don't believe it's worthit to change just the bearing, my advise is to change the full clutch kit, so you won't pay the labour twice :}

OR ! It might be the syncro :} which here in Cyprus costs sh*t load of money. if it's over 1,500 the syncros, just get a 2nd hand gear box :-/

my transmission is having a problem with shifting. as i'm driving the car will catch gear and release i guess and then not accelorate it can hear the engine reving up but the car is acting as like if it were in neutral... any tips/ideas to what i can do?

I have read through this entire thread (mind you it took a couple of hours), and I just can't believe all the tranny problems other people have... with that in mind, I'm a little relieved but also very enraged that a problem of this magnitude hasn't really been fully addressed by mazda. Thankfully I've had a very good Mazda service rep that actually tries to help out and relieve alot of costs on me.

When my 8 is at operating temp, I can't shift from 1 to 2nd gear above 5k rpm due to grinding and resistance. I've done testing to where I try to force the shifter into 2nd gear at 6k rpm and as the RPM's start to come down past 5k rpm, the shifter will then allow me to put the car in 2nd gear. I have also shifted slowly and paid attention to pushing the clutch all the way down. I realize that there are posts about grinding of 2nd gear but only when it's cold. This is happening when I'm at operating temp and been trying for hours. I am also unable to downshift to 2nd gear from 3rd or from 4th until my speed comes down to around 30mph (tested). This makes me believe it's an issue with 2nd gear alone. I've recently had my clutch, input shaft, and throwout bearings replaced. This repair was done because the pin had exploded and apparently there was some melted metal also taken out no doubt from the bearings. I've read that it might be either the synchos or motor mount out of alignment but I'm not sure what the motor mount is? Is it the component that mounts the transmission to the flywheel? The Mazda rep said the something about the transmission input shaft was off alignment by 0.002. but there's no mazda spec on it. so he said it was fine.

I'll be updating the poll in the other thread but wanted to see if anyone had a solution for my problem. I'm driving my 8 as of right now with no problems due to the fact that I'm shifting from 1-2 under 5k rpm. Note: Shifting of any of the other gears I have no problems with. My manufacture date is 05/03 with about 105k mi. Also has a brand new engine that was installed recently. Any help would be appreciated. I'll post some more info in a couple of days when I take the car in.

I've just had the gearbox/synchro's fixed (2005 RX8), and in the 2003 Workshop Manual (the html one) it has this part when putting the shifter back together (specifically, the red outlined part about putting 290-320 ml of oil to near the top of the rod):

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0415/2003_Workshop_Manual.jpg (http://d.imagehost.org/view/0415/2003_Workshop_Manual)

But in the transmissions.pdf from http://isomerica.net/~fluffy/Ren/RX8%20FSM/ (http://isomerica.net/%7Efluffy/Ren/RX8%20FSM/) it doesn't make any mention of that part, only applying the grease:

http://d.imagehost.org/t/0240/Service_Manual.jpg (http://d.imagehost.org/view/0240/Service_Manual)

Anyone know which is 'correct'?

I've just had the gearbox/synchro's fixed


*synchros—no apostrophe needed; not possessive nor a contraction.

Yeah, anyway, it looks the one was for the 5 speed (former) and one was for the 6 speed (later).

My 2004, 6-speed, RX8, with 79,000 miles has flooded - again. No problem, Mazda towed it for free and cleaned it up for free.

I "mentioned" that the 2nd and 3rd gears were sticking, they "mentioned" that I need to either rebuild the 2nd & 3rd syncros/gears and replace the clutch, OR replace the transmission and the clutch.

I'm so demoralized. I have only 80k on the car, I baby it, I drive fast from time to time, but I'm not a beast with the clutch.

Does this sound right? I know nothing about this stuff. I'm highly technical! :crying:

Should I get a second opinion?

There goes Christmas. They are quoting $1,800 for the "rebuild" and they couldn't quote a replacement transmission - I assume they will need an accountant for that one.

Ugh! I'm so frustrated. I love this car. I just don't understand replacing/rebuilding the tranny after 6 years and 80k miles.

Any help, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.

My 2004, 6-speed, RX8, with 79,000 miles has flooded - again. No problem, Mazda towed it for free and cleaned it up for free.

I "mentioned" that the 2nd and 3rd gears were sticking, they "mentioned" that I need to either rebuild the 2nd & 3rd syncros/gears and replace the clutch, OR replace the transmission and the clutch.

I'm so demoralized. I have only 80k on the car, I baby it, I drive fast from time to time, but I'm not a beast with the clutch.

Does this sound right? I know nothing about this stuff. I'm highly technical! :crying:

Should I get a second opinion?

There goes Christmas. They are quoting $1,800 for the "rebuild" and they couldn't quote a replacement transmission - I assume they will need an accountant for that one.

Ugh! I'm so frustrated. I love this car. I just don't understand replacing/rebuilding the tranny after 6 years and 80k miles.

Any help, suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks all.

I was quoted $900-1000 by a non-Mazda shop to pull my transmission and take it apart to find what was broken/wrong. Parts needed to repair it were in addition to this. So your $1800 is not unreasonable (depending on the damage level) especially considering it is a dealership, but second opinions will always make you feel better (or at least you will not feel you were ripped off).

If you look around, used transmissions (not rebuilt) for the RX-8 are in the $1200-2000 range (plus shipping and installation), so you are probably better off getting your existing one rebuilt unless it is a total basket case.

Be glad yours lasted 80k miles. Mine only went 36k, though admittedly with some track time on it.

I have read on the gearbox oil change pages that changing the gearbox oil for Redline MT-90 may alleviate some gearbox problems w.r.t. synchros. I have not tried it yet myself, but I am gathering the tools and oil (not as easy in Japan as I understand fuck-all of the Japanese websites), and I hope my upshifting into second gear will be much improved.

Sometimes when I shift into second, I put light pressure on the gear lever, but must rev up before it "slots in". When the engine is warm, the problem seems to disappear. Also sometimes it has some "notchiness" feeling when shifting into gear. Still 2.5 years warranty left from the used car shop, so let's hope they also would rebuild the gearbox when it does show more reproducible problems.

I will let you guys know if the oil change alleviates this.

Well I picked up my car after it being in the shop for the better part of 3 weeks. They replaced a whole bunch of stuff that apparently needed fixed because my transmission is now silky smooth just like the day that I bought it. The service manager said that they found a minor imperfection with second gear along with some other things.

As of now, I don't even think that they know how or why my transmission was acting up but it's fixed for the time being. Looking over the list of items they replaced, I see they replaced 2nd gear, 2 synchronizer rings, clutch hub and sleeve, synchronizer spring, along with some other minor things.


This is really tiresome and I am tempted to send the entire thread to Mazda in Sydney as it cost me in excess ot $4000 to fix the gearbox etc etc.
As so many have said, Mazda has two messages:
"this has never happened before"
and
"we dont really know what caused it, you must have done something wrong (rough!!!!) with your own car."
Hey I am a woman, I dont race, I dont under or over stress the car, I take it in for the required services, I love the car too, attend to anything it needs. Give me a break!!!!

Someone have a complete teardown diagram of the transnmision? i need to know all of the reference of the internal parts of the tranny to ask price in my dealer.

Thanks

I just bought an '07 with 33k miles. I am having problems with reverse. It does not want to go into reverse and even after it does when I start backing up the clutch or tranny, not sure which, starts clicking. When shifting back into 1st from reverse there seems to be a pop and then no problems. I am not having any problems with any other gears.

Someone have a complete teardown diagram of the transnmision? i need to know all of the reference of the internal parts of the tranny to ask price in my dealer.

Thanks
I don't know where I got it from, but I have a parts diagram for the RX-8 at:

http://www.gerhardstein.net/rx8/04rx8.pdf

It's for a 2004 and is dated 2003, but should get you started. The PDF has bookmarks, so you can jump to the transmission section directly.

I just bought an '07 with 33k miles. I am having problems with reverse. It does not want to go into reverse and even after it does when I start backing up the clutch or tranny, not sure which, starts clicking. When shifting back into 1st from reverse there seems to be a pop and then no problems. I am not having any problems with any other gears.


That problem is most probably ur clutch or flywheel is worn out.... :Peace:

i have like 96k on my eight.. and just last night it started acting up it goes up to third gear it wont kick in the fourth gear and when i shift it in to fourth it feels forced then it just drops back down to third it just recently started doing this... does anyone have an idea of what the problem could be......

if u really wanna fix it buy a new engine and a new transmission :)
i bought myself a new car instead

^ What kind? Another RX8?

i bet ...

^ What kind? Another RX8?

audi a4

audi a4



NOOOooooo...

audi a4

i recently wrecked my A4 and picked up an RX8, how funny. My friend sold me his 2005 RX8 M/T with 30k miles, called MazdaUSA and got the warranty transferred over, so the motor is covered until Sept 2013 or 100,000 miles same with the trans and the clutch pedal (that was a curious one for me, never heard of a clutch pedal being covered).

i recently wrecked my A4 and picked up an RX8, how funny. My friend sold me his 2005 RX8 M/T with 30k miles, called MazdaUSA and got the warranty transferred over, so the motor is covered until Sept 2013 or 100,000 miles same with the trans and the clutch pedal (that was a curious one for me, never heard of a clutch pedal being covered).


good job!

good job!

thank you! I got it for a steal, it had some of the typical problems that i've already fixed like re-soldering the temperature knob. The clutch pedal squeaks so i'm gonna have the dealer fix it, and i need to have them flash the PCM and take a look at the motor mounts since the idle is rough. Also i think i might have a bad wheel bearing in the passenger rear but i can live with it for now.

Lately my car has been making a slight grinding noise while in reverse and when I let off the gas pedal in any gear. It also slightly grinds while letting out the clutch from 1st to 2nd gear. I took it into get it checked out and they looked at the clutch and said its in great shape so they think its the transmission. They are tearing the transmission apart today to see if they can find the problem.. My car is a MT 2004 with 53,000 miles. Unbelievable that the transmission is going bad already.

New tranny oil seems to have helped a lot. My car used to grind hard when shifting third to 4th, but it has been progressively getting smoother, and now almost shifts without a hitch. It did take nearly a year for it to change, but I feel much better about it.

- T

while opening my gear box did i need to remove eccentric sensor switch

hello
can i use 85w90 gear oil in my rx8 6speed manual gearbox..

Just posting a quick note to forum with positive feedback on Red Line MT-90 75W90 GL-4 Gear Oil. With over 100K on the clock of my 03 build MT, I have had a chance to experiment with a few different products when changing tranny fluid.

I just put Red Line MT-90 in for the first time last week and I am amazed. It has DRAMATICALLY reduced the amount of gear whine I have grown so used to over the years - at times so loud in lower gears that it was an even more dominant sound in the driver's cabin than my hi-flow Mazdaspeed dual exhaust setup.

Literally surprised me so much my innate first reaction was to assume something was wrong with the car.

So far I have tried it a couple of mornings with temps just below freezing and as high as 60 degrees F and have found no problems with notchy shifting or any other concerns whatsoever.

It gets a big thumbs up from me - well worth the cost! :icon_tup::rock:

I just bought a 2005 RX-8 with 58k miles on it about a week ago no warrenty that I know of. It sounds like the gears are grinding or something? When I shift above 6rpm from first to second it grinds same with third to fourth but it never does it below 6 rpm. Anyone know what would cause this? I really do not want to have to replace the tranny seeing how it will most likely be out of pocket..

I just bought a 2005 RX-8 with 58k miles on it about a week ago no warrenty that I know of. It sounds like the gears are grinding or something? When I shift above 6rpm from first to second it grinds same with third to fourth but it never does it below 6 rpm. Anyone know what would cause this? I really do not want to have to replace the tranny seeing how it will most likely be out of pocket..
You should have started a new thread about your problem.
It will probably eventually be replaced. You can try replacing the tranny fluid with Redline MT90 and see if that helps. I recently had to replace mine after reverse went and then 1st was going.

You should have started a new thread about your problem.
It will probably eventually be replaced. You can try replacing the tranny fluid with Redline MT90 and see if that helps. I recently had to replace mine after reverse went and then 1st was going.


changed to a whole new tranny? from where?

Did u get the S2 unit one whihc is stronger?

i have a rx8 2005 manual. my car is at 70k and was running great until today morning. i took a trip for about 25miles highway and when i arrived i turned off the car for about 20min til i found parking and when i turned it on the check engine light turn on and didn't go off? what can be causing this?

i have a rx8 2005 manual. my car is at 70k and was running great until today morning. i took a trip for about 25miles highway and when i arrived i turned off the car for about 20min til i found parking and when i turned it on the check engine light turn on and didn't go off? what can be causing this?


just get and OBD tool to check what code is it running....

most rotary workshops would be able to help u diagnose...



anyways, i thinkz this a thread for transmission issues though...

Can i use ep 85w 90 gear oil in my 6speed gear box...

hello
few days ago i broke my 6spd gear because of mis shift. so now i bought a new gear box and i am planing to use beatrush shifter collar. so will it be a wise idea to use the beatrush shifter collar...

i have an 04 rx8, with 71k miles on it. and it seems to grind gears when i down shift from 6th to fifth, its also making some squealing noise like a cricket or something..... seems to be coming from the rear maybe.. underneath

I recently had my motor replaced and now sometimes I get a really harsh whine/slight grind when starting in first. Not the typical whine a mt makes. Time to take it back to the dealer I guess.

I have read through this entire thread (mind you it took a couple of hours), and I just can't believe all the tranny problems other people have... with that in mind, I'm a little relieved but also very enraged that a problem of this magnitude hasn't really been fully addressed by mazda. Thankfully I've had a very good Mazda service rep that actually tries to help out and relieve alot of costs on me.

When my 8 is at operating temp, I can't shift from 1 to 2nd gear above 5k rpm due to grinding and resistance. I've done testing to where I try to force the shifter into 2nd gear at 6k rpm and as the RPM's start to come down past 5k rpm, the shifter will then allow me to put the car in 2nd gear. I have also shifted slowly and paid attention to pushing the clutch all the way down. I realize that there are posts about grinding of 2nd gear but only when it's cold. This is happening when I'm at operating temp and been trying for hours. I am also unable to downshift to 2nd gear from 3rd or from 4th until my speed comes down to around 30mph (tested). This makes me believe it's an issue with 2nd gear alone. I've recently had my clutch, input shaft, and throwout bearings replaced. This repair was done because the pin had exploded and apparently there was some melted metal also taken out no doubt from the bearings. I've read that it might be either the synchos or motor mount out of alignment but I'm not sure what the motor mount is? Is it the component that mounts the transmission to the flywheel? The Mazda rep said the something about the transmission input shaft was off alignment by 0.002. but there's no mazda spec on it. so he said it was fine.

I'll be updating the poll in the other thread but wanted to see if anyone had a solution for my problem. I'm driving my 8 as of right now with no problems due to the fact that I'm shifting from 1-2 under 5k rpm. Note: Shifting of any of the other gears I have no problems with. My manufacture date is 05/03 with about 105k mi. Also has a brand new engine that was installed recently. Any help would be appreciated. I'll post some more info in a couple of days when I take the car in.

This is the same problem I have, after my Slave Cylinder went out, I had the master, slave, clutch line, clutch, flywheel replaced and now I have the same problem your having. I put in an ACT 6-puck clutch and light flywheel with counter balancer and SS clutch line, my buddy pulled the clutch assemble out and did some welding cause he said he found some cracks on it. It's pretty frustrating cause im thinking about selling the car and I need to fix that before I sell it.

Just had my 08 tranny replaced. Had it for a year bought used in 2010. Always was iffy going into reverse and dull whine in nuetral.
Problem was grind at higher rpm upshifts above 5k in 4th and 5th gear. Synchros, sure. It started rather abruptly (500 miles [daily driver commute of 100miles/day]) after a tranny oil change at 32k miles. Used Royal Purple synthetic 75w-90.
Dealer attempted a rebuild on the tranny (2.5 weeks, mostly ordered parts to come in 3 cycles) and failed misserably. Got a new tranny ordered, shipped and installed in 3 days.
Lessons learned: 1. Any car is destructable. 2. Pay attention to how you shift. 3. Shifting at 6+krpm on a piston drive train is typically redline conditions and my car can do it way above that. 4. Driving any other car is booooorrrriiiing compared to my 8!

i have an 04 rx8, with 71k miles on it. and it seems to grind gears when i down shift from 6th to fifth, its also making some squealing noise like a cricket or something..... seems to be coming from the rear maybe.. underneath


down shifting problems could either be ur clutch or most probablyz ur synchromesh...

Cricket sound i assume should be ur coilovers or rear mounting... yes, we do have that as well...