Seriously - I know where it is 'supposed' to be in my '05 MT car. Occassionally, the bugger just won't shift into reverse! One would think Mazda could make this a more distinctive 'click click'.

Anyone else having this issue/solution?

 

not at all .. quite amazed with it actually .. every time i think i just put it in 6th it is in r

 

Did you push down on the shift ****? I haven't missed reverse yet (knock on wood).

 

I sometimes think it's locked into reverse and it's only half way in, so soon as I give it gas, I hear a buzzing sound as the engine spins it.

 

me too on that one - there are occasions when the gears don't mesh & I have to take it out of gear , let off the clutch then back in with the clutch & try again.

 

+1 That's happened to me a couple times, usually when I am not paying as much attention.

 

Honest - I know how to drive. But there are times when reverse is just impossible to lock into. There is no reaction to the depression of the shift ***, no click-click and only 6th gear to be found. It seems to hapen most often when the car is hot. Odd.

 

get a short shifter. you will feel it "click-click"

 

put it in first then into reverse.

 

ditto. plus it takes a few tries to get it to go in. Very occasionally it is so bad that I have to put it into 1st and roll forward a bit. That seems to do the trick and it slips into reverse easily.

 

same here....gotta engage first sometimes which is not helpful when there's a wall/car in front of you. i never grind the gears anymore as i can tell when it's engaged or not. it's just one of those quirks we have to deal with.

 

OK, thanks for the tip. First 1st, then Reverse. I can remember that one. Glad I'm not the only one having this curious problem.

BTW - the 'Sqealing Brake ' TSB was performed this week and the car is now quiet and brakes like a champ. I couldn't be happier.

 

reverse doesn't have a synchro...it's a dogged toothed gear (hence the loud noise when driving in reverse). dogged tooth gears are stronger but noisy. get in the habit of sticking it 3rd (or any other gear) and THEN into reverse.

first gear can also act the same, although different reasons. if that happens, shift into 2nd and then first...get into the habit.

all cars do this.