Hello all!
I have trawled through these and many other forums but had no luck so far with my problem... I've recently become the new owner of a 2003 BJ FP 1.8l Auto Astina (shades) 220K on the clock but the car was very cheap and in immaculate condition.
I have fixed a misfire issue with new plugs and replaced the 2 coil packs (1 measured faulty). Car starts and idles beautifully.
The car is presently unregistered so my test drives are very limited, and I would rather troubleshoot it myself before taking to a workshop for diagnosis. This is a learning project & I don't need the car on the road in any great hurry.,
As the title suggests I have a hold indicator that begins blinking before I even turn over the engine, so I suspect an electrical issue. When i drive up and down my street it moves reasonably smoothly through all gears.
So far, I have checked ATF level and condition, metered the TR switch for correct contact positions and shorts, contact cleaned all sensor connections external to the trans housing.
Unfortunately, I haven't been able to see any DTCs as I'm struggling with the diagnosis port (no OBD2 port) - I can connect and see the vehicle type and PCM but that's all. I'm yet to try and decipher any LED codes that may be present.
Any pointers would be greatly appreciated!

 

You need to find a workshop that has a scantool that's capable of reading the transmission codes.

They have a older style diagnostic plug up beside the LHF shock tower.

 

Here is a link to a good website showing how to read fault codes from the older Mazda OBDI.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/di...azda-cars-obd1

Don't worry about the date because the USA moved to OBDII in 1996, Australia didn't move over until about 2002 or 2003.

 

Thanks for the replies! Yes Ive just read through the transaxle section of the 626 manual and it looks like a least 10 sensor inputs are monitored!
Without a DTC I'd be barking at the moon. I'll have a crack at trying out the LED test and call into afew mechanics in the coming weeks.
Wasnt sure if this was a common or known fault with this model.
Regards

 

Hi again,
Update time...I purchased a cheapo elm327 USB reader from amazon and tried again with the PC version of Forscan (via the 17pin diag port). This time I was able to get a single DTC from the vehicle ...P0745 EPC circuit fault. This is further than I got using a handheld scanner or a Veepeak bluetooth scanner with Ios App.
I measured resistance of all solenoids via the trans housing connector and got a high reading on the pressure control solenoid~>100ohms, spec is between 2.4-7.3ohms.
I have dropped the pan and removed the solenoid and checked at the solenoid contacts >100ohm, so definitely a problem solenoid.
Ill try and source one this week as well as a new filter. and report back.

 

Another update...after checking local parts distributors I was unable to find the EPC solenoid (a local trans shop wanted $AU330 for a new one!) I thought Id investigate a repair before ordering from eBay or Amazon.
I was able to carefully open the solenoid and inspect the coil. All looked ok but i found the enameled wire had poor contacts to the internal crimp posts (pictured). I cleaned up the connections and flowed some solder over each and reassembled. The solenoid was now reading in spec at 4.3ohms and actuating properly at 12V.
I was concerned at not hearing a definitive click when testing shift solenoids D & E so I removed them and gave them a decent flush with Throttle cleaner.
I reassembled the solenoids and wiring and installed a new filter and refilled with ATF. When I started the car the trans made some terrible squealing sounds but this soon subsided after afew minutes of shifting through gears at idle. I suspect this was due to having flushed SS D&E and them running without oil for a bit.
The good news is the hold lamp is no longer flashing, the gears shift smoothly and the hold function works.
Yet to take it for a decent road test, fingers crossed.

 

Congratulations, well done on your repair.

 

You need to find a workshop that has a scantool that's capable of reading the transmission codes.