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MX5 NOTCHY GEAR CHANGE

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Kevin Deeley

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Mar 29, 2000, 3:00:00 AM3/29/00
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HI EVERYONE

I have a 1997 1.6 MX5 and I must say it is the best car I've ever owned.
However, the only thing that spoils a perfect drive is a notchy gear change
from 1st to 2nd and from 3rd down to 2nd. Blipping the throttle seems to
help. but is this right. Any one else out there with experiences of notchy
gear changes.
PS my cars only done 11,000 and has a FMSH.
all comments / advise welcome before the warranty expires

Kev D

worcester

UK

Iva

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Mar 29, 2000, 3:00:00 AM3/29/00
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Kevin Deeley wrote:
>HI EVERYONE
>I have a 1997 1.6 MX5 and I must say it is the best car I've ever owned.
>However, the only thing that spoils a perfect drive is a notchy gear change
>from 1st to 2nd and from 3rd down to 2nd. Blipping the throttle seems to
>help. but is this right. Any one else out there with experiences of notchy
>gear changes.


You might try changing the turret oil and/or checking the fluid level in the
transmission. Seems to help a lot of folks with this problem. There's
probably info on this at www.miata.net in the garage section.

Iva & Belle.)
'90B Classic Red


Jim Tuccillo

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Mar 29, 2000, 3:00:00 AM3/29/00
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My 99 is notchy unless I shift above 4000 RPMs

Jason G

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Mar 29, 2000, 3:00:00 AM3/29/00
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In article <38E22F...@mindspring.com>, Jim Tuccillo <jtuc...@mindspring.com> wrote:
>My 99 is notchy unless I shift above 4000 RPMs
>

You should always shift above 4000, even with traffic. The gears aren't
"ready" to shift till then. In general sedate freeway traffic driving, I
shift around 5k. With no traffic worries, I shift at 6k.

--
Jason

"I like people. It's the public I can't stand."

Lanny Chambers

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Mar 30, 2000, 3:00:00 AM3/30/00
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In article <8btc0i$eck$1...@news7.svr.pol.co.uk>, "Kevin Deeley"
<Ke...@woodside206.freeserve.co.uk> wrote:

>I have a 1997 1.6 MX5 and I must say it is the best car I've ever owned.
>However, the only thing that spoils a perfect drive is a notchy gear change
>from 1st to 2nd and from 3rd down to 2nd. Blipping the throttle seems to
>help. but is this right.

It's a Miata, not a Camry. It's supposed to be a bit notchy,
because...because...well, because the Brit roadsters were, even though
the Miata is like that on purpose, while the Brit cars merely had
crummy-to-nonexistant synchromesh. It's at least partly due to the
lovely short shift throw--you wouldn't trade that, would you? :-)

Try replacing the transmission and shift turret lube with Redline MTL.
Try a steady, decisive pull on the shift lever. Try practicing your
doubleclutching.

--
Lanny Chambers, St. Louis, USA
http://homepage.mac.com/lanny/
'94C

Kevin Deeley

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Mar 30, 2000, 3:00:00 AM3/30/00
to

Funnyyou say that. I was only saying to a fellow MX5 driver that when I
drive it harder and use a few revs (over 4000) the gear change is so much
smoother - really noticably smoother.

Thanks for that - you've put my mind at rest.

Kev D
Worcester
UK


Jason G <jrgusen...@THISxxx.PARTxxx.yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:8btfva$a0k$1...@nnrp02.primenet.com...

Jim Carr

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Apr 1, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/1/00
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Kevin Deeley wrote:
}
} I have a 1997 1.6 MX5 and I must say it is the best car I've ever owned.
} However, the only thing that spoils a perfect drive is a notchy gear change
} from 1st to 2nd and from 3rd down to 2nd. Blipping the throttle seems to
} help. but is this right. Any one else out there with experiences of notchy
} gear changes.

In article <se4d88n...@corp.supernews.com>

"Iva" <ibf...@fast.net> writes:
>
>You might try changing the turret oil and/or checking the fluid level in the
>transmission. Seems to help a lot of folks with this problem. There's
>probably info on this at www.miata.net in the garage section.

The change would be to MTL, by the way. And it should be noted that
a notchy shift to second is a known feature of this car. The first
years even had a change made (as a TSB, as I recall) to reduce it.

Part of the 1-2 "problem" is the unavoidable fact that the ratio
change is quite large so there is a lot for the syncrhos to do.

--
James A. Carr <j...@scri.fsu.edu> | "The half of knowledge is knowing
http://www.scri.fsu.edu/~jac/ | where to find knowledge" - Anon.
Supercomputer Computations Res. Inst. | Motto over the entrance to Dodd
Florida State, Tallahassee FL 32306 | Hall, former library at FSCW.

Leon van Dommelen

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Apr 1, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/1/00
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j...@dirac.scri.fsu.edu (Jim Carr) wrote:

> The change would be to MTL, by the way.

MTL is slightly out of factory viscosity spec, at least in the US. A dealer
would have to be pretty crappy to notice and object to the difference, but
Redline MT-90 does meet factory specs.

Leon
--
Leon van Dommelen, Human Bozo, white 96 Sebring Miata
REMOVE THE "z"s -> domm...@zmiata.net www.eng.fsu.edu/~dommelen


Donald.Mann

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Apr 2, 2000, 4:00:00 AM4/2/00
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I have a 98 mk2 MX5 and also have been having difficultys changing from 1st
to 2nd I thought it was just my driving but maybe not if others are having
problems to does the MX have a history of this. Can any one help.

Donald Mann

Joseph Meehan

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Apr 3, 2000, 3:00:00 AM4/3/00
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Switch to a synthetic gear lube. It will cost a little more, but it
will help. It won't go away, but it will be better, especially in the
winter.

--
Joe M
26 + 6 = 1 It's Irish math

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