[Egretlanding]

Everytime I take off when I first start my car, my tranny shifts real hard from first to second. Then it doesn't do it anymore. I was wondering why it does this? Also while Im driving the tranny keeps shifting gears alot. It doesn't feel right. I just got my car about 2 months ago. Many people say this is normal for mazda transmissions. They are trash... I hope not. Can I get some opionions. 115k miles. Car runs great on highway, or when I push the gas pedal down hard. It's only when Im cruising.....

 

[Shayaan]

Have you changed the transmission fluid? I had a similar problem, but put some synthetic transmission fluid in, took care of my problems.

 

[bryanj]

I find in my milly that when the tranny is cold it does do that hard shift. After driving maybe for about a minute, it stops b/c the fluid is warm. I do notice the shift that is often because the milly has some type of 'special' transmission from what I know. I have noticed with third and fourth there is actually 2 gears within those gears. For instance, when you are driving on the highway, and you give it a little gas....before it shifts to third, it upshifts to that second gear. I have noticed the same thing in third when the hold button is on. At first it bothered me too, but I have grown accustomed to it during the 8 months of milly ownership.

 

[JohnC]

The "experience" bryanj is having is caused by the LockUp Torque Converter (basically a kind of clutch) between the engine and transmission.

Under light and constant throttle openings the computer instructs the Torque Converter to lock - it becomes a direct drive connection with no slip. This is done to provide better fuel economy since power (and gas) is wasted when the "clutch" is always slipping...

When you give it some gas, the computer unlocks the torque converter and it almost feels like it shifts down a gear (the tacho needle rises). The increase in revs and the (internal) action of the torque converter provide extra power, and often this is enough so that the trans doesn't need to shift down a gear (eg: on a slight incline). Give it a bit more gas and the downshift to 3rd will occur.

I think there is also some "adaptiveness" in the programming of all that stuff, because you will notice it much more on freeway driving when you are using relatively constant throttle openings. In city driving you are always puching the accellerator pedal and the lockup thing doesn't happen as much.

JohnC

 

['99_s-type]

yea i know what you are talking about. when driving on the hwy or in the city i would give it some gas and the rpms would kick up and give acceleration, but i swore that the tranny didnt really downshift. that is pretty sweet if you think about it, saves gas. one more reason to love my milly