Just bought a Mk 3 with 6 speed box, 2 litre - 9,000 miles on the clock - 2 years old
Gear change into second is very difficult both ways either up or down - is this a common problem - am I doing something wrong?
I believe it is a common problem. One of our members has the same trouble in a low mileage car. Take it up under warranty.
Jim
There seems to be a common problem downshifting 3 to 2 when the gearbox and its oil is cold, but I certainly do not have a problem 1 to 2, nor problems in either direction once the car has been driven a short distance.
I agree with the prev post - get it looked at!
Neil
Slightly notchy when cold, lovely gear box when warm the 6 speed [H]
Thanks for your comment - the car is booked in.
It is always helpful to know what experience others have when dealing with garages just in case you get the reponse that they are all like that or that it will wear in.
Brian
That response is all too common from some (but not all) Mazda dealers it seems…
Neil
We were experiencing the same problem.
The gearbox was a bit stiff when cold but OK when warmed up, but a few weeks ago it became stiff and notchy all the time.
Our dealer checked it out and replaced the gearbox under warranty. Seems OK now.
The car was 2 years old in January with 23K miles.
You can tell your dealer that a precedent has been set. Good luck [Y]
Thanks for all the replies - it is extremely useful to know other people’s experiences - clearly the gearbox can and should be excellent but equally there can be problems and one solution may be a new gearbox!!
Just had my box replaced under warranty. Notchy 1 to 2 and certainly not the slick gear change in the brochure !
New box is brilliant !
Stand your ground at the dealer and wave the warranty. Don’t let them fob you off with the "they are all like that " cos they are not !
This refers to the original message - the dealer’s “technician” said that the car was not roadworthy. The dealer removed the gearbox and stripped it down and sent pics to Mazda. Mazda apparently claim it is OK. Dealer put the box back in but still not OK, Mazda are sending their own technician.
This could be really frustrating if I hadn’t been to Rome in the meantime and then had an operation on my left shoulder that means I couldn’t drive it anyway.
Could get really annoying but grateful for evidence that I am not alone.
Brian
Mine’s only a few weeks old and the gears are certainly not smooth and slick, especially when the engine is cold. I am assuming that this will improve with time. It’s not a massive problem just something I noticed and this thread has made me think.
Thought I should finish off this thread - I hope.
After 6 weeks a Mazda technician came and drove the car said it was awful and authorised repairs - not a new gearbox. Then had to wait for parts as they were on “back order” . I now have the car back. Gearbox is bad when cold but better when warm. I can’t say I would describe this gearbox as “slick”, etc. Acceptable covers it.
Dealer was excellent throughout - Mazda not so good - can’t help suspecting they have a problem with gearboxes.
BEJ