I have a 2008 Mazda 3 Grand Touring S (2.3 liter engine) with automatic transmission.

When I'm on the highway and need to accelerate, the transmission properly downshifts, however there is a long lag (at least 3 seconds) before the power kicks in and the car accelerates. Sometimes this hesitation feels dangerous if I need to quickly get around someone.

My question is, is this normal? It's been many years since I owned an automatic and my dealer said that it is normal for this car because of the tiptronic transmission. However recently I drove a several year old Volvo (don't recall the model) and the response of acceleration was pretty much instant.

If I use the tiptronic in "manual" mode, and manually downshift, it has the same result.

In either case I can actually hear the engine rev from the downshift fairly fast, but it seems to take forever for the power to reach the wheels.

I only have a couple months left on warranty, so if this is not normal I want to make sure it gets dealt with.

Thanks so much!

 

First of all, the engine doesn't downshift. The transmission does... to a lower gear. (See your thread title please.)

Second, no I don't believe this is "normal," though the only Mazda auto I have driven recently were 2 different 2008 6i's (also w/the 2.3L engine) and I felt they were much too quick to up shift and very slow to react, either up or down, using the lever.

I don't recall whether or not they were slow when depressing the accelerator or not, but as a life-long stick shift driver myself, it probably seemed that way at the time.

The "Sport Shift" Mazda touts, or manually shifted automatic, can be accomplished with ANY std torque converter automatic, being careful not to shift into the wrong gate (e.g. reverse while going forward.) The hype is all in the shifter mechanism itself. Nothing really new or different w/the trans.
Welcome to the wonderful world of advertising.

In short, and I don't know all the circumstances, I would take it back to them for at the very least, a re-flash of the tranny computer. If you just bought the car recently and are not happy with it, perhaps you could trade-up to one w/the 5-sp manual trans?

 

virgin1 - thanks for the reply. Article corrected.

 

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Sounds like a bad servo piston or servo plate o-ring. The rubber edge on the servo can wear down or the o-ring for the servo plate can be either be oversized, torn or rescessed to far to keep a proper seal. It allows too much fluid flow for the piston to adjust properly or fast enough, causing a sloppy shift. The piston works on a vacumn concept. Its adjusts forward and backward according to fluid pressure applied to it. There's a center shaft on the piston that applies tension on the band that presses against the forward clutch assembly to control the rpms to allow it to change gears. Basically what is happening is the servo is adjusting slowly because it needs more to pressure before it can pull/push the piston to its proper position. It's taking more time for the clutch pack to adust its RPMs to shift properly because of the servo leak.

If you were losing a gear completely I'd say it was the accumulator pistons but your getting a shift, just slow.

The mazda3/6 trans has the same internals as the ford focus. I worked for Ford on the FN assembly line for 10 years and have seen this many times.

I'd take it into the dealership or to a Trans shop and have them run a computer diagnostics to see if any codes come up. Ask for a print out. Some Dealerships have been know to charge for a diagnostics and never even hook it up. Or when the car is doing it, have the mechanic test drive it. That way they can see what your concern is. Fortunately you won't need a whole rebuild.

If your mechanically inclined or know a good mechanic, its only about a 1 hr job max and you don't have to drop the trans out of the car.

 

buy a 5spd manual, problem solved , but yeah id take it in and demand (thats if they dont want to) to get the trans/powertrain flashed (trans and engine ops are combo in same ecu).

 

TA2DMAC,
Thanks for that VERY informative post. I was not aware of any such problem. Auto transmission are really not my thing anyway but that's good information to post and have.
And since you've been on the "inside," if I were BabyZoomer, I would take that advice to heart.

Tracker, I was also not aware that the trans info was held in the same ECU. They are usually spoken of as if they are different boxes so I was under the impression they were two separtate units. Thanks for that info too!!

Y'learn something new every day!!