Greetings,

I have a 1990 Vert with an NA auto transmission. I only drive the car about 50 miles per week. I purchased it from the original owner about a year ago. It has 130,000 miles on it. The top is ripped on both sides where all the other verts are ripped, the drivers seat is toast ( but still comfortable), and the factory radio works when it wants to.

For some reason I feel obligated to make sure this car does not end up as scrap metal. Maybe because my dad had 2 RX7's while I was a teenager and never let me drive either of them. (1983 GS, and later a 1986 GXL). Or maybe because I put a new Starter in it. Maybe because i thought it needed New Bridgestone Potenzas on those cool looking BBS wheels, I don't know.

I am NOT going to converti it to a 5 speed manual transmission, unless I can convince my neighbor to sell me his car to use as a doner car, (1989 NA 5 Speed Coupe, it was rear ended about 5 years ago and has been sitting).

Latley the car has been shifting Erratically, cruising at 50 mph the car will want to stay in 2nd gear unless I take my foot off the gas pedal for a split second. kinda like it you were driving a stick shift

Cruising at 60 mph on a flat road the car will want to keep bouncing between 2nd, 3rd, and OD (4th)

If I take my foot off the gas pedal it will revert to OD. If I press the hold button, it will stay in 3rd.

At 70 mph on a flat road it will go between 3rd and OD constantly. If I press the hold button it will stay in 3rd, about 4200 rpm's, 70 in OD is about 3200 Rpm's.

This problem is making me want to just park the car and leave it set, like my neighbor did, but I really enjoy lowering the top and cruising around Shreveport. I drove 90 miles to Nacogdochies, TX last week and tolerated the Erratic shifting. Same thing comming home.

It gets between 14 - 15 miles per gallon on the highway, about 10 mpg in the city. But I don't care it is fun to drive.

I was consitering a Transgo Shift kit or checking the Tranny Vacuum lines. If there is a preveous post on this topic, I missed it. Any advise or things to check would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Todd
Shreveport, LA

 

You can do a complete 5 speed swap for under $400 easy. If you love the car and want these problems gone then do the swap. It really isnt that hard if you know a thing or two. Here is a link for detail on the 5 speed swap:

http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/2n...to_5speed.html

IMO there never should have been an auto rx7. It just makes it easier for a woman or a noob to hop in these cars and destroy them quicker. Also the auto trans from the factory are terrible at best.

 

The shift kit is not the answer. Your tranny needs rebuilt. The sooner you do it the better.

Most of the posts here will tell you to convert. You should do what YOU want to do. If you like it Automatic, fix it!

On another note, I have been wondering just what it would be like to have a Vert with 6-port Turbo and automatic. The Auto would need to be rebuilt and strenthened, shift kit etc.

 

Havin the auto trans rebuilt would cost more than doing a 5 speed swap yourself IMO.

 

Yesterday while driving the car the "hold light" started flashing and I could not lock the tranny into 3rd gear. While this was happening the check engine light was also flickering, but would not stay illuminated.

I am gussing this is related to my Erratic Shifting.