Mazda2 2nd gear synchro Failure?

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I have a relatively low mile Mazda2, I bought it with very low Miles when it was 6 months old (6K Miles). Currently has only 28K. Was driving it to a cabin in the sticks last weekend, so there were a lot of gear changes due to all the hills and twisty roads. I was having fun with it, but not in an abusive way. The driveway was steep so after going into it, I decided to reverse out of it while everything was still warm to avoid having to climb it in reverse when everything was cold as I left. I Parked the car and had my fun weekend on the lake. When I went to go drive the car home, 2nd gear was gone, well any ability to shift into it while moving was. I could start in second gear, and shift out of it, but I can not shift into it without forcing it in with a really nasty grind. All other gears go in like normal.

I got it home avoiding using 2nd, which isn't difficult just annoying on a slow car. I bled the clutch and it made no difference. Drained the gear oil and there was a good amount of metallic particles in it, the gear oil only had 15K on it, because I changed it hoping to improve shift quality. Gonna put some new fluid in there and send 'er in for warranty, but what the [censored] happened here?

I Should note that I have never been quite satisfied with the shifting of this transmission. Inconsistent is the best way I can describe it, sometimes the gears would drop in like butter, and other times gears would catch and drag a bit and this wasn't related to ambient temperature but I did notice it shifted better after being on for many hours straight on the highway. I don't drive this car very hard at all, and have 18 years of manual driving experience, and haven't even used up a clutch in any of my cars in all that time.
 
Oh dear! I had a 73 RX3 Mazda, and bought a 07RX8 with 6 speed auto.

The 2nd gear in 73 RX3 didn't work for me either.

I and you maybe made it worse by fixing it with wrong gear oil.

I was fuel distributor selling oils all the time, but got mine own wrong.

I put in normal great gear oil GL-5 when it needs a lessor oil GL-4 without the heavy duty sulfur additives.

I think lots of Mazda guys like Red LIne gear oil 90 GL-4.
 
I used a GL-4, 75W80 as per the owners manual, Filled to the correct oil level using the method in the service manual.
 
Where has the clutch been engaging? Close to carpet? I had a LOT of trouble with hydraulics on MT's over the past few decades. Low clutch engagement will eat blockers fast.

A In my experience a dual purpose GL4/GL5 will likely result in balky shifts. Blame it on having shared lube betwixt the differential and the trans.

I had a mazda 2 rental. A bit to twitchy for me, I really liked (surprisingly) the Ford Fiesta rental with the doppelkupplung. No Hydraulic pumping losses from a torque converter and fast shifts. Definitely an MT** alternative.

**( Yes, I put "an" before M as M is voiced like Em. It is preferred)
 
The clutch does engage not too far from the carpet, but not right on the carpet. I also sometimes am having it grind into 2nd while the vehicle is completely stationary, so I don't know if I can rule out the clutch system as the culprit. This would still be disappointing to have to go in there on such a new car.

Agree the Mazda is twitchy but its fine as a city car, Those Fiestas had issues with the complex transmissions failing but i'm sure they shift great when they work. I agree, I am done with manuals, the drive by wire, retarded throttle for emissions purposes and clutch delay valves have completely RUINED the experience. Not to mention, this car I have has some junky plastic parts in the clutch system (slave and master are made of plastic, I shouldn't have overlooked these when buying the car. Car and Driver wants to "Save the Manuals" and I ask why at this point would you want to do that?


Thanks for your input, and yes I agree with your grammar use.
 
Can you row through the gears with the engine off? Does 2nd feel crunchy? Can you double-clutch and get it into gear?

I changed the gear oil on my 6 a around 7 or 8k with Redline 75w80 and a *gasp* additive. There was a lot of silver metal clouding in the oil, so I'm glad it is out of there.

Personally, I would change the oil to Redline and add a good additive like Lubegard *this the point where people start grabbing torches and pitchforks. Work the gear box with the engine off for a good long while. Then start driving it and see if it gets better. If that doesn't work, my guess is a bad synchro. It is worth it to try to fix it with fluid first, though.
 
I just got a manual Sonata and I am loving it after 10 years driving automatics. Sorry to hear about the issues with your Mazda.
 
Inconsistent performance, 2nd being 'locked out' - I'd put money on it being the fluid (specifically the friction properties of it). I've seen this before in an MTXs that had incorrect fluid type and even MoS2 added to it, the synchros couldn't synchronize. Drop the fluid, flush with cheap atf maybe?, install the correct type and try again.
 
Double clutching and rev matching helps get it into gear. With the car off, I can row through the gears, 2nd feels no more crunchy than it did before this all happened.

It had 75W80 gear oil in it. My pitch fork is out. I'm not putting an additive in it to make it shift right, this is a 3 year old car with barely any miles, not a 13 year old car I'm trying to get another year out of.

I will be taking it in to the dealer when I can, and I will just skip the gear until then.
 
I don't know these cars at all so what I'm writing is just a guess.

1. Your clutch is dragging.
2. The dragging clutch killed your 2nd gear synchro.
3. A lot of these new cars have clutch delay valves, and Mazda is no exception. Clutch cushioning or something. Usually it's a tiny orifice, makes bleeding if there's a bubble virtually impossible (you're not going to push a bubble down).
4. You can try reverse bleeding, better than nothing. Could save the rest of your synchros.
 
I've seen this alot with the past few years with junk manual transmissions. Mustang manual transmissions were grinding/crunching 2nd gear as well at one time recently. Seems like manuals aren't what they used to be. I'm guessing you have a weak 2nd gear synchronizer.
 
With that mileage, it should have the factory fill in there and the clutch hydro system should not have been tampered with at all. If that's the case, take to the dealer obviously. If it was serviced for some reason, then someone screwed up. You definitely don't want to use additives in an MTX, and I doubt there is any additive that will 'make it shift right'. Also curious what 'pitch fork out' means?
 
Originally Posted By: PeterPolyol
With that mileage, it should have the factory fill in there and the clutch hydro system should not have been tampered with at all. If that's the case, take to the dealer obviously. If it was serviced for some reason, then someone screwed up. You definitely don't want to use additives in an MTX, and I doubt there is any additive that will 'make it shift right'. Also curious what 'pitch fork out' means?


pitchfork.jpg



Screwed what up? The transmission got the 75W80 that Mazda specifies. How is replacing any fluid, even if early, tampering?
 
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Looks like it's a 2013, shouldn't it still be under the 5 year warranty? Take it to the dealer.
 
*witch hunt reference
Haha very nice. I was unsure because there are shift forks and a clutch throwout fork in the trans. But seriously, why did you service it? From my experience, you described improper friction modification to a tee. No doubt it would be the gear with the largest jump in reduction, first to second. But then you suggest that you opened the hydraulic system also? Air in the system typically would not manifest itself in that problem. Nevertheless, what was the fluid you installed? Was the change you mentioned in the OP the first time you serviced it?

Clean it up and cart it off to the dealer, man.
 
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Sounds like a clutch not disengaging.dealer will sell a new master and slave and send you on your way.Hopefully that will solve the issue.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
Looks like it's a 2013, shouldn't it still be under the 5 year warranty? Take it to the dealer.

+1
 
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