I have a new and very lovely Spider but I have noticed that the gear change is a bit stiff and kind of resists the gear change a bit too ... Is this Fiat thing? new car thing? or driver thing? Has anyone else noticed anything? I admit to being a bit precious about my new car at the moment.. 0
Just off the top of my head I'd be asking that the clutch adjustment be checked; if it's not quite fully disengaging shifting can be as you've described. I'd also ask that the gear shift linkages be (re)lubricated as well. I did this once on an older car and the gear changes went from being notchy to silky smooth.
I'm used to German trannies, its like someone stuffed rocks in the synchros, the 124 I drove didn't give me any issues, other than me being used to having to ride the clutch through gears which made me look retarded lol.
Aisin gearboxes have always been like that. They are usually fine once the oil warms up, but they can be a bit baulky until then...especially on the 1-2 shift. Our MY08 NC Miata was exactly the same (the 124 uses the same gearbox). My MY14 BRZ (which uses basically the same gearbox) is also the same. And they don't seem to improve much with miles. My BRZ has 25,000kms on it and it's still the same. We put 35,000kms on the Miata and it never changed either. Just accept that it doesn't like to be hurried until it has some heat in it.
The NC/124 gearbox is made by Mazda, not Aisin. It is an adaptation of the trans used in Mazda trucks.
Many Miata owners have have had good results switching to Ford full-synthetic gear oil, XT-MS-QS.
For me too, gear changes are not as smooth as I expected. I was wondering if the 3rd gear on the first Spider I tested was defective, but the second one I tested (and bought) was identical. The crunchy feel is certainly magnified by the short throws, but gear shifts in my 17-year-old, 210k-mi BMW are smoother and almost as fast.
Hey....the Italians call it "character". All Italian cars I've ever experienced have some flaws. They can't be "Germanically perfect". Where's the fun in that?
Hi all thanks so much for commenting.. I am taking it back to the garage in a couple of weeks for its first check so i will mention it. However, I will go with the car having 'character', it kind of suits me and why I bought the car in the first place. I have never had a 'high end' car so don't have BMW's etc to compare it too so long as its a car thing overall and nothing is about to drop off I can surely live with it thanks for putting my mind to rest. Have a lovely weekend driving in the winter sun (UK)
Had my 124 for 2 weeks now and it sounds exactly the same as mine. I have had a German counterpart which I sold earlier this year, still more fun in the fiat! Enjoy
The gearboxes are different as well. The MX-5 features a choice of either an exceptional six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic. The choice is the same for the 2017 Fiat 124 Spider, but the automatic is made by Aisin and is found in such cars as the Dodge Dart. Meanwhile, the manual comes from the Mazda3, not the MX-5.
Why, you ask? Apparently, the MX-5’s gearbox couldn’t handle the car’s extra torque.
After posting earlier that I was not that impressed with the gearbox, and in particular the 3rd gear engagement, I am revising my opinion. After only 300 miles, the gear changes are already much cleaner, especially when the box is warm. I am really enjoying this car!
Hi all... Thanks for all the tech info I have copied it to my Garage tech as i have a very limited knowledge. I just bought it because i liked it. This has rested me assured that it isn't me, which is good. I am loving this car and so want to care for it as well as I possibly can. Thanks again
That Ford synthetic MT oil is great. I had tried Redline in the 6MT in my Miata with some improvement, but the Ford oil did the trick. I would not hesitate using it again.
Seems to me there may well be a problem. The manual transmission comes from the third generation miata/mx 5. In addition to my current spider my two previous cars had this same transmission. All three cars the gearbox were/are a joy. Suspect any fault is likely to be an easy warranty fix. Best wishes.
Don't think clutch is adjustable...hydraulic master/slave set up usually self adjusts...mine is getting better//softer shifting after 1200 miles. Make sure you floor the clutch pedal and move the stick a little slower....it will get better.
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