Problems

[[wolfman]]

on my way to work this morning i noticed my car (1993 1.6 auto UK) was very slow pulling away in both Drive and Reverse, the revs went up... but no movement... i have also noticed a smell... sort of like burnt sugar... whats up and how much is it gonna cost to fix?? i've only had the car a month, so it may still be under the dealers warranty.

[nope-mx3]

I`m no mechanic, but it might be your clutch

nope-mx3

(oh, didn`t see the auto part)
Definetely NOT the clutch then

<small>[ December 04, 2003, 03:40 PM: Message edited by: nope-mx3 ]</small>

[Spydie]

well since it says he has an 'auto' I would say it's deffinately not his clutch. cuz there isn't one
it is very possible that you are low or worse out of tranny fluid.

<small>[ December 04, 2003, 08:06 AM: Message edited by: Darren Hyderman ]</small>

[[wolfman]]

Originally posted by Darren Hyderman:
well since it says he has an 'auto' I would say it's deffinately not his clutch. cuz there isn't one
it is very possible that you are low or worse out of tranny fluid.

thanks.... how do i check the tranny fluid level??? just got the car, so havnt had a chance to fiddle under the bonnet yet.

[guyaverage]

I'd hate to tell you but your transmission is probably toast. The dipstick to check the fluid is under the intake hose next to the battery. It has an orange-ish (maybe its red..?) rubbery handle, you might need to push the intake hose over a bit to get to it. There are 2 notches in it, one for the fluid level when it is cold, and one for when it is hot. You will probably find the fluid is dark brown or black and smells burnt. The fluid should be a reddish-pink and smell, well, machine-like ( I dont know how to describe it, just shouldnt smell burnt). You can change or have someone change the fluid and filter for you, its possible the fluid is just low or maybe the filter is clogged and not letting fluid pass and thats what is causing the problem, but more likely this transmission is dying a rapid death. If you pull the pan off you will see a mushy goop of particles stuck to the bottom of the pan, that is the remnants of the clutch packs inside the tranny that have more than likely worn out and are starting to burn up. A rebuild will run $600-$2000 depending on who is screwing you for this. Dont know what that translates into in the queen's money. A 5-speed swap, if you arent against manuals, would probably be cheaper.

[[wolfman]]

How long should the clutchpacks last on a mx-3... the car has 58000 miles on the clock and has a fulll mazda service history... it was also serviced just before i picked it up... about a month ago.... should this have been spotted
earlier?

[guyaverage]

I have 134,000 on mine and it is still going strong, on the other hand I dont abuse the car, everything is stock, and most of my driving is highway. I have changed the fluid only 3 times since new (1993). 58,000 miles isnt unheard of, but it is on the young side for a tranny to go out, unless it was abused or the engine was modified. Mazda automatics are not too good sad to say, but having 134,000 on mine I cant complain ( I sure as hell will if it blows up though , I am praying that my automatic holds until I sell it! Its definately the weakest link on the car.

[[wolfman]]

the car has had 2 lady owners, and is totaly standard. I havnt had a chance to do anything to it myself yet... I've found out ive had it for less that a month and it came with a months waranty, looks like i'll be making a call to the dealer 2moro.

[guyaverage]

Good for you, they are going to owe you a new transmission. Do yourself a favor, after they install it, install (or have someone else install) a transmission oil cooler. They are cheap, easy to install, and will add thousands of miles of life to your (hopefully new) tranny. Best $50 you will ever spend (on a car, that is).

[Casino]

i thought transmission oil coolers are only useful on really high performace engines ??

ya make sure you always check your tranny fuild its the best way to spot problems before they happen.

i run N20 with my auto i dont know how long its going to last but its kinda fun in the meantime.

[guyaverage]

Any heat you can take away from ANY automatic is good news. Excess heat is the prime killer of automatic trannys. I dont know how much it will realistically help in a N20 setup since that is mostly just short blasts of abuse, but it would be a good idea anyway, at least it would cool down quicker. I suppose it could happen in very cold northern climates, but I have never once heard of someone overcooling an automatic. I HAVE heard from MANY automatic rebuilders that if people put on coolers (or if the manufacturers built one in to the radiator worth a crap) that their business would be slashed dramatically.

[[wolfman]]

Ive just checked the fluid level.... its inbetween the 2 marks... i left the car to cool down for a couple of hours. it looks pretty clear, and doesnt smell burnt... the dipstick is has a twist in it, is this normal?

I'll see if i get any luck with the dealer 2moro... if not... it maybe a swap to manual.

[rancid420potheadpunk]

cheak all the fluids, not just the transmission fluid. i had the same kind of problem and i was low on oil/the oil had thinned. i added some oil honey and a quart of oil and its fine now. just ckeck, better safe then sorry.

or your cat.. could be clogged or the muffler...etc...etc... to many possible things to list them all.

[[wolfman]]

well its gone from bad to worse.... got in the car to go to work this morning and.... there is no drive at all... its just reving. would engine oil make any difference to the tranny? also would the cat and exhaust... the engine is running fine?
Just no drive.

[[wolfman]]

Checked the fluids.... the engine oil is fine... but the tranmission fluid is totaly empty... just refilled it and its leaked straight out... help... the dealer wants me to take it in... about 7 miles, do you think it will make it if i fill it up with fluid??? or should i get a tow?