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Has anyone had a problem with the "Hold" warning light coming on and off randomly? (92-Automatic) Maybe I am imagining things but it seems that when that light comes on, it sometimes will make my car jump, like I totally jumped on the gas.

I dont know...any info would help.

Thanks!

Issues like this are precursors to ATX failure. You should get your car off the road ASAP before the trans craps out on you altogether. At the very least.. take it to either Mazda or a transmission shop and have it diagnosed.

Tunes67

ya mine for the past month it had been coming on and off randomly, until one day it started flashing for about a minute. the next day the transmission was toast. i hope for you thats not the case though.

This is a very common prob. the cheap way to try and fix befor you know for sure that the trase will be toast is, and this worked for me when I had my RS so change the tras fluid and filter. If the light stops blinking then hey your set but if it doesnt well trans is on its way out.

If the hold light starts flashing it is likely already too late, the damage to transmission is already done, it will fail quickly after it first starts appearing.

Andrew_Pakula wrote:If the hold light starts flashing it is likely already too late, the damage to transmission is already done, it will fail quickly after it first starts appearing.

Not completly true. When I had my old RS after changing fluid and filter light went and stayed off.

You know, maybe it is just me, but after reading the original post a couple times it sounds like pooh431bear might not know about the 'hold' feature of the ATX and if they hit the button on the shifter accidentally and it is activating, it would cause the car to drop into a lower gear and make it surge like they are describing.

neverenuff wrote:

Andrew_Pakula wrote:If the hold light starts flashing it is likely already too late, the damage to transmission is already done, it will fail quickly after it first starts appearing.

Not completly true. When I had my old RS after changing fluid and filter light went and stayed off.

That is true as well, sometimes the light can come on after changing the tranny fluid but usually in those cases the light will flash only for a second or so and go away, usually only within a few days of changing it.

Kuromu wrote:You know, maybe it is just me, but after reading the original post a couple times it sounds like pooh431bear might not know about the 'hold' feature of the ATX and if they hit the button on the shifter accidentally and it is activating, it would cause the car to drop into a lower gear and make it surge like they are describing.

hmmmm... that would be possible, and also interesting (at least to me) because I thought stuff like that only happened to me lol.

Yeah, the first thing I did when I got my ATX was play with buttons and after about half an hour of playing, I decided it best to read the manual. That 'hold' button had me stumped for a bit.

No matter as there is a nice short shifter popping up through my console now! w00t!

if you did a atx to mtx swap how do you get the light to go off.

The 'hold' light comes on when you hit the 'hold' button on the ATX shifter. The hold mode is like turning the ATX into a makeshift MTX, sort of. Nowhere near as good, but that is what it does. It allows you to shift up through the first three gears manual starting at the bottom of the shifter with L=1st, S=2nd, and D=3rd (but if you go from a stop it will hop thru 1st and 2nd then stay in 3rd).

After converting to manual, of course, this element of the ATX is removed and the light is disconnected.

Have the fluid changed, and go from there. You should change the fluid offen in an automatic transmission because they dont seem to last long if you let it go. But it is very important you get this done ASAP....no quick runs to the store no putting it off. If you do you will regret it when your confronted with a 1,500 bill for tranny rebuild.

oh ya and make sure your not accidentally pufhing the hold button on the shifter, lol.

Yeah, my ATX was getting a little sloppy. So, when my engine crapped out and I decided to go ahead with the BP swap, I decided it was MTX time as well.

My neighbor today asked me why I put all of this work into the car. "It sure seems to eat up a lot of money."

In reality, I managed to swap in a bigger engine and better transmission for just a little more than I would have paid the shop just to fix my head issues. Yeah, it took some time I really did not have to lose, but I am so happy with the results.


Viva la MX-3!!!