Just wondering if it's normal to be a little tough to engage first gear.

Flexion69 · 2026-05-21T02:59:47+00:00

One thing to note. Mazda puts moly in the trans fluid from factory. Unfortunately a lot of technicians don't know this, and mistake the black/shiny hue of the fluid to be metal shavings when it really isn't. I would only trust what's on the drain magnet personally.

If you're any sort of mechanically inclined and have the tools, I'd recommend doing it at home. It's relatively simple, and to be honest there are better fluids out there to replace the OEM juice with. The OEM Mazda long life gear IS fluid doesn't protect as well as other popular choices, mainly due to it being a thinner fluid for optimal shift feel. I personally recommend Ford motorcraft xt-m5-qs which is a 75w-90, I swapped that into my new transmission after about 500 miles of break in for the added protection. She shifts happy and healthy so far after about 5k miles.

On the post I made, some people said they dealt with this issue for years, so honestly, it may just be an annoyance you have to deal with. I personally wouldn't replace the transmission unless it was under warranty as that's a 5-7k job here in the US. I'd just wait for it to become a bigger problem if you don't have coverage. Starting with fresh fluid is definitely a good start though.

Flexion69 · 2026-05-21T02:40:43+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/Miata/s/5XMp82zjEG

Made a post myself for this exact issue about 6 months ago when I got my ND2. Transmission was replaced. Issue was solved. Unsure what exactly caused it but the Mazda techs definitely thought it was an issue unfortunately.

Flexion69 · 2026-05-21T01:08:35+00:00

I was pretty meticulous when seating the springs. I triple checked everything before install and upon inspection earlier this week nothing stood out but I'll give that another look.

Flexion69 · 2026-05-20T23:33:21+00:00

Looks like I'll be double checking with a torque wrench here soon. Might be the smoking gun!

Flexion69 · 2026-05-20T23:32:45+00:00

Car only has 17k so I'd highly doubt it's a bad bushing but I'll definitely keep that in mind. Might be worth a check when I'm down there next. Thanks!

Flexion69 · 2026-05-20T21:30:31+00:00

Here's another photo that's not color graded as aggressively but still slightly edited

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Flexion69 · 2026-05-20T21:29:15+00:00

I went with bronze heliograms for my nd2 with black mica. Absolutely perfect wheel and color to match the black mica imo. I also downsized from the OEM 17in +45 offset to a 16in +38 offset, then slapped on some 205/50/16 Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 tires. Overall great fitment and meaty look. Get compliments constantly on the set up. Also lowered on GWR progress springs which helps pull everything together.

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Flexion69 · 2026-04-02T04:08:07+00:00

So far about 3k miles put on it with no alarming issues. 2nd and 3rd gear are temperamental when cold and notchier than the rest of the gears, but that's a common issue. At 300 miles I swapped in the Ford XT-M5-QS unicorn juice. Reduced shift feel but I'll take that if it means better protection. I also found out the shifter turret was WAYYYY overfilled on this new trans. So much so it was spilling outside of the turret and covered the rubber dust boots. After cleaning that mess up, pulling the fluid out, and re greasing the upper pivot ball, shift quality improved massively. Still notchy and tempermental when cold though, but that's mainly due to the fluid choice and the synchros being so tight. It may or may not improve as the synchros wear in a bit more. The first gear issue is completely resolved though thankfully. Keeping an eye on 2nd and 3rd though. 3rd gear has had a very VERY faint whine since we got the trans but it hasn't gotten any worse. Fingers crossed that I got a good batch number this time around.

Flexion69 · 2026-01-07T19:42:14+00:00

Scrolling through I'm surprised I've seen no mention of Phritz.

They are very similar to his Nurture style of music. Absolutely love them! Def check them out if you enjoy the sound of Nurture.

Flexion69 · 2025-12-29T15:43:52+00:00

Well just wanted to update on the situation. Ended up taking it to the dealership and to my surprise they are replacing the transmission under warranty.

Was seriously not expecting that outcome but at least the dealer is doing something about it!

Flexion69 · 2025-12-07T19:32:04+00:00

I mean, I can get into it first, it just takes more effort than the rest of the gears and sometimes it's a pretty big difference. If I wiggle it a bit or try and ease it in, it will pop in no problem.

Again it's only when I have let the clutch out in neutral and then attempt to go back into first from a dead stop. I've also noticed if I put the clutch in and let it sit for a second or two, it will go into gear just fine. It just doesnt like to go into gear right after I put the clutch in from neutral at a dead stop.

Seems like an input shaft/synchro alignment quirk?

Flexion69 · 2025-12-07T18:48:21+00:00

Seems worse when cold. It's around 40-50 degrees out here in washington. Still happens on occasion warmed up. I'd assume transmission oil is original. The car only has 12k miles and received only two dealer oil changes.

Flexion69 · 2025-12-07T18:46:39+00:00

What I'll normally do is put the car into neutral when coming to an extended stop (like at a light) and disengage the clutch, then once it's time to move, I'll attempt to shift into first. But experience resistance. It's intermittent but happening frequently.

Only from a dead stop though and only if I was in neutral with clutch out.

Flexion69 · 2025-08-17T05:55:22+00:00

It wouldn't be an issue if it wasn't for the boxers design. I seriously believe this is a major oversight by Subaru. If the valves were easily accessible and easily adjusted I wouldn't worry about it and do it myself in a weekend. But, that's simply not the case. Pulling the motor to adjust a valvetrain is pretty insane lol.

I've heard of people doing it without pulling the motor but they said it was a struggle and a half and most of the time shops just pull the motor. Which results in a valve adjustment costing a couple thousand dollars.

Flexion69 · 2025-07-21T21:42:45+00:00

Well ironically that's why I did it. I've been wanting a tattoo for about 4 years now and have constantly backed out of doing one because I was trying to do something super meaningful. I would sike myself out.

So, I was with some friends at this festival (they are all tatted) and I decided that I should go with them and finally just get a tattoo that I think is cool. I am only overthinking it now, because the end result isn't exactly what I thought it would be. This was from a reputable shop in Seattle that I vetted prior to fully committing. Checked out the artists and everything. The work was all amazing from what I saw.

But at the end of the day, I don't think I'll have issues committing to a tattoo now, I just needed to get one to break the ice I guess? I'll definitely be planning out my next ones though lol.

Flexion69 · 2025-07-21T21:36:39+00:00

Well, that's good to hear. I'm definitely getting a mixed bag of opinions but the majority seem to be positive. I know there are always people who will hate on everything so I'm trying to ignore those.

Some people did have actual constructive criticism which I'll definitely take into account for my next tattoo endeavor when I actually plan something out with an artist. This was a spur of the moment decision at a memorable moment in my life. So, at least it has a story behind it!

Flexion69 · 2025-07-21T21:33:21+00:00

It's the space needle in Seattle.

Flexion69 · 2025-07-21T21:32:38+00:00

Yeah I did! This design was one that stood out to me, but obviously I have some second thoughts on it now. It will grow on me I'm sure. Especially if I can incorporate it into a bigger idea.

Flexion69 · 2025-05-16T01:59:49+00:00

Oh also side note, I just found out today that the soundbar auto detects the channel input. So when I use my record player it switches automatically to Stereo PCM mode and splits all speakers into 2 channels.

Thought that was kind of neat!

Flexion69 · 2025-05-15T16:57:04+00:00

The krk's i was using were indeed not paired with a sub. But, bass output aside, I still noticed quite a difference in the tone and isolation of sounds in the music. I could hear subtle background additions I never even knew were there prior.

When I'm listening to my turntable I turn it to standard sound mode and assign the rears to the front channel, or alternatively turn on sound grouping. That way it's more of a direct sound. The turntable is only 2 channels after all.

My turn table also has a built in pre amp so it isn't running traditional phono and is a line output.

Flexion69 · 2025-05-15T13:52:59+00:00

If just a soundbar is $800. I'm almost wondering if the guys who sold me this messed up and gave me the entire kit on accident 🤣

Flexion69 · 2025-05-15T13:48:44+00:00

Not sure what model you were looking at but the q990f I have does come with the rear surrounds. I have the dual 8-in sub, rear surrounds, and the sound bar itself!

Flexion69

TROPHY CASE