OK so I go to start the car and it's stuck in reverse despite being neutral..so I do a search on here and come across this thread

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...uck+in+reverse

my question is, after reading the article, do I need to replace the reverse switch? I noticed it mentions to replace it to keep oil in and dirt out..or is this something miata specific or not entirely neccessary?

Also, once it's fixed (if this fixes it which I'm assuming it will) should I expect this to happen again? And anyone know what exactly causes it to happen?

 

Usually that means you should find a new trans. And keeping wrong oil and dirt out of the transmission is always a good thing.

You are saying that your car is always in reverse, as in the car goes backwards when your shifter is in neutral?

 

Yes when it's in neutral the car is in reverse. All the symptoms are like the ones mentioned in that thread. Car can be shifted into 1st or 2nd but it won't move and won't go into 5th or reverse.

The people in that thread that did this fix seemed to have success with it so I'm going to go ahead and give it a shot. At the very least maybe a temporary solution until I can get a new trans or do a TII swap or something. Granted the thread is about 4 years old now but you get my point :P

But I guess I'm still just wondering if I need to replace that switch.

 

It shouldn't be Miata specific - my understanding is that they are the same trans.

 

Be careful when doing this, if you use a poor quality screwdriver and break the tip off inside the trans, you're screwed. This should do the trick, but the way it's been described it seems that the only real fix is to open it up and 1) fix the clearance around the shift fork area, and 2) I don't think removing washers from detent springs to make it harder to slip into reverse would solve anything, because it also makes it harder to slip out of gear as well. It's probably got a worn out shift fork.

But you should reinstall the switch, make sure there's 1 copper sealing washer there. I don't think replacing the switch would do anything for you, just shim it out a little more if it's been hard to get into reverse.

 

I'll probably do this fix and then start saving up for a TII trans swap. At least hopefully this will get me by for the time being. Really don't have the time/money to tear into a trans at the moment :/

Thanks for the help

 

Look around for a used N/A Trans. They are very cheap and plentiful.

 

Does it matter if the trans is out of an s4 or s5 or are they the same? jw

 

The trans can come out of any series (S4/S5). However, if you get a different series from your car, swap in the cross member from YOUR transmission into the new one.

 

so just to make sure I read that right..

if I get an s4 trans I take the crossmember off of my old trans and put it on the s4 trans right?

 

Yes

 

Thanks. Just wanted to make sure I understood what you said

 

Incorrect. The transmission cross-member must match the transmission series, not the cars.

 

You are right, my mistake. As long as the transmission you get has a cross member, it will bolt up.

 

So I got around to looking for that switch and it looks like just to get to where I can even put a screwdriver in the hole where the switch goes without having to drop the trans?

If that's the case I'm just gonna take your advice and look into another transmission..don't want to fix it and then have it happen again right after

 

You can unbolt the crossmember and let the trans hang down some. It'll stretch the engine mounts a little, but not enough to damage them. I'd look into getting a decent used transmission like the others said. They're cheap and easy to get, easy to install. Or if you're feeling like it, upgrade to a TII transmission. Get a trans, slave cylinder, flywheel, clutch, adapt your driveshaft, and extend some wires and you're done. That way if you decide to turbocharge your 6port, or drop in a TII, you'd be set and ready to handle the power.

 

is that all I need for the swap? I read in the FAQ that you need the axles and starter to.

 

You will need the starter.

You either have to get a TII driveshaft, rear end, and axles OR get or modify your own driveshaft to connect from the TII trans to the N/A Rear end.

 

well I know mazdatrix has a driveshaft that's already setup for that type of conversion. Will that mean I still need to get the axles though?

Still not sure if I want to do a TII trans swap but I'm leaning towards it simply because I plan on doing a TII motor swap in the future anyway.

Thanks for all your help so far.

 

my trans done this i took it to my trans guy he took it apart and lined all the shift forks back up put it back together and i been driving on it for a year he said that it happens to miatas alot and our trans are alot alike thats my story... lol

 

If you get the mazdatrix driveshaft you can use your N/A rear end and N/A Axles.

(The axles must match the diff, n/a n/a or tii tii)

 

Awesome..that will help me save some pennies