1997 Mazda 626

WHILE DRIVING,WITHOUT WARNING THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD AND REMAINED ON. THE VEHICLE START SHIFTING ERRATIC THE DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC PLACED THE VEHICLE ON A DIAGNOSTIC. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED REPLACEMENT. PLEASE FILL IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM *TR

WHEN DRIVING FOR APPROXIMATELY 2-4 HOURS THE OD OFF LIGHT STARTED FLASHING. I'VE RESEARCHED THIS INCIDENT AND APPARENTLY THE TRANSMISSION GETS TOO HOT FREQUENTLY RESULTING IN COSTLY REPAIR! I HAD TO DRIVE BACK HOME AFTER DECIDING NOT TO CONTINUE MY VACATION AND EVERY 2 HOURS STOPPED TO LET THE CAR COOL BECAUSE LIGHT ( OD OFF) STARTED TO FLASH. *AK

IMMEDIATELY AFTER USED CAR PURCHASE IN JUNE 2003 THE 1997 MAZDA 626 REQUIRED TRANSMISSION REBUILD. SIX MONTHS LATER AT MY EXPENSE OVER $3000 REQUIRED TO REBUILD TRANSMISSION. SINCE THEN HAS BEEN IN SHOP OVER SIX TIME WITH RECURRING OVERDRIVE LIGHT BLINKING, OVERHEATING AND POOR SHIFTING. TWO COOLERS HAVE BEEN INSTALLED. THE ENGINE THERMOSTAT REPLACEMENT, BATTERY REPLACEMENT, OIL CHANGE AND TUNEUP HAVE NOT PREVENTED A RECURRENCE. AFTER 100 TO 150 MILES OF HIWAY DRIVING THE O/D LIGHT BLINKS AND TRANSMISSION OVERHEATS.*AK

1194-2002 MAZDA 626 4-CYL. AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS ARE DEFECTIVE AS NOTED IN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS (FORMAL AND INFORMAL; SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LENGTHY DESCRIPTIONS IN 466 POSTS AT HTTP://WWW.CARTRACKERS.COM/FORUMS/LIVE/YOURLEMON/189.HTML, A FORUM DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY TO THIS DEFECT). I PERSONALLY OWN A 1997 MAZDA 626 DX WHICH HAS BEEN EXPERIENCING THE DESCRIBED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS, INDICATED BY THE FLASHING "O/D OFF" LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD AND THE "TORQUE CONVERTER CLUTCH MECHANICAL FAILURE" TROUBLE CODE RETRIEVED BY ODBII DIAGNOSTICS PERFORMED ON 8/27/2004. IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAZDA HAS BEEN MADE AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THEIR TRANSMISSIONS AS EARLY AS 2002, AND IN MAY 2002, TSB# 0500502 "A/T - OD OFF LAMP FLASHING/DTC P1783/SHIFT CONCERNS" WAS ISSUED.*AK

I PURCHASED A 1997 MAZDA 626 IN JAN OF 2004. TOOK IT ON ITS FIRST ROAD TRIP IN JUNE. WENT TO PASS ANOTHER DRIVER AND THE LIGHT STARTED FLASHING, CAR STARTED JERKING. I LIMPED BACK HOME WITHOUT HAVING TO DO A LOT OF MAJOR WORK. CONSQUENCES: TOWING, CANCELLED TRIP, REPAIR COSTS, TIME LOST. I'M WORKING ON SAVING THE MONEY TO HAVE THE TRANSMISSION REBUILT. I WENT TO RESEARCH THE ISSUE & FOUND LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS DEALING WITH MAZDA 626 TRANSMISSIONS. BUT NO RESPONSE FROM MAZDA.*AK

I HAVE A 97 MAZDA 626 WITH 88000 MILES AND THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. STRATED OUT WITH A PROBLEM SHIFTING TO THIRD GEAR, BUT NOW THE O/D LIGHT IS BLINKING. THE MECHANIC SAYS THAT IT NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION THAT WILL COST $2000. I HAVE MAINTAINED THIS CAR PRETTY WELL AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE PROBLEMS, UNLESS THE PRODUCTY IS FAULTY. SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE.*AK

THIS COMPLAINT IS REGARDS TO THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION (ATX) ON MY 1997 MAZDA 626, 2.0L I4. THE TRANSMISSION IS MANUFACTURED BY FORD, MODEL CD4E. DESPITE FAITHFULLY CHANGING THE FLUID AT RECOMMENDED INTERVALS, THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY DIED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT AT 105,000 MILES. THIS TRANSMISSION WAS FORCED ON MAZDA BY FORD IN ALL POST 1993 4 CYLINDER MODELS, AND SUFFERS MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH HEAT AND METAL PARTICLES DUE TO INADEQUATE COOLING AND FILTRATION SYSTEMS. THE FILTER IS INTERNAL TO THE TRANSMISSION AND INACCESSIBLE (CANNOT BE CHANGED) REQUIRING THE FLUID TO BE FLUSHED. IT IS ALSO WOEFULLY UNDER COOLED, WITH A SIMPLE PASS THROUGH THE ENGINE RADIATOR, AND NO EXTERNAL COOLER. MODELS SUBSEQUENT TO 1999 HAS EXTERNAL COOLERS INSTALLED, SO IT SEEMS THAT MAZDA/FORD ARE ACKNOWLEDGING THIS PROBLEM. THE FOLLOWING LINK IS VERY ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OF THIS VEHICLE: HTTP://HOMEPAGE.NTLWORLD.COM/DOROTHY.BRADBURY/PROBEMX/INDEX.HTM. *JB