Re: Slipping Gear in Mazda. Please dont be burnt tranny!

My '99 Protege does the same thing. A fluid change didn't make any difference.

So what ended up being the exact problem? Did you have it serviced at all? From what I hear, when you take your car to a tranny shop to have it serviced, they change the oil and filter and also tighten up the "bands" if they are loose. I'm going to try the oil and filter myself within the next couple days. I'll keep you posted on how it went. Cheers.

- E

I don't know...it still does it. I haven't taken it in. It seems to do it most often when it's hot and the A/C is running (which is most of the time here in sunny AZ). Even at that it doesn't happen all that often. When it cools off outside enough to work on it, I'll check all the linkages and electrical connections and maybe do another fluid change and see what happens. If that doesn't help I'll probably take it in and see what the pros say.

When someone isn't watching you, take a whiff of the fluid. Smell burnt? Then you are long overdue for a fluid change.

I don't know if it has been suggested but there might be a mechanical linkage from the throttle to the tranny that could be loose. I kind-of doubt it because the car is of recent vintage but it's worth a look. Does it do it on hills or just when it feels like it?

Paul in Dayton

Thanks for the suggestion.

That's on my list of things to check. Something like a kick-down linkage...I dunno if has something like that or not. I've given it a quick look but it's just too damned hot outside to be farting around with a car right now. In a few weeks when it cools down I'll have a closer look. I'm not sure what controls the shifting...maybe there's a vacuum leak or bad modulator or loose wire somewhere. There doesn't seem to be any particular pattern to it. It really doesn't happen all that often, just enough to be annoying. You're cruising along at a steady speed and it will suddenly downshift and then upshift, like 3rd-to-2nd-to-3rd in about a half-second. Or it could be popping into neutral and back...it's hard to tell, it happens so fast. It happens on surface streets at 40mph and also on the freeway at 65. Maybe twice a week, max. I first thought it was popping out of overdrive but I tried switching it out & in of OD but it handles that real well, so I think it's dropping into 2nd or to neutral. I still wonder if it has something to do with the A/C compressor cycling and causing it to kick down, esp. since it seems to happen only when the A/C is on...pretty weird.