1998 Mazda 626

I HAVE A 1998 MAZDA 626 LX 4 CYLINDER, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. I AM SURE YOU ARE AWARE OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS WITH THESE VEHICLES FROM 92-02. DURING LONG DRIVES (OVER 30 MILES), I BEGAN EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE O/D (OVERDRIVE) LIGHT FLASHING. ACCOMPANYING THIS PHENOMENON, WAS ERRATIC SHIFTING AT HIGH SPEEDS BETWEEN THIRD AND FOURTH GEARS. WHEN PULLING OVER AND STOPPING THE CAR, BLACK SMOKE CAN BE SEEN COMING FROM THE LEFT SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. THIS ONLY SEEMS TO OCCUR AT HIGH SPEEDS, ABOVE 50 MPH. THIS OCCURRED ON LONG DRIVES AS SOON AS I PURCHASED THE CAR. MULTIPLE MECHANICS WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE O/D LIGHT PROBLEM. I HAD THE O2 SENSORS REPLACED. I FOUND OUT LATER THROUGH INTERNET CHAT ROOMS FOR THE MAZDA 626(AKA: SUPPORT GROUP FOR AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 626 OWNERS), THAT THIS PROBLEM IS THE FIRST SIGN THAT THE TRANSMISSION IS BURNING UP. THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY FAILED AT 105,000 MILES(LUCKY TO LAST THAT LONG). COST ME $2000 TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION WITH ONE FROM A JUNK YARD. NOW THE O/D LIGHT STILL FLASHES WHEN DRIVING OVER 30 MILES OVER 50 MPH. JUST WAITING FOR THE TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT AGAIN. MAZDA SHOULD PAY FOR THESE REPAIRS, AND THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER UNFORTUNATE MAZDA 626 OWNERS OUT THERE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP FOR AN OIL CHANGE AT 40,000 MILES. DURING THE OIL CHANGE THE MECHANIC DISCOVERED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS DISCOLORED AND RECOMMENDED FURTHER DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OF THE TRANSMISSION. THE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING WAS NOT COMPLETED AND THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN UNTIL THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AT 58,000 MILES. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PULLING FROM A PARKING SPACE THE VEHICLE STALLED AND IT WAS PUSHED BACK INTO THE PARKING SPACE. A LOCAL MECHANIC CAME TO THE SCENE, INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION FAILED.

I HAD THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ON MY 1998 MAZDA 626 REBUILT AT NO. 1 AUTO REPAIR CENTER IN STAFFORD, VA, BACK IN NOVEMBER OF 2002 AT A COST OF 1650.00. ON JANUARY 1, 2006, WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM LORAIN, OH, TO KETTERING, OH, THIS REBUILT TRANSMISSION SEEMED TO OVERHEAT AND BLOW. THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT SUDDENLY AND SMOKE PROCEEDED TO BILLOW FROM MY HOOD WHILE I WAS DRIVING AT A SPEED OF 75 MPH. THE O/D OFF LIGHT HAD BEEN BLINKING A FEW WEEKS AGO, SO I TOOK THE CAR IN TO GRISMER AUTO REPAIR IN DAYTON, OH. THEY SAID THE TRANSMISSION FLUID WAS VERY DARK AND SLUDGY AND RECOMMENDED A FLUSH AND CHANGE. THE O/D OFF LIGHT WENT OFF AFTER THAT AND DIDN'T COME ON AGAIN UNTIL MOMENTS BEFORE THIS SECOND TRANSMISSION FAILURE. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE I WILL HAVE TO GET A SECOND REBUILT TRANSMISSION FOR THE SAME CAR WITHIN A SPAN OF APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS. BY THE WAY, MY LAST PAYMENT IS NEXT MONTH ON A FIVE-YEAR LIEN. THAT'S TWO REBUILT TRANSMISSIONS I HAVE HAD TO PAY FOR BEFORE THE CAR WAS EVEN PAID OFF. WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME HOW THIS IS FAIR. *NM

TRANSMISSION FAILURE: I HAVE A BABIED 1998 MAZDA 626LX. AT 107,000 MILES I NOTICED SOME VERY SLIGHT TRANSMISSION SHIFT PROBLEMS. I CONSULTED THE MANUAL. NOTHING. I CALLED THE DEALER, VAGUE ANSWERS, NO RECOMMENDATIONS. I DROVE IT AND NOTICED THE O/D LIGHT COMING ON AT ABOUT 60 MILES ( HEAT ? ). SO I STARTED SHORT DRIVING ONLY. FINALLY IT FAILED AND BLEW FLUID ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. REPAIRS. SO FAR - $1590.00, BUT NO CONFIDENCE IT IS OVER. MY MECHANIC SAID THE TRANS COOLER WAS DESIGNED POORLY AND COULD NOT BE CLEANED TO WHERE IT WOULD WORK PROPERLY. WE PUT ON AN AUX COOLER. WE HOPE IT WORKS. PROBLEM IS THE CAR IS NOT WORTH IT. I AM ANGRY AT ^&% ^%$#^& MAZDA FOR THEIR INEPT SUPPORT AND STUPIDITY. I WILL NEVER USE THEM AGAIN. THEY HAVE LEECHED ME LONG ENOUGH ON THIS CAR. THEY COULD HAVE HELPED A LONG TIME AGO ABOUT THE HEAT BUILD-UP OF THE FLUID. THEY KNEW THIS WAS COMING. THEY ARE VULTURES WAITING FOR YOUR CAR TO DIE AND THEN THEY WILL HELP THEMSELVES TO YOUR $2500.00. I WILL DIE TELLING FOLKS TO STEER CLEAR OF MAZDA AND FORD. *JB