Symptoms of a Bad Transmission in a Mazda Protege

The Mazda Protege was built to accommodate both automatic and manual transmissions. This gives a driver versatility in purchasing a vehicle that meets his automotive needs and the style of transportation he desires. The symptoms of a bad transmission can be subtle at first, such as slipping gears or small noises when idling, but can quickly balloon out of control into a failed transmission and damaged engine. Careful drivers will pay attention to these symptoms to avoid expensive repair costs.

Transmission Slippage

Slippage is often the first symptom of transmission failure in a Protege with an automatic transmission. The driver will experience a temporary loss of engine acceleration as the transmission slips into a lower gear, which may cause a lag in the normal shifting of gears. When the vehicle experiences transmission lag, the car will seem to idle in neutral before the on-board computer properly relays the correct gear. The driver may even feel the gear "kick in" through a jolt in the engine block or a popping noise.

Clutch Failure

A Mazda Protege with a manual transmission shares some symptoms of transmission failure with automatics. The clutch is the driver's tool for manually shifting gears with the transmission and often shows the first signs of a larger problem. The driver may notice the clutch begin to slip gears by either physically noticing the clutch disengaging or failing to engage at higher gears such as fourth or fifth. These symptoms can be potentially dangerous for drivers of vehicles with manual transmissions, as the inability to engage a higher gear while on a highway could result in a serious accident.

Noise When Idle

Gears and clutch components that come loose over time will start banging around in the engine when the vehicle is idling. Drivers will hear clanging or clanking noises while the car is stopped but still in first gear or drive (for automatics). Loose transmission parts may come undone at any time, resulting in vehicle shutdown or further engine damage which may end up costing the consumer a great deal more than an already expensive-to-replace transmission.

Video: HOW TO FIX TRANSMISSION THAT SHIFTS HARD SLIPPING ON MAZDA

Helpful comments on this video:

• That's was super helpful. I am driving a MAZDA CX-5 2017 model 2.0 automatic and I noticed this issue almost 1.5 years back. But recently I have experienced this more frequently. Even though I did ask agency to check while my usual service they couldn't find the reason and as since it's happening only once in a while I was not able to show this to them. You solved my long standing problem and thanks a lot for this video.
• Wow thanks so much! This whole time I thought it was my fuel injectors but Scotty kilmer was saying that's kind of hilarious because gas is a cleaner in the first place. I did my fuel injector test the two in the middle sounds thinner than the other ones but they all sound okay. I have had fuel problems in the past with other cars cuz I run the gas pretty low but I was convinced that it's probably not the fuel injectors. So then I started to wonder if it was the computer. I know it's not the transmission cuz I've been driving it like this for a year and I drive a lot I mean a lot. I do lift an Uber and more. And it hasn't gotten worse. So it has to be something that would take a long long time. Hence your video! Transmission fluid I never even really thought about it but hey it's part of the transmission I should have looked in the manual like you did! Anyway wonderful and thorough video I wish more YouTube videos were like yours! Keep up the great work! It was so helpful!