I've read many threads on shifting issues, gear issues, and transmission problems but my situation is still a little different.

I have a 2005 (purchased in June of 2005) Titanium Gray 6 speed MT. I love my car, it's sleek and has a punch to it. I've haven't had any problems with it until recently. I didn't drive my car all Thanksgiving weekend. It just sat there on the driveway relaxing. Come Monday morning, I get in the car and it literally took me 5 mins to get the darned thing into reverse. I was starting to think that I was getting incompotent and not able to shift. So I drove it away. Later on that day, it took me 10 mins to get it into reverse, it just would not go. As I was driving, I would be in 4th gear and try to shift to 5th and it would seem to down shift. I found that odd but just thought that I was already in 6th yet the tach was reving really high, 6500 RPM on the freeway. Eventually, the poor reverse gear couldn't take it anymore and just died. I tried for more than 20 mins, my boyfriend came and tried for 10 more mins and there was no reverse gear to be found. Apparently, I had lost 5th, 6th, and reverse gears. The shifter was starting to feel really loose and that popping out of gear sounded like it was very possible. In the meantime, I called the dealership and made an appointment for the following day, yesterday. So, I took my poor car in, on it's last breaths. I just called them for the status and they have to take the transmission out to look at it and they mentioned that I may need a new transmission. I asked if it was covered by the warranty and they said that as long as it wasn't hit or something, that it would be. So,....now I'm driving around in a rented Ford Focus. Hardly comparable to my baby.

I'll keep you all updated to what they decide.

Is it common to have the tranmission die like that so quickly?? I just hope the new one doesn't only have a 1 1/2 year lifespan!!

 

Wow, that really sucks for you... I think your case must be a fluke as it is the first case i have read about in the time I've been on the board. I got my 8 around the same time as you and today it feels even better than when it was new (after upgrading to Redline transmission fluids). The hard-to-get-into-reverse problem is pretty common among owners, but nothing of the nature you experienced.

 

I don't know where you've been on these boards, but there are A LOT of horror stories about our transmissions. From bad shift forks to the common 2nd gear going out, hard downshifting into 2nd and bad grinding from 2nd to 3rd.

This may help you out with some more info https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-trouble-shooting-95/transmission-issues-questions-48737/

 

I recently discovered my clutch pedal ***'y had a broken spot-weld on it and I had it replaced by the dealer while under warranty. I believe my problems were exacerbated by my using the ACT Xtreme Duty clutch kit, which has a very heavy pressure plate. I put the factory plate back in and the dealer didn't give me any trouble about it. If your problems are from the same origin difficulty getting into reverse would be the first symptom as reverse has no synchronizer to help it get in gear. Take a look at the pedal assembly under the dash up close with a flashlight and try to see if there is a gap between the pedal pivot and backplate pieces. If so, get your car to the dealer asap.

 

I had exactly the same problem

it is described here:
https://www.rx8club.com/showpost.php...&postcount=282

As a final result they replaced the transmission under warranty, because there were too many broken parts.

This kind of situation can happen if you race the car and do not fully disengage clutch while driving.
Even when doing everyday driving and not fully disengaging clutch can cause this problem in the long term....

 

No, but don't worry about it too much, because new gearbox has 2 years of warranty, even if car warranty runs out. (at least in the European Union there is...)

 

Transmission? You mean shifter gear box. I'm sure they didn't clain the clutch, flywheel and gears are bad. That's your tranny!

 

....... NO


Clutch = part of the clutch assembly

Flywheel = part of the motor (or clutch assembly depending on how you look at it, though i went with motor due to the integrated counterweight being essential to the motors operation.)

transmission = part of the transmission and called a "Transmission" in the FSM.