Mazda Repair: 99 Miata - Problem with Shifting Gears, clutch master cylinder, brake master cylinder

Question
QUESTION: Hello,
Last evening my '99 Miata stranded me.  I was downshifting from 3rd to 2nd to make a turn and it would not go into gear.  I coasted to the side of the road and tried to get it to go into any gear with no luck.  I left it there and my husband and I went back 4 hours later and the car shifted into all gears fine.

I left it with our mechanic today and he drove it all day without any problems.  Have you ever heard of such a problem?  It only has 19k miles.

Thank you for you help,

Leigha


ANSWER: The clutch hydraulic system consists of two main components.  The master cylinder and the slave cylinder.  When you push the pedal you actuate the master cylinder (a fluid pump) that in turn actuates the slave cylinder (a hydraulic ram).  This action disengages the clutch disc itself and allows you to shift while the engine is running.

Your inability to shift is either due to low or no hydraulic fluid in the system or a failing part.  It is not unlikely to have an older low mileage car suffer from rubber part failures as time eventually catches up before miles.

The Miata is the most reliable car you will ever own, there are very few things that will leave you sitting on the side of the road calling for a tow.  Clutch Hydraulic failure is one of them.

Suggestion;  
Get two new assemblies (both parts) and swap them new before they end up leaving you sitting again.  

Prevention;
Keep a pint of DOT 3 brake fluid in the trunk to top off the master cylinder if it ever runs low.  In an emergency you can spoon fluid from the larger Brake Master cylinder and share some with the smaller clutch master cylinder.  

If it happens again DO NOT force it into gear as you will break something more costly.  Rather be sure the fluid level is good and SLOWLY pump the clutch pedal as much as 30 times before trying to engage it into gear, usually (not always) this will get you going at some rate.  

In the meantime, until the parts are replaced, avoid sitting still with the clutch pedal depressed, if you have an internal leak it will loose fluid pressure while you sit on the pedal.

Hope this helps you understand and overcome this common normal maintenance problem.

Happy Miataing,

service@miatashop.com

"if your good at what you do you should be well paid"

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thank you so much.  I had both of the clutch cylinders replaced today.  I hope that fixes that problem!!

I wanted to pick your brain to see if you know of any other preventative maintenance I should have done on this older low-mileage Miata.  

I have recently done the following:

Plugs and wires
battery
Ignition Coil
Cat Converter
Fuel Rails Cleaned
(of course the regular oil change service)

I have had the car since new - used as a weekend trip car only - recently began using as everyday and that is when the failures began.

Any advice is appreciated, I love my car and love not having a car note!!  If I lived in New Orleans I would love to have you working on it instead!!!

Thanks again,
Leigha


Answer
Preventative stuff mainly.

By use or by mileage I would recommend the following be serviced every 24k or 24 months regardless of which is first.  These keep your Miata reliable and operating to peak performance as well as head off corrosion issues due to time.   It could be considered over kill by some but, translate into longevity.  Our oldest Miata to date has 430k (1993) on it.

Plugs/wires (NGK for both)
Air Filter (mazda or K&N)
Coolant (we use Prestone Dexcool)
Transmission & Differential (we use Valvoline 75w90 full synthetic)
Clutch & Brake Fluid (Valvoline DOT 3/4 full synthetic)**
Power Steering Fluid (Royal Purple ATF Full synthetic)*
Fuel Filter (mazda)
Evacuate and Recharge your AC system***

*Most neglected fluid
**2nd most neglected fluids (absorb moisture naturally which can cause internal corrosion)
***Always neglected until it fails.  Each time the system is evacuated moisture and scale are removed a new oil charge and fresh cleaned refrigerant will extend the service life of the compressor, it's like an oil change for you AC.

In limited use cars it is advisable to keep the tank full of gas and periodically use a pint of methanol (Heet) in the tank to reduce moisture buildup.  This will also reduce injector varnish and keep you from having to have the injectors cleaned.

I see you had the coil pack issue, common.

Also the converter issue, not common.  

Since you have low miles with age your exhaust system will no doubt be in need of work in your future.  The acids that develop as part of combustion that do not get burned off in low mile use cars will (has) create(d) a corrosive element in your exhaust that will require parts to be changed.  NOt a big ordeal, actually it opens you up for some upgrades.  When the time comes a stainless steel Racing Beat header and muffler will not only solve your problems but increase power and efficiency, the sound is an added perk.  On 1999 Miatas the exhaust manifold design used was a mistake, a cast radial manifold.  They corrected this problem in the following years so a header is a standard upgrade there.

Keep up with 3k/3 month oil changes with normal use or as a rule every 6 months regardless of miles.  We use Valvoline 5w30 full synthetic here and either a mazda filter or K&N 1008.

No car will give you the return that a Miata can in use, fun, reliability and cost of ownership.  Drop a line or stop by anytime.

service@miatashop.com