Scared Teenager -- First car -- PLEASE HELP

[BradKY]

So I'm 17 and I just bought my first car which just so happenly is a 1992 Mazda MX-3, Ok so here I am driving the car down the road, it already runs rough when the car is in reverse or is idle in drive. I was reading some posts and saw that the hold button flashing meant the tranny was shot, PLEASE GOD tell me this is not the issue. The cruise control is missing 2 (What I believe is vacuum hoses) I am begging for any information on this for anyone to come forward and help me. It shifts fairly decent, could a vacuumn hose be missing that belongs to the hold button making the car run rough and HOPEFULLY making the hold light blink? I am literally begging for some help on this I will give you plently of pictures whatever you need, They do not make a Haynes manual for my car. I cannot afford a new tranny.



Please give me help on this.



Thank you

[Ryan]

I understand your distressed and all, but let us help you....

Auto transmission? Yeah its probably shot. The auto's sucked, and still do. search 'manual swap' or 'mtx swap'. Shouldn't be too pricey, 500 tops?

4 cyl or the v6? The engines use different trannies, so the guys here might want to know what you've got running.

You can pick up vacuum hoses from a scrap yard, you can even see where you're mising them from.

If you're even slightly mechanically inclined and are willing to be frustrated for prolonged ammounts of time, you can fix mostly everything with this vehicle.... especially with the help of this website

Ryan

[tmac4t4]

look for "Chiltons repair manual"
usually available at your local library

[SuperK]

if your car doesn't have any cruise control buttons or paddles in the interior, chances are the car never had it.

I've never owned an automatic, so sorry I can't help you with it

[shameem]

First check the transmission error codes -
http://www.mx-3.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=66158" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[BradKY]

The engine is a 4 clyinder 1.6L 1992 Mazda MX-3. Yes, there is cruise control settings left of the steering wheel. So why do you think the transmission is shot? It shifts good, it doesnt slip, nor does it have any hesitation in going to reverse. I'm really not sure on this since there isn't any signs at the moment. The hold light only flashes when im in drive and I get up to speed other than that it never does flash. The previous owners was afraid of the Hold button because of their teenage daughter, im going to check into maybe them unhooking it. Because if im correct the Hold button uses a vacuum? Because the engine runs rough when it is idle in reverse and drive. So could it possibly have been unhooked and its flashing because of that? If the tranny is shot ill change the transmission fluid and drive it till it wont go anymore. Oh the car only has 85,000 miles on it

Thanks

[BradKY]

OK I have just got more information that the hold light had been flashing for 3 months that the previous owner knew of, like I have said in my earlier posts, the tranny does not slip, it shifts fine, I have no problem in changing gears, and I have no problem in climbing inclines. And the hold light will only flash when it gets above 30 mph. I was also looking and where the gear shifter is the plastic around that has been took off many of times and is actually broke in one part. Is there any hoses or such that runs from the hold button to the tranny? Unfortunaly due to my area I dont have any Mazda dealers nor transmission shops.

[mudflap13]

if u were to get up to 50 or so and hold your speed do u nitice any changes in rpm at all while the hold light is blinking



the hold nutton is a electirc switch momentary interup to be exact the easiest and shortest way to splain it is to pfetend this in drive and no other selection the hold button functions as a comand to tell the tranny weather or not to go into overdrive (hold light off tranny goes into OD hold light on tranny doesnt go into od ) if it continuosly blinks its like tellin the tranny yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no yes no

if your not noticing any cranges in rpms at say 60mph in other words not coming in and out of OD ( now this is while your in drive) u may have a bad sensor or such

if u are noticing changes the easiest thing to check first would be the switch or button it self in otherword unplug the sucker the connector is under the console up and to the right of the selector on the floor but first unplug the battery undo the connector plug up the batery and see if it stopped flashing if it did drive it a bit if still no flashing then theres your problem some times a lil moistur can get up in there and short it out or it just gets stuck in side

try this and get back to me if it turns out to be the switch ill tell u how to fix it for 99cents and just 2 minutes of your time as well as a visit to your local radio shack


lemme know
also try the search thingyy

[mudflap13]

First check the transmission error codes -
http://www.mx-3.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=66158" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

also like he said check the codes thats even a bit easier

[BradKY]

Mudflap, there isn't any type of changed in my RPM's the only time the RPM's go up is when I give it gas no other time, I can also push the hold button and it'll stay solid but it doesn't change anything.

[xxwhiteboyjim22xx]

cheeeaak the cooodddeesss. It basically will point you in the exact direction. Follow the link my son.

[stigler]

Yes, check codes, which with the help of a Chilton's book is easy as pie. Also to aid you in your "scared Teenager" with 85k on the clock you probably should check the timing belt too.. which with the help of your chilton is also easy as pie.

Good luck.

[Empire932]

ANY updates?

Yea I would do the timing belt also.
when I got my car it had a bad water pump, so I replaced the water pump/timing belt.
Im 17 also, it is easy to do.
A chiltons manual will aid you in many more ways then one.