Mazda 323 Automatic Transmission

[Lancerfiore]

Hi Guys,

I recently brought a mazda 323 with an automatic shift. I have to say that i have been driving mannual cars all my life, and this is the first time im using an automatic vehicle. When driving i noticed that sometimes the vehicles seems to slightly jerk between gear shifts. This does not happen always, only sometimes. Is this normal? or is it an indication of a problem to come? please let me know.

thanks in advance

[ShintaroX]

Ferpectly normal. Anyways, sometimes it's good to get your gearbox jerked a bit.

[Lancerfiore]

Ferpectly normal. Anyways, sometimes it's good to get your gearbox jerked a bit.

Ok.. Thanks...

[dude]

dude lancerfiore a "jerk" CANNOT happen during gear shifts only a slight gear shift "feel" should occur if there is a jerk occuring there's some serious trouble with ur tranny, better check it out

[The Stig]

Hi Guys,

I recently brought a mazda 323 with an automatic shift. I have to say that i have been driving mannual cars all my life, and this is the first time im using an automatic vehicle. When driving i noticed that sometimes the vehicles seems to slightly jerk between gear shifts. This does not happen always, only sometimes. Is this normal? or is it an indication of a problem to come? please let me know.

thanks in advance

Did you replace the ATF recently ? Check if the fluids are topped up and in good condition.

[Kavvz]

Ferpectly normal. Anyways, sometimes it's good to get your gearbox jerked a bit.

lol !!!

Hi Guys,

I recently brought a mazda 323 with an automatic shift. I have to say that i have been driving mannual cars all my life, and this is the first time im using an automatic vehicle. When driving i noticed that sometimes the vehicles seems to slightly jerk between gear shifts. This does not happen always, only sometimes. Is this normal? or is it an indication of a problem to come? please let me know.

thanks in advance

'Lancerfiore' :

It depends on how you drive as well as the mileage and the wear your transmission has on it. For a transmission in good repair:

Scenario 1: If you go easy on the throttle the car should shift smoothly with a minimal 'blip' or interruption in rev's. You'll certainly feel it if you pay attention, but to your passengers it shouldn't be too noticeable. This is normal.

Scenario 2: If you drive aggressively and accelerate hard from a standing start depressing the accelerator to more than 50% of its travel the car should hold its rev's and shift at a higher RPM giving you more time in the torque band so as to give you better acceleration. This will level off and return to a less aggressive shift pattern once you ease off on the accelerator, but if you don't, the car will keeping shifting aggressively at higher rev points throughout all the gears. In this type of situation the shifts will be more noticeable. The gears will shift with an audible change in engine note and will engage in an abrupt manner which you and your passengers will notice and feel through the footwells as slight bump / jerk. This is normal.

Scenario 3: During normal driving if you suddenly depress the accelerator to more than 50% of its travel (e.g. Overtaking, rapid maneuvering to avoid obstacles etc.) the engine management system / ECU will recognize that you need to accelerate rapidly and quickly shift down one gear so as to give you more torque. This should happen rapidly and you'll notice a quick change in rev's and engine note as well as a slight bump / jerk as the transmission shifts as quick as it can in response to your need. You and your passengers will notice and feel this shift through the footwells and the seats as slight bump / jerk. This is normal.

If outside of the scenarios described, your transmission shifts noisily, with a noticeable bump or jerk or makes a loud audible thump (like you would hear when going over a large pothole) when shifting then you might need to have it checked. It might be that your transmission has a lot of wear on it- In that case there won't be much you can do. However it could also mean that a sensor or a solenoid isn't working properly in which case you might be able to get things fixed relatively easily.

Before you take it into for a check I'd suggest you try resetting the engine management system / ECU so the transmission shift pattern resets in the hope that it recalibrates itself to a more gentle shift pattern. (Reseting the ECU: Do this by removing the battery terminals and pumping your brakes 3-5 times to drain the current from the electrical system- be warned though that unplugging the battery is going reset everything electrical in the car including your clock, radio presets, trip data, etc. so things will be a bit weird for a day or two.)

Once you reset the ECU, drive conservatively; making sure you go easy on the throttle. The engine management system / ECU should then cycle your car into a conservative setting and you should experience gear shifts as outlined in senario 1. If you still have the hard, jerky shifts / or hear a loud audible 'thump' when shifting during conservative driving, you should probably head over to a reputed transmission place and have the car looked over.

Edited October 27, 2011 by Kavvz

[dude]

+1 well answered Kavvz