My 04 8 is giving me a hard knock when I shift into first gear. It happends about 75% of the time. Took it to a Mazda dealer and they said that they could not replicate the problem.

I can get it instantly and hear a very hard knock almost thru out the whole car.

Any idea what it can be. It only happends in first gear. All the rest of the gears shifts smoothly with no problem.

 

I guess it can be a clunk. I just don't know how to describe the noise though. But all I know is that you can actually feel it.

No, this happends even when the car has warmed up and even after an hour of driving.

I think either Mazda dealers really suck and don't know anything about cars or they are just plain lazy and don't want to troubleshoot the problem.

I just can't believe that they can't feel it cause it does happend about 75% of the time.

But if anyone may have an idea as to what it is, please let me know. Can it be the clutch even though the car is only two years old. Just got the car about two and half months ago with about 36000 miles on it.

Don't know how the previous owner drove it so can't really point if its the clutch or not.

 

Well my 8 has less than 1200 miles and has done it since I bought the car two weeks ago. I think it's more of a thud feeling in the gear shift, but does not have much noise from it when it happens. You can definately feel it though. Also on ocassion it will not go into first, after the tranny is warmed up. I have to put it into second gear then goto first when this happens. I think it may be poor shifter alignment. Probably just a normal characteristic of this vehicle. I want my 93 RX-7 tranny, that tranny was strong.

 

why didnt you demonstrate the issue for the service writer or tech?

 

just got an '05 Ti Gray on friday, and it has 29K on it... it definately clunks going into first from neutral at the stop light.... I don't think it is anything to worry about, but I am the noob here...

-C

 

Try the following. Put the car in neutral and let the clutch out. Put the clutch in and Immediatly put the car in first gear. It will make the clunking noise. Next put the car in neutral and push the clutch in for 20 or 30 seconds, then put it in gear. It won't make the clunking noise.

I know what you mean, the whole car actually 'bumps' forwards a little. The clunking noise is actually the momentum of the input shaft and gears of the transmission coming to a stop as you engage first gear. I don't know if it is normal, but my car has done it since 200 miles when i bought it. I now have 3k on the clock.

 

That makes some sense, and again, I don't think it is anything to worry about...
My buddy here at work has a newer '05 than me, and also has the same clunks into first...

-C