Resistance Shifting out of Park

There's a reason that ALL vehicle manufacturers install a parking brake in their vehicles and then call it a PARKING BRAKE and then recommend it's use.

Even if you never park on an incline you should always use the P brake. Let's assume you park your car as normal, without the P brake. Some carless driver comes along trying to park near your car. As they're maneuvering their car into position next to yours they get too close and back into your rear bumper. Not hard enough to cause any visible damage but hard enough to rock your car. Without the P brake engaged all that energy is passed to the parking pawl in your transmission. The transmission is not designed to take this and there's a damned good chance that something is going to break. Why risk that as it only takes a second to engage the P brake?

I've always used the parking brake and I've stressed it's use to my wife and my sons. Everyone in the family uses the parking brake and you should too.
Sooooooooooo true!! I worked with a lady who had a 1974 Chrysler New Yorker. If people parked her in she would just push their cars out of the way with her car to get out!
 
This happens to my electronic brake Mazda and not the manual one. I suspect it may happen when the car is still cold during the initial high idle stage and then an attempt to reverse is made before the rpms drop.

That has crossed my mind as well, but it happens when fully warmed up too.

Interesting comment about the electronic parking brake though... as my 2014 Mazda 3 Hatch didn't have an electronic parking brake.

It's a negative. Tested on 3 different morning cold starts. Could not replicate the resistance.
 
Welp. She slurred a few shifts the other day. Large lag between gears on 1-2,2-3, and some shift-flair. 57,XXX on the odo. If she totally craps out, I hope it's before 60K.

While I can't say I am surprised, I am disappointed. Maybe it's isolated incident. Warrantied bumper to bumper for 100K though, so whatever. Still disheartening.
 
I can understand the concern about not using the parking brake enough, but what perplexes me is that the resistance can be felt simply moving between P/R and D. Again, that is without taking your foot off of the brake pedal. You shouldn't go from no resistance to resistance just going P --> D --> P --> D

Now, that's not really a normal operation (moving the shifter back and forth multiple times), but it shouldn't matter. Resistance shouldn't be coming and going randomly.

But since some of you folks know way more about vehicles than I do, can someone explain why this in bold is so?

"Tom: Applying the parking brake before you put it in park eliminates that problem. The brake holds the car in place and doesn't let the car roll until the parking pawl jams up. You just have to remember -- when you come back -- to take the transmission out of park first before releasing the parking brake."

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/06/15/hubbys-right-engage-parking-brake-first.html

Any idea why they say you have to shift out of Park before releasing the Parking Brake?
 
I can understand the concern about not using the parking brake enough, but what perplexes me is that the resistance can be felt simply moving between P/R and D. Again, that is without taking your foot off of the brake pedal. You shouldn't go from no resistance to resistance just going P --> D --> P --> D

Now, that's not really a normal operation (moving the shifter back and forth multiple times), but it shouldn't matter. Resistance shouldn't be coming and going randomly.

But since some of you folks know way more about vehicles than I do, can someone explain why this in bold is so?

"Tom: Applying the parking brake before you put it in park eliminates that problem. The brake holds the car in place and doesn't let the car roll until the parking pawl jams up. You just have to remember -- when you come back -- to take the transmission out of park first before releasing the parking brake."

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/business/2013/06/15/hubbys-right-engage-parking-brake-first.html

Any idea why they say you have to shift out of Park before releasing the Parking Brake?

You want to take vehicle out of park so the pawl can move freely, before the brake is released. If the brake is released prior to taking the vehicle out of park, the vehicle can move or settle forward or backward and this can PIN the pawl against the pawl locking ring, and prevent the pawl from operating freely.




Is there any linkage between the shifter and the transmission or is it all electronic instead?

edit** Looks like it is operated by a long sheathed cable from the shift lever to the transaxle.

$_57.JPG


Here is what the PARKING PAWL looks like. This sample pic is from the FORD, but shown simply as an example of what is holding the vehicle.

maxresdefault.jpg


Because of the rotation of the trans while the vehicle is in idle, perhaps the pawl engages from D-P better because of the direction of rotation compared with a P-R direction?
 
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I can understand the concern about not using the parking brake enough, but what perplexes me is that the resistance can be felt simply moving between P/R and D. Again, that is without taking your foot off of the brake pedal. You shouldn't go from no resistance to resistance just going P --> D --> P --> D

Now, that's not really a normal operation (moving the shifter back and forth multiple times), but it shouldn't matter. Resistance shouldn't be coming and going randomly.

But since some of you folks know way more about vehicles than I do, can someone explain why this in bold is so?

"Tom: Applying the parking brake before you put it in park eliminates that problem. The brake holds the car in place and doesn't let the car roll until the parking pawl jams up. You just have to remember -- when you come back -- to take the transmission out of park first before releasing the parking brake."

http://www.dispatch.com/content/sto.../hubbys-right-engage-parking-brake-first.html

Any idea why they say you have to shift out of Park before releasing the Parking Brake?
Possibly to prevent torque lock:
http://www.csmans.com/torque_lock_automatic_transmission_-364.html
 
Welp. She slurred a few shifts the other day. Large lag between gears on 1-2,2-3, and some shift-flair. 57,XXX on the odo. If she totally craps out, I hope it's before 60K.

While I can't say I am surprised, I am disappointed. Maybe it's isolated incident. Warrantied bumper to bumper for 100K though, so whatever. Still disheartening.
So, when are you bringing it in? Curious as to what's going on...
 
The dealer couldn't replicate the resistance this time around (opposed to the first time.... hence the first replacement part), so they gave it back as is. Just recommended to make sure the brake pedal is firmly depressed when trying to shift out of park. I suppose I could add a bit more pressure when applying the brake in these instances... will make a mental note of it and see if I notice anything different.

Good luck Unobtanium... please let us know how things progress.
 
So, when are you bringing it in? Curious as to what's going on...

When it fails or throws a code. I have a 100K mile warranty. I don't care what happens until after that's up, and I'm not going to let them drive my car around for a day or two trying to replicate something with no SES codes. If it never does it again, I'll chalk it up to a random fluke. If it continues to do it but shows no evidence of it, I'll keep it until about 90K miles and then go back to a Grand Jeep Cherokee, maybe SRT8, or a Lancer EVO or WRX STi. I've become addicted to AWD, but let's face it, the CX-5 is stripped down on luxury, and boring AF. I just bought it because it's cheap as hell and I thought it would be reliable---which it may well prove to be---but I am nervous about this because of what I observed out of the transmission the other day. If it won't provide reliability, then it's out the door. I have no passion for this soulless little appliance, and it has a simple goal set: cheap and reliable. It better hit both of those, or it's gone when the warranty is. Until then, I'll drive it until it breaks. It's nothing to me but a $100 bill if it does it after 60K and under 100K miles.
 
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When it fails or throws a code. I have a 100K mile warranty. I don't care what happens until after that's up, and I'm not going to let them drive my car around for a day or two trying to replicate something with no SES codes. If it never does it again, I'll chalk it up to a random fluke. If it continues to do it but shows no evidence of it, I'll keep it until about 90K miles and then go back to a Grand Jeep Cherokee, maybe SRT8, or a Lancer EVO or WRX STi. I've become addicted to AWD, but let's face it, the CX-5 is stripped down on luxury, and boring AF. I just bought it because it's cheap as hell and I thought it would be reliable---which it may well prove to be---but I am nervous about this because of what I observed out of the transmission the other day. If it won't provide reliability, then it's out the door. I have no passion for this soulless little appliance, and it has a simple goal set: cheap and reliable. It better hit both of those, or it's gone when the warranty is. Until then, I'll drive it until it breaks. It's nothing to me but a $100 bill if it does it after 60K and under 100K miles.
Did you purchase the extended warranty or did it come with it?
 
Did you purchase the extended warranty or did it come with it?

I purchased it because I did not trust Mazda completely, especially given how unproven this engine and transmission (only 2-3 years old) is. I am quite happy I paid the premium for doing so through my credit union. $100 fixes anything for 6 years/100K miles, bumper to bumper. So if the trans goes out, it will have more than double (triple?) paid for itself. If not, it was worth it in peace of mind. My Jeep had a 5/100 factory warranty, and I sure as hell used it, so I figured I'd do the same with my CX-5, and it looks like I just might use the hell out of that, too, maybe. If not, again, like I said, worth it for peace of mind/not having to worry with it.
 
I purchased it because I did not trust Mazda completely, especially given how unproven this engine and transmission (only 2-3 years old) is. I am quite happy I paid the premium for doing so through my credit union. $100 fixes anything for 6 years/100K miles, bumper to bumper. So if the trans goes out, it will have more than double (triple?) paid for itself. If not, it was worth it in peace of mind. My Jeep had a 5/100 factory warranty, and I sure as hell used it, so I figured I'd do the same with my CX-5, and it looks like I just might use the hell out of that, too, maybe. If not, again, like I said, worth it for peace of mind/not having to worry with it.
I usually pick up an extended warranty on a new vehicle that I plan to keep a long time. I didn't this time because the only one offered was a third party one from Allstate. Coverage was ridiculous (brake backing plate, internal engine fasteners, etc.) so I opted out. I know your opinion on trans fluid changes, and I believe the days of relying on fluid changes for a trouble free trans are gone. There is so much more going on with vehicles these days that isn't fluid related.
 
I usually pick up an extended warranty on a new vehicle that I plan to keep a long time. I didn't this time because the only one offered was a third party one from Allstate. Coverage was ridiculous (brake backing plate, internal engine fasteners, etc.) so I opted out. I know your opinion on trans fluid changes, and I believe the days of relying on fluid changes for a trouble free trans are gone. There is so much more going on with vehicles these days that isn't fluid related.

All things being equal (which they seldom are) it's better to change your trans fluid than not. Provided the timing is right.
 
All things being equal (which they seldom are) it's better to change your trans fluid than not. Provided the timing is right.

I'm not disagreeing with this, just remarking how things are way more complex than they used to be.
 
I usually pick up an extended warranty on a new vehicle that I plan to keep a long time. I didn't this time because the only one offered was a third party one from Allstate. Coverage was ridiculous (brake backing plate, internal engine fasteners, etc.) so I opted out. I know your opinion on trans fluid changes, and I believe the days of relying on fluid changes for a trouble free trans are gone. There is so much more going on with vehicles these days that isn't fluid related.

Pretty much. Oh, if it was designed to be changed, you bet I'd change it! But, it's not. It is quite obviously designed to make changing it a royal b****. So I'm not going to short-circuit Mazda's recommendations AND their engineering simply to "do what I think is best based on an internet forum's opinion and my opinion". This said, yeah, I do wish it COULD be changed properly, normally, sensibly.
 
The dealer couldn't replicate the resistance this time around (opposed to the first time.... hence the first replacement part), so they gave it back as is. Just recommended to make sure the brake pedal is firmly depressed when trying to shift out of park. I suppose I could add a bit more pressure when applying the brake in these instances... will make a mental note of it and see if I notice anything different.

Good luck Unobtanium... please let us know how things progress.

Hi banjos-n-bee, I am having a similar problem with my 2013 Mazda5. I can't shift out of park in the morning, but later in the day it works fine most of the time. Have you noticed if the brake light works when you can't shift out of park? I was also wondering if you found a way to fix the problem. After replacing the stop/brake switch for three times now, I am considering taking my car to a Mazda Dealer. Thanks.
 
Hi banjos-n-bee, I am having a similar problem with my 2013 Mazda5. I can't shift out of park in the morning, but later in the day it works fine most of the time. Have you noticed if the brake light works when you can't shift out of park? I was also wondering if you found a way to fix the problem. After replacing the stop/brake switch for three times now, I am considering taking my car to a Mazda Dealer. Thanks.
Hopefully he will chime in, but he has since sold his CX-5 and replaced it with an Infiniti SUV.
 
Hi banjos-n-bee, I am having a similar problem with my 2013 Mazda5. I can't shift out of park in the morning, but later in the day it works fine most of the time. Have you noticed if the brake light works when you can't shift out of park? I was also wondering if you found a way to fix the problem. After replacing the stop/brake switch for three times now, I am considering taking my car to a Mazda Dealer. Thanks.

Hello there, I am just confirming that you are talking about a 2013 Mazda5, and not a 2013 Mazda CX-5...
 
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