A. My shift light comes on in any gear when the car is not running, ignition at on possition

B. I can start my car up in any gear, with the clutch out (car moves)

C. 5th gear on the highway, shift up light comes on, causes bad gas milege.

D. WTF


OK this really sux! I hope "A" is normal. "C" i think I have to check the switch with a meter to see if t is making continuity. "B" is just dangerous but we are all a little dangerous... "D".


Please help with suggestions. My car has no modifications. Most major electrical components like the ECU and Logicon have been resoldered.



Not to mention all my lights flicker at idle.

 

I dunno how you figured the shift-up light messing with your gas mileage?

Having the car start in gear without the clutch depressed is something the "early" 1986-1987 Zenki FC's are notorious for; it's normal - the clutch switch starting lock-out wasn't installed until after mid '87.



-Ted

 

I heard somewhere that while traveling in 5th gear, the ECU sends a lower voltage to the fuel pump, therefore saving fuel. BTW I'm getting about 14 mpg on the highway. ECU suposedly lowers fuel pump voltage to about 9volts in 5th and I think maybe neutral too.

Thanx for the clutch switch info. My FC was built in July, 1986... damn. its 16 years old on the original motor. Who said rotaries blow up????

 

is the shift light supposed to come on when the ignition is in the on position? Any gear, engine not running.

 

Yep, it sure is. Mazda's primitive light test at work here. When the engine is not running, the Alternater is not working, so the Alternater light is on. If this light is on, so are all the warning lights and, you guessed it, the Shift Up light. Come to think of it, I wonder why Mazda even bothered to include an alternator warning light in the first place. It is not electrically possible to light this light without lighting up all the others. Therefore, the alternator failure indication is all the lights are on! Nobody's really going to notice the alternator light on also or, even if they do, connect that to the all the lights on problem! All I can say is that engineer musta' been smokin' some really good s*t when he designed that circuit!

Irv, Keith's dad

 

Thats not correct ted, my 87 sport built 6/86 had neutral safety. Furthermore the factory manual calls for a neutral safety on all manual tranny FC bodies. It is not normal.

More than likely the 5th gear/neutral safety switch assembly is bad or unlpugged.

The car should not start in gear unless either the clutch is in or the tranny is in neutral. If it does then also check the clutch switch assembly.