1st and 2nd gear shift unsmooth

Hi all ... perhaps someone could give me some insight as to whether this is "normal". I had Avante Mazda replace the second gear syncros and the 1st gear, 2nd gear and the clutch. However, it still feels the same (even worse actually) then before it when in for service.

When putting the car into 1st or 2nd gear it is very difficult and requires a little bit of force. As well, it goes in "stages" or is "notchy". Like when I put it into first or second it'll go "click ... click" (without the actual noise though). Third, 4th and 5th don't have this feel. Any thoughts? I can post the work order if that would help, thanks.

what year is your 3?
have you tried upgrading to MT90?

Mine is a 2008 Mazda 3 HB

I have yet to try upgrading to MT90, this was all covered under warranty work (except for the purchase of the clutch package)

Did they fully open your transmission? When they looked into mine, it was my 3rd gear that was worn out as well as sychro.

Both were replaced under warranty.

I had grinding issues going into 2nd year too. I never upgraded to MT-90, no problems after having all service done.

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Originally Posted by sp3GT

Did they fully open your transmission? When they looked into mine, it was my 3rd gear that was worn out as well as sychro.

Both were replaced under warranty.

I had grinding issues going into 2nd year too. I never upgraded to MT-90, no problems after having all service done.

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They were supposed to have opened up the tranny fully. They had my car for three (3) days. According to the service report they replaced 1, 2 gear and 2nd synchro. You think it might be the third gear causing this issue? It takes quite a bit of force now to put it into 2nd.

have you tried adjusting the shiter linkage to make smother. my car did the same thing but only when it got cold and tried this fix and worked pretty good. Its not perfect but 100 times better then it was.

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Originally Posted by PEPSIGIXXER

have you tried adjusting the shiter linkage to make smother. my car did the same thing but only when it got cold and tried this fix and worked pretty good. Its not perfect but 100 times better then it was.

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Hmmm ... I have not tried adjusting anything yet. I'm just gathering some ideas right now as to my next course of action or as to whether this is "normal". I spoke with the service advisor at Avante (Rick) and he said that it may take some time for the syncros to break in and that the difficulty was "normal"? Although he further advised that I speak to Aaron when he returns?

Alvin, I don't think its normal and you should bring it back if it continues to be an issue since you still have warranty.

When I got mine fixed I went on a test drive with a tech and replicated the problem to them.

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Originally Posted by sp3GT

Alvin, I don't think its normal and you should bring it back if it continues to be an issue since you still have warranty.

When I got mine fixed I went on a test drive with a tech and replicated the problem to them.

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I definitely agree with you, I don't feel it's normal, but since I didn't buy this car new I wasn't entirely sure.

Alvin, continue to monitor how the shifting feels. If you're going to bring it in for Aaron to look at, call ahead of time to make sure he is available on that day to check things out with you. Aaron is our transmission expert, so if there are any concerns, he's the best person to talk to.

Honestly just put in MT-90. The crap they have at the dealer sucks. I had my tranny rebuilt like you under warranty and mt-90 is the best thing I have ever done. In winter it is good but it just needs time to warm up. In summer its like butter.

^While MT-90 is good, a problem like Alvin's doesn't sound like it's just the tranny fluid.

If they rebuilt his, they would have put fresh MTF in so it should be at least decent and not have the problems he's describing.

You may be right. When I got my repairs done they put done on my mazda 3 it was still notchy. Only when I put the mt-90 was second gear ever smooth. Third gear is still notchy but only when cold.

edit* they put new mtf

Hi everyone ... time to give an update. I went to Avante yesterday and had Ted give it around the block with me in the car. He said it was kind of tight and might be hard to shift for a little bit because the syncros are breaking in, and to give it a few weeks. If I still feel uncomfortable with it, then I can bring it back. He does also suggest that maybe a synthetic MT oil might help it a bit. :)

Thanks all.

They shouldn't need any break in time at all, when there new they should be smooth as butter . I don't think any fluid will solve your issue, my guess is something was improperly aligned, do you get any grinding at all?

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Originally Posted by sol_searchin

They shouldn't need any break in time at all, when there new they should be smooth as butter . I don't think any fluid will solve your issue, my guess is something was improperly aligned, do you get any grinding at all?

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Hi sol_searchin ... I don't get grinding in 1 and 2, but it's DEFINITELY hard to shift into. Today it wouldn't even go into second gear under 20km/h, not even with a rev match ...

I'm beginning to feel grinding in 3rd and 4th though, like it makes a "rrrrrrrr" sound and vibrating feel before going into third ... this is intermittent though and does not happen all the time. Advice?