That's what the dealer said is wrong with my "3".
I went to back the car up saturday, and it shifted very rough into reverse.
It moved backward, but when I shifted into drive, it wouldn't move.
The car was flatbedded to the dealer this morning, and after an inspection, they said the transmission computer failed.
Fortunately it is still under warranty.
Any one else ever had this problem?
Bob.

 

Nope! Don't have a trans computer with the manual trans.

Sorry to hear abut your troubles though Bob. It worries me that cars today have so much computer technology in them though, my own included.

 

It's hardly a computer. It's more like a lot of switch and relay logic feeding the central PCM for the car. What can happen is the indexing between the shift lever in the car and the shift solenoid control switch on the transmission can go out of tolerance (it's a cable linkage) and has to be re-aligned. Beyond that, the speed switch sub-assembly and the control solenoids, both on the transmission are also possible culprits.

Disclaimer: I do not have an automatic transmission, and my wife and two daughters are also stick shifters. I loath automatics with such a passion that over 25 years ago I even made conversion from automatics to manual 5 speeds a condition of our marriage.
It was touch and go for a while, but it worked out for the best in the end.

 

I picked the vehicle up from the dealer, and I am not a happy camper.
It moves forward and backward but, there is a rough shift between 2nd and third, and the same roughness downshifting from 3rd to 2nd.(not all the time, but enough so that it is going back to the dealer tomorrow)
When I pulled into my driveway (which is a small incline from the street, it shuddered as though it didn't know what gear it should be in.
They said they replaced the transmission module what ever the hell that is.
They also said one motor mount was cracked so they replaced that also.
This vehicle has 31 thousand miles on it and having parts wearing out so quickly is troubling.
Bob.

 

That's a bummer alright, but if one mount was cracked they should have replaced the mounts as a matched set, otherwise torque ****** can "skew" the engine and cause your sort of problem. I think the 3's shift linkage sucks bigtime.

 

The dealer beat me too it.
I had plans of going in early today to get this problem resolved, and early this morning the service department called to find out if I was satisfied with the work done, and was the car running properly.
"No" on both counts.
I brought the car in, and a couple of hours later picked it up.
The service manager stated they had to do a minor tweek of the system.
Whatever they did solved the problem because it is running smoothly again.
I also asked why they didn't replace the mounts in pairs.
He said there was no need too, the left one was fine.
I wanted to know why the right one cracked.
His answer was fatigue.
Now there's an answer if ever I heard one.
Any way, with it running properly, I am happy for the time being.
Bob.

 

I hate it when they treat me like an idiot.
I woulda' come back at him w/something like, "No sh*t, Sherlock!! Now, what caused the fatigue when I maintain and drive the car in a normal manner?"

 

Well my friend, not being an engineer or anything close to someone who studies structural integrity, I can only take his word for it that it was fatigue.
Anything is possible.
Many planes have been grounded due to metal fatigue.
The motor mount may just have been made with inferior materials.
One can only speculate the cause of it's failure.
The important consideration is that the service department did a through inspection of the vehicle, not just fix what the car was brought in for originally.
For that I am grateful.
All vehicles are only as good as the people and machines that assemble them.
Perhaps this one motor mount slipped through the cracks (no pun intended) and wound up in production.
I am just thankful it was spotted before something major happened.
Bob.

 

You don't know which was the chicken and which was the egg. If the transmission indexing or switching was out of kilter, the ratty shifting stresses the mounts, and if the mount was crappy, the engine wallowing around on a bum mount can screw up the transmission indexing.
The main thing is that you're good to go, and it seems you have a pretty good dealer too.
As for Virgin !'s remark about being treated like an idiot; I don't mind that in the least. I just don't let the flattery go to my head.

 

I chose this dealership (Star Lincoln Mercury/Mazda in Glendale) because of something one of the salesmen told me a couple of years ago.
I was just starting to search for my Mazda, and this dealership was one that I went too.
I didn't buy my Mazda there but I remember the salesman telling me that the dealership was the best when it comes to their service department
The early morning phone call to see if I was satisfied with the work done on the vehicle, and the subsiquent "tweeking " the system to make it right, tells me they really are concerned with the customer's needs.
Bob.