Ok car is an 04 with 60k on it just changed trans and diff. fluid a couple days ago. My problem started or was noticed about a week after I got my car. Sometimes when I go to shift into reverse it goes into gear but feels like it just misses or something then when I let out the clutch I hear a wizzing or I guess quiet grind and the car won't reverse. I then let the clutch out and try again works fine. Happens once a month or so. The last car I had this on was my old Saab after I sold the car the guy had to buy a new transmission because the reverse gear went out. So any suggestions? If I have to get a new transmission what hoops do I have to jump through to get Mazda to cover it?

 

Learn to drive stick

JK man I grind reverse every once in a while too lots of people experience this

 

a short shifter helps

 

just push down hard enough man and engage the clutch all the way down i never miss my reverse

 

Well only reason I was concerned was well the last result of this lol other than that no problems I guess the next time I can prevent this by making sure its in gear. I mean there is a distinct feel of no resistance anytime it happens instead of the feeling of a gear engaging.(Edit I can drive stick lol 4 years and counting)

 

Double clutch if going from first and push/pull hard. In other words, learn to drive your RX8.

 

I don't park in gear so I always go from neutral into reverse.

 

Reverse is generally not designed to be shifted into too easily. Is reverse syncho'ed on this car? You wouldn't shift into reverse while moving so it doesn't need to be. I hunt for reverse sometimes when it doesn't want to go in. I'll usually shift into another gear and go back or left off the clutch in neutral and then try again - anything to shift things around. Everyone once in a while, I'll think I'm in reverse and zing it. More often, though, it goes into reverse too easily and I doubt it and spend another 10 seconds shifting things around.

 

keep holding the gear shift back into gear as you let off the clutch, you'll feel it click back another half inch. my previous trans used to do this.

 

Mine's been like that since day 1, 2004. As mentioned, it's not a synchronized gear. And on top of that, it's an awkward placement in the pre-2009 models. If you are very deliberate about the shift, you can avoid the miss.

-shift into neutral position (let stick find it's own neutral position)
-move stick all the way right
-pause
-push stick DOWN hard
-pause
-slam it home

this will get you a 99% success rate.

After some time you can usually tell if you've missed it, so start over.

Due to the awkward placement, it's not as hard as you might think to shift into R instead of 6!! Make an effort to NOT put any downward pressure on the stick when reaching for 6th gear!

You'll notice that in 2009 they came to their sense and put Reverse where it should be.

 

Ok thanks for all suggestions only reason for concern was last transmission on old car lost R gear after it did this