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Been having problems shifting?

Tiny
ANONYMOUS
  • MEMBER
  • 2003 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 125,000 MILES
My car recently began this harsh idling when I initially start my car and any time after that when my car comes to a complete stop (ex. At a stoplight). Also it has been having problems shifting which of course should be a tranny problem but I am hoping that there could be some other cause for it. What can I/should I do?
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Friday, November 23rd, 2012 AT 6:17 AM

35 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Is the Malfunction Indicator Light showing?
Seems the idle control system is not functioning correctly causing the harsh idling. Try cleaning the throttle body and IAC.

This guide can help us fix the transmission problems.

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/automatic-transmission-problems

Please run down this guide and report back.
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Friday, November 23rd, 2012 AT 1:41 PM
Tiny
JSICINSKI
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2002 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 182,000 MILES
I have a 2002 Mazda Protege5 with 182,000 mileson it. Recently, I got stuck in about a foot of snow and pretty bogged down. As I tried rocking it with the help of a pusher, we realized the wheels weren't spinning. After several attempts, I finally turned off the engine. A few minutes later, I turned it back on, put it in drive and it was fine but for only a block. I had to continue turning off the engine, wait a minute or two and then try again at every block interval to get home.

I checked the Transmission oil level and it is fine. Also, the brake lights are fine as I know this could trigger a faulty response. My check engine light is on steady, but not blinking. The O/D light has come on twice blinking in the last few days as I've tried to figure out the problem. I really don't think it is the transmission on the whole because it came on suddenly, but a wire loose maybe caused my the snow build up underneath the car when I was stuck.

I really need to fix this myself. Any clues. Thank you so much.

Jo
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 9:59 AM (Merged)
Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,133 POSTS
If the check engine light and the OD light have been on, there will be a trouble code stored in the computer. You need to have the computer scanned to identify the trouble code. That should help identify where the problem is coming from.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
IDISMANTLEU
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 126,000 MILES
I had just bought this car and its really hard to shift it shifts fine just isn't loose like most cars. I was told you should be able to shift with 2 fingers but this one you basically need strength
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
Is the shifter like that in a side to side motion or just when you go to change gears? If all of the time inspect the shifter bushings and all controls to the trans as well as the trans itself to be sure nothing looks bent ot out of alignment. It may be theshifter bushings wore out or the actual controls to tehtrans are out of alignment or no tproperly hooked up. If it is just hard to get into the next gear you may need a new clutch at that mileage
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DLANE81
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
  • 2000 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 176,000 MILES
Hi. I have a 2000 protege 1.6 LX with 176k. After precisely one hour of driving the O/D Light Off light flashes and the transmission slams down to a lower gear. At the same time the speedometer bounces around or goes to zero and the RPM's jump up. This sounds like it could be the Vehicle Speed Sensor but I had the codes scanned at autozone and it came up clean. I must admit that I have neglected changing the transmission fluid and it hasnt been changed in almost 100k. I was going to start with changing the transmission filter and fluid. To me it seems to be heat related, considering it takes one hour and if it cools off it won't do it again. If changing the filter and fluid doesnt work, I'll try checking the VSS. Any thoughts?
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Hi dlane81,

Thank you for the donation.

If no trouble codes were present then the best way to go about is to plug in the scanner and got for a drive till the problem occurs. Without turning off the scanner, you should be able to get the code.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DLANE81
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Thanks for the reply. I actually went ahead and changed out my transmission filter and fluid. The filter seemed to be pretty old and clogged. I have not seen the problem reappear since.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
A clogged filter would cause fluid pressure problem so replacing the filter and fluid sometimes works.

Keep your finger crossed.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:00 AM (Merged)
Tiny
DBBURNS99
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 171,000 MILES
Driving home last night, my 1999 protege ES, (1.8 liter engine, automatic transmission) suddenly got very sluggish on acceleration from a stop and it would not shift from 2nd to 3rd gear and the OVERDRIVE light kept flashing on and off. I could drive but I would not drive above 40 mph and 3000 rpms. I checked the tranny fluids when I got home - about an 7 mile drive, and it was very low. This morning, I drove it another 3 miles toa g rease monkey and they topped off the tranny fluids but it still is doing the same thing - not shifting out of second, OVERDRIVE light flashing on and off. Is my clutch shot? Is my tranny shot? What is going on?
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
2CARPRO JACK
  • MECHANIC
  • 11,533 POSTS
The light is flashing to let you know the PCM sees a problem with it. Have the PCM scanned for trans codes and get back to me with what they find. If nothing in codes, have them look in "freeze frame/failure records" sometimes the will store codes in there
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ROBBIE SPENCER
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1999 MAZDA PROTEGE
1999 Mazda Protege

TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT OUT OF FIRST GEAR
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
RASMATAZ
  • MECHANIC
  • 75,992 POSTS
You have an internal problem with the transmission-you can test the VSS and TPS sensor because the computer uses their signal to provide the upshift and downshift and lockup.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
CARLOSL01
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 1999 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 155,000 MILES
When the engine was cold, in the moment to connect the drive position, the light O/D flash and the transmission does not working correctly the its necessary to turn off the engine and put the shift in park after the transmission work good
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
An error has been detected in the transmission control system and you need to retrieve the trouble code to find out which circuit has a fault.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
CARLOSL01
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
Ok; thanks we pass the scanner and there are no codes in transmission, there are codes in the engine, like oxygen sensor, mufti failures in the cylinder, and some times the catalytic converter
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,815 POSTS
Under such circumstances, it could be loose wiring or a failing transmission control module.
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
SANKAR
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • MAZDA PROTEGE
I have a mazda protege 1997 sitting in my garage for almost two years. This week I canged the battery and the car started without any problem. But I cannot move the gear. It's an automatic transmission. So I opened the flap of the gear rod and stick a screw driver to override it. But still I couldn't move the gear rod. What is the real problem?
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
COSMO
  • MECHANIC
  • 347 POSTS
More than likely the shaft going into the transmission is seized. This is the rod that attaches to the 'shift' cable under the air box/tube on top of the transmission. You should notice alot of corrosion near the bottom of the shaft where it goes through a seal into the tranny housing. Pour some oil and penetrating lubricant on it and leave it for a bit. Then try to move the shifter. If this doesn't work try removing the shift cable and moving it manualy at the rod itself.

Also, try removing the shifter cable at the shifter assembly inside the car and try to move the shifter. It might just be a case of the shifter assembly or the cable is seized.

I've seen alot of this in protege's

Cosmo. Mazda Tech
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:01 AM (Merged)
Tiny
ROLANDCALA
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
  • 1994 MAZDA PROTEGE
  • 4 CYL
  • FWD
  • MANUAL
  • 95,000 MILES
Whils driving, noticed the stick was getting sloppy. When I went to shift, the stick was not doing anything. It was loose and not engaging. I could still drive in a gear, but, could not shift. The clutch still worked. Is it most likely a linkage issue?
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Monday, July 27th, 2020 AT 10:03 AM (Merged)

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