Questions and Answers
New Mazda Transmission
Q. I just put a new auto transmission in an 1989 mazda 323, the engine runs, but the car won't go in gear, do you have any suggestions?
Thanks, Isaac
A. When you say "new" I'm going to assume a new transmission and that you put it in.
The only things that would keep it from going into gear is the torque converter bolts were left out, the shift cable misadjusted and no transmission fluid. Also the shafts that go from the converter to the transmission may have been left out. There is one for the oil pump and one is the input shaft. There is also the possibility that the transmission itself is defective.
The R&R of that transmission is pretty straight forward and there isn't too much to mess up. Just because it's new, doesn't mean it's good. I bought a transmission from Accurate Transmissions and after 1,000 miles it started leaking. And I mean a big leak from the case that would empty the transmission in about 10 miles. After several calls they basically told me I was S.O.L., so much for the 3 year/36,000 mile warranty. Since I was pretty far from home I had a friend tow it to his shop. We took it out and found that out of the ten bolts that hold the two halves of the case together, four were stripped when it was assembled. Two or the remaining 6 were broke clean in half and the other 4 were bent.
I should have known better because I got several transmissions from them for my customers and I had problems with all of them. So it cost me $1500.00 for the transmission + my labor to install it and another $800.00 to fix their transmission + my labor to R&R and make the repairs.
Basically, if you installed it right, it should work. If the installation is correct, then you have a defective transmission.
