So, I have a '06 Mazda 6 (4 cylinder) with an Auto transmission. I use it to commute to and from work. I've put around 100k miles on it since I bought it 4 years ago. First, I'll admit that I am an idiot in general but especially with cars. I have not been replacing the AT fluid every 30K miles. I didn't know that's what you were supposed to do. Anyways, I assume this is what lead to my problems. A while ago, the AT warning light came on and it also stopped letting me use the "manual" mode. I took it to a Mazda dealer and they said it could be any number of things. They wanted to start off with a transmission fluid flush at $350, then go from there. As a poor college student, I didn't have that kind of money so I took it to a local shop for a second opinion. The mechanic there said that it was some internal component and it would probably cost more to repair than to replace the whole transaxle. Since the car has high mileage, it probably isn't worth very much anyways. I decided to keep driving it and see how long it would last. Fast forward a few thousand miles and now I have lost 2nd, 4th, and 5th gear. My question is: is there anything I can do, or am I just screwed? A new Transaxle runs about $1800 plus labor. My car has 158k miles and is in fair shape (except for the tranny). Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

Is it the 6 speed Aisin Warner?
If so make sure you get this: TransGo AW-TF-81SC,*AWF21: SK AWF21
And an external tranny cooler! Transmission Fluid Flush Tips | Trucks Plus
Quotes from article: As a rule of thumb, every 20 degree increase in operating temperature above 175 degrees F. cuts the life of the fluid in half! At 195 degrees F., for instance, fluid life is reduced to 50,000 miles. At 220 degrees, which is commonly encountered in many transmissions, the fluid is only good for about 25,000 miles.
On most vehicles, the automatic transmission fluid is cooled by a small heat exchanger inside the bottom or end tank of the radiator. Hot ATF from the transmission circulates through a short loop of pipe and is thus "cooled." Cooling is a relative term here, however, because the radiator itself may be running at anywhere from 180 to 220 degrees F.!

Thermostat for coolant in Mazda 6 is around 190 degrees.

You're pretty screwed

Notice ground wire I attached in pic (other end goes to negative terminal on battery) as well as name "Aisin" upside down.