Hi y’all
someone told me there’s supposed oil in the gear stick turret, ie. remove the gear stick and below you should see some oil i guess for the linkage.
Anyone know if this is correct or is someone pulling my chain?
regards
Simon
There is gearbox turret oil on the MK1 - MK2.5, 5 speed gearbox but not the MK3…
or rather there is but according to a very learned MX5 expert from across the pond…
Originally Posted by Lance Schall 
For the NC, both the M15M-D 5 speed and the P66M-D 6 speed manuals have a separate turret compartment. They are lubed for life unless you 1) take the transmission apart, or 2) like playing with things.
awesome, thankyou
Yes there is turret oil, did mine a couple of weeks ago on my 2006 mk3.I did it the same time i did the gearbox and diff oils.You will need a syringe to suck up the old oil.You will surprised how dirty it will be.I put in the same oil that went in the gear box.
There is i Youtube vid on the NC turret oil change.
Slight correction, the Mk 2.5 with a six speed gearbox does not require oil in the turret, just in case the OP has one of these. (Car model not stated) It is, I’m led to understand, a Toyota gear box.
Hi and thankyou for your replies,
My 2009 late registered mk3 is going in for a service soon therefore i will ensure that this is checked either way.
regards
Simon
Did you notice any difference after changing the turret oil did you have any symptoms to think it might need changing or just because you could,read loads of threads on the topic some say massive change others none…it’s on my very long list of jobs to do that never get completed
Yes it improved as i was, after draining the old dirt oil through some kitchen paper,you could clearly see how much it was contaminated.us it a nice easy job
Snippets of information around on the MK3 gearbox turret oil but no-one seems to have summarised the situation.
It seems that the gearbox can be filled with oil through the turret. My guess is that if you drain the gearbox of oil and then purge the turret(70 - 90cc) of oil, you could then start to fill through the turret. The small sump in the turret would fill and the surplus flow over and start to fill the main gearbox. The remainder of gearbox oil could then be continued to fill through the turret if that works or through the filling port until overflow.
People putting 200+cc into the turret are probably overfilling the gearbox to the point of flooding the turret. Doubt this would do any harm but equally, not necessary.
Well I put oil in my 6 speed 07 plate, it didn’t seem to drain down to the gearbox. Whilst there applied some white lithium grease to the top pivot points on the gearshift that sits in the housing.
Did it make a difference? well yes a smoother change, whether that was the grease or oil who knows. I’m going to check if oil still remains in the turret early next year, it certainly didn’t have any in there after nearly 50k miles when I topped up.
It would be useful to know for sure whether or not my theory is correct Mick as others who have done this job indicate it is but you seem to be saying not. Oil is unlikely to fly into the gearbox as the overflow may well be a small hole. On that basis introducing more than 2 litres of thick gearbox oil into the gearbox via the turret may not be workable. I don’t have one of these cars to hand to check unfortunately and it seems that removal of the centre console, gaiters, etc to get to the turret is a bit of PITA job
You also say that there was no oil in the turret on yours which seems odd. From the look of the videos I have seen the turret oil is not obvious unless overfilled so it would take a syringe and tube to extract oil that cannot easily be seen. Did you go through this process?
If the turret is filled correctly and not overfilled, I would expect the areas that require greasing to be above the turret oil level.
Yes a strange one that there’s nothing about this on the service schedule, is it needed I don’t know?
I came to the conclusion during internet searches that there is a need for oil in the turret, the grease thing too is of help as if I remember correctly it’s applied anyway from factory, certainly does not harm to freshly grease things there too which does sit above the oil in the turret.
I can whip the centre console off in around 10 mins, the window switch electric connection is a bit of a fiddle to release but once under there it’s not much different to say Mk1/2 in design except for the shift boots.
No oil in mine when I did it around 2 years ago so I just stuck some in, it seemed to stay there when I put everything back together.
You can definately fill a Mk2 6 speed transmission from the shift turret, done it myself but never heard you can with the Mk3. I did that by scrambling under the car via the fill/drain plugs.
This below should show what it’s all about, scroll down to the bit about the turret lube.
https://revlimiter.net/blog/2017/02/nc-mx-5-miata-2006-2015-oil-trans-diff-fluid-change/
Doing it this afternoon got some oil and white lithium grease is that ok for the balls and do I grease both bottom and upper ball.
Does the shifter just lift up without pressure or do you need to pull at it just want to be prepared don’t want to be tugging at something just incase it won’t come out.
Started I knew it wouldn’t be easy for me how do you remove the switch for the windows seen a video for a clip but can’t find one…
Bruce,
Have a look here http://www.mellens.net/mazda/Mazda-Miata-2006-2007/interior_trim.pdf
Once you’ve removed the console, the loom to the window switch should just unplug. From memory, it’s a bit of a bu99er to unplug though!
Phil
Thanks managed to get the centre console undo and popped off within a couple of minutes but the plug was a pain, since watched a Youtube video think I need to remove the wire harness that’s attached to one of the bolts so I can lift the console higher to get my hand underneath and still press down on the clip.
Trying to do in my lunch hour which isn’t great makes me rush things and get stressed
That small clip connection is a pain to get at on the window switch, everything else is a breeze to remove to get at the gear shift. A long thin flat bladed screwdriver is handy here and sort of unclick the connecting plug, attacked from the drivers side under the console.
In answer to your other question, just grease the top pivot (ball) on the gear shift shaft the lower part locates in the housing below. If I remember correctly just replace the gear shaft the correct way you removed it, there are two pegs either side where it locates, easy enough.
Glad others have suffered read so many threads and no one really mentioned the pain the switch is and on Youtube videos people seem to skip over this section…
Thanks everyone…Done it completely dry, looked like no oil ever in there no sign what so ever.Made a massive difference just driving it across works car park.
Hopefully when I get around to the gearbox oil will be better still.