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.

These tranny issues are really starting to get redundant..and who knows how many others are never seen here.

Call the Dealer and ask the tech why second gear went out on your car..

(concerned scowl)

I asked that exact same question and they have no idea. They're saying that Mazda is blaming high rpm shifting into second gear, but they don't seem to want to put the blame on that. All I know is it's going to the Lemon Law if it isn't permanently fixed now. This last trip was already the third time for the same thing with well over 30 days of me being without my car.

How many miles are on your car..

We need to start compiling this.

I have 10800 miles, problem originally started about 2-3k miles ago.

These tranny issues are really starting to get redundant..and who knows how many others are never seen here.


I agree. I have 24k on my car now.

I don't race it. I don't drop the clutch. I usually shift @ 4-5k.

I never had the CEL, or flooded, I have the "L" flash.

Starting @ about 15k the car started to feel different. Loose and creaky. I am starting to hear little rattling in the driver door, behind the air vents about the radio, brake noise, hard shifting into 6th (trans feels tight).

I am very concerned that the car is not going to make 70k miles.

I agree. I have 24k on my car now.

I don't race it. I don't drop the clutch. I usually shift @ 4-5k.

I never had the CEL, or flooded, I have the "L" flash.

Starting @ about 15k the car started to feel different. Loose and creaky. I am starting to hear little rattling in the driver door, behind the air vents about the radio, brake noise, hard shifting into 6th (trans feels tight).

I am very concerned that the car is not going to make 70k miles.

i have 15k on my car and i am starting to feel the same symptoms.

My second gear grinds at high RPM. downshifting into first from anything more than 9 mph also grinds. when im at idle in neutral, the tranny is noisy, and it squeels, like a hamster wheel that needs oiling. when the clutch is depressed, just a slight whirr from my rotors....

Ok... is there somebody that has any ideas on how we can start putting everyone together? There are too many people having problems and Mazda is acting way too weird about this! Every time I have had problems with my clutch/transmission they say "We aren't sure what happened. We've never had any problems like this before". Is anybody willing to help me compile all of this stuff? I think this could be big for a pretty high percentage of us.

When and where-else has this transmission been used?

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.

Ok... is there somebody that has any ideas on how we can start putting everyone together? There are too many people having problems and Mazda is acting way too weird about this! Every time I have had problems with my clutch/transmission they say "We aren't sure what happened. We've never had any problems like this before". Is anybody willing to help me compile all of this stuff? I think this could be big for a pretty high percentage of us.

I can do it but we need a way of organizing the data.

We need information fields like miles and ecu flash and other data fields to trend the data.

I have an idea to compile the data but I need help with which fields to compile data on.


I was thinking so far...

build data, current milage, ecu flash level, MT or AT, tires on the car, any aftermarket mods, driving style normal or aggressive, driving cycle - %city % highway, Issues the car has been in for, outstanding issues, Engine oil - dino or synth, Transmission oil - Dino or synth, Diff oil - dino or synth...

Any others?

That sounds pretty good to me... We just need some people that are experiencing problems to report their problems. Samsonite, are you going to collect?

That sounds pretty good to me... We just need some people that are experiencing problems to report their problems. Samsonite, are you going to collect?

I am ready but I need a complete list of data to collect. If the ones that I listed above are all that we need then I am ready. If we need to add a couple of fields then no.

That sounds pretty good to me... We just need some people that are experiencing problems to report their problems. Samsonite, are you going to collect?


see here....

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=592542#post592542

Great... Now if we can just get everyone to contribute

Great... Now if we can just get everyone to contribute

They are starting to come in.

I am starting the charting now.

My 2005 (built date 7/04) has the 1-2 shift problem too. ITs feels crunchy and like i have to put a litte more effort going into second.

it only has 850 miles

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

Hmmm . . . my transmission just works fine. Someone was complaining about downshifting into 1st above 9 MPH. I don't think you should really be able to, 1st is geared very low and you won't be able to downshift into it at anything above a VERY slow crawl in MANY cars. If the car is rolling you should be able to take off just fine in 2nd, there is no need to downshift into 1st and it is hard on the transmission. The 850 mile car is not even broken in yet, the transmission will be a bit stiff naturally. The "more effort" going into 2nd also depends on if the engine/transmission are warmed up and if the car has rolled far enough to fully lubricate the transmission. When the car is cold and hasn't moved very far it will take more effort to shift into second, my RX8 is like that and so is my Audi that has 230,000 KM on it. It's a fact of life, synthetic oil will improve this slightly but I would shift slowly into 2nd when cold, wait for the car to be broken in before beating on it and forget the downshifts into 1st, the car will like you for it. There are obviously some broken transmissions out there but there are also some weird expectations and excessive paranoia . . .

but also it seems like there is a small clink sound when i go to 1-2 shift. feels like it grinds a little when i go into two.

I would give the car a bit of time to break in . . . It sounds to me like typical synchro lag when the transmission is cold or not fully lubricated, mine will do that too if I shift it too quickly in the first couple hundred yards. If you make a conscious effort to shift very slowly on the first 1-2 shift after you start the car you won't get that grind. i.e. depress the clutch, wait a second, go to neutral, wait, go to second, by then the synchro will have had time to work. After you have gone a mile or so you should be able to shift as fast as you want with no sounds or grinding, if not there may be an issue. I would still wait for things to break in a bit and then try synthetic gear oil if the problem is still there.

my trans been acting up two ,when i take off above 6000 rpms my 2 gear will not go in .

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.

I've had synchro problems on 2nd gear since the car was new. This is most noticeable when the engine is cold and most pronounced on the 1-2 shift. I put this down to the gearbox not being broken in, but after 3,000 miles I decided to do something about it and replaced the gearbox oil with RedLine. This made a slight improvement, but wasn't a complete fix. Now I just take it easy on the 1-2 shift until the engine is warm. Curiously, when the car is completely warmed through all the shifts are smooth and can be done with finger tip presssure (the so-called "snick-snick" gear change that many reviewers have commented positively on in their reviews of the RX-8). So, temperature definitely seems to affect shift quality. When cold I deliberately slow down the 1-2 shift and put up with the metallic clunk you get in the other gears. I think that forcing the shift when the gearbox is cold is probably bad for synchro longevity. My biggest concern is that I'll run into gearbox problems when the car is out of warranty and these will be the consequence of some manufacturing or design fault that's manifesting itself by balky shifting. That's why gathering this data is so important. It's worthy of a poll just to see what percentage of us have had gearbox issues...

Do you guys double clutch when you up/down shift? That would relieve a lot of pressure from the synchros when you match revs manually. My brother drives a Protege 5 (that I drive sometimes) and I know what you mean when you say that sometimes the gears "grind". You just have to be very gentle and sensitive when shifting - especially downshifting. Do NOT downshift into 1st. EVER! Your car will make you pay for it. scoop is totally right on what he said above.

He also has the grinding or incomplete shifting into reverse problem that someone mentioned earlier. Try putting the tranny into neutral, letting up the clutch, and then re-disengaging it to get into reverse. That does the trick for me every time.

Add me to the list now... car had problems going into 4th gear at around 7k rpms... (from 3rd to 4th... i.e. not downshifting) and would just grind and had to wait for the rpm's to drop before it would go into gear.

Car is at the dealer, and the service manager told me that Mazda was aware of the problem, and had some "updated" parts. They are going to have to pull the tranny to find out what parts they need first, but said he would have them overnighted and that I could possibly have the car back Tues or Wed.

Sounds awefully quick to me, but hopefully it won't be weeks and weeks like some others have gone through.

The car only has 4100 miles on it, and I don't do clutch drops or anything like that. I do rev it up to the higher rpm ranges, but that is what the car was designed for.... i.e. there is a reason that the redline is set at 9K and not 7K.

Is there anyone here with an idea or an educated guess on why all these clutch/tranny problems? Are they just not designed for those higher rpms?

Does Anyone's Car Grind Gears Sometimes Going From First To Second? And Why The Hell Is It Happening?

when was your car manufactured, open the driver door and read the sticker on the door sill...

september 2003

Yeah! I've often complimented the gearbox for having precise action, (at least compared to my WRX) but it seems to take very careful speed-matching to keep from graunching especially from first to second, but sometimes from second to third.

Redline MT-90 didn't seem to help me in this regard either. I wish the engine RPMs didn't drop so quickly between shifts; it makes it difficult for me to get a smooth transition between gears.

Hell, I should think I'd be able to drive a manual consistently well after 24 years!

are we seeing a trend for the early build trannys?

i think we're seeing a trend of people not searching first.

here everyone, check out this thread:

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=43673

I brought my car into the dealership today to get my tranny looked at and I was told that there is a TSB that covers the issue. I have never seen it or heard of it but they ordered a new shift fork. Has any one else seen this TSB? Maybe Mazda is finally trying to help those with tranny problems:) It doesn’t explain why I get bumped out of third or grind into 6th but I’ll post after the install with my thoughts on the new part.

-Boxcar

BTW I have 10,700 miles on my car. I'll look the build date up later unless Abbid can remember what it was. If you do please post it.

If you are having problems in third and sixth and the problem is the shift fork, that would mean two shift forks.

All the official TSB's are posted in the TSB thread.

There are no TSB's addressing shift forks at this time.

If you are having problems in third and sixth and the problem is the shift fork, that would mean two shift forks.

My problem started with 2nd gear and seems to have slowly spread. As of 2 days ago I was not able to go into 1st unless I was under 4mph. Yesterday I got bumped out of 3rd since I didn't want to force it. It was weird, almost like trying to put it in gear w/o having the clutch fully disengaged. I have a bad habit of putting the clutch pedal to the floor so I know I didn't half ass the shift. Then today on the way to the dealership everything felt tight and my tranny grinded going into 6th at about 60-65mph. If you know what it might be please tell me. All I was told is that they would replace the shift fork as the TSB stated and if I still had a problem they would take care of it. At least they are trying to do something for us instead of ignoring it. I am happy about that part of it. I'll see over the next couple weeks whether or not I am being given the run around. Considering my service rep I highly doubt it.

Quote from paper work-

“PERFORMED M-TIPS AND VERIFIED THAT PRESSURE PLATE BOLTS WERE
WITH IN SPEC. 16.3 TO 24.4 FT LBS
FOUND UPDATED SHIFT FORK FOR HARD 1-2 SHIFTS AND 2-1 SHIFTS
SOP SHIFT FORK”

Part # Y601-17-40XA
Description – "Fork, Shift 1st&2nd"

All the official TSB's are posted in the TSB thread.

There are no TSB's addressing shift forks at this time.

That's what I thought too. I looked at
http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/index.html before I went in and printed everything I could find that applied to me - brake noise and scratches/chips by the airbag. Saw nothing about tranny problems. Either way it appears that Mazda has an updated part.

-Boxcar

did it solve your problem?

Sometimes dealerships tell the customer there is a revised part to help calm them or reduce their future worrying.

Alot of 6 owners were told they got revised clutch and flywheels in 03, and there wasn't any new parts...just dealer customer relations going on.

did it solve your problem?

The part should be here by next Wednesday.

-Boxcar

Sometimes dealerships tell the customer there is a revised part to help calm them or reduce their future worrying.

Alot of 6 owners were told they got revised clutch and flywheels in 03, and there wasn't any new parts...just dealer customer relations going on.

How do I find out if that is what they are doing to me?

-Boxcar

boxcar, did they call you? i have no word as to whats up with my car...

Boxcar, your build date was 02/04

boxcar, did they call you? i have no word as to whats up with my car...

Hey abbid, I got my car back last night. They ordered parts for everything they said they would fix. Unfortunately there was nothing that could be done about the seat scratchs since I already had the new part. My main concern is my tranny. What did they do for yours when it was having probs?

Hope yours is fine. You have to tell me what was wrong with it when you get it back. It was good meeting you man.

-Boxcar

My car is still in the shop, and i have no clue whats up with it. My tranny still has problems, they just keep telling me that they cant replicate it, but i make sure they put it down whenever i go in, just so i can have a papertrail if it does fail and they blame it on me. As of now, the only fix for my tranny, is shifting like a grandma, and comming to a complete 0 before i put it into first.

Did they fix your break squeel?

Boxcar, your build date was 02/04

Thanks abbid.

My car is still in the shop, and i have no clue whats up with it. My tranny still has problems, they just keep telling me that they cant replicate it, but i make sure they put it down whenever i go in, just so i can have a papertrail if it does fail and they blame it on me. As of now, the only fix for my tranny, is shifting like a grandma, and comming to a complete 0 before i put it into first.

Did they fix your break squeel?

It sounds like we have a similar problem. It wasn't 0 as of the other day but I had to slow to under 4mph to get into first. I asked if I would do more damage by continuing to drive her and was told I would be fine. I guess I'll just have to see what happens while I wait for my parts. Been driving my car like I live in Sun City but everyday it seems to get worse. Dwight said if the new fork doesn't do the trick they would fix it. He's always been good about keeping his word so I am trying to relax.

They ordered new front pads for me as the TSB suggested.

I don't believe this is a true recall, but I wish it was seen how this is what started my problems. Anyway, I will look at my service reports in a couple of hours and see if that is the same part # they put in my car.

By the way, The first time my car broke down I was going from 1st to 2nd. Right as I was engaging is 2nd I felt the small grind, the released the clutch and it just "popped". Just be careful with it.

I don't believe this is a true recall, but I wish it was seen how this is what started my problems. Anyway, I will look at my service reports in a couple of hours and see if that is the same part # they put in my car.

By the way, The first time my car broke down I was going from 1st to 2nd. Right as I was engaging is 2nd I felt the small grind, the released the clutch and it just "popped". Just be careful with it.

Thanks Slim8. So your car had the exact same problem or something similar? What exactly did Mazda do to solve your problem? I would really apreciate any info you could give me. Did a search and have seen some replaced and some repaired trannies but nothing really seemed to state the exact part or parts in question.

-Boxcar

BTW, i got my car back today.

Replaced cd player and center console lid.

MY flywheel had loose bolts and caused my T/o bearing to fail. Retightened bolts to spec.

Parts on order: Clutch, Pressure plate, and T/O Bearing.

I could be wrong and there could be something else wrong with my car. Anyway, here is the link to the full story:
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=42633

In short, The first time I was shifting into second at about 15 mph and it wanted to grind like everyone elses. when I released the cutch it "exploded" all the gears in my transmission. They "repaired" the transmission with 87 new parts.

Like I said, I may have a totally different issue that the others that are having slight grinding problems, but that's what happened to me.

I could be wrong and there could be something else wrong with my car. Anyway, here is the link to the full story:
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=42633

In short, The first time I was shifting into second at about 15 mph and it wanted to grind like everyone elses. when I released the cutch it "exploded" all the gears in my transmission. They "repaired" the transmission with 87 new parts.

Like I said, I may have a totally different issue that the others that are having slight grinding problems, but that's what happened to me.


That's crazy slim8. Thanks for the link. I'll read it when I get home tonight.

-Boxcar

BTW, i got my car back today.

Replaced cd player and center console lid.

MY flywheel had loose bolts and caused my T/o bearing to fail. Retightened bolts to spec.

Parts on order: Clutch, Pressure plate, and T/O Bearing.

They've been working quick lately. Hopefully it's fixed or close to it. Does it feel any different yet?

I could be wrong and there could be something else wrong with my car. Anyway, here is the link to the full story:
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=42633

In short, The first time I was shifting into second at about 15 mph and it wanted to grind like everyone elses. when I released the cutch it "exploded" all the gears in my transmission. They "repaired" the transmission with 87 new parts.

Like I said, I may have a totally different issue that the others that are having slight grinding problems, but that's what happened to me.

Slim8- I just scanned your thread only to find out I had been followeing it for a while. That's crazy that they are giving you such a hard time. Sorry man. Good luck and please keep us posted.

I seem to have a problem with first gear. I have never drove any other rx8 so i do not know if its a problem or if its normal. My first gear seems to be real rough and starting from 3000 rpm it seems real rough and loud. None of the other gear is loud till 4500 but even then its real smooth . is this a problem or is it just something normal. any feedback is appreciated :confused:

If you have a REAL Rough sound coming from the gearbox, that is never good. By Real rough do you mean like a growly or grinding sound? You shouldn't be able to hear anything but a kinda shhhhhh sound from your tranny. I would have it checked before it gets worse or maybe self destructs.. :eek:

a real loud growl and its really not comfortable at all in first gear starting out, not really grinding

well just to let you guys know my 2 gear will not go in on high rpms .if i shift at 3
to 5 there is no problems after that its a no no. any idea what it could be ???? :(

ill be installing my stock springs and taking it to the dealer next week i dont want them making excuses saying it the springs.

According to the last guy with transmission problems, the dealer said his K&N caused it. So definitely return it to stock as much as possible.

synchro problem perhaps? have you tried speed matching?

whats that ,, i been testing it and it does it all the time when lets say the car is at a dead stop ill take off at 4 rpms and then try to put 2 at like 8 rpms its just grinds and will not go in. my friend said it might be a safety feature i told him no way redline on this car is 9 1/2.

matching the speed at which you shift with the speed of the vehicle, aka rev matching

probably said better than i can here

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=46754

According to the last guy with transmission problems, the dealer said his K&N caused it. So definitely return it to stock as much as possible.


Who was that moron?

abbid i heard lots of stories like that they will try to nail you any way they can ,i hope that guy didnt agree to that .the only thing iam taking my car with is my exhaust.

As dumb as it sounds, and I'm sure you're a skilled driver, you can't rush that 1-2 shift or it will grind - clutch all the way in, keep it in, snick-snick, back out. Sounds to me like you're rushing the clutch and slamming the lever home. Try slowing down your shift a bit ...

As dumb as it sounds, and I'm sure you're a skilled driver, you can't rush that 1-2 shift or it will grind - clutch all the way in, keep it in, snick-snick, back out. Sounds to me like you're rushing the clutch and slamming the lever home. Try slowing down your shift a bit ...


You may have a point ,i may do like 2 to 4 more runs when the weather gets better,but i seriously dont think iam doing anything wrong. that would never happen to me before ,it only grinds when i try to put it in high rpms otherwise its perfect.

Try doing an exaggeratedly slow shift without the goal of fast acceleration - gently run the car up to 8 grand or so at very low-part-throttle opening, then clutch in, click click, clutch out ... if it doesn't go in then, you have an issue. And don't let the revs fall too far off - the rev-drop between 1st and 2nd is about 1200 RPM - so if you clutch in at 8000, be sure to get the shift done before the revs fall below 6500. If you're successful there, then practice more doing performance-oriented accelleration runs.

they have to prove that whatever mods you have or they are citing was directly responsible for the failure in the part. I want to know what they said- "the huge increase in power brought from the intake made the tranny fail" :rolleyes:

Well the manual they were waiting on came in yesterday. Hopefully I'll know more next week.

What's the deal with the two of you in AZ? Did you both purchase from the same dealer? Just wondering if there wasn't some serious abuse by someone at the dealer either pre-delivery or while you were in for service.

My problem started with 2nd gear and seems to have slowly spread. As of 2 days ago I was not able to go into 1st unless I was under 4mph. Yesterday I got bumped out of 3rd since I didn't want to force it. It was weird, almost like trying to put it in gear w/o having the clutch fully disengaged. I have a bad habit of putting the clutch pedal to the floor so I know I didn't half ass the shift. Then today on the way to the dealership everything felt tight and my tranny grinded going into 6th at about 60-65mph. If you know what it might be please tell me. All I was told is that they would replace the shift fork as the TSB stated and if I still had a problem they would take care of it. At least they are trying to do something for us instead of ignoring it. I am happy about that part of it. I'll see over the next couple weeks whether or not I am being given the run around. Considering my service rep I highly doubt it.

Quote from paper work-

“PERFORMED M-TIPS AND VERIFIED THAT PRESSURE PLATE BOLTS WERE
WITH IN SPEC. 16.3 TO 24.4 FT LBS
FOUND UPDATED SHIFT FORK FOR HARD 1-2 SHIFTS AND 2-1 SHIFTS
SOP SHIFT FORK”

Part # Y601-17-40XA
Description – "Fork, Shift 1st&2nd"

Well, I said I would check my parts list to see if I got the same part, but mine is listed differently. Mine just says:
Part #: Y601-17-40Y
Description: Shift Fork

I don't know if this was the 1st and 2nd or what. I do know they told me 1st and 2nd gears were "fried". Note: This was the first trip

What's the deal with the two of you in AZ? Did you both purchase from the same dealer? Just wondering if there wasn't some serious abuse by someone at the dealer either pre-delivery or while you were in for service.

No we bought our 8s at different places and we have diff build dates. I did recheck my paper work to find that my car was a demo :mad: I saw 60 miles on it upon delivery and didn't think twice. My fault entirely. I was to busy reading the rest of the fine print and #s.

Well I got off the phone with Dwight about 2hrs ago and he said my tranny is now completely apart. They are currently talking to Mazda about swapping out my old trans w/ a new one. I told him he could do whatever is needed... whatever it takes to fix the prob. I miss my 8...

For as many probs as I have had, I still love this car. I've never had anything like it nor do I want anything else. I think I am as calm as I am because problems always seem to show up in the 1st year of production. I am sorry for those who have gotten the run around by their service departments but I don't think it is Mazda's fault. They built a great car with some bugs... they WILL be worked out. If anyone expects their car to be perfect, I'm sorry but I think your nuts for buying a first year car of ANY make.

-Boxcar

BTW I was told again that there is a TSB for the shift fork so I no longer believe it was the wrong use of the term.

shawn, i hope they swap your tranny, he basically told me that whatever they do to yours, will be done to mine as well :}

thanks for the thread. i thought something seemed fishy when 1 to 2 shifts were grinding, even after deliberate efforts to make sure the clutch was in before going into second. for me it only seems to happen with high rpm shifts. i was thinking perhaps the syncro's were not doing their job.

bigblock, what is your manufacture date?

Well the manual they were waiting on came in yesterday. Hopefully I'll know more next week.

which manual? the "rebuilding the 6mt" manual?


Well I got off the phone with Dwight about 2hrs ago and he said my tranny is now completely apart. They are currently talking to Mazda about swapping out my old trans w/ a new one. I told him he could do whatever is needed... whatever it takes to fix the prob. I miss my 8...

For as many probs as I have had, I still love this car. I've never had anything like it nor do I want anything else. I think I am as calm as I am because problems always seem to show up in the 1st year of production. I am sorry for those who have gotten the run around by their service departments but I don't think it is Mazda's fault. They built a great car with some bugs... they WILL be worked out. If anyone expects their car to be perfect, I'm sorry but I think your nuts for buying a first year car of ANY make.

-Boxcar

BTW I was told again that there is a TSB for the shift fork so I no longer believe it was the wrong use of the term.

well it looks like there is a resoution in the works for you. and abbib;) also glade to see that you havent let this sour you on the car.

on the tsb thing. there really isnt any tsb on shift forks. every single tsb/recall/MSP for this car is listed in the link in the TSB sticky thread. i dont know what they are talking about.

Boxcar and Abbid, I feel for both of you. Not having what you pay Good money for each month sucks.
Not trying to sound arrogant, but I'm glad I have an auto in an instance like this. I know in time the torque converter will explode the way I drive it. maybe an after-market replacement will be out by then....
Hoping both you quick repairs !!!

I keep reading of these problems and have yet to actually see one..(With several customers that are on this forum)

:confused:

which manual? the "rebuilding the 6mt" manual?


well it looks like there is a resoution in the works for you. and abbib;) also glade to see that you havent let this sour you on the car.

on the tsb thing. there really isnt any tsb on shift forks. every single tsb/recall/MSP for this car is listed in the link in the TSB sticky thread. i dont know what they are talking about.


I'm sorry but I did not ask him which manual he was waiting for.

Next time I talk to him I am going to try and remember to ask him for the Bulletin NO: . I don't see it anywere else on the board nor does it apear on http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/

shawn, i hope they swap your tranny, he basically told me that whatever they do to yours, will be done to mine as well :}

For your sake I hope so too. I still feel bad about getting in there b4 you. So much for a simple shift fork replacement.

Boxcar and Abbid, I feel for both of you. Not having what you pay Good money for each month sucks.
Not trying to sound arrogant, but I'm glad I have an auto in an instance like this. I know in time the torque converter will explode the way I drive it. maybe an after-market replacement will be out by then....
Hoping both you quick repairs !!!


lol Thanks 09. As soon as we get our cars back we all need to go for a ride again. Can anyone think of some good places for this time of year?

well yeah like i said the car wont shift period. It'll move around in neutral but wont engage in any gear. I dont know what happned the car was fine on the freeway then all of a sudden when i tried to row through the gears it just wouldnt move :confused: . I searched the forum if anyone had this happen to them but no luck. So i have to wait till monday to get the car towed to the dealer.
Any ideal how this happened? Or what happened?

P.S - It was embarrassing b/c saw 2 rx-8 pass by.haha

sounds like what happened to me so you probably have a drivetrain related problem me my clutch blew.

happened to me except i was in 4th gear and couldnt get out. took it to the dealer, seemed to be fine in the morning, this was in june. Now its back in again, they told me i had a loose flywheel which damaged the Clutch, Throwout bearing, Pressure plate and Flywheel, all under warranty..

Well as of today they ordered a new transmission for my 8. I got a little excited thinking it came with a new clutch but I was corrected. A clutch with 11,000 miles less wear would have been a great I’m sorry about the inconvenience from Mazda headquarters but I am happy that I am not being given the run around. Unfortunately another member was not so lucky. I will let him explain. I’m going to talk to Dwight when I see him to see if anything can be done for him. Well it should be here tomorrow so as soon as I know more I’ll tell you.

-Boxcar

The other member is me! here is my success story
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=47518

Congrats... I'm still hoping to get mine resolved soon.

Congrats... I'm still hoping to get mine resolved soon.

Thanks SLim8. I hope you get yours fixed soon too.

WOW! I forgot what it was like to actually go into 2nd w/o letting the rpms drop. So much so that I kept having to think about it before shifting. Night and day difference from dropping her off to picking her up today. There is a clicking sound when I go into 2nd but everything else seems great. I was a little afraid to get on it since it's a brand new tranny so I took it easy on the way home. Once I put some miles on it I'll feel better.

I am thinking about taking it up North this weekend if anyone wants to join me.

-Boxcar

BTW Is there anything special required for breaking in a new tranny?

WOW! I have had the same 2-1 shift thing, thanks for all the info everyone i'm gong to call my dealer as soon as I get back from a 2 day work trip next week.

A couple of months ago I changed my gearbox oil to synthetic. The 6000 mile oil that was warm came out like water. I do not think it was 75 weight oil. I am wondering if they shipped some gearboxes with engine oil. I am going to give MNAO a call tomorrow. and inform them. Maybe the serial numbers are close. That could be why your shift forks are wearing down like that. The only shift fork I have changed in all of my Mazdas was one in a second gen with almost 200000 miles on it. Tell them you want new gearboxes because it sounds like a lot more dammage than just a shift fork and the other dammage might not show up for several thousand miles.

John

ps My serial number is JM1FE173640113569

A couple of months ago I changed my gearbox oil to synthetic. The 6000 mile oil that was warm came out like water. I do not think it was 75 weight oil. I am wondering if they shipped some gearboxes with engine oil. I am going to give MNAO a call tomorrow. and inform them. Maybe the serial numbers are close. That could be why your shift forks are wearing down like that. The only shift fork I have changed in all of my Mazdas was one in a second gen with almost 200000 miles on it. Tell them you want new gearboxes because it sounds like a lot more dammage than just a shift fork and the other dammage might not show up for several thousand miles.

John

ps My serial number is JM1FE173640113569
do they not put engine oil in the trannys? I know mine did the last time (when the clutch exploded). I thought they used engine oil. :confused:

They do not use engine oil in the transmission. They use transmission fluid.

Manual transmission? 'Red' Transmission fluid? Excuse my stupidity if this is true, but if it is I have a serious complaint. No wonder my car broke down the last time and is still in my driveway!

As of 2 days ago I was not able to go into 1st unless I was under 4mph.
:confused:

You should't ever attempt to go into 1st unless you are completely stopped. 1st is a start-up gear and it is NOT synchronized.

If you attempt to put the transmission in first while you are moving, you are grinding the gears and stressing the fork, whether you hear it or not.

Some manual transmissions do use engine oil, the RX-8 transmission is not one of those though.

does anyone know the number for mazda complains i want to call them because i been having the same problem.

OK, I guess what I'm getting at is when I looked at my transmission the last time it broke down, the fluid was clear and smelled like Motor oil. Now mysteriously my car is still broke down because of abuse. Should the fluid in my MT be red?

800-222-5500

thanks slim

:confused:

You should't ever attempt to go into 1st unless you are completely stopped. 1st is a start-up gear and it is NOT synchronized.

If you attempt to put the transmission in first while you are moving, you are grinding the gears and stressing the fork, whether you hear it or not.

woh woh woh- triple cone synchros on 1st 2nd and 3rd is what i remember, but even so i dont ever go into first until i am nearly stopped. i keep it in second until the bottom then shift down into first or simply into neutral for the stop.

zoom, leave now.

yeah it should be synchro'd all gears should be... its just harder to get into first going at any speed because its meant to start off at 0 MPH

:confused:

You should't ever attempt to go into 1st unless you are completely stopped. 1st is a start-up gear and it is NOT synchronized.
.


The RX-8 first gear most definitely has sychros. The lat time cars did not have a synchronized first gear was back in the EARLY 60's. Now Big trucks - 18 wheelers, first gear is not synchronized, but that's not an issue anyway.

to see wtf is wrong with it. maybe someone can help me out with this....

There is some kind of blocking mechanism when the clutch is up, so the shift won't go in any of the gears from neutral. Well my 4th gear is just out of whack! It tried to block when I have the clutch in (at lower speeds) and sometimes opens the lock when at stand-still with the clutch up. The situation while in motion makes like a hydrolic wrench type of sound.

Everyone wish me luck!

bent shift fork? bad synchro?

shifts fine...synchro maybe...but odd

Upgrade the flywheel when you have the chance.. hehe..

Sounds similar to my issue. i had a loose flywheel. it fucked up alot of shit withing my tranny. now its all fixed and better.. if you need more info about it. i have a thread in the Discussion forum....here it is..http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=47518

Welcome to the tranny club. That sounds like my problem the first time. The rebuilt the entire transmission (well, 87 parts anyway). Let me know what they have to say about it.

Another on bites the dust :confused:

Hey my tranny is screwed up to. Its really pissing me off the dealer keeps telling me its normal. So i today i told them to drive it with me there and he could not recreate the tranny issue. BUt after he drove it he heard teh sound of my tranny which sounded like a loose flywheel. So i told them i wont take my car back untill you fix it yada yada.



I had problems with my 2 gear grinding, 6th gear not enguaging, reverse wont enguage, and 3rg gear grinds. I also have a mushy feeling in the shifter, clutch very hard to operate , a wirring sound or creaking sound when clutch is not pressed. :mad:

Hey my tranny is screwed up to. Its really pissing me off the dealer keeps telling me its normal. So i today i told them to drive it with me there and he could not recreate the tranny issue. BUt after he drove it he heard teh sound of my tranny which sounded like a loose flywheel. So i told them i wont take my car back untill you fix it yada yada.



I had problems with my 2 gear grinding, 6th gear not enguaging, reverse wont enguage, and 3rg gear grinds. I also have a mushy feeling in the shifter, clutch very hard to operate , a wirring sound or creaking sound when clutch is not pressed. :mad:
"It's abuse. We can not repair your vehicle. The only way that can be caused is from severe abuse, side stepping the clutch, or on modified cars!"

Sorry man, I was having flashbacks. :D
So is your car still in the shop? Who is paying for what?

hey everbody, i am having issues also, i am looking to get statements from everybody who has had clutch problems but i would appreciate and tranny issues. i posted this same request on another thread so if you have seen all this please bare with me. i am looking for statements including the problem. whether or not it was warrantied work. the dealership who did the work and any other info you might find useful. my email is isuzutrooperfan@yahoo.com (i know, i traded the trooper for the 8). thanks for any help you can provide.

awhile ago there was an issue with some cars having the pressure plate bolts back out. the problem stemmed from incorrect torque applied at the factory. could all of this be more of the same problem?

some older posts for reference

first pressure plate bolt problem report
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=9173&highlight=pressure+plate

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=18424&highlight=pressure+plate

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?p=528971&highlight=pressure+plate#post528971


note abbid's comment 4th down in this thread http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=35312&highlight=pressure+plate

eclpso had a previous problem
http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=34237&highlight=pressure+plate

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=26521&highlight=pressure+plate

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=26352&highlight=pressure+plate

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=25552&highlight=pressure+plate

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=23622&highlight=pressure+plate

here's where I am at...

They told me my clutch was fried first of all...wtf!?! The clutch was fine and no slips. $420!

They are replacing the entire tranny under waranty. Which is nice I guess...5 days to get the part shipped and in.

I asked them if they'd waranty a mazda speed flywheel install. He said he'd get back with me.

I will have a better description on the tranny when I go to check out the clutch later today. I have no clue how it'd be fried. Anyone have a clue?

Clutches... I've heard of them burning, recently "exploding", but not frying without any symptoms of slipping. That is the EXACT thing that happened to me the first time though. EXACTLY what you described up top. They didn't mention the clutch that time, but rebuilt the transmission. Blah, Blah, Blah, the story goes on and now my clutch is "exploded". I would like to see what is wrong with your clutch or if they just found something they could make a little money off of. Please fill me in!

interesting, my clutch never showed signs of getting worse it just went. i wonder if perhaps if it did explode.

I spoke to Mazda USA today. They logged my whole story! Tomorrow I'm going in to check the clutch out...to see what is meant by fried. What really threw alarms off for me is that they told me the clutch was worn out (and the service rep told me I broke the car) even before they knew what was wrong with the Transmission. Thanx for all the responces, I now know what to look for.

I spoke to Mazda USA today. They logged my whole story! Tomorrow I'm going in to check the clutch out...to see what is meant by fried. What really threw alarms off for me is that they told me the clutch was worn out (and the service rep told me I broke the car) even before they knew what was wrong with the Transmission. Thanx for all the responces, I now know what to look for.

i sent an email through mazdausa.com explaining my situation. maybe with enough complaints they will address the problems with the clutch and tranny. good luck Ft. Liquordale.

Has anyone had 2nd gear grind when shifting from above 8500 rpm?? My car does:-(.

I bout my 8 4 weeks ago and it has 1300 miles on it. I took it to the dealer last week and the sales guy said "you shouldnt be reving it that much until you hit 5000 miles". The guy in the garage told me to make sure I have the clutch pushed all the way down and I am not shifting sideways. I have played around for a week with their suggestions, but my 2nd gear still grinds when shifting above 8500 rpm. I plan on taking it to the dealership after the holiays.

What should I tell them to look at other than the tranny or the clutch? Flyweel maybe?? Any other suggestions, experiences???

Thank you everyone for your suggestions!!!

I believe I've read about it here before. did you try doing a search for "2nd gear grinding".

I have looked at other posts but with my car it is ONLY grinding in 2nd gear. Others are grinding when shifting into 6th gear as well. I have payed closer attention to my shifting after reading several posts. Maybe it is just starting to get loose??????

why are you shifting above 8500 RPMs anyway? telling them that will definately get them to void your warranty for abuse... what other symptoms are you having

Well, Its only shiftin over 8500 rpm when my whife is driving. Other than that I am not experiencing any other weird things. I have seen videos of the 8 and they shift between 1st and 2nd above 9500k just fine. The clutch is easy to push down...no other gear problems. The car has been great, xcept between 1st & 2nd above 8500 rpm. Should I be more patient with the car or is something wrong????

well, is this under full throttle? if its not full throttle, i dont see why it would grind. What happens if you clutch, wait a second, and shift, does it grind then?

No it is not under full throttle. I have to wait until 7500 (tested) and it willl not grind. I do not see why it would grind even if I was at 9000 rpm. I owned a Mitsu GS-T and it never acted like this even when near the max rpm

Whenever the rpm is under 8500 it does not grind. Anything over it grinds, then I have to force it into gear. I Havent done this many times.....just trying it out at different rpms....it shifts fine at anything less than 8500. I dont abuse my NEW SHINY *...Its awesome.

why are you shifting above 8500 RPMs anyway? telling them that will definately get them to void your warranty for abuse... what other symptoms are you having

I hope not. I shift at the beep when I'm having fun. Hitting the rev limiter is a missed shift, if it voids the warranty, then they shouldn't have it. IMHO.

I am watching http://www.mymazdarotary.com/rx-8_videos/time-attack.avi and My car is not shifting the same. He is shifting above 9500 rpm.. Why make the car able to go that high if you can not shift & handle the high RPMs????

Should I tell the dealership to figure out whats going on or does anyone else think this is a "normal" process of breaking the car in? I would like to know what I am up against and what to ask when at the dealership.

Don't assume it's normal or you'll end up in the same situation as me. But, you shouldn't be shifting above 8500RPM on a regular basis. Take it to the dealer and let them check it out.

well my car was grinding anything over 6k RPM, but that was only because my car was insanely defective. Poomaster, what is your manufacture date?

On a subject this touchy, you probably wont get it fixed, any dealer you take it to and tell them you shift at 8500 RPM, will likely void your warranty for abuse.

Well, I have sent them 2 or 3 emails and called numerous times with my story. Usually through email I get the response: "Blah, Blah, Blah... We're really sorry you are having these difficulties and hope the get resolved soon"

good luck... Let me know what happens or if you need anything from me.

Yep, I was shifting mine under 5,000 RPM's both times mine went out, and they voided my warranty the last time for "Severe Abuse... Side stepping or racing"

It's all about money.

yes i am so fricken happy........ Mazda is dropping my tranny right now. hopefully they give me a new one, or they will fix my problem.

You have got to be kidding! WTF is their deal with me?!?!

Oh well... I wish you the best of luck. Hopefully they will either replace it or you have good mechanics repairing the vehicle.

Slims, are they giving you bullshit about getting your shit fixed? do you have a link to your original story?

Slims, are they giving you bullshit about getting your shit fixed? do you have a link to your original story?

Yeah they are! My car has been broke down since October 12th and they refuse to fix it. It's been a mess.

My whole story (http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=42633)

Damn man, your dealer is a bitch. throw the service papers in their faces, tell them its been repaired numerous times, call MNAO, write a letter, forward it to lemonlawamerica, forward it to every single mazda dealership. send pics!

done, done, done, done, done, done, and there are a lot of dealerships. The last time it had 200 miles on a brand new clutch and it went out. ABSOLUTELY not abuse. MNAO doesn't care and will not even speak to me. I have a court date for the Lemon Law on the 13th of January. I wish they would just fix the damn thing! Jan 13th will mark 3 months plus the 40 days the first time it was in the shop!

do what i did with my a friends old type R subwoofers. He blew em, so we went and bought new ones then returned the old ones :]

I was parked with the car off on a slight hill yesterday. Not too steep, but steep enough to get the car rolling noticeably fast. I always engage the parking brake when stopping on a hill however its now getting very cold here in north jersey. people have told me my parking brake can actually freeze to the wheels if left engaged in extreme cold, so i went to see if i could park the car on the hill only in first gear without the parking brake engaged.

when i did this however, the car would begin to roll, and would almost come to a stop when i felt the gear was starting to catch, but then would "slip" and continue to roll until it began to catch again. then the roll started once again. so clearly my first gear will not be holding my car on any sort of hill and im gunna have to be risking that my parking brake is gunna freeze in the cold.

is this the same for you guys?

Yeah, it would make sense. That would be how you would "pop start" a car. What you are actually doing is turning the motor.

If the front of the car is facing downhill, use reverse. If the car is facing uphill use first. If you're paralle parked and there's a curb on your right and the car is facing uphill, turn the wheels left. If the car is facing downhill turn the wheels to the right.

If all that isn't enough, carry some wheel chocks.

Thought I replied to this already...

I will try to condense. The service manager was better with communicating than the writer. Apparently the clutch was "about to go" not already gone. They already had the thing open and I wasn't going to pay for them to drop the trans again for the clutch. So I paid for it. $500 (no charge for labor because the tranny was under warranty) down the pooper. The gears are stiff now...and I understand I have to work them in. Seem to be getting better. But there's a grinding noise that I can hear over the wurrrr of my renesis. Not happy and bringing the car back at lunch. Other than that...the explanation on the transmission was a bad batch from the factory. The casing, shaft, and shift forks were not aligned properly. Is this the explanation received for those of you having clutch problems?

On a side note, if you have squeeking in your breaks (or if you don't), bring it back as soon as possible. There are new breaks available for free.

Thought I replied to this already...

I will try to condense. The service manager was better with communicating than the writer. Apparently the clutch was "about to go" not already gone. They already had the thing open and I wasn't going to pay for them to drop the trans again for the clutch. So I paid for it. $500 (no charge for labor because the tranny was under warranty) down the pooper. The gears are stiff now...and I understand I have to work them in. Seem to be getting better. But there's a grinding noise that I can hear over the wurrrr of my renesis. Not happy and bringing the car back at lunch. Other than that...the explanation on the transmission was a bad batch from the factory. The casing, shaft, and shift forks were not aligned properly. Is this the explanation received for those of you having clutch problems?

On a side note, if you have squeeking in your breaks (or if you don't), bring it back as soon as possible. There are new breaks available for free.
A bad batch from the factory? This explain some things for several people in here. Do you have any paperwork that says it was a bad batch? Who told you this? Is it possible that a misaligned transmission could cause damage or premature wear to the clutch?

A bad batch from the factory? This explain some things for several people in here. Do you have any paperwork that says it was a bad batch? Who told you this? Is it possible that a misaligned transmission could cause damage or premature wear to the clutch?

Anyone watch Life Aquatic?

As to your first question, ABSOLUTELY

The service manager told me this. It perplexes me that they know it was a bad batch and no one was contacted. Mazda shipped my transmission whole back to the factory to "investigate." And according to mazda it didn't cause the clutch problem. So I am screwed unless someone has documentation that says otherwise. I will pull up my invoice to see what it says. I've beed hella busy because the holidays. I am heading over to the dealer now to address the grinding.

As you may know, I am still fighting my issues. They "Rebuilt" my tranny, which I don't think helped, then replaced it and the clutch. Now the Clutch has exploded, and I know for a fact I absolutely didn't tear it up, so I am trying to figure out what could have happened. If you have any paperwork on this bad tranny, please let me know. If could be interesting to see if they begin to admit it.

if they had a bad batch, i think i got one. all my problems with my tranny had to do with a 'loose flywheel' although i dont know how i got stuck in 4th because of a loose flywheel..

Why don't they admit to the public they had a bad batch? Why can't they just admit they had a problem with mine, replace the clutch, and avoid lawyers and buy backs?

I've read some of the threads on the shift fork. and i'll assume i'm having a similar problem. when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear i hear a grinding/metal noise. it doesn't happen with any other gears. the car is in the shop today having the brake pads replaced and the dealer said his Service Manager didn't notice anything on the test ride.

any suggestions?

I'm just curious. Turn down the radio and tell me if you hear a whine in 4th gear... Only 4th gear. I had a very distinct whine in 4th gear along with the grind.

I've read some of the threads on the shift fork. and i'll assume i'm having a similar problem. when shifting from 3rd to 4th gear i hear a grinding/metal noise. it doesn't happen with any other gears. the car is in the shop today having the brake pads replaced and the dealer said his Service Manager didn't notice anything on the test ride.

any suggestions?

Give your Service Manager this link

http://www.miracleear.com/

My problems were 6th gear gone, 2nd gear grinds 5/10 times reverse would not engauge at times. Tranny was making weird sounds ect. Turns out that 2nd gear at teeth missing and other problems assoicated with the clutch pressure plate. It took them 2 weeks to order and rebuild the tranny. They replaced over 80% of the tranny parts. The tranny feels so good now, it had postive engauage ment it feels so good to drive and get intgo gear now ( lol).


ill post more once i find the paper work.

congrats on getting your car back. :D

Awesome. Now we need to get those springs on

Slims8 - I'll check for the whine over the weekend.

Nubo - that link is awesome.

My problems were 6th gear gone, 2nd gear grinds 5/10 times reverse would not engauge at times. Tranny was making weird sounds ect. Turns out that 2nd gear at teeth missing and other problems assoicated with the clutch pressure plate. It took them 2 weeks to order and rebuild the tranny. They replaced over 80% of the tranny parts. The tranny feels so good now, it had postive engauage ment it feels so good to drive and get intgo gear now ( lol).


ill post more once i find the paper work.
How many parts did they replace? I'm just curious what 80% is... I had 87 parts replaced in mine the first time, then replaced. It also sounds odd the clutch caused problems with the Transmission. I have suspected this for a while, but no one has said this was the case. I think this was a big part of my problem Good luck!

So are the trannies (6mt) in the 2005 cars better than the previous years?

Nick

Sorry if I am moving off topic here,
I have noticed on occasion when going into 3rd or 5th I have to pay attention as it seems to prefer going into 2nd and 4th respectively. I expect it is the close shift pattern, but a little disconcerting in the upper rev band. I am hoping this will loosen up as I get more milage on the car. I traded my Miata that I drove for seven years (beautiful gearbox), and drove an Rx7 for 10 years previously without this issue?

Wondering if perhaps it could be the linkage, and not sloppy shifting on my part? I do not feel I should have to consciously push the shifter to the right to engage a higher gear, but I have found this necessary with this car:confused:.

Any others out there that have noticed this?

Reboot

My tranny went tits up on me to the point where i didn't have 4th gear and was almost out 3rd gear too. Took it to the dealer and they said they didn't know what could have caused it but they basically wound up replaceing the whole transmission since the debris from the 3rd and 4th gear hubs chipped most of the other parts. Had about 4-5k on the car when it happened, at least my warrenty coverd it otherwise it would have been $2.3k to replace it all. Since then i havn't had any problems with the tranny and im hoping when i get back from this deployment its still working fine.

Hey guys, I'm sad to say that Ive become a new member of this transmission club. heres some info on my car.

2004 16,000 miles
build date 03/04

was merging on the freeway this morning in 3rd, stepped on the clutch to shift into 4th heard a clunk, felt some wheel hop in the rear, then the pedal was stiff as hell. couldnt get it out of gear. had mazda road side tow it to the dealership. *sniff sniff*

It looked soo sad while it sat on the flatbed.

my story...

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=57199

I Posted these in another thread but they obviously belong here:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote:
Originally Posted by NEWireless
I asked the dealer to change the MTF at 12,000 just to get any filings out of gearbox - asked dealer to put in Synthetic Gear Oil. Immediately after the car shifted very poorly.

Got Red Line MT-90 and the dealer put it in for free. Shifting was much better.

I now have 26k+mi on the car and also have the 2nd gear grinding when cold.

I've been driving manual "sport sedans" for the last 20 years. I don't race or red-line often and have never had this kind of transmission problem before.

Will mention the grinding the next time I'm at the dealer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was at the dealership today for an oil change and explained the shifting problem:

1. Grinds 1-2 when cold.
2. Difficult to down-shift.
3. Car needs to almost be stopped to get into first gear at a light.

They claimed the transmission "performed to manufacturers specifications".

Now the complaint's on the record.

More to come.

The cause may be due to a bent or cracked 1-2 shift fork. There is a repair procedure for this as well. The new part number for the fork is Y601-17-40XA. I haven't read the whole thread so sorry if I'm off.

Have your dealer research through ESI. I found it with no problem.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/esi_hardshift.jpg

I have 28,000 miles. Since new, the trans has been fantastically noisy at idle and in 1st. Its a rattling, whirring noise sounds like gears or rings rattling or worse still, some bearing running badly. I took it to the dealer to ask for advice. They dismissed it as "well, any transmission that has to take a 10,000 rpm input speed needs to be loose". What a load of bollocks huh? It seems they don`t know how a rotary engine operates in that the crank speed is not the same as the rotor speed etc, etc.

Anyone else suffering this crappy noisy tranny problem?

By they way, my door inner mechanisms rattle loudly all the time, every bump and every base beat on the stereo. I`m seriously thinking of selling this thing in disgust.

Tom :mad:

Well, I am now a member of the tranny gone club........:(. 15k. Up to this point the car has been flawless. No hints of anything going bad. I run RedLine in the tranny and rear end. Two days ago, I drove to work no issues. Got in to go home, fired her up, put her in reverse, no problems. Put her into first, no problem. Going down the driveway (12-25 mph) I try to shift into second and miss??? no way! I try again and it's takes some effort...."that's strange" I say to myself. I stop at end of driveway. First is fine.....go to second (with quite a bit of effort), third is harder than second...DAMN...."not the tranny curse!!!" Fourth hard as hell. fifth and sixth never happen. limp home in fourth while "on hold" with Mazda Roadside Assistance. Stop at the end of the driveway, get the mail. Now no first gear. holding the clutch in has vibration at the floor. Sometimes you can shut it down, put in in first, then try to start the car but it tries to launch forward.....arggggg!!!. We push it up in the drive. Flatbedded the next morning to the dealer.......we'll see....The lead mechanic knows me and the car and knows that it's taken care of. He told me, "don't fret, it'll be fine." Fingers crossed.:o

uh oh. when you changed out your oil...did you do it. or did you have a shop do it for you.? Made some small particle got in there. the tranny is so tight that a small peice of sand can mess it up somethign fierce. liek your main bearing coujdl go easily if this happened.

that's what my mechanic said could eb my issue...but most likly not b/c i have no problems driving..she's just making more and more noise ( ii know it' s a bearing going bad b/c i knwo what that sonds like)...but it's most likly my throwout bearing b/c of when it makes teh sound.


Good luck to you i hop e nothing major has to be done to your baby. but at least you are still under warrenty:D good luck

Well, I am now a member of the tranny gone club........:( Fingers crossed.:o

Phlash69 -- do you have any update?
When Charles & I was installing my ACT Prolite Flywheel, the original flywheel had (2) loose bolts holding it on. I was hoping that is what your mechanic found, rather than needing a new tranny.

Also, with your mods done, do they give you any grief on warranty issues like this?

Got it back from Jim Ellis Wednesday. Turns out a rivit on the clutch hub had broken and the center hub broke loose releasing the clutch hub and springs. They stated to me that the clutch looked brand new and had no signs of abuse (which it shouldn't) and went to bat for me with Mazda and replaced it under warranty. They feel it was defective. An issue that I have always had was that third gear and reverse were always hit or miss it terms of sometimes hard to engage. That issue is totally gone. drives better than it originally did. Can't help but wonder if i had a problem all along and just lived with it not knowing any better. I'm very happy with the work and with Jim Ellis Mazda Service.

No grief from them on the mods. Just becuase they exist doesn't mean they can deny warranty work. They have to show that a mod caused the issue to deny (Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act). They welcomed the car with open arms. It helped that they know charlie and that he did the mazdaspeed flywheel.

At ~7000 miles, I started to notice when at a dead stop with the car in neutral, when I put the car into 1st, there was abit of resistance, and then a thump when engaged. If I "carefully" tried to feather the car into first, I would not get the thump.

My previous "good" Service Manager told me to monitor the situation and let him know if it gets worse. Well 7000 more miles, the problem is starting to worsen, where it is now difficult to even "gently" place the car in gear from neutral without the thump.

Asked my "new, I really don't want to get involved in something I don't understand" serive manager to check it out. (Old "good" SM's dealership closed down) He sits in the car and dupilcates the problem "oh, yeah, I hear it" So, I ask him to check it out when my car is in for the PCM flash. When I go to pick up the car, his response "All the Rx-8's do this" ......Huh? Nothing even on the ticket to state anyone spent any time against it.

I've only driven one other Rx-8, and there was no issue with neutral to first. Before I go back in there to make an issue of this, do anyone else have this "condition"?

Thanks for the replys

P.S. I have no other transmission/clutch issues such as described in this thread.

At ~7000 miles, I started to notice when at a dead stop with the car in neutral, when I put the car into 1st, there was abit of resistance, and then a thump when engaged. If I "carefully" tried to feather the car into first, I would not get the thump.


I have this thump as well. If I step and hold on the clutch a little longer before going to first, it would go in without any sound. It felt like there's some lag with the clutch or something. I've read this before and the general consensus is it's "normal". Perhaps those who recently replaced their transmission can give some feedback on this.

I don't mind taking the time when I'm fourth in line a light or something like that, but when I'm the lead car, and the light turns green and you quickly put the car in gear, I can't avoid the thunk.....I'm just wondering what knd of damage this is doing to the car :confused:

my car just had its tranny rebuilt and i do can of still hear a noise going into 2nd so i just keep the r pms low until the car is warmed up after that no problem and i do exp the seems like its a wall when shifting but i do believe i have to break in all the parts since most of them are new like 80 parts or something crazy.

Well unfortunately, I'm now experiencing grinding into 5th gear at highway speeds. Seems to only happen on downshifting. It grinds a bit and the pops into gear, completely unlike any other gear :(

I don't know why I didn't get a new tranny from day one but I know I'm sending a nice little letter explaining ALL of my transmission problems along with ALL of my dissatisfaction with this miserable transmission.

I have had a time with my 8 in terms of the clutch/ transmission. I have had it in 5 times to remedy the thump in getting into first gear. Finally the dealer replaced the clutch and machined the flywheel. Now, it's obvious second gear synchro is not quite working. It will probably be another 5 trips. Any evedience of a TSB for 2nd gear problems? GH

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.

I have the same problem with that 1st gear thump. Same symptoms too. If I wait a while no thump. I remember reading that the hydrualic line for the clutch fluid was rubber and might be expanding (by a very small amount but obviously enough to cause a lag). could explain why it doesn't do that if you wait a bit. I was thinking of installing a metal braided line to see what happens.

I also have the notchy shifting into 2nd and 3rd. Irritates me a bit. I'm gonna try putting some redline in the next couple of weeks. anybody taken the car in for this problem and had good results?

Man, that sucks. How many miles are on it? Was there any indication before the failure? Was the shift that killed it a particularly hard shift?

how do i know if I am having these problems? please help... dont know mcu bout cars

Well, last night i was cruising, and i attempted to take it up to 7K in first and then shift into second, only to find out that my car said no and decided that it didnt want to find 2nd gear. What is going on? It felt as if there was something blocking the path from 1st to 2nd. 2nd gear has been giving me hell from the get go. And it also seems that no matter how soft i let out the clutch when i do actually find the gear, it bucks a little bit shifting at 3.5KRPM. Shifting from 1st to 2nd is a real pain at higher RPM. 2005 RX-8 with 3k Miles on it. :mad:

^ what is the build date? [on the label when you open the drivers door, on the door jam]

Date: 10/04

Build Date: 07/03
Current Milage: 22,000

1st Incident (15,000 miles): Second to third gear crunch and third to fourth grind.
Resolution: tranny rebuild (syncros and gears)

2nd Incident (21,000 miles): first to second crunch and second to first SEVERE grind (started at only 30+ mph downshifts, but gradually became an issue at almost 5mph).
Resolution: a second tranny rebuild for the syncros (and some other misc parts)

My take on the situation--replacing the same faulty parts with the same exact parts indicates emminent syncro failure, not that I expect them to already have engineered new syncros for the tranny.

Here's my entire list of issues:
15K - Tranny rebuild due to syncro issues
19K - Engine replaced due to severe compression loss (caused by premature apex seal wear)
19K - Check engine light flashing, no codes found
20K - Check engine light still flashing/on, codes for "Engine Misfire" logged and "Auxiliary Port Motor stuck". APM was replaced
21K - Tranny rebuild due to syncros again
21K - Check engine light still flashing/on with same engine misfire code, Mazda said to replace the coil packs (we'll see if this works...)

Maybe it's just that I have an early build date... ;) One day she'll be right...hopefully...

Build Date: 07/03
Current Milage: 22,000

1st Incident (15,000 miles): Second to third gear crunch and third to fourth grind.
Resolution: tranny rebuild (syncros and gears)

2nd Incident (21,000 miles): first to second crunch and second to first SEVERE grind (started at only 30+ mph downshifts, but gradually became an issue at almost 5mph).
Resolution: a second tranny rebuild for the syncros (and some other misc parts)

My take on the situation--replacing the same faulty parts with the same exact parts indicates emminent syncro failure, not that I expect them to already have engineered new syncros for the tranny.

Here's my entire list of issues:
15K - Tranny rebuild due to syncro issues
19K - Engine replaced due to severe compression loss (caused by premature apex seal wear)
19K - Check engine light flashing, no codes found
20K - Check engine light still flashing/on, codes for "Engine Misfire" logged and "Auxiliary Port Motor stuck". APM was replaced
21K - Tranny rebuild due to syncros again
21K - Check engine light still flashing/on with same engine misfire code, Mazda said to replace the coil packs (we'll see if this works...)

Maybe it's just that I have an early build date... ;) One day she'll be right...hopefully...


dang now i dont feel so bad...sheesh

Build Date: 07/03
Current Milage: 22,000

1st Incident (15,000 miles): Second to third gear crunch and third to fourth grind.
Resolution: tranny rebuild (syncros and gears)

2nd Incident (21,000 miles): first to second crunch and second to first SEVERE grind (started at only 30+ mph downshifts, but gradually became an issue at almost 5mph).
Resolution: a second tranny rebuild for the syncros (and some other misc parts)

My take on the situation--replacing the same faulty parts with the same exact parts indicates emminent syncro failure, not that I expect them to already have engineered new syncros for the tranny.

Here's my entire list of issues:
15K - Tranny rebuild due to syncro issues
19K - Engine replaced due to severe compression loss (caused by premature apex seal wear)
19K - Check engine light flashing, no codes found
20K - Check engine light still flashing/on, codes for "Engine Misfire" logged and "Auxiliary Port Motor stuck". APM was replaced
21K - Tranny rebuild due to syncros again
21K - Check engine light still flashing/on with same engine misfire code, Mazda said to replace the coil packs (we'll see if this works...)

Maybe it's just that I have an early build date... ;) One day she'll be right...hopefully...


This is EERIE to me...Some dude had a very similar issue.

here my story

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=64741

if you guys have a chance. please take a look at this.

http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.php?t=65240

interested in buying a 8...but hearing these transmission problems makes me worry....

does this problem occurs only to d early build models??

has this problem been solved for d 05's? but with "whatisapiston"'s build date at 10/04 i m really worried..

can anyone give me an insight.....much appreciated..

interested in buying a 8...but hearing these transmission problems makes me worry....

does this problem occurs only to d early build models??

has this problem been solved for d 05's? but with "whatisapiston"'s build date at 10/04 i m really worried..

can anyone give me an insight.....much appreciated..

Naw man, my bad forgot to give an update. Turns out i was just a n00b. The noises i was hearing is a common thing with the transmission. It was the throw out bearing noise. Also, the bucking that i was speaking about was just me letting the clutch out too fast. My bad. Also, shifting from 1st to 2nd was giving resistance because i was kind of pulling the knob toward me and down instead of straight down, also my bad. I dont see any problems from my transmission. 2005 Rx8

mazdaspeedgirl, did you get the tranny fixed under the warranty??? because they are giving me a bunch o crap. also all these incidents are happening on early build mines its 08/2003 etc
im really about to give up and just pay for it myself cause i havent got my car for a month and a half.

Now don't take this the wrong way, but it's a sports car with sports transmission which is built to take 10000 revs and 250 hp, which inevitably has an impact on usability compared with a < 100hp town car.

It IS ok to downshift into 1st if you rev match and/or double-dc. OTOH it's hard to shift into 1st in pretty much any car if you DON'T do that. (And you need to do this in Alpine passes, trust me.) Remember 1st is good for almost 40mph when driving hard, and also remember this car doesn't like revs below 3000, which is too fast for merging traffic queues in 2nd and is too fast for some steep inclines, so sometimes you gotta. (Especially when you're following a truck crawling up a pass at bottom of their 2nd gear. Rather climb at 4k in 1st than lurch lurch lurch at 2500k in 2nd.)

Also the car has so little engine braking you need to do descents in 1st if travelling anything less than 25mph.

I time upshifts and downshifts, and I use heel and toe and/or a blip, and I never ever have any of these problems. Coincidence? You decide... but when deciding remember my car has standard lube and is used on the track.

I don't double dc except going from 2nd to 1st at low speeds, and getting into 1st, and don't think this box has the need to do so either.

Now the problem I DO have - going across the box (say 6th to 4th or 4th to 2nd or 5th to 3rd) can be tricky physically - I think the gate or engine is moving slightly under torque so it's not quite where I expect it to be. I'm going to invest in a torque brace for the lump and see if that helps. (5th to 3rd is standard practice for an overtake on UK single carriageway roads>)

I hate to have to add to this thread, but now I'm having to take my '04 in for problems shifting into 4th gear. I was driving around this weekend and it did not feel "right" going into 4th....sort of like when the shift lever was pulled all the way back it still wasn't all the way back. Anyway....driving along, shift from 3rd to 4th.....GRINDING NOISES..... Later, when shifting into 4th, a little hesitation, a LOUD clunk, then into 4th. The next day I was driving...all seemed mostly normal (still felt not quite in gear when in 4th). Then my wife has to take the car out for errands and comes back telling me what terrible noises she heard when shifting into 4th gear! So no, it's not my overworked imagination either.

I'm not an MT newb. I've been driving MT for over 20 years (never really liked AT) and never had any tranny probs. I don't race it, I don't abuse it, and it barely has 11K miles.

The dealership's service dept. opens at 7:30 am and I'll be there today dropping it off. They've always been pretty good to me about getting me a rental while the 8 is in the shop. I'm also going to tell them about my squeaky front brakes and request the latest computer re-flash. I'll update you all on the prognosis once I get more info.

Oh....and I picked up my 8 in August '04 (early VIN).

what kind of oil do I use to put in the 8? I started using the synthetic oil because thats what the dealer told me but when I took it for my 3k oil change they said that Im not suppose to put synthetic on a rotor engine.please help!

what kind of oil do I use to put in the 8? I started using the synthetic oil because thats what the dealer told me but when I took it for my 3k oil change they said that Im not suppose to put synthetic on a rotor engine.please help!
Why is this in a Transmission thread? Please delete your post and do a search for "synthetic oil" You will find about 1,000 posts on the subject.

Just a quick update. The dealership just called. Their tech verified that there is a problem with the MT and they will be pulling the transmission tomorrow. They will update me again tomorrow as to the severity and how long the repairs might take. At least they are springing for a brand new Pontiac G6 rental car (only 7 miles on it when I picked it up). It's not an 8, but it's not bad for a rental. Also while I was driving it to the dealership this morning 3rd gear started crunching/grinding when shifting up from 2nd. I'm a sad boy :-(

I went by U Mazda here in Seattle that just opened a new buiding yesterday, and said "I should stop in sometime" that being said made my way onto the freeway heading home, I shift through all my gears, and go to get into 6th, and it wont shift into 6th, no grinding, nothing, its like its a 5speed with no spot for 6th for the shifter to go into... so i pull off the next exit in 5th, to a parking lot, go through all my gears at a stop, 1st - 5th work, reverse works great... its like it was normal, no 6th. like something blocking the shift. I guess I *WILL* go see the U Mazda place... I had their tech drive it, same thing, so first thing this morning, Im dropping off my Rex to be diagnosed =(

Just Dropped it off, also with printouts for the heat recall, R Flash, and Balljoint issue, he's like, can I just have those papers? lol.

Got a call from Fairbanks Mazda today. They pulled the transmission and have ordered new parts (they did not give me the list). The car might be ready by Thursday.

My dealer just called and said they are pulling the Tranny too =(


Got a call from Fairbanks Mazda today. They pulled the transmission and have ordered new parts (they did not give me the list). The car might be ready by Thursday.

Just got my baby back this afternoon. Apparently the parts needed to repair the transmission were on back order, so they just went ahead and replaced the entire transmission! WOO HOO! They also gave me the latest ECU reflash and took care of the squeaky front brakes. My service advisor (Jim Couch) at Fairbanks Mazda in Longwood, FL is the BEST!

i dont get this lol how easy your service centers just get stuff done. lol i hate the bronx.

Yea aparently mine wasnt a big issue afterall...

They said "Debris was stuck in the shifter" although they didnt tell me what the debris was or how it got there, they did tell me it was a common enough occurance where Mazda had documentation on it though...

:Shrug:

It works fine now...

Oh yes...forgot about the recall....mine is included in the heat shield recall but the parts are on backorder. When they come in they will let me know and schedule a time to install them.

marlin mazda said they will replace entire tranny only once mazda wont cover it but they will foot the bill. so i have to sign paper work saying its a good will gesture and will not happen agian.


p.s they said shifting the car at 6500 rpms is abuse and i should be in 3rd gear by then. I told them its a sports car that they advertise teh 9000 redline and cant expect peopel to go there is bullshit i said if the car had tq i would not need to rev it up high rpms.

i agree theres something wrong with the syncro,s my third and forth were redone at 11,000 now my second gear is going, i drive the way this car should be drivin, been driving standards for 6 years havent seen this problem so bad before.

My trans. makes noise, though I think it's the clutch, because in neutral at idle I hear a raucus coming from the bell-housing. When I push the clutch in it goes away until I release it again. Noticed it with about 4-k miles on it, but could have been doing it sooner as I bought the car with 3-k miles on it. I didn't notice it at first because I was too busy listening to the engine and exhaust. I want to take it in to the Mazda dealer, but just have not been willing to give the car up yet. :D Now it's getting louder and I may not have a choice much longer. :mad:

My trans. makes noise, though I think it's the clutch, because in neutral at idle I hear a raucus coming from the bell-housing. When I push the clutch in it goes away until I release it again. Noticed it with about 4-k miles on it, but could have been doing it sooner as I bought the car with 3-k miles on it. I didn't notice it at first because I was too busy listening to the engine and exhaust. I want to take it in to the Mazda dealer, but just have not been willing to give the car up yet. :D Now it's getting louder and I may not have a choice much longer. :mad:

Just make sure you get it checked before 12K miles, or they'll try to screw you like they doing to me. I have a rattling sound in neutral with the clutch out, and they're telling me it may not be warranty work, because certain parts of the clutch are considered 'wear items', which aren't covered. I have never abused my clutch, and I'm getting this BS.

Thanks khoney for mentioning the mileage of 12k. Yes, I seem to recall this is an important juncture because when I bought my car the finance manager pitched their extended warranty to me. I believe, she in this case, was recommending a "CNA" warranty for about $1400, but I declined. She said I could still purchase the warranty up to but not past 12-k miles. From what I know the CNA plan covers everything under the sun, and no dealer ever has a problem getting repairs approved with this particular warranty corporation.

Sorry to hear that you are getting B.S. regarding your clutch. I believe your clutch is doing the same thing mine is, and I haven't abused mine either. If I was always dropping the clutch hard or speed shifting or something that's one thing, but it seems dealers assume people lie about their driving habits and don't care what us customers tell them. That's just the way it is, but even so, you would think they would try to help a customer out just to secure a business relationship that could be beneficial down the road. Wouldn't you be loyal to them if they had your back? I know I would, but that's just me. Anyways, I'm getting carried away here, sorry. Later. :D

Just thought I would let everyone know that I too am getting a new tranny at 19,000 miles. I just bought the car two months ago, and then last week second gear started being testy, took to the dealer, and now will recieve new tranny next week.

Hey guys I'm new to the forum. I have a 2004 8 and I've already had to rebuild the tranny once. I do race it and I admit that I've grinded a couple times shifting from 1st to 2nd, but I don't understand how I have friends with hondas, grind their cars lots of times and nothing happens to their cars, but I do it a couple times and I have to get it rebuilt. I've heard that RX8 has the Miata tranny is that true? I've also heard that RX7 has a more robust tranny, would that tranny work on the Renesis 13b? I know its a 5 speed, and since the 8 is a 6 does that mean the Rx7 tranny is geared higher? Basically I'm tired of all these problems I've had and would like some feedback from you guys. You know tranny swaps, driving tips, ect... I love my car and thats the only thing that disappoints me with it.

My trans. makes noise, though I think it's the clutch, because in neutral at idle I hear a raucus coming from the bell-housing. When I push the clutch in it goes away until I release it again. Noticed it with about 4-k miles on it, but could have been doing it sooner as I bought the car with 3-k miles on it. I didn't notice it at first because I was too busy listening to the engine and exhaust. I want to take it in to the Mazda dealer, but just have not been willing to give the car up yet. :D Now it's getting louder and I may not have a choice much longer. :mad:

Although it doesn't sound right, its normal. Complained about the same thing and actually tried it on a brand new car at the dealer, exact same noises. Its Normal. Weird, but normal. No ill affects after 20K Miles. My second gear still sucks the bag when its cold and it kinds grinds are doesn't go in smoothly at all. After its warmed up, its fine.

04 8 with 24K miles. Last week I noticed a grinding like noise when ever I shift into 5th (doesnt matter is its from 4th to 5th or from 6th to 5th). I did notice that if I were to shift into 5th very slowly the noise would not occur. Any ideas? I will be bringing it into the dealer next week and will keep you up to date.

04 8 with 24K miles. Last week I noticed a grinding like noise when ever I shift into 5th (doesnt matter is its from 4th to 5th or from 6th to 5th). I did notice that if I were to shift into 5th very slowly the noise would not occur. Any ideas? I will be bringing it into the dealer next week and will keep you up to date.

Identical thing happened to me. They had to drop the tranny and replace the 5th gear syncros. Hasn't happened since they fixed it, but 2nd gear when cold is a problem as I mentioned below.

Identical thing happened to me. They had to drop the tranny and replace the 5th gear syncros. Hasn't happened since they fixed it, but 2nd gear when cold is a problem as I mentioned below.

I had the same problem with another car I use to own and was told to try a different oil weight. For cold temperatues try using a thinner weight.

Identical thing happened to me. They had to drop the tranny and replace the 5th gear syncros. Hasn't happened since they fixed it, but 2nd gear when cold is a problem as I mentioned below.

Ohh yeah more than likely its the syncros because today (after I read this very helpful thread) I noticed it only makes the grinding sound (or at least most noticable) when shifting into 5th at higher rpm. I will be dropping it off at the dealer tomorrow morning and will keep you guys posted.

I had the same problem with another car I use to own and was told to try a different oil weight. For cold temperatues try using a thinner weight.

I actually did put in lighter 100% (redline) synthetic, it actually felt worse unless it was a very hot day. Its weird. I think its the syncros that are garbage on these cars, at least on mine (2004). Maybe they improved them on the 05 and 06. Many stupid little things with this car, but man does it ride well, sound great and look great.

Ok the Mazda dealer is telling me that this 5th gear grind is normal and that they test drove some 05 models on their lot and they make the same sound?!?! I'm going to try to test drive one of these 05 models on the lot to verify it for myself. At any rate I feel as if they are jerking me around so im requesting a descriptive paper trail explaing the issues with the gear so if this were to fester later in the future i'll have paper work to back it up.

Ok, first post here. I searched but couldn't find anything like my problem. I too have the grind into second and tough shifts into 4th, and noisy throw-out, and can somewhat deal with those until the blow, my issue is this: I can get the car into first at higher than 10mph, but it does grind and clunk when it engages. As the transmission starts to spin up or whatever it is that catches up to the motor before you relese the clutch, I can actually feel my car shake and shiver under me. Kinda like something is not balanced. Does anyone else have this issue? Anyone know what the heck this might be? Thanks Oh, I have 2800 miles and no mods whatsoever.

I also have this problem. my third gear grinds going in (with the clutch on the floor of course) and also going into fourth gear. (also with the clutch on the floor). kindof sucks. the dealer says that if they can't duplicate the concern under normal driving conditions then warrenty can't do anything. They also called tech and said that nothing could be done under warrenty.


I JUST WANT TO DRIVE MY CAR THE WAY IT SHOULD BE DRIVEN!!!! AAAHHHH!!!

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

Mine is grinding going into 2nd. I figured it was a clutch problem, but I guess it could be syncros.

the tranny is definitely one of the weakest links in the car, for several hundred dollars more they could have beefed it up to take all the abuse you could have thrown at it

the tranny is definitely one of the weakest links in the car, for several hundred dollars more they could have beefed it up to take all the abuse you could have thrown at itI was just thinking, now that you mentioned it :rolleyes:, how would a consumer go about getting a tranny beefed up for a resonable amount of dough??

Well we can't really, Mazda needed to due it up front through the overall design, what we have is a enhanced similar version of the Miata manual trans :rolleyes:

So there are no companies that will take a core and return it to you, nitrided, or cyrotreated? I realize this would cost more than a new tranny, but it would be tougher. I really dont even know where to start looking.

40,000mi and still not right...

Took the 8 into 128 Mazda again about the 1st to 2nd grinding. Told them it was worst when cold. Left the car overnight for them to check in the morning (about 30F).

They admited that there was a problem (finally), but said that Mazda NA just told them to put in different fluid!

Very frustrating!

I Posted these in another thread but they obviously belong here:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Quote:
Originally Posted by NEWireless
I asked the dealer to change the MTF at 12,000 just to get any filings out of gearbox - asked dealer to put in Synthetic Gear Oil. Immediately after the car shifted very poorly.

Got Red Line MT-90 and the dealer put it in for free. Shifting was much better.

I now have 26k+mi on the car and also have the 2nd gear grinding when cold.

I've been driving manual "sport sedans" for the last 20 years. I don't race or red-line often and have never had this kind of transmission problem before.

Will mention the grinding the next time I'm at the dealer.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Was at the dealership today for an oil change and explained the shifting problem:

1. Grinds 1-2 when cold.
2. Difficult to down-shift.
3. Car needs to almost be stopped to get into first gear at a light.

They claimed the transmission "performed to manufacturers specifications".

Now the complaint's on the record.

More to come.

You could try Werner (old Talarico) or Tulley up the road from you or Autex out in Keene but I think your going to get the same basic response. Since dealers don't have full access to each others service records info you might want to try for the heck of it. Once MNAO makes a pronouncement, the dealer (128 Mazda in your case) will be towing that corporate line.

Mine has 60K plus on it now and have had exactly the same experience as you when first heading out with a cold tranny. Since the condition resolves itself fairly quickly once there are a few miles of driving on it I've made the mental adjustment to compensate for the cold condition quirks.

ps - my '93 twin turbo RX-7 performed in exactly the same manner when cold.

Thank you for the reply and advice.

I just can't believe this condition is OK.

In 25 years of owning Manual Transmission cars from VW, Honda, BMW and Audi I have never had one that would grind like this RX-8.

I though this was supposed to be a close-ratio, performance transmission, but the recommendation I see repeatedly is to shift slowly or double-clutch.

I'm not racing, and I rarely run the engine up to the "beep", there's no reason I can conceive that this transmission should grind when cold and be generally notchy and stiff in general.

Oh my, I have some of these problems myself. From day one I felt that there was a problem with the cluch. Very rattly in nutral with the cluch pedal out. Dealers said it was normal. (I have a 05' with just over 4k). Sometimes it sounds chunky and very stiff when I'm shifting into 2 on the fly aswell as when I'm sitting at a light. The sound we all hear when it's in nutral, I hear at high rpm when shifting into second but intensified. A rattle sound. When I'm turning into my parking stall (turning left a very low speed, 1st gear) I sometimes hear a clunking sound aswell as rattling. It sounds like something moving around that should'nt be. All these things are all inconsistant and dont happed everytime I'm in the car but they seem to be happening more often lately. I have to be honest here and say most of my shifting happens around 7-8rpm. I take it to the beep maybe once a day unless I'm really feeling racey. Like others have stated, the car is made for this type of performance. As far as oils and lubes go, I've used nothing but the recomended oil to top it up and have had only one oil change since the car was new. If the month of production is important I'll get that info, On the door you say?The next time im in for service I'm going to iquire about these things a see what they have to say. :scared:

Mt 2nd gear really is gringy/clumnky when its cold for the first 15 minutes. Its driving me nuts. Everytime I bring it in to the dealership, they claim not to hear the grind. That's because its relatively warm when they try it. I'll have to leave it at the dealership overnight in their parking lot and then drive with him in the morning to prove it.

The only way to avoid the gring is to shift slowly between 1st and second. Kinda like pull it out of first, pause, then put it in to 2nd.

As for the rattling with clutch out, I checked that with a brand spanking new RX8 at the dealership. It did the exact same thing. I guess you have to live with the noise. It hasn't gotten worse over 30,ooo KM's for me so I don't care so much and just live with it.

Mt 2nd gear really is gringy/clumnky when its cold for the first 15 minutes. Its driving me nuts. Everytime I bring it in to the dealership, they claim not to hear the grind. That's because its relatively warm when they try it. I'll have to leave it at the dealership overnight in their parking lot and then drive with him in the morning to prove it.

The only way to avoid the gring is to shift slowly between 1st and second. Kinda like pull it out of first, pause, then put it in to 2nd.

As for the rattling with clutch out, I checked that with a brand spanking new RX8 at the dealership. It did the exact same thing. I guess you have to live with the noise. It hasn't gotten worse over 30,ooo KM's for me so I don't care so much and just live with it.

I have been complaining to my dealership about this issue for 2 years now (41kmi now). They have tried various MT fluids without improvement and I used RedLine MT-90 with slightly better results.

I finally left the car overnight for the dealer to check when cold. They admitted that the transmission was "stiff" from 1st to 2nd and after consultation with MNAO they just changed the MT fluid again!

They claim that the transmission is "performing within design specs".

I have been complaining to my dealership about this issue for 2 years now (41kmi now). They have tried various MT fluids without improvement and I used RedLine MT-90 with slightly better results.

I finally left the car overnight for the dealer to check when cold. They admitted that the transmission was "stiff" from 1st to 2nd and after consultation with MNAO they just changed the MT fluid again!

They claim that the transmission is "performing within design specs".

What a F...king joke. Not sure if I can live with this anymore if they don't fix it. Too bad the car feels, rides and looks sodam good. It makes it difficult to trade for something else. I'll do the dealer thing one more time, and let you know if I made any progress.


Regards,

had mine towed today.....wont go into gear any more

I was having grinding in lower gears, especially when down shifting. The car has 15K miles and I have been using Royal Purple since about 3K miles. I took it to the Mazda dealer for a flooding issue (different story) and they confirmed that the tranny was not right. They have had the car for a little over a week ordering parts and trying to rebuild the tranny. On Friday they gave up rebuilding it and will be replacing it with a new tranny after their Mechanic talked to Mazda. I asked why they were sending it back and was told that Mazda wanted to look at it for further study.

Hopefully I should get the car back by Wed/Thur. of this week - keeping fingers crossed.

Bones, keep us posted. Curious to see how the new one goes.

Got the car back from the dealer with the new tranny. I have to give some kudos to University Mazda as they put in Redline at no cost.

Impressions - shifts are nice and smooth, sometimes it feels a little sticky when trying to shift into gears, but it may just need to be broken in a bit. The best part is that it no longer grinds when downshifting.

I also had the dealer put in the MZ flywheel while they were swapping the tran. All I can say is that I should of done this as my first mod. What a difference. It puts a smile on face every time I step on it.

i got 15k mi and rattles are execeseve.the only grind problem with grinding i have is when it cold it wont fully go into reverse and grinds when clutch is released.and some time when shift in to 3rd but never into 2nd

Ok... is there somebody that has any ideas on how we can start putting everyone together? There are too many people having problems and Mazda is acting way too weird about this! Every time I have had problems with my clutch/transmission they say "We aren't sure what happened. We've never had any problems like this before". Is anybody willing to help me compile all of this stuff? I think this could be big for a pretty high percentage of us.


Hey. I also have the same problem with my tranny. I thought it was just me but I see now that alot of us has the same problem. I may just go to the dealership on monday and see if they can fix it. I hope they pay for the problem. It's not my fault my tranny actin up. I have about 26,000 or so on my car and had it since May '04.

Grind, grind, grind - everyone posts about grinding........

I seem to remember reading sometime in the past 6 months about the MT transmission making a chirping sound, like a bird. Mine had just begun doing that when I first turn it on in the morning. Chirps a bit in reverse as I back up, then chirps a bit as I ease forward in first. The sound stops when I push in the clutch and I never hear it again until the following morning.

I'm at 6/7 months and 9,000 miles. Planning to see the dealer on Wed/Thu next week. Anyone remember the chirping problem?

Hey all. My transmission makes a scrapinng/grinding noise at high RPMS. From 6k to 9k rpms, there is a scraping sound at about .5 second intervals. This applies to gears 1-3, i haven't tried 4-6 yet due to legal speed issues. So, I took it into Mazda, and they said it was just bearing noise that every Mazda has. I dunno, that sounds kind of fishy to me. So, is this a legit problem with my transmission or is Mazda right and this is just normal?

That's strange, but my sinchros grind in high rpms from 3rd to 4th shifts, and I may have a silicone seal leak cus sumtimes after I drive it smells like burning rubber, not clutch, and underneath the car is like 1 or 2 little black dripplet spots.

ok welp i just noticws that my cae grinds second upon an aggresive downshift even if i rev match now if i let rpms drop it will go in smooth. i don't get it i'm gonna try the ss clutch line. than i dunno wut to do. any ideas?

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.
Is that Mazdaspeed Stainless Steel Clutch line a solid line or a braded line? I ask because I'm bringing my 8 to the dealer tomorrow and if he finds any filings in the gear oil (which I'm sure he will) he said they will just replace the tranny with a new one,,, but if the clutch line is a contributing factor in the problem I will pick it up and have them install it while the tranny is out.

OK,,, Heres the skinny on the roomer of a TSB for the second gear trouble; U will not find this under a TSB. only mazda deareships can get this because it need a code or something. But,, it's under the heading of MTOL-4254 Dealer Repair Information 'HARD TO SHIFT, NO SHIFT 1-2, 2-1'. and states that there are some MT's that experience shifting concerns in and out of 2nd to 1st. and that the cause may be a cracked or bent 1-2 shift fork. there was a list of things the dealer has to go through like verification of problem, checking PP bolts, before taking the tranny apart for visual inspection and so on... There was also something about a stroger shift fork to be installed. So, I don't think they will give U a problem if U have a mod exaust and cold air but again that all depends on the dealer.
Grey

Here's the info in pdf form.

http://www.finishlineperformance.com/rx8/docs/pdf/hard_to_shift.pdf

today when i was trying to shift from 1st to 2nd at around 7500 rpm, it was stuck in neutral until it dropped to 4000 rpm. i know there is something wrong because its the same as my reverse gear. you would really have to put a lot of force into it to get it into gear. anyways...i tried it a few more times at 8000 rpm from 1st to 2nd and i really had to use a lot of force to get it into second gear. the problem is that i went to the dealer like 2 weeks ago and told them my reverse gear is very hard to get into and they said its normal. they told me if it happens again i just have to go in and out of the reverse gear. in my mind i was like bullshit!! so this time im just going to go back and tell them my 2nd gear and reverse gear are acting the same. i dont know what else to do if they still tell me its normal because the problem doesnt occur all the time. it occurs most of the time though.

Yo SiLVeRE8,, go here.......http://www.rx8club.com/showthread.p...ork#post1055735

thanks but link doesnt work

Haven't read this entire thread. Will take a while to go through it. Just adding my two cents here.

Dealership replaced tranmission. The awful "dentist drill" noise in 6th gear now greatly reduced. Unfortunately the noise wasn't entirely eliminated. Sounds in 6th still drive me nuts.

Newest noise appears to be a faulty heat shield. Whatever it is makes quite an interesting rattle.

Read the April consumer reports. RX8 did pretty well except for "noise" category. I can certainly relate to that area of concern:cussing: