I have a 03 MX5. I’ve had this vehicle from new and love it. The vehicle has done 82,000 miles and needs a new clutch. Vehicle revs up in third when pressed hard but the velocity of the car increases too slowly ( synch. loss between engine revs and vehicle acceleration). The vehicle has always suffered clutch judder from new. Still love the car and it’s never let me down. Can anyone tell me the best place to go for a new clutch to be fitted by a reputable dealer? I live in merseyside. I want to keep the car for a very long time so want the best repair. Not afraid to pay the real cost for repair as the car is like family.
Did the dealer (or anyone) attempt to repair the judder, or do you still have the original clutch? Pity you didn’t visit us sooner, as you may be one of the many out there who were apparently unaware of the universal problem - NB Facelift (Mk2.5 on here) clutch judder.
The problem was reported independently as “too much nickel content” on the clutch facing material, but it wasn’t till around 2004 before it was finally cleared up. Reason I say this is on most known cars, the clutch face material was deposited on the flywheel, which created ‘hot spots’ and this was what created the judder.
What does this mean to you? Neither of us will know till the clutch comes off, the flywheel might need cleaning - drastically, or just sanding, and the clutch plate will certainly need replacing. You should also make sure the release and thrust bearings are replaced, with mileage at 82K it needs doing. Last known dealer price (in 2004) was around £285 if I remember right, a lot more now at a guess. I would suggest you also get the release lever and slave cylinder checked, in case of wear and leak.
Immediately I would suggest you try Wayne (Mazda Mender) as he’s the nearest to Merseyside that I’m aware of, visit http://mazdamenders.net/ and ask him for a quote. see the ‘contact’ header at top right of his homepage. You need an ‘E’ plate or better, depends what Mazda are offering now, though some aftermarket plates were curing the problem back in 2003.
Yes, the car was sent back to the main dealer in Wallasey after only a few months. Once the judder became apparent to me (it’s the wife’s car) I had a look on this site in 2003. Clutch judder problems were known then so I contacted the dealer. The dealer took the car in for repair, stated job as complete but the problem came back within weeks. Since then we’ve just lived with it. Clutch only a problem when cold. After approx. 5 minutes of driving it tends to subside and is judder free. Strange I know. I will take your advice and contact Wayne.
Many thanks for providing the advice. Your time and knowledge is much appreciated.