mazda 3, remote start

Ok so has anyone done a remote start on a 05 06 07 or 08 mazda 3, and experienced any kind of trouble with the transmission. I have yet to have every put a remote start on and ended up having those type of problems, but it is my wifes car, and the dealership keeps on saying that it is because of the remote start. Just wondering if anyone else could maybe know a cause of a transmission to shift really hard, almost like you are cramming into gear??Taylor

That's a crock of s**t from the dealer. People have apparently damaged them on GM cars and trucks by not powering up the 2nd ignition wire which exists on those vehicles - however your car isn't a GM product, and has no such wire. The only other possibility is if for some reason in your install you connected a remote start or a bypass to a data wire which also goes to the transmission control module, and it alters the communication on that wire - but there's no remote start I know of that connects like that, and I do believe that most data bypasses use dedicated connections direct to the engine controller. In short - the dealer's lazy and wants to blame the aftermarket first.C Renner's Auto Electronix

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DittoJeff

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Have had one or two instances where conecting to an injector wire, Euro GM (Vauxhall Opel) and VW APPEARS to affect the ignition/run so I've installed DEI inductive tach sensor, both vehicles we well clobbered and have similar engine managements, I think I'm being blamed for other problems but I'm taking no chances. NB If the Mazda gearbox is "clutchless type" rather than torque convertor fully auto, then we've had nightmares with this type over here to the point where I wouldn't recommend it to any one and it has nothing to do with aftermarket equipment.

How can I know, or find out, if the car has a clutchless gearbox? I did go straight to the injector for then tach signal. But I have never had a problem with that before on VW GM Ford Chrysler Porsche or Ferrari. The only ones that ever gave me any challenges were diesels, then I just used a tach generator.Taylor

There is a TSB out on hard shifting automatic Mazda3's: http://www.finishlineperformance.com/pdf/mazda3/bulletin/05-010-05-1543.pdf Plus check out Mazda3 forums like www.torontomazda3.ca and www.mazda3forums.com, you will find a bunch of threads on this problem.

yea, I know about the TSB, they actually loaded the update, is there any way to know if the update took or not?? Cause my wife said that the shifting got worse after they supposedly loaded it.Taylor

I think the only way to check the tranny firmware version is to use the progamming unit that the dealer has. Still, I don't see how a remote start could affect the transmission. The only thing that comes to mind is that there is a connection to the neutral/parking switch that isn't properly isolated. Is the remote start a Mazda unit or 3rd party? (The Mazda one doesn't even tie into the neutral switch, but relies on the fact that the car won't start unless it is in park or neutral).